Bradley Elders Word Count: 498 [Possible titles] ● Overcoming a Fear of God ● Learning to Come to Him ● A God of Love, Not Wrath [Kicker] It took me a year to learn that God wants us to repent so that he can bless us—not to punish us. [Aricle] From April 2011 to the next year, I had traveled 450 miles, and crosseds a sea. But for all the time that passed and distance traveled, I was in the same place spiritually. I was a missionary in the Caribbean, and had been out for six months and eighteen months. I was sitting in two chapels:, one brand new, an example of modern Mormon architecture and thoughtfulness;. T the other old and was full of particleboard paneling and falling ceiling tiles, an example of years of faithful service by the pioneering members of a stillstruggling branch. It seemed as though I was living in an extended state of déjà vu. I was listening to General Conference and soaking in every word of the talks. I really was in the same place— spiritually. The six-month Bradme listened to Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s talk “As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten,” while eighteen-month Bradme watched Elder Neil L. Andersen deliver “What Thinks Christ of Me?” These two talks are rather different in subject, but they both had the same effect on me. I had been carrying unnecessary burdens., Altburdens that, though the burdens weighed on my
soul, I had gotten good at hiding it. But the key to the talks’ effect on me was humility. that I was humbled,I was prepared to change. Elder Christofferson’s words rang true as he advised me to “willingly . . . accept and even seek correction.” That was me! I was humble and ready to change, right? Little did I know that the next step was to be chastened, rebuked, and persuaded to make a lasting change. So I did.; I unloaded my this burden on amy priesthood leader—a loving servant who, under the guidance of the Spirit, told me that the Lord would accept my willingness to change. But I’m sad to say that I retained at least some of the burden. I had not allowed myself to completely change, fearing a vengeful and angry God’s wrath. But I had not understood Elder Christofferson’s address correctly. God does ask us to be humble and repent, but he does so with the promise that his everlasting love will encircle us when we come unto him. ASo a year passed, and the Lord had another plea ready for eighteen-month Bradme. This time, Elder Andersen was the one to extend this call, using words I had read many times: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) This time I was finally ready to give it all to the Savior. I was just as humble as I was a year earlier, but I was now willing to submit myself to what I was sure would be swift retribution upon my head. But I learned the most awe-inspiring lesson that day, one that seems so simple now: God does not ask us to repent so that he can punish us, he does it so that he can love us. I have to remind myself of it every so often, but it’s stayed with me. —Bradley Elders, Thatcher, Arizona Read Elder Christofferson’s talk, “As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten,” here.
Read Elder Andersen’s talk, “What Thinks Christ of Me?” here.
[Tags] Bradley Elders, D. Todd Christofferson, Neil L. Andersen, humility, repentance, love, atonement, General Conference [SEO Keyword] repentance [Text for meme] God does not ask us to repent so that he can punish us, he does it so that he can love us. or “We ought to rejoice that God considers us worth the time and trouble to correct.” —D. Todd Christofferson