He Lives! Thank you, Sister Thompson, and thanks to the remarkable women of this Church. In a world focused on achievement and perfection, let’s remove unrealistic expectations by celebrating our progress. Obviously the unconditional blessings of the Atonement are unearned, but the conditional ones are not fully merited either. Then He said: ‘No, my son; these have finished their work, and they may go with me; but you must stay and finish yours.’ Still I clung to Him. Its importance in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints cannot be overstated. Of this personal challenge, Christ said. Especially and always the blessed women in the Savior’s life stayed as close to Him as they could. But so it is. … And [he] went out, and wept bitterly.”14. The Mediation and Atonement (1882), 148–49; capitalization standardized. Speaking twice to local congregations in the LDS chapel in Lodi, Holland delivered a message of hope when facing the challenges of life. He shook them gently, awoke them, and in a tone of tender reproach, untinctured by the least show of anger or scolding, asked them if they could not watch with Him one hour. …. He was of noble stature and of majestic mien … the very God that He was and is, yet as meek and lowly as a little child. Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee, interrogated Him once, and Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor in Judea, did so twice, the second time declaring to the crowd, “I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man.”3 Then, in an act as unconscionable as it was illogical, Pilate “scourged Jesus, [and] delivered him to be crucified.”4 Pilate’s freshly washed hands could not have been more stained or more unclean. For Times of Trouble with Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.. He performed miracles and He still performs miracles today. Elder Holland spoke of the miracles that made the BYU Jerusalem Center possible during the 30th anniversary of the dedication of the center on Oct. 11 on the BYU campus in Provo, Utah. LESTER R. GLENN, 76, 39538 Gilbert Lane, Umatilla, died Saturday, Jan. 8. Elder Whitney described the pain and suffering he saw the Savior bear. The only way to eternity is through Him—the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Then, please remember, Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, is the Head of this Church. Take a real tour through one of the most sacred places on earth, according to Jeffrey R. Holland, next to Gethsemane. The literal meaning of the English word Atonement is self-evident: at-one-ment, the bringing together of things that have been separated or estranged. Without it no mortal children would have been born to Adam and Eve, and there would have been no human family to experience opposition and growth, moral agency, and the joy of resurrection, redemption, and eternal life.4, The need for this Fall and for an atonement to compensate for it was explained in a premortal Council in Heaven at which the spirits of the entire human family attended and over which God the Father presided. Truly the Redeemer of us all said: “I will not leave you comfortless: [My Father and] I will come to you [and abide with you].”20. It seems to me that missionaries have to spend at least a few moments in Gethsemane." By Elder Jeffrey R. Holland Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles In the Garden of Gethsemane As a young missionary, Elder Orson F. Whitney (1855–1931), who later served in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, had a dream so powerful that it changed … They were about to depart and ascend into heaven. They depend on one’s diligence in keeping God’s commandments. Isaiah 63:3, 5; see also D&C 76:107; 88:106; 133:50. In his talk “Be Ye Therefore Perfect—Eventually,” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles emphasizes the importance of not beating ourselves up … I speak of those final moments for which Jesus must have been prepared intellectually and physically but which He may not have fully anticipated emotionally and spiritually—that concluding descent into the paralyzing despair of divine withdrawal when He cries in ultimate loneliness, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”16, The loss of mortal support He had anticipated, but apparently He had not comprehended this. Leaving the three Apostles there, after telling them to kneel and pray, He passed over to the other side, where He also knelt and prayed … : ‘Oh my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will but as Thou wilt.’. John stood at the foot of the cross with Jesus’s mother. James E. Talmage, The Articles of Faith, 12th ed. To the thoughtful woman and man, it is “a matter of surpassing wonder”27 that the voluntary and merciful sacrifice of a single being could satisfy the infinite and eternal demands of justice, atone for every human transgression and misdeed, and thereby sweep all humankind into the encompassing arms of His merciful embrace. His solitary journey brought great company for our little version of that path—the merciful care of our Father in Heaven, the unfailing companionship of this Beloved Son, the consummate gift of the Holy Ghost, angels in heaven, family members on both sides of the veil, prophets and apostles, teachers, leaders, friends. In his article, Elder Holland relates a dream Elder Orson F. Whitney (1855–1931) had in which he saw the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane. My whole heart went out to Him. Falling on His face in prayer, “sorrowful … unto death,”8 the record says, His sweat came as great drops of blood9 as He pled with the Father to let this crushing, brutal cup pass from Him. I was so moved at the sight that I wept also, out of pure sympathy with His great sorrow. (1924), 77. Jeffrey R. Holland, Article: The Atonement of Jesus Christ April 3, 2015 The utter loneliness and excruciating pain of the Atonement begun in Gethsemane reached its zenith when, after unspeakable abuse at the hands of Roman soldiers and others, Christ cried from the cross, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? By Elder Jeffrey R. Holland Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles W ithout safety ropes, harnesses, or climbing gear of any kind, two brothers—Jimmy, age 14, and John, age 19 (though those aren’t their real names)—attempted to scale a sheer canyon wall in Snow Canyon State Park in my native southern Utah. See James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 3rd ed. My other plea at Easter time is that these scenes of Christ’s lonely sacrifice, laced with moments of denial and abandonment and, at least once, outright betrayal, must never be reenacted by us. The only way to salvation is through Gethsemane and on to Calvary. None were with Him 179th General Conference talk given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, it was a very emotional and wonderful talk given. See D&C 76:50–70; 88:4, 27–29; 132:21–24. I know that my Savior Jesus Christ lives. ... And the path of salvation has always led one way or another through Gethsemane. Modern revelation clarifies the different orders of resurrected bodies,11 promising the highest degree of glory only to those who adhere to the principles and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ.12, Of course neither the unconditional nor the conditional blessings of the Atonement are available except through the grace of Christ. Watch the full podcast here: https://www.ComeFollowMe2021.com https://www.bookofmormonevidence.org See Bible Dictionary, “Barabbas,” 619. See Spencer W. Kimball, Peter, My Brother, Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year (July 13, 1971), 5. It’s always a thrill to be in the Marriott Center. I know that He came to this earth and lived a perfect life. You can buy it here: bit.ly/1jrIkdC Jeffrey R. Holland Explains the Gospel of Jesus Christ at Harvard In their rush to judgment these men and their councils declared their verdict quickly and angrily. Indeed, it is my personal belief that in all of Christ’s mortal ministry the Father may never have been closer to His Son than in these agonizing final moments of suffering. Andrew Van Wagenen/BYU Daily Universe The Savior, Elder Holland pointed out, acknowledged the trials the Prophet was going through while in Liberty Jail, but He said, "The Son of Man hath descended below them all. These might include those longing to be married, those who have lost a spouse, and those who have lost—or have never been blessed with—children. In the process, He would return to the Father all glory for such redemptive love.5, This infinite Atonement of Christ was possible because (1) He was the only sinless man ever to live on this earth and therefore was not subject to the spiritual death resulting from sin, (2) He was the Only Begotten of the Father and therefore possessed the attributes of godhood that gave Him power over physical death,6 and (3) He was apparently the only one sufficiently humble and willing in the premortal council to be foreordained to that service.7. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. If we at times wonder if our own agendum for life deliver to us challenges that seem unique, it would be worth our remembering that, when we feel rejected, we are members of the church of him who was most rejected by his very own with no cause for rejection. With all the conviction of my soul I testify that He did please His Father perfectly and that a perfect Father did not forsake His Son in that hour. All of these and more have been given as companions for our mortal journey because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of His gospel. Elder Jeffery R. Holland addressed BYU students Sunday Evening as part of the CES Fireside. Special Witnesses of Christ In this series, the testimonies of prophets and apostles called as special witnesses of the Savior are presented, beginning with the First Presidency and continuing through the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Learn more about our Savior by reading watching and listening to testimonies of Him by modern day Apostles and Prophets. Elder Holland is no stranger to chiasmus. But, of course, it could not pass. Becoming Provident Providers Temporally and Spiritually, Our Father’s Plan—Big Enough for All His Children, Temple Worship: The Source of Strength and Power in Times of Need, We Are Doing a Great Work and Cannot Come Down, Come Let Us Go Up to the Mountain of the Lord. Because He suffered “the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.”16 He experienced “temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great [was] his anguish.”17, Through this suffering, Jesus redeemed the souls of all men, women, and children “that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.”18 In doing so, Christ “descended below all things”—including every kind of sickness, infirmity, and dark despair experienced by every mortal being—in order that He might “comprehend all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth.”19, The utter loneliness and excruciating pain of the Atonement begun in Gethsemane reached its zenith when, after unspeakable abuse at the hands of Roman soldiers and others, Christ cried from the cross, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? He has served on the governing boards of a number of civic and business-related corporations. This was also a telling time among those who knew Jesus more personally. … I stood behind a tree in the foreground. Feed My Sheep – MTC Talk – Elder Jeffrey R. Holland This talk was given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland in the Missionary Training Center (MTC) on January 11, 2011. These include His ransom for Adam’s original transgression so that no member of the human family is held responsible for that sin.8 Another universal gift is the Resurrection from the dead of every man, woman, and child who lives, has ever lived, or ever will live on earth. Liahona. Every other principle, commandment, and virtue of the restored gospel draws its significance from this pivotal event.2. Following the Last Supper, Jesus left Peter, James, and John to wait while He ventured into the Garden of Gethsemane alone. But Jesus held on. that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”20 In the depths of that anguish, even nature itself convulsed. Never in the history of this world has so little money purchased so much infamy. Such ecclesiastical and political rejection became more personal when the citizenry in the street turned against Jesus as well. Mar 22, 2018 - Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane with quote from Jeffrey Holland. by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. Quotes By Elder Jeffery R. Holland Called in 1994, Elder Jeffery R. Holland currently serves as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “There was a darkness over all the earth. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord. By living faithfully and keeping the commandments of God, one can receive additional privileges; but they are still given freely, not technically earned. He pressed on. We don’t know all that was going on here, nor do we know of protective counsel which the Savior may have given to His Apostles privately,12 but we do know Jesus was aware that even these precious ones would not stand with Him in the end, and He had warned Peter accordingly.13 Then, with the crowing of the cock, “the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. I testify that the living God is our Eternal Father and that Jesus Christ is … - Jeffrey R. Holland "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from … Late last winter I was feeling pretty blue about something or other that didn't seem quite right at the university and found myself wondering if all the effort was really worth it. “I shall never forget the kind and gentle manner in which He stooped and raised me up and embraced me. See Revelation 13:8; Moses 4:1–2; Abraham 3:22–27. He has walked alone once. My whole heart went out to Him. But eagerness to continue walking with Him would quickly begin to wane. … I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold [me].”1. I ran from behind the tree, fell at His feet, clasped Him around the knees, and begged Him to take me with Him. See D&C 76:50–113; compare 1 Corinthians 15:40–42. With faith in the God He knew was there, He could say in triumph, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.”19, Brothers and sisters, one of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so. … And the sun was darkened.”21 “And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent,”22 causing many to exclaim, “The God of nature suffers.”23 Finally, even the seemingly unbearable had been borne, and Jesus said, “It is finished.”24 “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.”25 Someday, somewhere, every human tongue will be called upon to confess as did a Roman centurion who witnessed all of this, “Truly this was the Son of God.”26. Jeffrey R. Holland was a member of the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when this fireside address was delivered at Brigham Young University on 2 March 1997. Now, may I ask that never again will He have to confront sin without our aid and assistance, that never again will He find only unresponsive onlookers when He sees you and me along His Via Dolorosa in our present day. President Jeffrey R. Holland This article is adapted from an address given by BYU President Jeffrey R. Holland at the annual University Conference August 22, 1988. And of the Savior’s life stayed as close to Him as they could in keeping God’s commandments a of. Fully committed to Christ will “rise first”10 in the history of this world has so little purchased... Jesus left Peter, James, and virtue of the Savior’s solitary task of shouldering the... The pain and suffering He saw the Savior bear councils declared their verdict quickly and angrily civic and business-related.. 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