And They Sought to See Jesus Who He Was
And They Sought to See Jesus Who He Was
James W. McConkie III
Takeaways:
When Elder McConkie was called as a mission president, he and his family and his missionaries acted on President Wirthlin's counsel to spend time with Jesus. They read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John from the New Testament and 3 Nephi from the Book of Mormon. Doing so "changed everything":
"We gained a deeper appreciation for who He was and what was important to Him. Together we considered how He taught, what He taught, the ways He showed love, what He did to bless and serve, His miracles, how He responded to betrayal, what He did with difficult human emotions, His titles and names, how He listened, how He resolved conflict, the world He lived in, His parables, how He encouraged unity and kindness, His capacity to forgive and to heal, His sermons, His prayers, His atoning sacrifice, His Resurrection, His gospel."
They "sought to see Jesus, who He was," not who they thought He was or who they wanted Him to be.
Elder McConkie shared the story in Mark 2, where Jesus was teaching in a house and a paralyzed man was lowered into the house through the ceiling.
This story teaches us several truths about Christ: 1) we can confidently help others come to Christ, knowing Christ can lift their burdens and forgive them; 2) we can confidently bring physical, emotional, or other illnesses to Christ knowing he can heal and comfort; and 3) we can be confident that when we bring others to Christ, He sees and honors our true intentions.
The friends of the paralyzed men are worth emulating in our own relationships and callings. They were "bold, adaptive, resilient, creative, versatile, hopeful, determined, faithful, optimistic, humble, and enduring." They show the importance of community and fellowship. They each carried a corner of their paralyzed friend's bed. We each have a corner to carry and sometimes we are the ones that are carried. We need each other to help us come to Christ. If we will carry our corner, the Lord will bless us all.
Quote: "At different times I have carried the corner of a bed, and at other times I have been the one carried. . . . we need each other, as brothers and sisters, in order to come unto Christ and be transformed." - James W. McConkie III
Questions to Ponder:
What "corners" do you have to carry in your life? When have you been carried?
How does helping others help you, personally, come unto Christ? How does accepting help from others do so?
How can you spend more time with Christ?
Further Study:
Mark 2:1-12; Joseph B. Wirthlin, “The Great Commandment,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2007, 30.