Happy Easter Sabbath!

My wonderful friends and sisters,
Today is such a beautiful day, isn't it? I'm so happy it is Easter. This really is the best holiday. It was simply wonderful to be at Church and listen to the great talks, music, and lessons about the Savior.

We didn't have any big announcements this week, just good luck with your finals and life, and please don't forget to do and report your visiting teaching.

Our lesson was taught by Rachel, and it was beautiful. The Spirit was so strong as she taught. She really is a great example of faith and humility. I love to listen to her teach. We really have been very blessed to have such wonderful teachers for our Relief Society this year. Her lesson came from the Joseph Fielding Smith manual, chapter 6, The Significance of the Sacrament. https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-joseph-fielding-smith/chapter-6-the-significance-of-the-sacrament?lang=eng

Rachel: Our lesson today is on the sacrament, which I think fits perfectly with Easter. I know you’ve already seen this in Sunday School, but it’s a beautiful video that I think sets the tone for our lesson. #Because of Him http://easter.mormon.org/?cid=HPTU041514694
Whenever I watch that I get chills. Each week we can come to Church and partake of the sacrament and renew our covenants. What are your thoughts?
Kim: This video makes me so excited. I just wan to exclaim it to everyone that He lives! The church has put so much money into putting this out there. I just want to tell everyone that it’s true.
Rachel: It’s so exciting because he is our Savior. He lives now, he’s here now, and what a blessing that is.
Jo: I think about the BoM when they were told that Christ would come, but it’s really amazing to think that He’s already done it. I used to think that you had to do a lot of sinning to get close to the Lord. I had this concept that if I sinned more, I’d repent more and be closer to the Lord. That was a dumb idea, but the Atonement is for everyone. And everyone needs it. Everyone can benefit from it.
Rachel: I think even in my life I think that I haven’t had some huge sin like you were saying, but it is for everyone. The little things, no matter what, the Atonement is there for us and we can use it every single day.
Just thinking about the savior and everything he did, what a blessing it is that we can come to Church each Sunday and renew our covenants.
Think about the significance of the sacrament as we read this:

In my judgment the sacrament meeting is the most sacred, the most holy, of all the meetings of the Church. When I reflect upon the gathering of the Savior and his apostles on that memorable night when he introduced the sacrament; when I think of that solemn occasion my heart is filled with wonderment and my feelings are touched. I consider that gathering one of the most solemn and wonderful since the beginning of time.
There the Savior taught them of his coming sacrifice, which in their bewilderment they could not understand. He plainly told them of his death and that his blood should be shed, and this was said in the very hour of his agony for the sins of the world. It was a very solemn occasion; there the sacrament was instituted, and the disciples were commanded to meet together often and commemorate the death and sufferings of Jesus Christ, for his sacrifice was for the redemption of the world.

Can you guys imagine being the apostles there? The savior knows what has to happen. Here he is with all his apostles, breaking the bread, giving the wine. Can you picture the significance of this? The apostles probably had no idea. How incredible that is! The symbolism behind that is incredible to me.
Brittany: It seems like it’s been a pattern since that first sacrament, that sometimes we as disciples don’t understand the significance of it. I wonder if I understand it or if I know there’s something important going on, but I don’t fully get it. It’s just so profound.
Rachel: I found an excellent talk by Elder Holland that he gave in 1995. (https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1995/10/this-do-in-remembrance-of-me?lang=eng) I was really impressed with this. He talks about the significance of the bread and the water. He says, That is why every ordinance of the gospel focuses in one way or another on the atonement of Jesus Christ… The most sacred, most holy, of all the meetings of the Church… do we see it as our passover? With so much at stake, this ordinance should be taken more seriously than it sometimes is… it should not be rushed… this is the real purpose of the sacrament meeting.
Have you ever thought of that? How the real purpose is on the sacrament?
I felt like my view of the sacrament changed today. Listening to the music and the talks, the Spirit that was there was incredible. Thinking about what he did for each one of us. I’ve done it sometimes, waiting for the next part. Even just in our ward, you can tell the difference going to our home ward. Do we take the time to reflect and appreciate that it’s silent? It’s hard when you go home because of all the kids, it’s wonderful, but enjoying where we’re at now to ponder the Savior.
Going on, President Smith continues.
Think again about the importance of the sacrament.

The person who absents himself from a sacrament meeting week after week and month after month, and nothing prevents him from coming, is not loyal to the truth. He does not love it. If he did, he would be present to partake of these emblems—just a little piece of bread, a little cup of water. He would want to do that to show his love for the truth and his loyal service to the Son of God.3
We have been called upon to commemorate this great event [the Atonement of Jesus Christ] and to keep it in mind constantly. For this purpose we are called together once each week to partake of these emblems, witnessing that we do remember our Lord, that we are willing to take upon us his name and that we will keep his commandments. This covenant we are called upon to renew each week, and we cannot retain the Spirit of the Lord if we do not consistently comply with this commandment. If we love the Lord we will be present at these meetings in the spirit of worship and prayer, remembering the Lord and the covenant we are to renew each week through this sacrament as he has required it of us.

What are your thoughts? I feel like some of these words, in some ways, seem kind of harsh, but it brings me back to reality. How important it is that we’re there.
Ryan: One thing I was thinking about is that He requires it of us, but not as a taskmaster. He requires it because he loves us. I notice quickly the absence of the Spirit when I let the little things slide. By foregoing that you’re only doing yourself a disservice.
Adrienne: You appreciate it, but some Sundays are different than others. What I was thinking about today, sometimes my issue is that I understand it to an extent, but because I wasn’t there it’s hard to really appreciate it. I wasn’t there and didn’t experience it, so I can’t get it. But what if my best friend gave her life for me? I would live my life every day how she would approve. That’s what the Savior did, but a thousand times better because my best friend can’t guarantee me eternal life. It’s showing appreciation so that this gift is used. I really appreciated the sacrament today because it’s kind of a big deal. I think that if we can even get a tiny grasp on it, it means something.
Rachel: I like what you said.sometimes it’s hard to think about this person who died over 2000 years ago. As we think about the prayers, the word “remember” stands out to me. I love that word. It’s impactful. The importance of it. I just love it. I can’t even describe it.
How often during sacrament meeting, especially during the sacrament, do your thoughts wander so you’re not thinking about the savior and the importance of that special ordinance?
Brittany: I was thinking about how you said it’s hard to feel like we’re remembering something that happened so long ago, but I think that all of us can remember even just the place from which our testimonies came and the things the Savior has done in our lives. That was five years ago, yesterday, and this morning. The sacrament is about the Atonement, but the atonement is still happening. To press it up to the present can make it so meaningful.
Rachel: Going to Elder Holland’s talk, In the simple and beautiful language of the sacramental prayer… what is stressed in both prayers is remembrance in Christ…
Sometimes the savior isn’t what comes to my memory, but he says how we can remember the savior’s birth… the savior found delight in living. Christ called his disciples friends.
We are friends with Christ. Remember that.
Thinking about the blessings we have as we’re sitting there.
To forgive. Some bad things happen, but the beautiful blessing of forgiveness. He goes on, but I love this. I think this is helpful for me to focus on the sacrament. I love that.
Why is it that we take the sacrament? Part of it yes, to remember, but what was it that he did for us? President Smith said something powerful I liked. I’m speaking for myself, but I feel like so often we sit here and we're like, what is the Atonement about? But it’s for all of us. It’s not just about him dying.

Well, naturally a person would think: He had nails driven in his hands and his feet and he hung there until he died. … What else did he suffer? This is a thing I think that most of us overlook. I am convinced that his greatest suffering was not the driving of nails in his hands and in his feet and hanging on the cross, as excruciating and as terrible as that was. He was carrying another load that was far more significant and penetrating. How? We do not understand clearly, but I get a glimpse of it.

We don’t understand clearly, none of us will I think until after we’ve died. Please think about this.

There isn’t one of us I take it that hasn’t done something wrong and then been sorry and wished we hadn’t. Then our consciences strike us and we have been very, very miserable. Have you gone through that experience? I have. … But here we have the Son of God carrying the burden of my transgressions and your transgressions. … His greatest torment was not the nails in his hands or in his feet, as bad as they were, but the torment of mind in some way that is not clear to me. But he carried the burden—our burden. I added something to it; so did you. So did everybody else. He took it upon himself to pay the price that I might escape—that you might escape—the punishment on the conditions that we will receive his gospel and be true and faithful in it.
Now that’s what I’m trying to think about. That’s what I’m remembering—the excruciating agony when he was crying in his prayer to his Father to let the cup pass. He’s not pleading just for relief from driving nails in his hand[s] or in his feet, he had a more severe torment than all of that, in some way that I do not understand.

I don’t think any of us will understand the excruciating pain he went through.

“For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; but if they would not repent, they must suffer even as I; which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit; and would that I might not drink the bitter cup and shrink—nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.” [D&C 19:16–19.]
It is, however, within our grasp to know and realize that this excruciating agony of His sacrifice has brought to us the greatest blessing that could possibly be given. Moreover, we are able to realize that this extreme suffering—which was beyond the power of mortal man either to accomplish or endure—was undertaken because of the great love which the Father and the Son had for mankind.
If we fully appreciated the many blessings which are ours through the redemption made for us, there is nothing that the Lord could ask of us that we would not anxiously and willingly do.

I like that last part. The lord has suffered all things for us. You want to tell the world because of the Savior, al of these things. Because of him we can live, take the sacrament, repent, start over new. What a blessing that is! That’s why I just want to go out and tell the world. Because of him all these things can be.
Emilie: Regret is a big thing I struggle with. It's really hard for me to let go of my mistakes. But I'm so grateful for the Atonement. When I remember the Atonement, I can let go of my mistakes. I know that Christ understands, that he suffered for my regret and the emotional pain I allow myself to perpetuate. So I can let it go. I know the power of the Atonement is real. I'm so grateful for it. I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the world. I would do anything for him.
Rachel: I’ll close with this last quote and my testimony.

If we could understand all this, feebly though it be, and feebly it must be, I am sure, my brethren and sisters, we would forever more want to walk in the light of truth. If we could see the Savior of men suffering in the garden and upon the cross and could fully realize all that it meant to us, we would desire to keep his commandments and we would love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our might, mind and strength, and in the name of Jesus Christ would serve him.

To leave you guys with a challenge, try to remember all the things HEavenly Father has done for you. Focus on the things the Savior has done for you. Because of Him all these things ware possible. I know as we do that, that the Lord will bless us. He’ll lead us and guide us, give us the comfort we need. The extra push to do what we feel inspired to do. I know that as we do these things, that truly the lord will bless us. It was such a blessing today to do that. I want to share with yo my testimony that I know the Savior lives. That he lived and died for us. That we can celebrate his life today. I had the opportunity to attend The Messiah last night in the Tabernacle. It was incredible as the Hallelujah chorus was sang, that everyone stood up. The Spirit was so powerful. These wonderful musicians testified of the Savior. He knows each of us perfectly and he wants to reach of us.