The Atonement and the Power to Heal

I have been wanting for some time now to write about the Atonement.  I have found it difficult for me to start writing, as I have felt unqualified and overwhelmed and therefore I have kept putting off the task.  I cannot make an attempt at explaining how the atonement works, my finite mind cannot begin to understand how it was even accomplished.  I believe that may have been the source of my anxiety in regards to writing about this topic.  However, what I understand now is that I am to write about what the Atonement has done for me as an individual and that is to bring about a contrast as absolute as night is from day.

Our Savior Jesus Christ, in ways we cannot fathom, performed the greatest act of love which occurred and will ever occur on this earth. He willingly came to this world with the mission to atone for fallen man in order for man to return to the presence of our Father in Heaven.  He atoned for our physical and our spiritual deaths. In his well written book The Infinite Atonement, Tad Callister states it perfectly.

"The Atonement of Jesus Christ outweighs, surpasses, and transcends every other mortal event, every new discovery, and every acquisition of knowledge, for without the Atonement all else in life is meaningless.” 

This singular act that occurred nearly 2,000 years ago is the most significant act in the history of this earth, for without it, you and I would be lost and forever cut off from the presence of our Father in Heaven; who I believe, whether consciously or subconsciously, all of our spirits yearn to return to.   

Luke Chapter 22

41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,

42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

In the Garden of Gethsemane the Savior took upon himself all our pain, all our grief, including our deep ache that we mistakenly believe we carry alone.  He felt every emotion that we as human beings have or will ever experience in this life.  So great was the pain and emotion He felt that his physical frame was overcome.

Gethsemane, Adam Abram 2008

He did this for you!  He did this for me!   He did this for all! 

I always seemed to have an easier time accepting that Jesus Christ performed the atonement in order for each of us to be physically resurrected.  This I could somehow accept and understand, it made sense to me.  On the other hand, I never understood how the atonement could be used to heal a broken soul.  I had never experienced this before.  I knew that this was part of the atonement, that in the Garden he paid the price for our sins and felt all our pain we would experience in this life.  Pain not only caused by our own sins but also pain inflicted at the hands of others.  But how could what Jesus did in the Garden, as part of the atonement, lift the burdens and aches from me in this life?  I did not think this was possible, only  believing it was something that happened to others, or something that a person conjured up to help them feel better about their own pain. However, in February 2014 I experienced the cleansing, healing, lifting power of the Atonement. I cannot explain how it occurred and still 1 1/2 years later I stand in awe that I remain free from an anguish I had felt to the core for many years.

I know the Atonement is real, because of what I experienced. It is now literally stitched into the fabric of what makes me, me.  We all have a story, we all have some part of our past that pains us.  The pain and ache I felt in my life was due to my divorce from my spouse of 11 years.  I did not get married with the intent of ever divorcing.  However, it came to a point where that was the healthiest and best thing for me to do.  It was a decision that I did not take lightly as we have two daughters.  My purpose is not to talk of my divorce, or the reasons, but that even though I knew it was the best decision to make I still felt physical pain over it two years after the divorce.  I thought I would live the rest of my life feeling this way.  In some ways I was happier than I had ever been and in other ways there was a hole in me that could not be filled.  I tried everything from exercise to sleeping to counseling and to alcohol to attempt to fill the hole and escape the depression.  It would work for a time, but I would always come back to that same grief I could not seem to escape.  I wanted desperately to move forward in my life but I found myself physically and mentally unable. It was a darkness settled upon me that I was unable to free myself from.

In the fall of 2013 two missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints begin to visit me in my home.  I was then a less active member of the church. I had been raised in the church but over the course of many years had progressively moved further and further away from the church and its teachings and by this point had little to do with the church.  However, I allowed the two young sister missionaries to come to my home and we would visit about Jesus Christ and His life.  On one particular visit the missionaries began to talk about the atonement.  I explained to them that I could not understand how the atonement worked in regards to helping lift a persons burdens and sorrows or how it could help them to overcome sin.  They tried to explain the best they could, but I still did not understand or believe it was possible for me.

As the months progressed the missionaries continued to visit me and I began to immerse myself in the scriptures.  I began to study with real intent to find out what the Lord wanted for me in this life.  I began to attend church again and I stopped drinking alcohol.  As I did these things I began to feel something I had not felt in a very long time.  I began to feel a small tinge of hope start to build inside of me.  However, the hole I felt from my divorce still remained.

February 2014 is when I experienced the healing power of the atonement.  It is something I will never forget for it is literally woven into the fabric of my body.  That may sound like I am exaggerating, but I am not.  I had come to a point where I knew that I needed to be able to let my past go or it would continue to consume me and prohibit me from progressing.  I needed to accept what my past was and allow myself to move forward in life.  I knew my divorce was the best choice for the girls and myself, of that I never doubted, but I had never emotionally moved forward even though it had been two years.  It was not that I had not tried, I tried so many times before, in ways I mentioned above. However, I had not tried the right way and that was by truly turning to Jesus Christ to heal me and provide the strength for me to move forward.  I remember the day clearly.  I went to Heavenly Father in prayer and I asked him to give me the ability to move forward with my life.  I spoke to him about many things that day that I choose to not write about.  But what I can tell you is what happened.  After much prayer I took a step of faith and had the courage to act upon something I felt my Heavenly Father was telling me to do in regards to the situation.  15 minutes after I did this action, I had a feeling come over me of complete and total calm and a peace filled my entire frame. I felt as if the Lord had wrapped his arms around me and told me, "It is all going to be okay."  I remember going to sleep that night thinking that this was a fleeting moment and would turn out to only once again be a temporary reprieve from the pain, as I had before experienced. However, in the morning when I awoke, the feeling of calm and peace still enveloped my entire frame.  I felt like as if I was on cloud nine.  It felt as if someone had literally come and physically removed all the hurt and anguish I had been carrying for many years.  It was as if it was all just...........gone.

For weeks I felt such an over abundance of peace and calm in my life that it began to show physically on my countenance.  People noticed at work and would ask me what was going on,. They would say that I looked different.  I knew I looked different because I truly felt different.  The difference I felt lift that day was literally as stark as the contrast between night and day.  It is a pain that has not returned.  Yes, there are some days that I feel sadness or loneliness, but it is not near to the depression I had experienced prior.  I do not claim to know how this happened.  I do not know how the Savior literally removed that hurt from me. All I know is that it did happen!  I know that it was only by turning to my Savior with real intent and by changing my behavior and earnestly seeking Him which then allowed His spirit to come and to heal and lift the sorrows from me.

I know that the Savior willing took upon him all our pains, our afflictions, our heartfelt emotions in the Garden so that we can be healed by Him.  In ways beyond our mortal comprehension he did this so that he could remove that anguish from us in order for us to progress and return to abide in His Father's presence.  I know that it takes work on our part for this to occur.  Yes, half of the atonement provides for the resurrection of our physical frame and that is a free gift for all.  However, the other half, the spiritual atonement, requires us to turn to Him and to act with full purpose of heart. When we do this, when we truly do this, He is free to act for us and to atone for our sins and our pains.  The atonement and His love is truly the greatest miracle ever performed and it is all encompassing.

But if you will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, 

and put your trust in Him, and serve Him with all diligence of mind,

 if ye do this, He will according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage.  

 Mosiah 7:33

It Has Saved My Life: The Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Restoration

The following was written by Sister Caron currently serving in the Arizona Gilbert Mission. 

Sister Caron investigated the church and was baptized at the age of 18.   

As missionaries the first principle that we teach as part of the official missionary lessons is "God is Our Loving Heavenly Father." I have come to notice that it is crucial that we teach that point first, because literally every other point that we teach after it perfectly ties into this one. I love that God, an all powerful, all knowing, eternal being asks us to address Him as Heavenly Father. That is who I know God as: my Father. He is the Father of my Spirit, and your Spirit as well, and because he is our father he knows and loves us perfectly, just like our earthly father does. He wants us to communicate with him, and he has given us prayer as a means to do so. Prayer is a two way communication between us and God; two way meaning he talks back to us. Whether this is through the whispering of his Holy Spirit, the scriptures (or his "word") or others and their actions, he always answers our prayers. What I have really come to learn though, is that the answer is not always what we want or expect it to be. The answer could be "Yes" (which is what we usually want), "No", or "Not right now." It also always comes in his timing, which means it doesn't always come right away. However, we are promised that the answer will always come. 

Because God loves us, he blesses us. He blesses us with prosperity (food, money, a car, house, etc.) but more importantly, he blesses us with posterity, or our families. The family is ordained of God. It is "the most important social unit in all time and eternity." It is through our families that we are able to understand the nature of God, and apply the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or Christ's teachings, in a perfect and loving environment. Through the Gospel we are able to grow stronger as a family as we exercise faith, repentance, forgiveness, and love towards our brothers and sisters, mother and father. The family whose life is centered around the Gospel of Jesus Christ is able to overcome trials, tribulations, and temptations that threaten to destroy the family in the world we live in today. One of the things I'm most grateful for about serving my mission here in Arizona (or as so many affectionately call it, "Little Utah") is that I have been able to be exposed to and interact with so many different families and to see how living the Gospel is blessing their family unit and for some, how greatly living the gospel of Christ in their family could help and heal them. More than ever I am determined to center my family on Christ's teachings and to teach my children the gospel in every situation that arises - not just every Sunday at church. The Gospel is meant to be lived and practiced in every moment of every day, and it thrives when applied in families. 

Because God loves us, he has given us prophets, who are the means by which the gospel is revealed. Prophets are men who are called of God and hold the priesthood, or the power and authority of God given to man to act in His name for the salvation of His children. Through this priesthood authority the prophet is able to receive the gospel through revelation, or communication from God concerning His will. They are also authorized (or, as I like to call it, they have "god's permission slip") to perform the ordinances necessary to salvation, such as baptism. Their job, in turn, is to preach the gospel to everyone. The Gospel specifically contains 5 steps, namely: faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, and enduring to the end (or keeping the commandments and following Christ until the end of our lives.) Through these 5 steps we are promised that we will be able to make it back to God and enjoy all that he has. Personally, I think everyone needs, and deserves, to know what these 5 steps are! Not only are we promised that if we follow them we will return to God, but we will have peace and comfort as we navigate our way through this life. Everyone needs this! However, everyone has their agency, or their right to exercise choice. When people choose to follow the prophet and keep the commandments, they are blessed. A period of time such as this is called a dispensation. When people choose to neglect the prophet and the gospel, they fall into a state of apostasy and the prophet is taken from the earth (most often times he is killed by the people) along with the priesthood authority. Without a prophet, or God's spokesperson, and the priesthood, or God's stamp of approval, the people are in a state of darkness. 

These periods of dispensations and apostasy make up much of the Old Testament - you remember Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, etc? They were all Prophets. They all held the priesthood and they all taught the gospel and administered in the ordinances thereof. The world was in a state of apostasy before Jesus Christ came to the earth, but because God loves us he ended that apostasy by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ as a prophet, but more importantly, as the Savior of the World. Christ came to the earth and there were 3 main things he needed to accomplish while he was here. He set up His church by calling 12 apostles and giving them priesthood authority (Matthew 10:1-8):

And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.  Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;  Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphæus, and Lebbæus, whose surname was Thaddæus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils:freely ye have received, freely give.

He taught His gospel, in words but also in action. My favorite step that he personally taught was that of baptism. In word (John 3:3-5):

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.  Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."

And in action (Matthew 3: 13-17):

"Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

 He made it clear what we must do in order for us to return to Heavenly Father. And then He provided us the way to be able to do it, through His perfect and infinite Atonement. The Atonement is Christ's sufferings in the garden of Gethsemane for our sins, as well as His suffering and death on the cross, and His resurrection after laying in the tomb for 3 days. There is a scripture in the Book of Mormon that has really helped me to understand the savior's atonement and how it can help me... It's in the Book of Alma, chapter 7, verses 11-13.

" And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, 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.

Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me."

Through this scripture we are able to understand that Christ not only took upon him our sins to pay the price for our mistakes, but also every trial, sickness, and affliction that we will experience in this life, so that he can help us through them. Through His Atonement we are able to find peace and comfort, as well as relief and forgiveness for the wrongs that we have committed. And I find it so beautiful that the next set of verses tell us exactly what we need to do in order to partake of these blessings: Alma, chapter 7, verses 14-16.

"14 Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.

 15 Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism.

 16 And whosoever doeth this, and keepeth the commandments of God from thenceforth, the same will remember that I say unto him, yea, he will remember that I have said unto him, he shall have eternal life, according to the testimony of the Holy Spirit, which testifieth in me."

In order for us to receive all the blessings of Christ's atonement, we must follow all of the steps of His gospel. I cannot tell you how much this has blessed my life. This is the whole reason why I am here in Arizona on a mission. I had made mistakes (I still do!), I was angry, I was afflicted... And through following the Gospel of Jesus Christ - by developing faith and acting upon it, by repenting and turning away from my sins, by being baptized by immersion by someone holding the priesthood, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and keeping this course throughout my life (or enduring to the end) I personally have been able to receive all the blessings of Christ's atonement. I have been able to find everlasting peace and relief from pain and guilt. I am here because everyone deserves to have what I have! 

After Christ was resurrected he came back to his apostles, and instructed them on what they needed to do. Peter, the senior apostle, was called as the President of the Church, meaning he was now the prophet, or Christ's spokesperson. They were to go forth and preach the gospel to everyone, and to testify of him and his atoning sacrifice. They also had the job to regulate the affairs of the church and to make sure everyone was following the true doctrine of Christ (this is the reason for the epistles that make up the New Testament.) Unfortunately, people did not want to heed this amazing and glorious message. The apostles, just like Jesus Christ, were rejected as well and martyred for their beliefs. With the death of the Apostles came the loss of the Priesthood, and again the world fell into apostasy with no prophet and no authority to be found on the earth. This apostasy was prophesied of in the Old Testmament, in the Book of Amos chapter 8, verse 11-12:

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it."

However, there were many people who knew of Christ and did their best to follow him. They had heard of his teachings, but over time many of the pure truths of the gospel were changed, and sometimes removed, as there was no prophet or priesthood authority to regulate and ensure that the pure doctrine of Christ was being taught. Many people realized that the teachings of Christ had been changed, and tried to reform it - this was the foundation of many protestant churches that were started by the reformers. However, there was no one on the earth who knew what the true gospel of Christ was, because it had been changed or lost. Many people started their own churches in an attempt to build off the doctrine that they did know, but it was not the Church of Jesus Christ, the one that he had established while he was on the earth. But because God loves us, he has once again called a prophet to restore the Church of Jesus Christ and the gospel in its fullness. 

It was the year 1820 in Palmyra, New York. During this time there was a lot of religious upheaval to be found in this small farming community. Many churches came and tried to convince the people of the correctness of their church. Joseph Smith, a 14 year old boy, and his family, lived in this area at this time. He and his family were searching for a church to attend. Joseph's individual search and his concern for the welfare of his soul led him to search the scriptures for answers and peace. His search led him to the Epistle of James, chapter 1 verse 5:

" If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

After reading this verse, Joseph knew what he needed to do. He knew that he needed to pray and ask God, the source of all knowledge and truth, which church he should join. This revelation led him to the woods at the edge of his family's farm. He went to a specific place, a place he knew he would be alone to inquire of the Lord this question that had been tormenting his soul for quite some time. He knelt down and uttered his first out loud prayer. And this is what he said happened, in his own words...

"I saw a pillar of light, exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. When the light rested upon me, I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name, and said, pointing to the other, 'This is my Beloved Son, hear him!"

Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father appeared to Joseph Smith as an answer to his prayer. They told him that none of the churches that were currently to be found on the earth was the church that Jesus Christ himself had established when he was on the earth. And that he was going to be called as a prophet to restore the church of Jesus Christ and the gospel in it's entirety. 

I know that Joseph Smith saw what he said he saw that day, in a grove of trees, following his prayer. I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him. And I know that God lives. That Jesus is His son. And that they love us, more than we can ever comprehend. And because they love us they have restored the gospel, through the prophet Joseph Smith. 

Part of that restoration was the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and the translation thereof. The Book of Mormon is a volume of ancient scripture. It is a record and testimony of the people of the Americas, and their witness of Christ, just like the Bible is the record and witness of the people of Jerusalem. Seven years after God the Father and the Son appeared to Joseph Smith, he was led to the place where the record of the Book of Mormon was contained, and through the power of God he was able to translate the record. I love the Book of Mormon. It is convincing evidence that we can hold in our hands, that we can read, that we can pray about, to gain our own personal witness that Joseph Smith is a true prophet of God. It, alongside the Bible, contains the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It has enabled me to not only believe in Jesus Christ, but to know Him as my personal savior. I have read and prayed about the Book of Mormon, and I know that it is the word of God. I have received this witness through the power of the Holy Ghost. All are invited to discover this for themselves:

 "3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

 4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

 5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." (Moroni 10:3-5)

I invite everyone, everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, and pray to know if it is true. Through this witness you will also come to know that Joseph Smith is a true prophet of God, that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's church restored on the earth today, and that Jesus Christ is the son of God, our savior and redeemer. This knowledge has blessed me so much, it has changed me life, and I will even go so far as so say it has saved it. I love you all, and because I love you I want you to have the peace, happiness, and blessings that I have received. God is there. He loves you. He wants you to know these things. All you need to do is ask, and be willing to act upon your answer. 

Sister Caron

Trust the Anchor, Trust God!

          My missionary gave me another topic to study and write about.  The topic she gave me is trusting in God and aligning our will to His.  I don’t know what it is about this topic that is giving me difficulty.  I mean it is pretty darn straight forward.  You either trust God or you don’t, you either align your will with His or you don’t.  I have attempted to write out a few things on trust but I keep erasing it.  It seems that the topic is so straight forward that all I am writing is the cookie-cutter Sunday school answer.  That doesn’t work for me, because I like to research and look at things on a deeper level.  So obviously I am missing something.  I am not discovering what I should discover.  Or maybe the problem is I am not looking at myself and my relationship to trust and aligning my will with Gods in the equation.  Maybe I don’t want to.  It’s easy to write about trust, like I said above it is pretty straightforward, but in my case it is harder to put it in to practice.

So let me get out the cliché Sunday school stuff first.  This mortal life is in essence a test of trust.  We are given two places to put our trust: 1) ourselves and/or others which is the arm of flesh or 2) our Savior Jesus Christ. Which of these we choose is in actuality the supreme test and will ultimately determine our lot at judgment day.  So what is trust?  Trust is the assured reliance on the character, ability, strength or truth of someone or something.  Trust is a dependence on something future. Trust is not the same as faith.  Trust is what we do with the faith we have gained. 

The Bible, especially the Old Testament is full of the word and concept of trust.  In Psalms alone the word trust or the concept of trust is mentioned 39 times.  However, when I think of a scripture about trust, the first one that comes to my mind is Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding.”  We are directed to trust in the Lord because he knows all.  He has overcome all.  His view is boundless.  We are told to not place our trust in ourselves or other men because our view is so limited and incomplete.  We are mortal men and women with an imperfect and lacking view due to our nature.  “For the natural man is an enemy to God and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man….”  I like how it was stated this way in a BYU Devotional given by Nora Nyland in 1997:

Trust in the Lord leads to a more mature perspective.  Implicit in the instruction to lean not unto our own understanding is the possibility that we will never, in this sphere, possess the full perspective of eternity.  With trust, however, we may be willing to acknowledge that there is another, more accurate perspective. 

Trust is not a passive action.  Trust requires action.  Trust necessitates us to move, to act.  The more we exercise trust the better we become at it.  Now is the time for the cliché analogy: 

Let me use an analogy from rock climbing.  The type of climbing I do is called sport climbing.  In sport climbing permanent anchors have been drilled in to the side of the rock along the route.  A climber places a harness on themselves and the rope is attached to the harness.  As the climber ascends the wall he or she attaches the rope to the anchor with gear called a quick draw.  If this is done correctly and the climber falls the harness, rope, quick draw, and anchor all work together to keep the climber from falling to the ground.  All the gear is important and must be in top working condition for the climber’s safety to be ensured.  I would argue though that the central piece is the anchor.  If the anchor is faulty from the beginning no amount of preparation the climber does in preparing his own gear and attaching himself to the anchor will do any good if the anchor fails.  So ultimately after the climber does all he can to ensure his gear is proper he is placing all of his trust solely in the anchor. 

That is a big test of trust! In fact it is so big you either have to be completely insane to climb or wholly trust the anchor on the wall, which to add another level of trust was more than likely placed there by someone you do not know.   Now this analogy is abounding in gospel comparisons:  The anchor is God, the rope is the iron rod (the word of God), the quick draw is our actions, choices and covenants which attach us or detach us from God, the harness is the foundation of the gospel and the climbing route is the straight and narrow path.  But in limiting this to the topic of trust, the only way I have been able to “blindly” trust the anchor is through practice, through action, through putting it to the test if you will.  I trust the anchor because of prior research of the climbing area and inspection of the route before the climb begins.  If an anchor looks old, or the rock is crumbly around the anchor I do not attempt that route.  I move on to better more sure routes.  Climbing is scary, you have to place your trust soley on the anchor and also on your own preparation and abilities. 

I had not climbed for many years when I started back up two years ago.  I met a great partner who I trusted implicitly.  He would be analogous to a stronger friend in the gospel.  He retaught me a very important skill which is called cleaning the anchor.  After you complete a climb and reach the top anchors you have to remove your gear from the top of the climb, in order to rappel back down.  To accomplish this you have to literally untie yourself from the rope, your safety net, and hook only in to the anchors through gear you bring with you on the climb.  If you mess up, if you skip a step, you can fall.  We practiced this over and over on the solid ground.  I felt comfortable on the ground, I knew I had all the steps.  In practicing we would verbalize out loud each step I did to ensure nothing was missed and that it was engrained into my brain.  The time came for me to put what I had practiced to the test.  I climbed the route with no problem, I was on the straight and narrow way.  When I got to the top I was safe, I was attached to the rope and the rope was attached to the anchor.  Now was the time for me to put my faith to the test.  To put what I had learned and practiced below to test.  Practicing would be analogous to reading the scriptures, to living the gospel, to doing all you can to prepare.  Now I had to put my trust in the anchor, in God, solely. I had to remove my own protection, I had to take the “natural man” if you will out of the picture.  You can see where this is going.  That is scary.  That is a lot of trust in the anchor, in all of the gear and in the preparation you have done, which includes the fact that the person who prepared you knows what they are talking about to begin with.  In other words are you getting your gospel from the right source to begin with, are you building on a secure foundation?  Well obviously the anchor did not fail and I did all the steps correctly and was able to safely clean the route.  The more I have done this the more it has become second nature.  The more I trust myself because of the preparation I have done and the more I trust the anchor.  However, this does not imply that I become lax in any of the steps required.  Because the moment I do, it could be the last moment for me.  This is just as in life.  We build a secure foundation, we do all we are supposed to do, we study, pray, obey the commandments and we trust the anchor, God!  But if we become lax in one of those areas due to the natural man we fall.  A true anchor never fails.  It’s not God who fails us, it is us failing to do one of the required steps.  

This was a difficult task at first.  I didn’t want to trust the anchor, I didn’t want to trust all my gear and my preparation.  I questioned it all, I was scared.  Do I do this in my personal life towards God?  Yes, yes I do.  Do I question the anchor of God, do I question the foundation, ie: the harness, do I question the rope, ie: the word of God, do I question the teacher, ie: my climbing partner?  Maybe that is why I had difficulty at first writing about this topic.  Because it is scary to put your trust in an unseen thing.  To trust that the counsel and direction I am being given through my Bishop, through the Prophet, and through the scriptures are correct and true.  The only way to gain that trust as I mentioned above is through action.  Trust is not a passive action.  Trust requires action.  Trust necessitates us to move, to act.  The more we exercise trust the better we become at it.   

I must learn to place my personal trust firmly in God.  This should be easy to do, for he is omniscient and omnipotent. But I struggle, I am reluctant.  Through writing this though I have discovered that the key is practice.  Once concept at a time, line upon line.  Building faith and practicing trust provides a sure foundation for life.   A good source in the scriptures to see this is 2 Nephi Chapter 4.  Specifically verses 16-35.

16 Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.

 17 Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.

 18 I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.

19 And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.

 20 My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.

 21 He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh.

 22 He hath confounded mine enemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me.

 23 Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me knowledge by visions in the night-time.

 24 And by day have I waxed bold in mighty prayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent up on high; and angels came down and ministered unto me.

 25 And upon the wings of his Spirit hath my body been carried away upon exceedingly high mountains. And mine eyes have beheld great things, yea, even too great for man; therefore I was bidden that I should not write them.

 26 O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?

 27 And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy?

 28 Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.

 29 Do not anger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions.

 30 Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation.

 31 O Lord, wilt thou redeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?

 32 May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite! O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road!

 33 O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way—but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy.

 34 O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm. 

35 Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen.

Elder Stephen Nadauld in a 1997 devotional stated: 

My dear young brothers and sisters, put away your fears, put your away your anxieties, put away your sins and your pettiness.  Believe in his plan, trust in God.  Put not your trust in the arm of flesh.  Lean not on your own understanding.  But be believing; come desiring that the Lord will encircle you about in the robe of his righteousness.  Study to increase your faith, study the Atonement, study the Resurrection, study the plan of redemption, study the relationships between faith and trust and humility. With faith and trust in place, a wonderful thing can happen.  You can set aside your self-absorption, quiet your anxieties and fears and fill your souls with love.  The Savior’s message is clear, understanding the doctrine should lead to practical application.  Practice service, practice lifting and building and strengthening others, provide assurances, rehearse the evidence one to another.  What a remarkable transformation takes place when we allow our faith to lead to trust.