How to Strengthen Our Connection to Jesus Christ

 

Be Reconciled to God

By Elder Kelly R. Johnson

Of the Seventy

Reconciliation brings not only relief from feelings of guilt but also peace within ourselves and with others. It heals relationships, softens hearts, and strengthens our discipleship, bringing increased confidence before God....

As faithful as we may be, we must guard against a weakening of our connection to Jesus Christ....

One might equate the state of being easily shaken to what scriptures describe as being ripe for destruction, with impending consequences for actions. The phrase can also be used more broadly to indicate a state of decay, corruption, or decline that makes something susceptible to collapse or ruin.

What does this ripeness represent? Does it mean that we can reach a point where we are unable to change? No, I think it means that we can reach a point in time where we are unwilling to change. The antidote to becoming ripe for destruction is to do those things that will strengthen our connection to Jesus Christ. As mentioned, repentance led Enos to the point of unshaken faith. There is strength in repentance—regular, prompt, and frequent repentance. As President Nelson taught us, “Nothing is more liberating, more ennobling, or more crucial to our individual progression than is a regular, daily focus on repentance.”

In addition to preaching repentance, the prophet Jacob taught that being aware of God’s hand in our lives, seeking and receiving revelation, and listening to God when He speaks all help us to not be shaken. Jacob also taught, “Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken.” Listening to and acting on the words and invitations of the prophets and apostles can fill us with hope, confidence, and strength, resulting in our faith becoming unshaken.

I have learned that a desire to be reconciled to God must be accompanied by a desire to repent. Repenting and experiencing the blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ lead to unshaken faith. Unshaken faith leads to a desire to always be reconciled to God. This is a circular, or iterative, pattern.