Rejoice in Christ

2 Nephi 4:30

Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation.

Rejoice in Christ. Joy, peace, and happiness are found in Christ. He is our God and the Rock of our Salvation. The more we praise and sing to Him, the more rejoicing we experience. Moments while in the presence of Jesus Christ are delightful, times of gladness for He is the source of true happiness. We can succeed each day if we turn to Christ and rejoice in Him.

Each day can be a jubilation if we cry unto Him and then go about obeying God’s  commandments with exactness. Joy can come in the morning, noon, and at night as we rejoice in Christ. Praise God with all your heart, might, mind, and soul. Immerse yourself in His love and peace.

Serving others opens the door for knowledge and acceptance. “While serving others, we find Christ” (Harold Clyde).

Obeying God + serving others = Rejoicing in Christ

Knowledge of a Savior

Doctrine and Covenants 3:16

Nevertheless, my work shall go forth, for inasmuch as the knowledge of a Savior has come unto the world, through the testimony of the Jews, even so shall the knowledge of a Savior come unto my people—

Knowledge. A knowledge of Jesus Christ, our Savior, comes through studying and by the power of the Holy Ghost. As people testify of Christ, the Holy Ghost can bear witness to individuals that Jesus is the Christ, the living Son of the living God. To know Him is to love Him. “While we are serving others, we find Christ.” (Harold Clyde). We should seek His face.  “Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am” (See D&C 93:1).

Seek Him and we shall find Him.

Jesus Christ: Taking His Name upon Ourselves

2 Nephi 31:13

If ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.

We take upon ourselves the name of Christ by baptism, by being baptized by a legal administrator with proper authority and under the auspices of ecclesiastical direction, witness and approval. “And no man taketh this honor unto himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron” (See Hebrews 5:4). When we take upon ourselves the name of Christ, who is our Lord and Savior, we are promising to strive to live as He lived, as perfect as possible. We need to seek a higher standard of living every day and every hour, to raise the bar of performance.

Self-Evaluation

1. Do you put God first in all that you do?
2. What is your current standard of living?
3. What are your current needs?
4. How can you improve?
5. What commandment are you having the most difficulty living?
6. What is the quality of your prayers?
7. What is the extent of your praise and gratitude to God?
8. What are you doing to build the Lord’s kingdom on earth? Do you magnify your callings?
9. How are you using your talents?
10. Can you, with perfect honesty, acknowledge God’s hand in all things?
11. Do you serve others selflessly? “When we serve others, we find Christ” (Harold Clyde)

The gospel of Jesus Christ is a balm, like the balm of Gilead. Look to God and live, even the abundant life.