So this week one of our dear friends has made the covenant
of baptism! His name is Emmanuel and we've been teaching him for several months
now. At the first he was hesitant to open himself up to the concept of baptism,
but as we continued to meet with him he warmed up to the idea until one day a
month or so ago he called us up and told us that he had made up his mind and
that he wanted to be baptized! This call was a huge surprise for us, seeing as
that just days before he had seemed as closed to the idea as ever. But
something changed in his heart, and it wasn't the sophistry or eloquence of men
that made the change, but rather, the Holy Spirit.
As Emmanuel bore his testimony to my companion and I, he
explained that the Spirit truly did speak to his heart as he read the Book of Mormon,
listened to the words of living
prophets, and applied in his own life the principles we taught. The doctrine of
eternal families and the great importance of the family in God's plan for us
were truths that particularly stood out to him as his testimony of these truths
grew. His own family situation was not a good one while growing up and he often
found it hard to understand what his role as a husband and father might be
someday. The truths of the family that we taught him rang true in his heart and
he has come to understand for himself that the best way to raise a family is by
teaching the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the home.
Emmanuel's baptism truly was a special event for all of
those present, but especially for him! I'm excited for him to continue to grow
and develop his faith in Christ and to learn and apply even more profoundly the
doctrines He taught. I'm so grateful for the teachings of Christ. As Emmanuel, I
too have found peace and hope in living the gospel of Jesus Christ, for which
feelings I am grateful beyond words! Many in the New Testament looked to Christ
as the solution to their problems, their bringer of relief. There are dozens of
stories recorded in the Bible of people who were despairing, left without hope of
relief or escape from their physical and spiritual ailments, but who looked to
Christ with faith and hope and found in full the healing, both physical and
spiritual, that they so desperately sought. Indeed, Christ's mission was to
save. Ultimately it was to save all of us from sin and death—the two great
obstacles to our eternal happiness—which saving He is capable of on account of
His matchless life and sublime payment for our sins. But beyond this, in doing
such a selfless and all-encompassing act, Christ has acquired not only power
over life, death and forgiveness, but also power over every kind of affliction
that we could possibly come across. For this He is fitfully named King of kings,
Lord of lords, and even Prince of peace.
The title Prince of peace is one of Christ's lesser used
names, but it highlights one of His most significant roles as our savior. The
name entails one who has mastery over the tempests and turmoils of life. It connotes
someone who can help others face great troubles with calmness, even a sense of
peace. It implies one who promotes unification, rather than division. Christ is
the Prince of peace because He holds the power to bless us with real, lasting,
internal peace on the simple condition of our obedience to His teachings. He offers
all the same invitation: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28).
Some try to find peace by escaping problems and numbing
pain, but Christ offers us a more lasting and fulfilling peace. In His own
words He said, “Peace I leave with you... not as the world giveth, give I unto
you.” Christ offers us peace different than that which the world offers, and he
does so through “the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost" (John 14:26-27).
The kind of peace that comes from "the Comforter" is unique and
transcends the counterfeit that the world tries to offer us, which at best is
mere temporary escape. The peace that Christ gives is the kind that endures and
overcomes trials with patience and hope. It's the kind that relieves, rather
than covers up. Repairs, rather than ignores. It's the kind of peace that
allows us to rise above instead of delay and dodge. He has promised this kind
of peace to all of those who try to live to the fullest the teachings which He
taught and try to follow as closely as possible the example that He set. He has
promised that all those who try their best to live His commandments will
receive the peace that only the Prince of peace can offer.
Ponder these things as Easter Sunday approaches. Study the
teachings and life of Christ. Discover the real meaning of Easter. Start by watching
the beautiful short video that our Church has made about this aspect of
Christ's mission, entitled "Prince of Peace". Then ask your Heavenly
Father in prayer to bless you with the peace that you are seeking and ask Him
to show you the next step to take. He will respond. He will send the Comforter,
even the Holy Ghost, to be with you. And as long as you do your best to keep
living Christ's teachings, it will never leave your side. I know this is true,
I experience it every day, and it's the reason why I've given two years of my
life to teach it to anyone who desires to learn!
Have a great Easter and remember the wonderful blessings
that the Prince of Peace offers you because of the work that He finished on that
great morning! Talk to you next week!
-Anziano Jake Wilkinson
P.S. Here is a picture of the baptism and one of Anziano
Farneman and I on a typical day in the car
