Turn to the Savior Right Away

Is the Plan Working?

By Elder Adrián Ochoa

Of the Seventy

I am in awe of Peter’s faith. At Jesus’s simple invitation to “come,” he left his storm-tossed ship. He seemed to know that if Jesus Christ invited him to do something, he could do it.⁴ Peter trusted the Savior more than he trusted his boat. And that faith gave him power to act with courage during a stressful, frightening situation....

As he walked toward the Savior, Peter was frightened by the wind and began to sink. But when Peter realized what was happening, he did not try to tread water on his own or swim back to the ship. Rather than let go of his faith in Christ, he held on more tightly, crying, “Lord, save me.”

“And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him.”⁶

All of us face boisterous winds that can shake our faith and cause us to sink. When this happens, please remember that Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness has another name—the plan of redemption. The plan was not for us to glide easily through life, never stumbling, never sinking, with a smile always on our face. Heavenly Father knew that we would need to be redeemed. This is why He prepared the plan of redemption.⁷ This is why He sent a Redeemer. When we struggle—for any reason—that does not mean the plan isn’t working. That is when we need the plan the most!

In those moments, follow the example of Peter. Turn to the Savior right away.

Come Unto Christ

"Coming unto Christ is not a single event with a fixed point of beginning of ending; rather , it is a process that develops and deepens during a lifetime. As an initial step in the process, we certainly must obtain knowledge and learn about Jesus and His life, teachings, and ministry. But truly coming unto Him also requires consistent obedience and striving to become like Jesus in our thoughts, motives, communications, and actions. One of the best ways to draw near unto Him and to both learn about and become more like the Lord Jesus Christ is to consistently study the holy scriptures - to daily 'feast upon the words of Christ.' "

David A. Bednar

Turn to the Savior

Turn to the Lord

By Bishop W. Christopher Waddell

Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric

In this mortal experience, we cannot control all that happens to us, but we have absolute control over how we respond to the changes in our lives...

In these latter days, the Lord has provided us with numerous resources, our “brazen serpents,” all of which are designed to help us look to Christ and place our trust in Him. Dealing with the challenges of life is not about ignoring reality but rather where we choose to focus and the foundation upon which we choose to build.

These resources include, but are not limited to:

• Regular study of the scriptures and the teachings of living prophets.
• Frequent, sincere prayer and fasting.
• Worthily partaking of the sacrament.
• Regular temple attendance.
• Priesthood blessings.
• Wise counseling through trained professionals.
• And even medication, when properly prescribed and used as authorized.

Whatever change in life’s circumstance may come our way, and whatever unexpected path we may have to travel, how we respond is a choice. Turning to the Savior and grasping His outstretched arm is always our best option.

Secure in His Hands

“May I be bold enough to suggest that it is impossible for anyone who really knows God to doubt his willingness to receive us with open arms in a divine embrace if we will but ‘come unto Him.’ …

“I am convinced that none of us can appreciate how deeply it wounds the loving heart of the Savior of the world when he finds that his people do not feel confident in his care or secure in his hands.”

Jeffrey R. Holland, “Come Unto Me,” Ensign,Apr. 1998, 19.

Come Unto Christ

What can we learn from the shepherds, Simeon, Anna, and the Wise Men, all of whom were favored to come and see the Christ child with their own eyes? As we ponder their faithful responses to the invitation to come to Christ, we can learn to more effectively lift ourselves out of our own inversions, out of any gloom and confusion we may be experiencing, and bring ourselves into the clear, pure hope offered by the Light of the World. It is there, with Him, that we come to feel who we really are and where we fit into the eternal picture. Our own inversions are reversed, and proper perspective is restored.

Elder Patrick Kearon

• PG 31 ENSIGNDECEMBER 2011
• COME, LET US ADORE HIM

Seek the Christ

"Christmas and some of the cherished traditions of the season remind us that we, like the Wise Men of old, should seek the Christ and lay before Him the most precious of gifts: a broken heart, and a contrite spirit. We should offer Him our love. We should give Him our willingness to take upon ourselves Him name and walk in the path of discipleship. We should promise to remember Him always, to emulate His example, and to go about doing good.

"We cannot offer Him the gift of perfection in all things because this is a gift beyond our capacity to give--at least for now. The Lord does not expect that we commit to move mountains. But He does require that we bring as gifts our best efforts to move ourselves, one foot in front of the other, walking in the ways He has prepared and taught."

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Of Curtains, Contentment, and Christmas," 2011 First Presidency Christmas Devotional, available at lds.org/broadcasts.

Come Unto Christ

"What can we learn from the shepherds, Simeon, Anna, and the Wise Men, all of whom were favored to come and see the Christ child with their own eyes? As we ponder their faithful responses to the invitation to come to Christ, we can learn to more effectively life ourselves out of our own inversions, out of any gloom and confusion we may be experiencing , and bring ourselves into the clear, pure hope offered by the Light of the World. It is there, with Him, that we come to feel who we really are and where we git into the eternal picture. Our own inversions are reversed, and proper perspective is restored."

Elder Patrick Kearon, "Come Let us Adore Him," Ensign, Dec 2011, 31.