Miracles

“For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith” (2 Nephi 27:23). I quote this verse of scripture because I’ve been thinking a lot about miracles lately. It used to be that when I heard that word, miracle, I immediately thought about sightless eyes being able to see or lame legs made strong. In other words, I thought about physical impossibilities changed into possibilities. Those kinds of miracles seem so incredible and yet I’ve never had trouble believing in them. I’ve seen some. I’ve experienced some. I know they can happen.


But lately I’ve realized that there are miracles far greater than blind eyes seeing that while being greater are at the same time more possible.  Those are the miracles of the heart, the miracles that change carnal people into saints, the miracles that make mortal beings into righteous Christ-like beings. Those are the most important and the greatest miracles of all and those are the miracles that every one of us need. But most important, those are the kind of miracles the Savior most often offers. Not all the blind who want to see will be made to see in this life, but ALL the carnal who want to be righteous will receive the miracle of change and be made saints.

A change of heart is a miracle that everyone who wants it and seeks after it will obtain. So why do I sometimes doubt that I can change? Why do I sometimes think others can't change? That is faulty thinking. We can change because there is someone who has the power to change us, if we seek after Him.

Remembering Grizelda

As the month of December approaches my mind is full of Christmas and the birth of my Savior, but it is also full of the miracle I received three years ago this December—a blessing provided by  that Savior. With the marvel of that miracle filling my heart I went back and read what I had written here on Good News! the day of my brain surgery to extract Grizelda. I’d forgotten that I finished reading the Old Testament the very day of the surgery, and was struck once again with a verse that stood out to me that day. “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall” (Micah 4:2).

That verse means even more to me now than it did then. He did care for me like a prize calf in a stall. He fed my spirit so that as I walked through the shadows of adversity I was at peace, he protected me, he tended to my every need. But it didn’t end. He continues to do so even though I am so undeserving.

As the anniversary of that event draws near, the memories keep springing to mind and so do all of the wonderful things I learned from the traumatic experience. I am so grateful.

"17 Miracles"

Wow!

Thanks you for all the kind remarks yesterday.

I really had gotten to the point of thinking no one was out there.

Your response startled and encouraged me.

Thank you!

I usually don't promote things on Good News!, but I'm going to today. D4 is in town for a visit and so D5 and her family joined us and we all went to see the movie 17 Miracles. The cinematography was beautiful and the story is about the true account of the Willey handcart company. I learned a lot that I hadn't understood before but most of all I came away determined never to take for granted my heritage and the price people paid so that I could live comfortably as a Mormon in this valley.

While none of my ancestors were part of the Willey or Martin companies, every line in my family goes back at least five generations in the Church and one line goes back six. Mr. J is also a fifth or sixth generation Mormon and one of his ancestors, Luke S. Johnson, was called as one of the first apostles in this dispensation by Joesph Smith. I don't know all that my own ancestors suffered in their treks across the plains, but I'm sure there were similar trials. Ever since I saw the movie I can't quit thinking about the suffering, the miracles, and the faithful people that are my heritage.

Go see "17 Miracles"!

Miracles

Having survived brain surgery and Grizelda, I firmly believe in miracles. That was a BIG miracle, but I also believe in little miracles and in daily tender mercies from the Lord. Our days are full of them if we just take the time to pay attention. On Sunday one of those not so little miracles happened to me.

I got up Sunday morning to write my post for this blog about the Resurrection. After it was finished I proceeded to post it, but couldn’t log onto the Internet. I did all the things I’ve done before when things aren’t working like check the cords, unplug the modem and plug it in again, turn off the computer and restart it, but nothing worked. Almost without realizing what I was doing as I worked I kept talking to God asking for help. It wasn’t a formal prayer, but I was addressing Him as if in prayer and just talking to Him. I spent a couple hours trying to post and was about to give up when suddenly I got an Internet signal and was able to post the test. Then I went on line to find the pictures I wanted and the Internet went out again. Again I unplugged, restarted, checked cords and nothing worked. Then all of a sudden I got the signal went on line long enough to post the pictures and again the Internet went out.

By then I was almost late for Church, so I got ready, attended Church, came home, and  had Easter dinner with D5 and her family. That night after the company had gone home and everything was cleaned up I went back to the computer to check my email. But again I couldn’t get a signal. This time I asked my husband and he couldn’t get a signal either and so we checked the desk computer and we couldn’t get on line with it either. So we called our service provider. After a myriad of questions she told us that the modem we have is out of date and no longer supported by them. “But I got on this morning,” I said. “You shouldn’t have been able to,” she replied. “We’ll send you a new modem.”

I’m posting this from work, and still marveling at the fact that the unworkable modem at home worked just long enough to post my entry on the Resurrection. 

Miracles happen.

It's Over

It is over and I am so sick. I guess I pushed too hard this week and my body still isn't ready to be pushed that hard. But then even before Grizelda this pace would have taxed me!

I do want to share with you a little miracle. Yesterday during the class on C. S. Lewis, while I was speaking the room suddenly began to spin and my knees began to buckle. I couldn't see my notes because of the spinning, but I managed to keep speaking (I don't know if I made any sense or not!) and inside I was saying a prayer, "Please don't let me pass out!" About then my stomach started to churn and I have no idea how I held on except that it was a miracle. Mr. J said he could tell something was wrong, but others in the audience said they didn't notice. All I can say is that the spirit must have taken over for a few minutes because my body was no longer running the show.

After that class, Mr. J took me to his office and gave me a blessing and that got me through the last class. Besides being sick it was a wonderful week and I found myself using the Truth Tools in a new way. (Someone is always teaching me new lessons!) I haven't thought much about using the Tools against physical ailments and physical pain, but yesterday I began to do that. They work! Not so much that they take away the sickness or the pain, but they helped me endure it and "over ride" it.

Well, Education Week is over and now its time to get ready for next semester. Time moves on.

Day Two of Education Week

Somehow I picked up a bug and am fighting a cold, but I'm depending on a higher source to get me through this.

I had a surprise yesterday when I found I had made the papers. Click the link and you can see for yourself. The picture of me is awful, but I love the way he captured me pointing at miracles! It captures my whole last two years of life.

Even though I'm sick and so tired, I'm loving this because of the people. I get so many hugs and smiles and just watching all these wonderful people affirms me. I imagine this is a glimpse into what heaven will be like.

Today I start the Lewis class and then in the afternoon I'll be talking about necessary and unnecessary pain. I wish you were all here to enjoy this with me. It is a whole different life than what the headlines of newspapers report life to be like!

My Heart is Full

Today has been an amazing day and I wish you were all with me to share in the feelings. This afternoon I am teaching a series of classes on the "Messages in the Miracles of Jesus." Therefore, I spent yesterday and this morning preparing--reading the miracles of the New Testament, pondering on them, imagining them, learning from them,and feeling them and I am full to the brim.

I don't have much time, but let me share just one little thing that has impressed me. Of the 45 miracles that are recorded in the New Testament 19 are requested. Someone asks the Savior to help them. In two, both concerning the casting out of unclean spirits, the spirits ask him not to do anything. But in more than half of the miracles (24) Jesus seeks the person out and heals them without their even asking. As a matter of fact some of them don't even know who He is.

That is a powerful testimony to me that Jesus loves us all and wants to help us with whatever battles we are fighting. Jesus is the Christ. He cares about us. He lives.

Miracles!

It’s been a week of miracles around here. There have been so many I couldn’t even recount them all here. But just to give you an idea, before we left for NY my computer crashed and while we were gone SIL 5 fixed it. I wasn’t worried because I thought I had everything backed up so I could just reload, but when I did reload I found out that for some reason my documents had only backed up from “n” on through the rest of the alphabet. Since the "C. S. Lewis" file and the "Miracles" file both come in the alphabet before “n” they were gone and they had all that I had prepared for Education Week next week. It’s a long story, and it took a lot of precious time, but I eventually was able to find both files. It is an absolute miracle.

I also had a novel I’d written years ago and wanted to work on again that was stored on an old floppy disk and I no longer had a drive to read it, but SIL6 took the disk to see what he could do while warning me that the disk was so old it probably had corrupted. But he opened the file, made it into text, and emailed it to me. Miracle!

But the most amazing miracle happened to D8—the one we were with in Ireland and the one living in Africa where she and her family are the only members of the Church in the entire country of Mauritania. This December their oldest son will turn eight and he wants to be baptized in the ocean. There is one problem. They don’t have two witnesses. They have been corresponding with Church headquarters to see what they can do and were told they would have to either travel to another country or wait until they return to the states. Traveling would be difficult and they didn’t want to wait that long (It would be almost a year). He really doesn’t want to wait either and has his heart set on being baptized in the ocean.

Well, when they returned from our trip to Ireland, there was a new military unit attached to the embassy for the next six months. Mauritania is not a very important country and so the military units assigned there are small—only a handful of personnel, but in that small group are not one, but two Mormon men who hold the priesthood. Besides being the answer to the baptism dilemma, they now have someone else to give talks and prayers at their Sabbath meetings! They are so excited, and we all realize that it is a miracle.

Sunburned

Yesterday we worked in the yard all afternoon pulling weeds and planting flowers. I thought I was working in the shade most of the time, but somehow managed to get sun burned. I had on Capri pants and with one leg being in a black boot up to my knee because of the stress fractures, I now have one very red leg from the knee down and one very white leg. I look so funny.

But it has reminded me of what an amazing thing our bodies are. Through them we feel, smell, hear, see, and taste. In other words this body connects me to the world around me. I got a large thorn stuck in my index finger that I had to dig out last night, and today I can barely tell where it was. Last night it hurt. Today it doesn’t hurt. Yes, I took the thorn out, but other than that I did nothing to make the wound heal but my body knew what to do. It went to work immediately to stop the bleeding, fight off infection, and close up the wound covering it over to make it look good as new. And in a few days the sunburn won't even hurt. These bodies are amazing.

Without me telling it to my heart keeps on beating. My lungs keep on breathing. My other organs keep on functioning and I’m not doing anything to make it happen. When I start to get uptight or vexed about something I think about this body and how it works and realize that if God can keep my body going, He can also keep my life going. I need to trust Him more. I need to relax and let Him direct my life like He does my body. If I do that “all things will work together for [my] good” (D&C 90:24).

Prayer Power

I got one of those calls yesterday—a call from my mother asking me to pray for my niece who suddenly began having seizures. BBS (Before Brain Surgery) I would, as soon as I could, dutifully pray when a call like this came, and I would think about the person and the situation hoping for the best. But ABS (After Brain Surgery) when calls like this come, I drop everything immediately and pray with all my heart that all will be well and that the person will feel the prayers and love of others as much as I did.

The healing for me was a wonderful miracle. The love and the tangibility of other’s prayers was a delightful surprise. That feeling sustained me while I waited for the miracle. That feeling kept fear at bay. That feeling warmed and comforted me. And I know that feeling was part of the healing. Prayer works. It is real. We should all be praying for each other because life is meant to be a community affair. None of us will make it to the Celestial Kingdom without helping someone else get there, too. There are many ways we do that, but prayer is part of all of them.

Thanks again for all of your prayers when I needed them. I still can feel the strength they gave me. And pray for my niece, Jessica, who lovingly offered to cut her long, strawberry-blond hair to make a wig for me when Grizelda plagued me.

Counting My Miracles

I’m counting miracles today, but not just any miracle. I'm counting my miracles. One of the unexpected benefits of Living in Truth is that you become much more aware of all the miracles that happen in your life. And over the last year I have had more than my share of miracles. It was a year ago that I finished my radiation treatments and was so weak I could barely function. Today I’ve walked three miles and am going about my chores with vim and vigor! It is a miracle and I am so grateful for it.

This has also made me think about all the other miracles that have happened in the last few months. Daily I get better and am blessed with so many wonderful things that make my life rich and wonderful! To top it off, the sun is shining brightly so that not only is my heart warm, but my whole being! There is so much good in life to celebrate!!!!!!!!!!!

So help me celebrate life! Everyone leave a comment with one miracle that is in your life this very day!

Vessels of the Lord

Yesterday we talked about the first recorded miracle that Jesus performed—turning water to wine. Once we understand the symbolism in the miracle there are so many lessons to explore and ponder. My favorite is to think about the fact that we are vessels of the Lord and that as vessels we need to be filled with Living Water.

The problem is that so many “vessels” are so concerned with decorating the outside of the pot that they don’t have time to take in the water that is being offered. They are more concerned with having the latest and greatest adorning their outer walls. They look good, but they are empty inside. Other “vessels” are cracked so that even if the Living Water is available and is poured in it just flows on through. They don’t pay the price to repair themselves (repent) so that they can be water-tight. Other “vessels” put on a lid so that when leaders, parents, prophets or even the Spirit try to fill the vessel with the much needed Living Water, it can’t get inside.

Remember also that the vessels were not all exactly the same size. Being hand hewn they held roughly two to three firkins each. Likewise, we do not all have the same capacity. Some of us are three-firkin vessels and some of us are two-firkin vessels. But no matter what our capacity all we need to do is what we are capable of doing. We only need to do the best WE can do not the best our neighbor can do. The Lord didn’t refuse to change a two-firkin vessel because it didn’t have as much water as a three-firkin vessel. He never expects the vessels to all hold the same amount. But that also means that all the vessels had to be filled to the brim. The three-firkin vessels couldn’t stop at two firkins and say, “But that’s all that other vessel had to do!”

The longer you think about this miracle, the more it teaches you. But the most important thing to realize is that once the Savior has changed you into something more, you become a source of living water to others. As Jesus tells us, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 14:38).

Water to Wine

The first recorded miracle of Jesus is the changing of the water to wine and is found in John 2:1-11. This miracle is especially rich in symbolism and ends by John explaining, “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory” (John 2:11). The Greek word translated as miracles could also be translated as signs. “This beginning of signs did Jesus in Cana of Galilee.” Which raises the question, what is the sign?

The answer is found in the details John gives us concerning how this miracle took place. “And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim” (John 2:6-7).

The waterpots are of stone not pottery because under the Law pottery was considered unclean. Therefore, these are large (a firkin is about nine gallons) containers hewn out of stone. This means the waterpots were much too large to pick up and carry to the water source. Instead the servants had to fill smaller containers and bring the water to the pots until they were filled. If they had a three gallon vessel in which to fetch water this means they had to make about 36 to 54 trips to the water source in order to fill the pots.

Now for the symbolism. We are the pots! Our bodies, like the stone pots are made from the elements of the earth and in the scriptures we are sometimes called the vessels of the Lord. John also tells us that these stone pots were set apart for sacred purposes, the purifying of the Jews, and we have been foreordained or set apart for sacred purposes, to help in the work of the Lord. Jesus Christ is the fountain of Living Water and prophets and teachers (servants) help bring that water to us until we are filled to the brim. It doesn’t happen at once, but is a lifetime process. Once we are as full as we can be (filled to the brim) Jesus Christ changes us—He makes us into something better.

Thus we see that the “sign” is that Jesus Christ has come to change us. If we will "fill" ourselves with His gospel and with Him, He will change us into something better!

"In Our Own Language"

A friend of mine told me of a man he taught while on his mission many years ago in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The man was old and had never learned to read nor could he write his name, but when the missionaries taught him the gospel he believed what he was taught and joined the Church. Surprisingly, as he thirsted for more knowledge he found he could read scriptures. You’d hand him a newspaper and he could not decipher one word, but you’d hand him a Bible and he could read it all. It was amazing!

One day the missionary was teaching a Cottage Meeting in the old man’s modest home. My friend mentioned something about the world being round and was startled when the old man whacked him across the back of the legs with his cane saying, “The Bible says the world has four corners and there’ll be no teaching of false doctrine in my home.”

While this man experienced an obvious miracle, it is important to realize that the Lord manages to teach all of us in whatever way is best for us. As Nephi said, “For the Lord God giveth light unto the understanding; for he speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding” (2 Nephi 31:3).

If we have the desire, the Lord will teach us on the level we understand even if it takes a miracle. But by “according to their language” He doesn’t just mean English or Spanish. He speaks through our understanding of life and the things around us. If we like to garden he’ll teach us about His ways as we garden or cook or fix engines or play sports. If we are engineers or doctors or nurses or parents or teachers or mechanics, the Lord will give us insights and knowledge according to what we understand and through the things we do, if we are watching and wanting to learn.

Picture: "Heavenly Hands" by Greg Olsen  picturesofjesus4you.com/428.html

One Year And I Can Still See!

One year ago today we had a head shaving party here at my house. My family and some friends gathered, I was given a beautiful blessing, and then my son took the scissors to my hair. A year ago tomorrow, the surgeons went searching for Grizelda. And then the miracles began. It hasn’t been easy, but I have been so blessed this year. My family took such great care of me while I was recuperating. This pictures shows D2 who is a nurse who stayed with me in the hospital. All of my children were so helpful  and I grew to appreciate them so much more.

It took awhile, but I have my full strength back now. I can still see! I have learned some amazing things. And I am happy.

This year has gone so fast! Besides the duel with Grizelda, it has been full of other adventures. I was able to see every one of my children and grandchildren—which doesn’t happen every year since they live so far away! My book Gospel Insights for Everyday Living was published. I wrote another book, Living in Truth, and taught many Living in Truth workshops. I especially enjoyed that because I met so many wonderful new friends.

Best of all is that I’ve grown so close to my Savior this year. I’m beginning to suspect that adversity is necessary in order for that closeness to happen. I hope I’m wrong, so I’m clinging to this closeness and hoping 2010 has a little less adversity but that I can maintain the closeness. I’ll let you know how it goes!

Peter and the Temple Tax

Matthew tells us of a time when the people who collected the tribute money for the temple asked Peter if Jesus paid tribute. This wasn’t a question concerning money. It concerned authority. You see, all the Jewish males over the age of 20 (see Ex. 30:13) were required to pay an annual temple tax of ½ shekel. This was used for upkeep of the temple and was considered an atonement offering for a person’s sin. But in the Savior’s day the Rabbis and priests claimed they were already holy and had no sin so they didn’t need to pay the tax.

Peter told the tax collectors that Jesus paid the tax, but when Peter and Jesus went into a house, Jesus rebuked Peter and asked him who the kings of the earth got their tribute money from—their children or strangers (Matthew 17:25). Peter answered that they received it from strangers. The Savior explained that the children were then free from taxes.

The lesson Jesus was teaching is that He was free from paying the tax on His Father’s house both because He was the Son and because He was free from sin. However, he told Peter that in order to not offend he should go fishing and that he would catch a fish with money in its mouth which he should use to pay the tax for both himself and Jesus.

This is an interesting miracle. Jesus has just proclaimed himself to Peter as the Son of God. Now as Peter obeys the given instructions, he learns that when obeying the Son of God his needs are met. Likewise when we follow the Son of God our needs are often met miraculously just as they were for Peter. There is absolutely no logic or reason to how it happens. We pay our tithing first and somehow there is enough left to pay our bills. We serve the Lord first and somehow the time stretches out to allow us to do the other necessary things of life. When we put the Lord first, we have sufficient for our needs.


But there is something else that is interesting here. Jesus could have provided the money in any number of ways. But Peter is a fisherman and so Jesus tells him to go fish. Jesus tells him to go work at what he does. It is ordinary, and yet not. Jesus didn’t provide the tax by having Peter win the Readers Digest Sweepstakes. There is no get rich quick scheme involved. Instead Peter just goes about doing what he does, and his needs are met.


This account says to me that when we try our best within the realms of our own power—we do what we do whether it is to be a carpenter, fisherman, accountant, nurse, or teacher—miraculously our needs will be provided if we keep the commandments and follow the Heavenly King.

Feeding Five-Thousand

Since I’m getting ready for BYU Education Week and the classes I’ll be teaching on the Messages in the Miracles of Jesus, I’ve been studying the miracles again. I’ve been doing this off and on for the past six years, and they never cease to amaze me. One of the things I’ve learned came from the miracle of the feeding of the five-thousand. Can you imagine the feelings and thoughts the disciples had when they told the Savior He ought to send the people home and instead He told them to feed them? Five-thousand men plus their wives and children! And can you imagine how the one small boy felt when the disciples asked if he would give his five loaves of bread and two fish to feed the multitude?

The numbers here are very interesting. To the people gathered numbers had symbolic meaning. Five is a symbol of the Atonement and God’s grace. Two is a symbol of opposition-good vs. bad. The elements used in this miracle are also symbolic. Bread is a symbol for Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life. And Fish are a symbol of man. Five loaves of bread plus two fish equal seven which is a symbol of perfection or completion and of covenants. Thus we trust in the Atonement of Christ (5), and endure the trials and opposition of life (2) His grace is sufficient to bring us to perfection or completion (7).

But there is more. Remember the small boy who gave all he had. So often in life we are called upon to do what seems way beyond our ability. We are called to positions in the Church. Or we feel overwhelmed by parenting, or jobs, or relationship. Or sometimes life and its trials just seem way beyond our ability to cope with. But from this miracle we learn that if we just give or use whatever we have, if we just do our best, the Lord makes it enough. We give what we can and the Lord makes up the difference.

And there is more! After feeding the thousands of people until they are full and satisfied, the disciples gather up the left-over bread and fish and discover that there are 12 baskets full. Twelve is a symbol of the priesthood, and there is one basket for each disciple so that they can continue, through the power of the priesthood, to assist in feeding all those who follow Jesus.

Miracles Happen

Miracles happen.

Miracles really do happen. I’m sure if you are reading this blog you already know that and believe it. But sometimes we tend to subconsciously modify that thought to be, “Miracles happen to other people.” Not so! Miracles happen to you.

Repeat that phrase again right out loud and pay attention to how you feel when you say it, “Miracles happen.”

Just saying it brings feelings of empowerment and strength into your heart. All of us know miracles happen, but in our day to day experiences we come up against something that our logic tells us is impossible to surmount and we give in to logic instead of clinging to the fact that miracles happen. I know they do. Again, if you’ve been reading this blog for very long, you know that I have been the recipient of some major miracles. I’ve also been the beneficiary of hundreds of smaller miracles.

So my challenge to you is that at the first sign of discouragement, simply repeat to yourself out loud, “Miracles happen. Miracles happen. Miracles happen.” And then do all you can to make good of the situation, and wait expectantly for the miracle! It will happen.

I'm Watching for Miracles

This healing process is amazing to me. Every time I look in the mirror, I marvel. Just think. Two short months ago doctors cut into my skull, moved aside my brain, and stuck instruments into my orbital cavity to cut extraneous tissue off my optic nerve. And now all that remains of that invasive procedure is a thin white “C” on my scalp. Hair is growing (It’s over an inch long now!) to cover the bald spot and I am recovered. It is absolutely miraculous to think about the healing that has occurred in two months time. I can’t get over the miracle it is.

As Alma taught, “All things denote there is a God” (Alma 30:44). What I’ve discovered is that even some of the traumatic things we endure “denote there is a God.” Or maybe I should say, especially some of the traumatic things we endure “denote there is a God.”

Watching for these miracles of life is one of the best strategies we can adopt to help us overcome the negative aspects of telestial living. And right now is one of the best times to hone that habit here in the Northern Hemisphere of the world because miracles are happening all around us. Crocus are pushing out of the dark earth. Just think about the miracle that is! From tiny bulbs that have been buried for almost a year, suddenly beauty and color burst forth. And why? They serve no other purpose than to give you and I joy. The daffodil leaves have appeared and soon the yellow trumpets will appear. The tulips are next and then a profusion of fruits and vegetables. It’s a miracle! A gift from God.

This experience with Grizelda has been one of the best things that ever happened to me. Part of the reason is because of all the miracles, but most of the reason is because of all I have learned. God loves us so much He sends us daily gifts. We just need to watch for them.

The Miracle of Righteousness

In the vision that Nephi and his father Lehi saw, they are shown the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. When Nephi sees them he is told that “These twelve ministers whom thou beholdest shall judge thy seed. And, behold, they are righteous forever; for because of their faith in the Lamb of God their garments are made white in his blood” (1 Nephi 12:10). There are two things in this verse that caught my attention.

First, we are told why the apostles are righteous forever. But the answer isn’t what you would suspect. It isn’t because they are so wonderful or marvelous or good. No! The apostles are righteous forever because of their faith in Jesus Christ. Too many of us are worrying so much about being righteous that we miss the point. Yes, we need to do good, but righteousness comes about by trusting in Jesus Christ not just by being good. Trusting means that when adversity comes or hard times, we trust that the Savior will guide us through the problems and that all that is happening is for our good. We don’t complain or become bitter or fret or stew—we trust.

The second thing that struck me is that the verse says the apostles “garments are made white in his blood.” Now I’m a woman who has done a lot of laundry and I know for a fact that you can’t make clothes white by soaking them in blood. So what does the Savior mean by this metaphor? What would it take to make clothes white in blood? It would take a miracle. And that is exactly what He offers us. The Atonement that will make us righteous forever is a miracle—the greatest miracle in the world.