Song for today is: Testimony
Because I have behaving a certain way which I think is logical today I understand that coming from the heart with love is how I should approach a special person in my life who doesn't feel loved by me This verse is my focus: My eyes are wet; my heart is full.
The Spirit speaks today.
O Lord, wilt thou my life renew
And in my bosom stay.
While walking on my treadmill I listened the Sister Susan K. Bednar speak at a BYUI devotional in 2001. Her message was entitled Heart.click here to hear it
This is the text:
For many months now I've been pondering about the word "heart." One of the first thoughts that popped into my mind was an experience I had as a young girl. I'm sure many of you have had a similar experience. Go back with me to your first or second grade classroom. You are sitting at your desk with a pencil, a pair of scissors, and several squares of red construction paper in front of you. With much care, you fold the paper and then draw half of a heart along the fold. You are making Valentine hearts to attach to a paper-covered shoe box that will house all the special cards and treats you will receive from your classmates. Is this memory vaguely familiar?
Not all the hearts you cut out are perfect. Some are long and skinny. Others are a bit flat looking and somewhat misshapen. In fact, they look more like dog ears than hearts. If you don't cut deep enough into the top of the fold, some hearts turn out to be way too plump. About the only way to create the ideal heart is to trace the teacher's perfect pattern.
As you keep the shapes of these hearts in mind, I'd like to share four experiences I've had with Ricks College students and relate these situations to a parable from the New Testament. Though it is the parable of the sower, it's really a parable about hearts. Seeds,which symbolize the word of God, are sown into four different places--by the wayside, on stony ground, in with thorns, and on good soil. The places where the seeds fall represent the hearts of men. Some seeds grow, others don't (see Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 8). The experiences I will share about Ricks College students will illustrate how four students receive the word of God into their hearts. As you will see, some harden their hearts and cast the word aside while others seek with all their hearts to follow the Master.
Experience #1A caring student asked my suggestions one day of how she could help her inactive sister. This sister had fallen away from the Church and wanted nothing more to do with it. As the student explained her sister's tragic situation, I simply said, "I wish your sister could come to Ricks College. This is such a great place for young people to gain a testimony. I just know that would help." With a sad face the student responded, "Sister Bednar, my sister has been a student at Ricks College."
A sower goes out to sow seed. Some seed falls by the wayside and is eaten by the birds. Maybe the heart that is long and skinny could represent this sister. She hears the word of God. But with no room in her heart for the gospel, she allows Satan to take the word from her heart, and she falls away.
Experience #2A young woman sought out my husband and me in a large crowd of people. Choking back the tears, she said, "President and Sister Bednar, I just want to tell you how much I love Ricks College. I haven't always been able to say that because I got into some trouble while I was a student at Ricks and was asked to leave. At that time I hated Ricks College. I wandered down the wrong path for a couple of years, but I'm attending institute classes where I live and am trying to come back into activity. I know now what I didn't know then. Ricks College is a special place."
A sower sows seed that lands in a stony place with little soil. When the seed starts to sprout and grow, it is without root and is scorched by the hot sun. The shallow, misshapen heart could represent this young woman who doesn't let the word of God take deep root in her heart. When the heat of temptation comes, she makes poor choices and turns her heart from the gospel.
Experience #3
In a misguided debate about R-rated movies, a young man on our campus wrote:
I am 22 years old, a returned missionary, and I watch R-rated movies. To be honest, I don't plan on not watching them anytime soon.A sower goes out to sow seeds. Some fall on ground where they are choked out by thorns and become unfruitful. Perhaps the plump heart could represent this returned missionary who is puffed up in an attitude of pride and distracted by worldly pleasures.
Why do students feel it necessary to preach hellfire and damnation to those of us who do watch these movies? For the most part, we are all responsible adults. Some . . . have essentially called me and other students sinners.
I do not believe I will burn in hell for watching R-rated movies, and I don't think anyone else will, either. I respect what the prophets say about the subject, but it is still my choice and I am willing to take responsibility for it.
Experience #4A concerned young woman came to me after a meeting and tearfully shared her troubles. It was evident after a few moments of listening that this student had many anxieties. She had difficulties at home, problems in her classes, and lacked any feeling of worth. I struggled to find the right words to encourage her. As we parted, I noticed one of her roommates had been waiting for her in the hall nearby. This loving roommate put her arm around the shoulder of this anxious young woman and together they walked back to their apartment. I admired the love of that roommate. Certainly, living with this distressed young woman would not have been easy. But she desperately needed and deserved the unselfish love of a caring roommate.
A sower goes out to sow seed. Some seeds fall on good ground, grow well, and bring forth fruit. Perhaps the heart you traced from your teacher's pattern could represent this loving roommate who hears the word of God, patterns her life after the teachings of Jesus, and does good works.
We, too, can follow this pattern. All hearts can be changed. A heart that turns away from the gospel need only exercise a particle of faith for the Savior's word to start growing again. A hard and shallow heart can remove the stones of hatred, rebellion, and defiance and replace them with the soil of soft, sincere pleadings for forgiveness. The heart puffed up in pride can weed out the thorns of worldly lusts and enticements and replace them with a desire to follow the counsel of living prophets. A heart patterned after the Savior can continue to bring forth works of righteousness. We can all yield our hearts to God if we have the courage and the desire to make necessary changes.
There is one more heart I would like to discuss today. Please come back with me again to your elementary classroom. Perhaps you aren't listening carefully to the instructions of your teacher when she explains how to cut your paper heart. Maybe you are daydreaming about the Valentine that you might receive from the handsome little boy or cute girl who sits across the aisle from you. Not thinking, you cut your heart on the open edges of the paper and are surprised to find your heart is not joined in the middle, but consists of two halves. This heart needs some tape from your teacher to hold it together.
The scriptures refer to this particular heart as a broken heart. We are commanded to offer for our sacrifice unto the Lord in righteousness a broken heart and a contrite spirit (see D&C 59:8). A broken heart is one that is humble and easily led. It sets aside pride and selfish ambition to follow Jesus. It recognizes a dependence upon and a need for the Savior's atonement.
In closing, I testify that just as the tape of our teacher could mend our paper hearts, the tender tape of the Savior's mercy can mend and heal our spiritual hearts. Christ knows our desires and intent as we try earnestly to improve and seek for a mighty change of heart. He stands at the door and knocks. All we have to do is open our hearts and let him enter, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment