Focus on the Mark

Too many times, we overlook the point of being active in church and even more specifically, the gospel. Unfortunately there are some who expend energy on certain gospel principles, whether to build them up or to use them against the church. In either case, it is not healthy for you testimony, and it is looking beyond the mark. The Lord has reveled to us about gospel doctrines, "whosoever declareth more or less than this, the same is not of me" (D&C10:58). We are given simple principles for a reason, not to add to them or make up our own doctrine, but so that we can understand and then follow them. Whenever we try to add on to a principle and elevate it so that it seems more important than other doctrines, or when we take a position contrary to the leaders of the church, we are looking beyond the mark. There are many other ways in which we can miss the point of the gospel such as consecrating our time and efforts upon a condition, instead of consecrating everything to the Lord unconditionally; and we look beyond the mark when we create rules that are not rooted in doctrine. So then the question comes up, what is the mark and what is the point?

The mark is Christ. He taught simple and plain truths so that we can understand His gospel and learn the way to eternal life. When we look beyond the mark and when we miss the point, we look beyond Christ. The Jews missed the point during Christ's ministry and they looked past the rock upon which they should build their foundation. The church, after Christ's death and resurrection, began to look beyond the mark and in effect, it crumbled and the world went into a long period of apostacy. There is a talk "Looking Beyond the Mark" by Elder Quinten L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and I want to finish by quoting him, "One of the great challenges of this life is to accept Christ for who He is: the resurrected Savior of the world, our Redeemer, our Lord and Master, our Advocate with the Father. When He is the foundation for all that we do and are, we avoid the theological blindness that results from looking beyond the mark, and we reap the glorious blessings He has promised us. “Come unto me, ye blessed,” He tells those who follow Him; “there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father” (Enos 1:27)." I know that if we focus on the mark, which is Christ, we will have a solid foundation, our testimonies will be strengthened, and we will be able to stand against Satan and his angels.

With love,
Elder Brennan Edwards

Overcoming the Original Sin

Hello all! Today, I wanted to touch on something that I encounter every day, pride. Pride is a "comparison" sin. As President Uchtdorf put it in his talk in the October 2010 General Conference, "pride is the sin of self elevation." I know that to be true.Too often in the scriptures do we find those who are "lifted up in the pride of their hearts." They set their hearts upon riches and worldly material that they harden their hearts against the Spirit of the Lord and to the gospel. An entire nation was destroyed in the Book of Mormon because of their pride. Their focus was on riches and fame, and not the Kingdom of God.

We are all victim at some point or another to pride. How do we stay away from this "original sin" that we are so naturally filled with? Is it any surprise that the answer is Jesus Christ? He is the ultimate example of humility. There is "opposition in all things" (2 Nephi 2) so as we have pride, there is also humility. Jesus Christ submitted to the Father's will, and He was obedient in all that He was commanded.

So how do we become humble like the Savior? Charity. President Uchtdorf says in his talk, "it is almost impossible to be lifted up in pride when our hearts are full of charity" (Pride and the Priesthood). As an apostle once said, "humility is not thinking less of ourselves, it is thinking less about ourselves." As we fill our hearts with charity, the pure love of Christ, we will become humble. We will be able to avoid that all destroying sin of pride. Let us become humble as a little child for there's is the kingdom of heaven. Let us serve others and follow the example of the Savior, we will become humble, we will conquer pride, and we will be filled with the Spirit. I love you all and I hope that we can become filled with the pure love of Christ to overcome the pride of the world.

With love,
Elder Brennan Edwards

Our Rock, Our Redeemer

Something that we are surrounded with every day is temptation and sin. The standards of the world have slowly slid from high to low, and they continue to sink into the pits of filth, immorality, and uncleanliness. How can we stay above these gross waters? How can we build up our standards so that we can't be trapped in Satan's snares? How can we be an example to those around us? The answer is simple; Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the answer, but how is He the answer? We read in the Book of Mormon in Helamen 5:12

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."

We must build our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. If we have a foundation based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, we will be able to overcome anything that the world, and more specifically, Satan, throws at us. However, we all have our weaknesses. Some of you might be thinking that there are some things in the world that you just can't give up; whether they be alcohol, tobacco, or drugs. It may not even be those substances, whatever they may be, there is a way to escape. That foundation, if it is based upon Christ, will give you the power to crush Satan and his followers. If you build your faith in Christ by reading the scriptures, praying, and living His teachings, I promise you that you "cannot fall." I invite you to put your faith and trust in the Lord, and as you do so you will receive all that you need to endure to the end so that you may be received into Heaven and dwell in a state of never ending happiness (Mosiah 2:41). I know that this is true, my foundation is built upon a rock, who is Christ, and He gives me the strength daily to overcome my greatest weaknesses. He can, and is more than willing to do the same for you, if you just put your faith and trust in Him.

With love,
Elder Brennan Edwards