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 ! 

The Apostle Project. #Jeffrey R. Holland

So last week I have visited my old ward in Salzburg where I was able to be in the YSA sunday school class with one of my favourite teachers in church. The topic we talked about were the apostles, and we were asked to study the ones that we have now, to learn of them and get to know them. I decided to study one of the Apostles every week. And thus came to pass The Apostle Project.

Starting randomly with Elder Holland, I watched his first talk in Fall General Conference 1994 and was impressed by the humility of this great man. In his talk "Miracles of the Restoration" he said: 

"My beloved brothers and sisters, this is my first opportunity to stand before you since the events of June 23 altered the course of my life and of my service forever. That was exactly one hundred days ago, and every one of those days I have prayed to be worthy of and equal to this sacred responsibility. Perhaps you can understand the immense personal inadequacy I feel and the deep, often painful examination of my soul I have experienced."

When I read this, my heart was warm and I could relate. And I think we all can. With great power comes great responsibility. I guess I am not alone in sometimes thinking the apostles do everything right. They would never, ever make a mistake. They are perfect. But this humble servant of the Lord has told us himself, that he is praying every single day to be worthy of that calling. He has told us about his inadequacy. But yet he has accepted this call and is striving his best to do the Lords work. What a great example.

Another thing that I learned from Elder Holland came from his talk "Lord, I Believe":

I am not asking you to pretend to faith you do not have. I am asking you to be true to the faith you do have. Sometimes we act as if an honest declaration of doubt is a higher manifestation of moral courage than is an honest declaration of faith. It is not! So let us all remember the clear message of this scriptural account: Be as candid about your questions as you need to be; life is full of them on one subject or another. But if you and your family want to be healed, don’t let those questions stand in the way of faith working its miracle.

He then tells a story about a boy who told him he didn't know yet, that the church was true, but he believed it. Elder Holland councelled him and us, that we should never be sorry for 'only believing'. To believe is a strong and powerful thing.

In his talk "The Tongue of Angels" he asks us to be kind and think about the things we say. I know that I talk impulsively, sometimes I say really stupid things, and unfortunately hurt people. So I am going to work a little harder of speaking the tongue of Angels.


In conclusion I'd like to tell you, that I used to be so scared of Elder Holland, because of his boldness. He can be really tough. But if we really listen to him and watch him speak, we can feel that he is called of God to this sacred duty. He didn't choose it. But he magnifies his calling. And that is why I love him so much.

#TheApostleProject

Study Suggestions:
Place No More for the Enemy of my Soul
Lord I Believe
Safety for the Soul
Like a Broken Vessel
Broken Things to Mend
The Tongue of Angels