Family: We Are One

There's something absolutely marvelous about the structure of the Gospel...it is one...giant...beautiful...FAMILY.

The Church is Mom.

Can you guess who Dad is?

It's our Savior, Jesus Christ.

When they got married, the Church took her husband's name upon herself, making her the Church of Jesus Christ.

Then the children of God are baptized, taking Christ's name upon them, making him the Father of their souls.

And they get to be born again every week as they partake of the sacrament.

Everyone has a role in the family. The Church nurtures, teaches, counsels, motivates, encourages, feeds, comforts, and blesses her children. Jesus Christ presides, provides, and protects. His role and our role as his children in the gospel are outlined in 3 Nephi 27:13-21.

Sometimes there's confusion with the difference between the Church and the Gospel. I can't take credit for this comparison, but someone in my Book of Mormon class said that the Church is like a lantern and the Gospel is like the light. What a beautiful analogy demonstrating the purity and good new of the Gospel held, protected, and proclaimed by the structure of the Church.

That is the wonderful thing about this giant family. The Gospel is beautiful, and it contains important ordinances and principles that will be forever true. But the Church makes it possible for the Gospel to bless us on earth. It's somewhere for us to go. It nurtures us and counsels us. It helps us become all that we can and should be.

What a blessing it is to be able to be a part of this family.

He Perceives

Sometimes I wish I were a little more perceptive. Knowing exactly how other people are feeling could be so useful. I would never offend, hurt, or discourage.

I know that I’m most perceptive to what someone is feeling when I know them really well. I think that’s why my mom can so easily read my mind. She knows when something’s wrong because she knows me.

A teacher is so much more capable of instructing when they can perceive how a student is confused. They have to know them well in order to individualize the lesson. Sometimes the lesson is focused on the classroom’s needs, and other times it is focused on each person’s needs.

In 3 Nephi, Jesus Christ is instructing the Nephites in the Americas about a year after His death. In chapter 15, verse 2, it says, “And it came to pass that when Jesus had said these words he perceived that there were some among them who marveled, and wondered what he would concerning the law of Moses…” Jesus Christ then explains that the law of Moses had been fulfilled, and He gives them a new law. But imagine the confusion that would have followed had He not perceived their wonder.

What a beautiful thing it is to know that, although we may not be able to perceive everything about everyone, even ourselves, God does. He knows us enough to be patient with us, and to individualize our instruction on earth. Were it not for a loving Father in Heaven and personal revelation, we would be doomed to wander around in someone else’s shoes. But He knows that we are here to make something of ourselves, and He has provided a way for every single one of us.