The Apostle Project #D. Todd Christofferson

So last week #TheApostleProject has taken me to learn more about and of Elder D. Todd Christofferson which I was excited about because even though I met him in person, I didn't know a lot about him.

Elder Christofferson was called to be a member of the Quorum of the twelve 2008, only 2 1/2 years after I have been baptized, but I cannot remember witnessing it. Hurray for lds.org which archives every recorded talk of General Conference.

In his first talk "Born Again" he shares with us some of the inadequacy he felt that day: 

"Fifteen years ago I stood for the first time at the pulpit in the Tabernacle as a newly sustained Seventy. I was 48 years old. I had thick, dark brown hair. I thought I understood what it meant to feel inadequate. At the end of my five-minute remarks, my shirt was dripping with perspiration. The whole thing was something of an ordeal. However, today, in retrospect, it seems a comparatively pleasant experience."

He then goes on teaching us about the process of being born again. After giving us some scriptural examples he then concludes with these thoughts: 

"You may ask, Why doesn’t this mighty change happen more quickly with me? You should remember that the remarkable examples of King Benjamin’s people, Alma, and some others in scripture are just that—remarkable and not typical. For most of us, the changes are more gradual and occur over time. Being born again, unlike our physical birth, is more a process than an event. And engaging in that process is the central purpose of mortality.

At the same time, let us not justify ourselves in a casual effort. Let us not be content to retain some disposition to do evil. Let us worthily partake of the sacrament each week and continue to draw upon the Holy Spirit to root out the last vestiges of impurity within us. I testify that as you continue in the path of spiritual rebirth, the atoning grace of Jesus Christ will take away your sins and the stain of those sins in you, temptations will lose their appeal, and through Christ you will become holy, as He and our Father are holy."

Having been reborn, we do need to try a little harder to seek to do good continually. I know it seems hard at times, but we have been given the gift of the Holy Ghost. We have Him with us to lead and guide us on our path of righteousness. As we listen to Him continually, we get more sensitive to His promptings and we live in more accordance with the will of our dear God. 

In the talk "As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten", Elder Christofferson recounts a story that happened to Elder Brown, former member  of the Quorum of the Twelve. The church has made a Mormon Message about it, which I absolutely love: 

http://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages/the-will-of-god-2

Getting correction, not to mention seeking correction, is super hard for me. Not because I think I am perfect, but just because I sometimes take it too personally. Because I used to think that people correct me because they don't like me.  But this talk has really shown me again, how we should give correction, and also why correction takes place. Our first motive for correction should aways be love. 

"All of us can meet God’s high expectations, however great or small our capacity and talent may be. Moroni affirms, “If ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is [God’s] grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ” (Moroni 10:32). It is a diligent, devoted effort on our part that calls forth this empowering and enabling grace, an effort that certainly includes submission to God’s chastening hand and sincere, unqualified repentance. Let us pray for His love-inspired correction."

I feel so blessed to have gotten to know this stalwart Apostle over the last week. It is such a joy to have Apostles. I testify, that they are called of God, that they speak His words, and that we can trust them. 

#TheApostleProject

Study Suggestions:

Born Again

The Moral Force of Women

As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten

The Doctrine of Christ

PS. Get ready with me for this week featuring Elder Russel M. Nelson !