Happy Easter

I hope that you have had a good one. An apostle from my church just made the following statement last week:

"I do not know who in this vast audience today may need to hear the message of forgiveness inherent in this parable [He spoke of the parable of the laborers of the vineyard - Matthew 20.], but however late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines.

"Whether you are not yet of our faith or were with us once and have not remained, there is nothing in either case that you have done that cannot be undone. There is no problem which you cannot overcome. There is no dream that in the unfolding of time and eternity cannot yet be realized. Even if you feel you are the lost and last laborer of the eleventh hour, the Lord of the vineyard still stands beckoning. 'Come boldly [to] the throne of grace,' and fall at the feet of the Holy One of Israel. Come and feast 'without money and without price' at the table of the Lord."

(Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Laborers in the Vineyard," April 2012 General Conference)

Isn't it amazing what Christ's atonement can do for us? We just have to let it. We have to be willing to try to believe that the Savior can and will help us, no matter what we have or have not done. That's the tricky part because we will have thoughts that we can't change or that we've gone too far. Or we hold on to hurt and pain and anger and refuse to let go of the things that hold us back from feeling Christ's love like we could feel it.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ was such an important event because it gives us hope that He really was the Son of God and that Heavenly Father's plan for us really will be fulfilled. And, because Christ was resurrected, we will all be resurrected. The resurrection lets us know that we really can trust in the Savior and turn to Him. I believe I will spend the rest of my life trying to learn how to let Him help me, but He is loving and patient and will allow me to keep learning throughout my life, for which I am very grateful.