December 2015 Newsletter Article

I have been reviewing my experiences studying the New Testament this year.. One that stands out was a class discussion in in Gospel Doctrine class about the healing of a leper in Mark 1:40-42. These few short, yet profound, verses have become beautiful to me. I had read them previously and seen them portrayed in gospel videos, but it was not until reading them silently in class that the Holy Ghost opened my eyes to a deeper meaning. The leper came beseeching and kneeling at the feet of the Savior and said, “If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean”. We are all in pain, unclean, and dying just as this leper. We must come to the Lord being humble, faithful and repentant. Humility comes from an understanding that we cannot cleanse ourselves. The words of the hymn are clear, “He only could unlock the gate of heav’n and let us in” (Hymn 194, There Is a Green Hill Far Away). The word “only” in this line does not mean the He can merely do this for us but He exclusively can open the gate and let us in. We must have faith in His word and His ability and desire to help us. We must repent and become as He would have us be. As we do these things, we will feel the touch of the Master’s hand in our life and He will heal us. As we spend time together this holiday season, I encourage each of us to talk about the spiritual experiences that have happened in the past year.