Week 6 Podcast

A Personal Savior

Under the direction of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ created this world. He created the mountains you climb, the flowers you smell, the rivers you depend on, and even the air you breathe! He is your God and is "supporting you from one moment to another" (Mosiah 2:21) and has offered everything he is for everything you can become.

Through His magnificent atonement, he has experienced all that you are and will be. He knows how to help you because he has felt how it feels for you to wrestle with temptation. He knows how you feel when you resist and how you feel when you give in —He is your personal savior. Consider how Alma described Christ's atonement in Alma 7:11-12.

11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."

Jesus Christ understands you and loves you. He wants to be your personal savior.

Having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is essential to your progress. He has done everything he can do to have a relationship with you and invites you to reciprocate so that he can heal you. President Nelson is pleading with you to have a relationship with Christ he said:

I... invite you to study again the account of the Savior’s appearance to the Nephites in the Americas, as recorded in 3 Nephi. Not long before that appearance, His voice was heard among the people, including these words of supplication:

“Will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?

“… Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive.”

Dear brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ extends that same invitation to you today. I plead with you to come unto Him so that He can heal you! He will heal you from sin as you repent. He will heal you from sadness and fear. He will heal you from the wounds of this world.

Whatever questions or problems you have, the answer is always found in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Learn more about His Atonement, His love, His mercy, His doctrine, and His restored gospel of healing and progression. Turn to Him! Follow Him!" (The Answer Is Always Jesus Christ, Nelson, 2023).

Who Is Jesus Christ?

To know Jesus Christ you must learn of him, who he is, and what he is offering you. You must understand that Jesus Christ is a real person —he is not an abstraction, a concept, or an idea—he is the very son of God. He has overcome sin and death. Because of him, you can be forgiven, have peace, and live again.

Apostles and prophets testify of Jesus Christ, consider the following snippets from The Living Christ, The Testimony of the Apostles:

He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New
He was the creator of the earth
His gospel was a message of peace and goodwill
He healed the sick, caused the blind to see, and raised the dead
He taught the truths of eternity
He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind
He was the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world
He rose from the grave to “become the firstfruits of them that slept”
He and His Father appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, ushering in the long-promised “dispensation of the fulness of times”
“I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father”
He will someday return to earth
Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God
He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world
His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come

What is Your Testimony of Christ?

President Nelson said "I plead with you to take charge of your testimony. Work for it. Own it. Care for it. Nurture it so that it will grow. Feed it truth. Don’t pollute it with the false philosophies of unbelieving men and women and then wonder why your testimony is waning" (Choices for Eternity, Nelson, 2022).

In Christ's great intercessory prayer, he prayed that you could have a relationship with him and your Father in Heaven. He said that to know them was to have eternal life. "And this is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3).

📒 Journal

Jesus Christ has offered everything he is to know you. What are you willing to do to know Him?

Record your testimony of Jesus Christ.

The Grace of Jesus Christ

The Bible Dictionary explains that two things are possible because of the grace of Jesus Christ:

It is through the grace of the Lord Jesus, made possible by His atoning sacrifice, that mankind will be raised in immortality, every person receiving his body from the grave in a condition of everlasting life.
It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means (Bible Dictionary, emphasis added).

What joyous news! You can receive strength that is beyond your own means! Surely Christ's burden is easy and his burden is light! Too often we only think about the cleansing power of Christ's atonement. Elder Bednar said "I suspect that many Church members are much more familiar with the nature of the redeeming and cleansing power of the Atonement than they are with the strengthening and enabling power. It is one thing to know that Jesus Christ came to earth to die for us—that is fundamental and foundational to the doctrine of Christ. But we also need to appreciate that the Lord desires, through His Atonement and by the power of the Holy Ghost, to live in us—not only to direct us but also to empower us" (The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality, Bednar, 2012).

Receiving Grace

What do you need to do to get this phenomenal cosmic power? —Nothing —it is a gift! Elder Uchdorf teaches "Salvation cannot be bought with the currency of obedience; it is purchased by the blood of the Son of God. Thinking that we can trade our good works for salvation is like buying a plane ticket and then supposing we own the airline. Or thinking that after paying rent for our home, we now hold title to the entire planet earth" (The Gift of Grace, Uchdof, 2015).

So what's with all the commandments? and "After all you can do?" If it's all free then why does it matter what I do? Paul similarly asked "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" Romans 6: 1-2) Remember Paul testified "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). How can you be a new creature if you don't change?

"Faith in Jesus Christ is the greatest power available to us in this life. All things are possible to them that believe."
–President Russell M. Nelson

Why We Change

The underlying reason we change is simply that we want to. Sure you can go through the motions of discipleship by attending church, accepting callings, etc. but if those actions don't match your desires they won't have the power to "wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually" (Mosiah 5:2). President Oaks said " It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become" (The Challenge to Become, Oaks, 2000).

Ultimately it is our love of God and our desire to be like him that motivates us to keep His commandments. President Uchdorf said "Therefore, our obedience to God’s commandments comes as a natural outgrowth of our endless love and gratitude for the goodness of God. This form of genuine love and gratitude will miraculously merge our works with God’s grace. Virtue will garnish our thoughts unceasingly, and our confidence will wax strong in the presence of God" (The Gift of Grace, Uchdof, 2015).

Brad Wilcox explains grace with this analogy of piano lessons.

Christ’s arrangement with us is similar to a mom providing music lessons for her child. Mom pays the piano teacher. How many know what I am talking about? Because Mom pays the debt in full, she can turn to her child and ask for something. What is it? Practice! Does the child’s practice pay the piano teacher? No. Does the child’s practice repay Mom for paying the piano teacher? No. Practicing is how the child shows appreciation for Mom’s incredible gift. It is how he takes advantage of the amazing opportunity Mom is giving him to live his life at a higher level. Mom’s joy is found not in getting repaid but in seeing her gift used—seeing her child improve. And so she continues to call for practice, practice, practice.

If the child sees Mom’s requirement of practice as being too overbearing (“Gosh, Mom, why do I need to practice? None of the other kids have to practice! I’m just going to be a professional baseball player anyway!”), perhaps it is because he doesn’t yet see with mom’s eyes. He doesn’t see how much better his life could be if he would choose to live on a higher plane.

In the same way, because Jesus has paid justice, He can now turn to us and say, “Follow me” (Matthew 4:19), “Keep my commandments” (John 14:15). If we see His requirements as being way too much to ask (“Gosh! None of the other Christians have to pay tithing! None of the other Christians have to go on missions, serve in callings, and do temple work!”), maybe it is because we do not yet see through Christ’s eyes. We have not yet comprehended what He is trying to make of us. (His Grace is Sufficient, Brad Wilcox, 2011)

How We Change

We've discussed several strategies for change in this experience. Whichever ones you use your success will be the result of your "repeated beingness." That repeated beingness of iteratively becoming is "all you can do." President Uchdorf said "Many people feel discouraged because they constantly fall short. They know firsthand that “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” They raise their voices with Nephi in proclaiming, “My soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.” I am certain Nephi knew that the Savior’s grace allows and enables us to overcome sin. This is why Nephi labored so diligently to persuade his children and brethren “to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God. After all, that is what we can do! And that is our task in mortality!” (The Gift of Grace, Uchdof, 2015). So don't get tired of trying! Do not give up because you fail, just keep trying. Every effort is a vote for the person you want to be!

Covenant Power

When we make a covenant with God we enter into a special relationship with him. President Nelson teaches that "Once you and I have made a covenant with God, our relationship with Him becomes much closer than before our covenant. Now we are bound together. Because of our covenant with God, He will never tire in His efforts to help us, and we will never exhaust His merciful patience with us. Each of us has a special place in God’s heart. He has high hopes for us" (The Everlasting Covenant, Nelson, 2022).“ He also said that "God will do everything He can, short of violating your agency, to help you not miss out on the greatest blessings in all eternity" (Choices for Eternity, Nelson, 2022). Clearly, God is "all in" when it comes to honoring his covenant with you.

Bound Together

In a devotional at BYU-Idaho Elder Renlund compared the bonds of covenants to the formation of chemical bonds between elements. Elder Renlund noted that elements like florine make single bonds that are easier to break while elements like nitrogen create multiple bonds that reduce the distance between elements and make them harder to break. He then illustrated how each covenant we make with God likewise increases our bond with God in the following illustration.

In the diagram, Elder Renlund shows that each additional covenant we make with God reinforces our baptismal covenant to serve God, keep his commandments, and take upon us the name of Jesus Christ. Each covenant strengthens our bond with God and increases our access to Him. President Nelson said, "God has a special love for each person who makes a covenant with Him in the waters of baptism. And that divine love deepens as additional covenants are made and faithfully kept” (Choices for Eternity, Nelson, 2022).

When we keep our covenants with God we receive power to become like him. Our efforts turn from justifying sin through repentance to becoming sanctified — losing the desire to sin. Elder Soares said "As we make covenants in holiness before God and commit to follow the Savior, we receive the power to change our hearts, renew our spirits, and deepen our relationship with Him. Such an endeavor brings sanctification to our souls and forms a sacred bond with God and Jesus Christ, who promise that we can inherit the gift of eternal life. The result of this sacred journey is that we obtain a holier and higher confidence for our day-to-day lives within our covenants made through Jesus Christ" (Covenant Confidence through Jesus Christ, Soares, 2024).

You can worthly attend the temple if you are sincerely trying to repent and be a better disciple of Jesus Christ. The Lord has promised to manifest himself in mercy to those who attend the temple (D&C 110:7). Being in the temple is vital to your progress. Consider President Nelson's message from the April 2024 conference.

Joseph Smith’s dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple is a tutorial about how the temple spiritually empowers you and me to meet the challenges of life in these last days. I encourage you to study that prayer, recorded in Doctrine and Covenants section 109. That dedicatory prayer, which was received by revelation, teaches that the temple is “a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.”

This list of attributes is much more than a description of a temple. It is a promise about what will happen to those who serve and worship in the house of the Lord. They can expect to receive answers to prayer, personal revelation, greater faith, strength, comfort, increased knowledge, and increased power.

Time in the temple will help you to think celestial and to catch a vision of who you really are, who you can become, and the kind of life you can have forever. Regular temple worship will enhance the way you see yourself and how you fit into God’s magnificent plan. I promise you that.

We are also promised that in the temple we may “receive a fulness of the Holy Ghost.” Imagine what that promise means in terms of having the heavens open for each earnest seeker of eternal truth.

We are instructed that all who worship in the temple will have the power of God and angels having “charge over them.” How much does it increase your confidence to know that, as an endowed woman or man armed with the power of God, you do not have to face life alone? What courage does it give you to know that angels really will help you?

Finally, we are promised that “no combination of wickedness” will prevail over those who worship in the house of the Lord.

Understanding the spiritual privileges made possible in the temple is vital to each of us today.

My dear brothers and sisters, here is my promise. Nothing will help you more to hold fast to the iron rod than worshipping in the temple as regularly as your circumstances permit. Nothing will protect you more as you encounter the world’s mists of darkness. Nothing will bolster your testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement or help you understand God’s magnificent plan more. Nothing will soothe your spirit more during times of pain. Nothing will open the heavens more. Nothing!

The Sacrament

Topics and Questions

On the night before His Crucifixion, Jesus Christ met with His Apostles and instituted the sacrament. After His Resurrection, He instituted the sacrament among the Nephites. Today the sacrament is an ordinance in which Church members partake of bread and water in remembrance of Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice. This ordinance is an essential part of worship and spiritual development. Through this ordinance, Church members renew the covenants they made with God when they were baptized.

When He instituted the sacrament, Jesus Christ said: “This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. … This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” The sacrament provides an opportunity for Church members to ponder and remember with gratitude the life, ministry, and Atonement of the Son of God. The broken bread is a reminder of His body and His physical suffering—especially His suffering on the cross. It is also a reminder that through His mercy and grace, all people will be resurrected and given the opportunity for eternal life with God.

The water is a reminder that the Savior shed His blood in intense spiritual suffering and anguish, beginning in the Garden of Gethsemane and concluding on the cross. In the garden He said, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.” Submitting to the will of the Father, He suffered more than we can comprehend: “Blood [came] from every pore, so great [was] his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.” He suffered for the sins, sorrows, and pains of all people, providing remission of sins for those who repent and live the gospel. Through the shedding of His blood, Jesus Christ saved all people from what the scriptures call the “original guilt” of Adam’s transgression.

Partaking of the sacrament is a witness to God that the remembrance of His Son will extend beyond the short time of that sacred ordinance. Part of this ordinance is a promise to remember Him always and a witness of individual willingness to take upon oneself the name of Jesus Christ and to keep His commandments. In partaking of the sacrament and making these commitments, Church members renew the covenant they made at baptism.

In return, the Lord renews the promised remission of sin and enables Church members to “always have his Spirit to be with them.” The Spirit’s constant companionship is one of the greatest gifts of mortality.

In preparation for the sacrament each week, Church members take time to examine their lives and repent of sins. They do not need to be perfect in order to partake of the sacrament, but they should have a spirit of humility and repentance in their hearts. Every week they strive to prepare for that sacred ordinance with a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

The Opposite of Addiction is Connection

Satan uses pornography to isolate you —from God, the Holy Ghost, and loved ones. The opposite of addiction is not sobriety —it's connection! It's genuine relationships with others especially Jesus Christ. You need a daily relationship with Jesus Christ.

How has pornography distanced you from God and others?

How can you have meaningful daily interactions with Jesus Christ?

Lesson 6 Skill: Develop Christlike Attributes

Chapter 6 of Preach My Gospel, lists ten Christlike Attributes we should seek after:

Faith in Jesus Christ
Hope
Charity and Love
Virtue
Integrity
Knowledge
Patience
Humility
Diligence
Obedience

Acquiring these attributes is a gift from God and is a gradual process. "With a desire to please God, improve one decision at a time. Be patient with yourself. God knows that change and growth take time. He is pleased with your sincere desires and will bless you for every effort you make. As you seek to become more like Christ, your desires, thoughts, and actions will change. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Ghost, your very nature will be refined (Preach My Gospel).

Take Action!

Complete the Weekly Tracker and share it with your coach. Every time you look at pornography complete the Evaluate & Diagnose checklist.
More Jesus Please! The longest time God thinks you can go without renewing your covenants is 7 days and every seven days when you partake of the sacrament you promise that you will always remember Him. Create a specific implementation intention for how you will remember Jesus Christ each day.
Describe your relationship with the savior to your Bishop and accountability partner. Tell them about your implementation intention to remember Jesus.

Skill Development

Complete the Attribute Activity in Preach My Gospel. Select one attribute and create a deliberate practice plan to develop that attribute. Remember that these attributes are gifts from God and you must seek after and ask for them.

Dig Deep

Prove you're serious about changing by studying the following resources this week:

The Living Christ, The Testimony of the Apostles
The Gift of Grace, by Elder Dieter F. Uchdof
His Grace is Sufficient, by Brad Wilcox
The Everlasting Covenant, by President Russell M. Nelson
Stronger and Closer Connection to God through Multiple Covenants, by Elder Dale G. Renlund

Temple Recommend Questions

Do you have a testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and of His role as your Savior and Redeemer?

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