I Stand All Amazed: An Apostle In Our Midst

“I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me…. Oh it is wonderful that He should care for me, enough to die for me”.

This is the central point of the hymn our choir sang during Stake Conference this morning. Sally Deford’s arrangement of “I Stand All Amazed” is definitely moving. If you listen to it, you can’t help but exclaim, “wonderful”, “amazing”.

Having the hymn rendered by a youth choir is even more significant.

It wasn’t an easy task to help these young men and women learn their parts in the choir. It took 8 weeks (Sundays) to have them fully internalize the hymn. It wasn’t a perfect rendition, but the spirit of the hymn made up for the lack. These were young people ages 13-17. During practice one can say that these kids aren’t too interested in singing, that they’re too indolent & would rather do something else. Most of the time, they’d talk and talk & not focused on what they came for. Ate Neng, our choir directress, had some grueling moments with them along the way.

I was privileged to accompany the choir in the piano. During the week, we were worried as to how the choir would turn out. The last practice was last Sunday and that meant a full week of no follow-up practice. However, when the time came to perform, the choir sounded great! There’s a part in the music where the choir sings a capella. I usually play the notes in the piano during practice so the choir wouldn’t lose their bearing. At times when I don’t play their parts, they’d get lost. This morning I was thinking of playing their parts when they sing a capella just so their tunes are guided. I also thought of just playing their first notes. I didn’t. They sang exceptionally well in the first part of the song that I trusted they’d be able to make it throughout, even through the part when they sing a capella. That was an incredible moment! The a capella part was the most moving moment of the song:

“I think of His hands, pierced and bleeding to pay the debt. Such mercy, such love, and devotion can I forget? No, No, I will praise and adore at His mercy seat. Until at the glorified throne I kneel at His feet”.

When you hear these words sang & expressed by these young men and women, ages 13-17, with such emotion & conviction, you’d forget about how uninterested & unruly they were during practice. You can say that they love the Savior, after all; that they KNOW what & Who they’re singing about—that they’re actually communicating their testimonies by their singing about Christ’s atonement.

This brings me to relating a truly wonderful spiritual experience this weekend.

I learned much about the Atonement of the Savior, among other things. This is one subject I want to focus on because it brought so much light to my understanding. What’s more remarkable about it is that it was taught by an apostle of the Lord.

The last time I saw an apostle, in person, was in 1996. 6 months before I left for my mission, Gordon B. Hinckley, who was then the President of the Church, The Prophet, visited the country and held a special conference in Manila.

Now that an opportunity to be in the presence of another apostle has come, I wouldn’t let it pass. In fact, this is a very special situation because I, together with the other members of the Stake, will have the occasion to be in the presence of Elder David Bednar up close and personal at Stake Conference. Such intimate setting to be with an Apostle of the Lord is rare. We are blessed in the Stake to have an apostle preside over our conference.

What I enjoyed the most this weekend is the abundance of the influence of the Spirit. One wouldn’t miss it around a special witness of Christ.

I learned from an Apostle today, about the 2 elements of the Atonement of Christ. The first element is common knowledge: The atonement brought about cleansing from sin. The second, however, can only be pointed out & explicitly explained by a true servant of the Lord. It is the strengthening & enabling power of the Atonement.

Christ paid the price for our sins. Because of who he was and how he lived, he became the perfect offering for sin. The truth of the matter is, he did not only pay for our sins, he also suffered our afflictions.

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.
(Book of Mormon, Alma 7)

This is comforting knowledge, unequivocally explained by Alma, a Book of Mormon prophet.

As we obey, strive to be good, and become better, we increase our faith in Christ and make use of His atoning sacrifice to strengthen us. The Lord knows perfectly how to strengthen us because He knows what we’re going through & because he experienced our pains and infirmities. But what does strengthening means?

Elder Bednar made use of Nephi’s suffering from his brothers Laman & Lemuel as an example.

16 And it came to pass that when I, Nephi, had spoken these words unto my brethren, they were angry with me. And it came to pass that they did lay their hands upon me, for behold, they were exceedingly wroth, and they did bind me with cords, for they sought to take away my life, that they might leave me in the wilderness to be devoured by wild beasts.
17 But it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound. (Book of Mormon, 1st Nephi 7)

Most often than not, we have the habit of asking the Lord to get us out of a difficult situation, or trouble. Sometimes He does, but most of the time he operates by not taking the trouble or difficult situation away, rather He gives us the wisdom and strength to overcome, according to our faith.

In the example above, Nephi understood the atonement of Christ can make him stronger. He knows that in order for the Lord to deliver him “from the hands of his brethren”, he had to do his part, but with the help of the Lord. Thus his plea—“O Lord, according to my faith [which is] in thee…. give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound”.

18 And it came to pass that when I had said these words, behold, the bands were loosed from off my hands and feet…

Elder Bednar emphasized that the bands weren’t taken off or loosened just like magic. Nephi had to do his part—he had to struggle & work according to his strength & the extra strength that came from the Lord before the bands were loosened.

In Mosiah 24 we find Amulon persecuting Alma and his people. The suffering became so hard that they “poured out their hearts” unto the Lord. This is His response:

13 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.

Notice how covenants come in, in the process of the how the Lord delivers his people from bondage, suffering, pain, etc. A covenant is a promise from the Lord that He will do His part as we do ours. He made the terms and conditions of that covenant, not us. This is why keeping our covenants is very important if we ever need the help of the Lord.

14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

How did the Lord ease the burdens of the people?

15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

If one becomes stronger, the burden is still there, but has only become light.

Understanding the atonement of Christ not only gives us hope & knowledge of repentance and forgiveness. It also brings about strength to overcome.

It was amazing how Elder Bednar linked this magnificent lesson of the Atonement to President Montera’s (Stake President) message. He said that if we LISTEN, UNDERSTAND, & OBEY, our lives will change, to a better life, more than we can imagine.

What a timely message it is from an apostle of God, in this most difficult moment in our lives. His coming is a manifestation of God’s love. It shows that our Heavenly Father is mindful of His children, that He sent one of His apostles to raise a warning & teach a lesson about being strengthened in the midst of adversity.

I learned again that this life isn’t about the pursuit of worldly success; it isn’t about doing what I want to do. All around me is the threat of temptation, the voice of peers, the cunnings of the Devil—all these can mislead and confuse me, & can eventually take me off from my purpose & mess up my sense of direction.

One other substantial lesson I learned this weekend is about the Gift of the Holy Ghost. This is different from the power of the Holy Ghost. The power or influence of the Holy Ghost can be available to all people, regardless of religion. The Gift of the Holy Ghost, on the other hand, is only given to those who are baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ. Once this gift is bestowed, one is entitled to the constant companionship of this 3rd member of the Godhead. What a reassuring thing this is, to have the 3rd member of the Godhead be a constant companion. This would mean in every second of every minute of every hour of every day, one can receive guidance from the Holy Ghost. However, this can be only true to one who keeps his baptismal covenant, puts off the natural man & become a saint through the atonement of Christ. As one uses his agency to listen, understand, & obey, he can attain happiness in this world, that kind of happiness that lingers in the eternities.

Elder Bednar said that the sole purpose of the church is that through the atonement of Christ, families can live faithfully & inherit eternities together. All roads lead to the temple. It is the capstone of all the things we do in the church. When a couple understands & put into effect the atonement in their lives, they can kneel across each other in the temple and be married for time and for all eternity. Covenants dominate the lives of families & individuals borne out of the temple. By keeping these covenants & by living worthily, there comes a protecting power.

Elder Bednar reminded us of the temple that’s being constructed here in Cebu. He admonished us to attend regularly & keep our covenants & live worthily so as the protecting power of the Temple can keep us away from harm & from the fiery darts of the adversary.

My weekend was a singular experience. It was spiritual in nature because I got to see and be with an apostle of the Lord & fed by the words of Christ. It was reassuring to hear this apostle bear his testimony as a special witness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me. Secure in the promise of life in His victory. Thus, ransomed from death I will live to my Savior’s praise and sing of his goodness and mercy through endless days. Oh it is wonderful that He should care for me, enough to die for me. Oh it is wonderful, wonderful to me”. (“I Stand All Amazed”, verse by Sally Deford, original words & music by Charles H. Gabriel)