The lesson points out that Isaiah's prophecy about John the Baptist's mission and the Savior's coming would have the effect of filling every valley, flattening mountains and hills, straightening every crooked path and smoothing every rough place.
In other words, their great redeeming message was that through the power of His Atonement, the Savior would be able to straighten our crooked paths and smooth out our rough places--he would be able to help us change so that we would not forever be victims of our past with its sins and mistakes and failures and weaknesses.
I read a quote this week in an article in the online Meridian Magazine that relates to this doctrine. I love this: Forgiveness is giving up hope of ever having a better past. (Jodie Chaffee quoting Beverly Flanigan, 3 January 2019)
We are so often tempted to wish we had done things we didn't do or hadn't done things we should have done or wish we had had opportunities that didn't come or wish certain things had not happened to us.
The powerful message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that the Savior does not require us to be someone we are not, to be in a different place or circumstance or situation than we are with our imperfect past or will be with our still imperfect future. All He requires is that we turn our hearts to him and continually strive to repent and put our trust in His power to help us change, to help us become what we have the potential to become.
I love this scripture from Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
That section at the beginning of this week's reading really stood out to me, too! I loved the image that since Christ can flatten something as strong and solid as a mountain he can surely help me to change and "make my paths straight." I read this in the Book of Mormon today and I think it relates: "But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words." (1 Ne 9:6). I love that testimony that he can do anything that needs done, and that he knows perfectly what needs to be done!
ReplyDeleteWe discussed this in our family reading as well. I'd never before considered that prophecy from Isaiah to mean that the Lord can straighten OUR crooked paths and OUR rough places. We talked about some lessons I've learned through parenting (it's been a really rough week, and we've talked pretty openly about some rough places in our family). It is wonderful to know that Christ can smooth those out for us. But it can also be a painful process.
ReplyDelete