Sisters and Brothers—
“Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the cGod of Israel, and the God of the whole dearth, and have been slain for the sins of the world.
“And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.”
3 Nephi 11:14-15
Despite His role as ultimate Savior and Redeemer of the world, Jesus Christ illustrated the individual nature of discipleship and testimony within the first moments of the recorded experience of His visit to the American continent. He invited the multitude to come one at a time and witness the scars in His hands and His feet first hand. He called to them to “arise and come forth unto me,” showing His infinite patience and desire to connect one on one.
That invitation to develop a personal connection to our Savior and Redeemer has not been rescinded. In fact, Jesus Christ continues to call on us to come unto Him, to trust Him, and to accept the grace He offers.
It is truly miraculous to me that the One who “spake, and the world was made” (D&C 38:3) invites each individual member of the eternal family to know Him.
As darkness overwhelms us, challenges come and answers from others seem hard to come by, I know that the Redeemer has all the answers. As we believe in Him — and believe Him — we can be freed not only from sin, but released from toxic perfectionism, unhealthy comparisons, and self-deprecation.
We can be free to love unconditionally, celebrate success in ourselves and others, and confidently move through life as one for whom all eternal debts are already paid.
As you move into your Sabbath day, I challenge each of you to do something to draw you closer to the Savior. Developing the relationship you want with Divinity won’t come through casual conversation but through intimate interactions. If you find it difficult to be vulnerable and receive help from others, start by being vulnerable and asking for help from Him. Then, He will be able to inspire you—and others—through the Holy Ghost with what to do, how to help, and who to be.
One great way to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ is by worthily and thoughtfully partaking of the sacrament. Those members of the ward whose names begin with H through P are invited to attend in-person this week. Others are authorized for at-home sacrament under the usual provisions. Reach out to me if you have any questions.
I love you all and hope the Holy Ghost is inspiring each of you on ways you can draw closer to Christ—and to each other.
Bishop Bennett