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I have recently begun again a study of the New Testament. I have found an extra 30 min. each morning in which I am able to study. It is amazing - the doctrines that I am studying are at once familiar and intimate and yet profound and inspiring.

For example, this morning I read the scripture at the end of Matthew chapter 11 wherein is found the following:

28 ¶ aCome unto me, all ye that blabour and are heavy laden, and I will give you crest.
29 Take my ayoke upon you, and blearn of me; for I am cmeek and dlowly in eheart: and ye shall find frest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is aeasy, and my burden is light.

I remembered the experience of the people who followed Alma the Elder out of the land of Nephi. They thought they were alone and began to establish a city. But soon there was a group of Lamanites who discovered them and the people of Alma were captured. They were pressed into service and were forbidden to pray or otherwise worship the Lord. Yet they prayed in their hearts, and the Lord heard them. They were promised by the Lord that their burdens would become light. They cheerfully submitted to the Lord's will and soon found that they were strengthened and able to bear those burdens.

We all have burdens. Sin, sorrow, guilt, depression, low self-esteem, loss, doubt, confusion, whatever... All of these things can be detrimental to our eternal progression. They are very real.

But we have been promised by the Lord that if we would give our burdens to Him that He would take them. Yoking ourselves with the Lord makes us stronger and shifts some of our load onto His mighty shoulders. We are still yoked, but we are yoked with the Lord - the Master of the Universe.

Reasons not to do this are many: doubt, fear, frustration... Interestingly the same list as those very burdens we are trying to displace. I know - through very personal experience - that shifting one's burden to the Lord is an empowering thing. It makes us strong. The very act of faith that is required to make such a shift strengthens us. I am stronger when I submit. I know - it seems counter-intuitive. But it is nonetheless real.

I am far from perfect. The Lord gives us weaknesses so that we can be humble. Humility is required when we shift our burden to the Lord. And then we find ourselves free all over again...

Comments

Nisha said…
Prayer in your heart. Personally, if the blessings of God were a graduating class, internal thought, and the subsequent ability of private prayer would be in the top ten percent [eternal life and love being co-valedictorians]. I was actually discussing this with Mother Trudi last eve, how my typical prayers [those of evening and morn] are not really eloquent or well..dramatically holy.. My reasoning is thus: my day is one thorough conversation with Hevenly Father, I literally pray about EVERYTHING! If I see someone troubled, I "lean over" and tell God about it, I thank Him profusely just about every single hour [but still not often enough], and laugh with Him when something amuses me, knowing He is laughing also. I think that is definitely how He wants relationships with His children to be..granted, they always need to be reverent, but I pray to Him in a friendly way, because He is my Father, and best friend. My prayers can get serious, when I do serious thanking, or serious repenting, or serious pleading, and sometimes they last an exeedingly long time, but to pray daily in that manner would put out the flame, because to have a serious, long-term relationship with Heavenly Father, you have to be on humble, human, peaceful terms with Him.

At least..this is my own personal opinion, and relationship. You may contest it based on your own.

-Anisha
September 2, 2009 at 1:37 PM
Nisha said…
P.S. In that castle..battlement..fortress...monestary...abbey...seaside abode you have, there is a particularly tiny window to the right. That is where a house-elf would live if you kept one [or if you inherited one, because I have no doubt you would immediately give it some magnificent bolt of cloth with a flourish and send it on its way]. Otherwise, its a portal into another world that can only be accessed by hanging over the side of the vine covered walls and crawling in with seven pieces of twine [there is no interior door into this room, but there is one leading from it into the castle, but only if you are accepted into the other world]. If you are not accepted, you will be judged on any actions you have done within the previous five minutes and will either be transported to Blarney, Ireland, [unfortunate], or be thrown off of the cliffside into the sea and journey to Atlantica [the sister-city of Atlantis] where the merperson equivalents of Julia Childs and Emeril will serve you.
I cannot say however, what is in the world in the window if you get inside, I have only visited once, and was sworn to secrecy as a Level 8 agent that if I told, they would kill Aslan [but he was ressurected, so it's all good].


Have a nice day!
September 2, 2009 at 1:48 PM
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