Day 96 | I Am Jesus Christ

January 1, 2015 - WEEK FOURTEEN

Minerva Kohlhepp Teichert, The Sacrament, BYU Museum of Art, Not for commercial use.

DAILY READING

CONSIDER AS YOU READ

What does Christ ask us to bring to the altar?
How is the fact that people approached Christ one at a time significant?
What is it about contention that separates us from Christ?

SUPPLEMENTAL READING

The image of the hen calling after her chickens to come to the shelter and safety of her wings portrays the love of the Savior, his desire to nourish his children, to keep them safe from their common enemy, Satan, to shelter them from the storms of life, to give them the opportunity to grow and fulfill the promise of their nature.
The image suggests other ideas as well. The chickens have strayed away from the hen. They have been lured from safety by their desire for adventure or rebellion, out into the tempting world where danger lurks beside every step. The hen calls to her chickens, but they must come of their own volition. They are not forced under her wings; they are invited, even urged, but they must exercise their own agency. In using this metaphor, the Lord designates his call to those of the fallen cities, who are descendants of Jacob, and to those of the house of Israel, who live at Jerusalem, establishing the right of the Savior to issue the call to repentance—they are his people who owe him obedience. And his use of the three verbs: “how oft have I gathered you; … how oft would I have gathered you; … how oft will I gather you” (3 Nephi 10:4–6) emphasizes his timeless call to repentance—past, present, and future. The Savior’s love is always there. His arms are always extended in mercy as long as there is any hope for his children to return to him. The true nature of repentance is not a test, not an indulgence, but a gift of love. It is one that we must take—it cannot be forced upon us (Mae Blanch, “Repentance: the Gift of Love,” in Book of Mormon: 3 Nephi 9–30, This Is My Gospel, ed. Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate, Jr., Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1993, 79).
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ADDITIONAL MEDIA

My Joy Is Full

FOR YOUNGER DISCIPLES

The Signs of Christ’s
Crucifixion

QUESTIONS FOR YOUNGER DISCIPLES

Why did darkness cover the land?
What did Jesus tell the people they needed to do to live in the light?