The semester is finally coming to a close.  Its amazing how in such short time one can learn so much.  I loved finishing off the semester by learning of Jesus Christ's resurrection.  After all He suffered and went through for us, He finished this great atonement by raising from the dead, breaking the bonds of death and providing the way for us to be able to return to our Father in Heaven.  I've loved learning of Christ's life.  He truly is the perfect example for us.  "He went about doing good yet was despised for it. His gospel was a message of peace and goodwill. He entreated all to follow His example." -The Living Christ.  He came to earth to serve and that is what He did.  Then this perfect man, who had never sinned, willingly took upon Him the world's sins; suffering for every pain, affliction and sin.  He suffered through it, without a word of complaint, and didn't give up the ghost until He had paid the price for every man.  Truly "I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me, confused at the grace that so fully He proffers me.  I tremble to know that for me He was crucified; that for me, a sinner, He suffered, He bled and died".  My love for Jesus grows daily as continue to stumble and He ceasingly lifts me up again.  This semester showed me that by studying His life we can grow ever-closer to Him.  I love my Savior, I am forever indebted to Him.  I know that if I apply His infinite atonement in my life, then one day I will have the chance to kneel at His feet, to see Him face-to-face and live with Him and my Father in Heaven for eternity.

There is no doubt that Jesus Christ's atonement is the single most important event that ever occurred on the earth.  Thanks to Him we can be saved, we can be forgiven and we can return to live with God again.  To bring such a giant blessing to pass was not easy.  My small mortal mind cannot even comprehend the amount of pain and suffering that Christ went through.  He suffered in Gethsemane, then as he was scourged and beaten and then suffered even more on the cross as the same pain He felt in Gethsemane returned intensified.  He bled from every poor, He felt pain that no mortal can begin to imagine.  People say they love Christ because He died for them.  The better statement is that we love Christ because He lived for us.  Despite all the pain and anguish which should have killed Him, He chose not to give up the ghost until the atonement was complete.  With the power He possessed and the pain He was suffering He could have, at any given moment, given up and chose to die.  But He didn't.  He loves us so much that He suffered on.  I am so grateful for my Savior, I am so grateful that He lived and suffered willingly so that I might be made clean.  It was a necessary part of God's plan.  Had it not been for Christ we would all perish in sin.  There are no words to express my gratitude and love for the Savior.  We have no excuse to not do what he asks of us.  Like the scriptures say, "if ye love me, keep my commandments".  He has shown His endless love for us and all He asks for in return is that we follow Him, that we obey Him and that we strive to be the best we can be.

Why is it so easy to get down on ourselves?  We know that we are all sinners, we make mistakes, yet every time we start losing hope and feel as if we'll never make it.  Even peter, Christ's chief apostle had moments such as these.  As Peter told Jesus that he'd never leave His side, Jesus responds my saying "I tell thee Peter, The cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me."  Sure enough as Jesus was being spit upon and mocked right after suffering pain beyond measure, Peter denied knowing Him 3 times.  The verse that strikes me the most is the one that comes after, "And Peter went out, and wept bitterly."  How many times has this happened to us?  Where we make a mistake and after feel so bad that we just feel like weeping.  This moment truly shows that we are all human, and that we are never without hope.  We can always change, no matter the situation.  If the chief apostle of Christ can make such a mistake and come back from it so can we. I know that Christ's atonement is real.  Change is possible and we have our entire life to continue striving to be better.  I love my Savior and His selfless sacrifice.  I am forever indebted to Him for giving me the chance to change and become like Him.

The people of America have been filled with confusion, controversy and confusion this week.  I believe it was perfect timing that in my New Testament class we talked about the last days.  In Joseph Smith-Matthew we read all that Jesus said will happen in the last days.  There will be wars and rumors of wars, the sun will be darkened, wickedness will abound, etc..  And now as we end a very controversial election with results that no one is very sure of, many people are scared that we will be led to downfall.  I loved the first presidency message the day after elections asking us to pray for our leaders.  I believe that we should support our leaders.  It shouldn't be a shock what is happening in America or in the world in general, Jesus as well as countless prophets have prophesied that there will be abounding wickedness and destruction.   We know that that will happen and we can't prevent these prophecies from being fulfilled.  Christ didn't give these prophecies to scare people, He taught them so that we might be prepared.  We need to take His words and live righteously so that we will be saved.  "The righteous need not fear".  I know that those words are true, as we live the commandments and are faithful we will live with the peace that we are worthy of God's kingdom.

I believe sometimes it's important to realize how hard of a thing Jesus has done for us.  He suffered the greatest pains, a suffering we can't even imagine, and I am convinced that there definitely was a part of Him that didn't want to have to do it.  As He said in the Garden of Gethsemane "take away this cup from me, nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt" (Mark 14:36).  He knew it was a necessary step to bring to pass the salvation of mankind.  He did not want to suffer yet did it anyway.
 In Matt 21: 28-30 Jesus shared a parable that reflected this.  The first said "I will not" which in greek actually translates to "I want not", but then he went.  The second says "I go, sir" but did not go.  This parable reflects how Jesus did not want to suffer but went anyways.  This fact is so powerful to me.  As humans when we don't want something it is so hard to give up what we don't want and go.  To me this just emphasizes all the more Jesus's love for us.  He knew He was going to have to suffer unbearable pain yet because He loves us and wants us to return to live with Him and our Father, He was willing to sacrifice His wants for us.

"And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way." - Mark 10:52
I always wondered what became of the people that Jesus healed.  Surely they couldn't forget what amazing thing had been done for them.  I love the simpleness yet power of this scripture.  Jesus healed the blind man, and as He healed him he said "go thy way".  But as soon as he received his sight he "followed Jesus".  He had seen the power that Jesus held, he recognized Him as the Christ and therefore changed his way to Jesus's way.  He literally changed the course of his life and began following Christ from that time forth.  I wish I could be more like this blind man, who immediately recognized all that Christ had done for him and showed his gratitude by following Him.  He knew that Christ was the ultimate healer and I suspect he realized that Jesus could heal more than just physical ailments.  Jesus truly is the master healer.  He is there to make us whole, that is why He suffered so much for us, so that we might be made clean, so that one day we might be perfect like He is.  So let us be like the blind man and make our way Jesus's way.  In doing so I know that we will feel His healing power every day of our lives.

Let us learn lives full of joy.  Happiness is by choice not chance.