CHINA TORI

The Savior’s first recorded miracle was at the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. We recall that when the wedding hosts ran out of wine, his concerned mother, Mary came to him. She spoke to him briefly and turned to the servants and said, “Whatever he saith unto you, do it.”

We usually remember the event above because of the transforming of water into wine as a demonstration of the power of God. What we do not remember, however, is the absolute faith exercised by Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. How many mothers today can try to salvage a situation based on their knowledge of their children’s capabilities and based on the trust they have in them.

The Bible records in John 2 that when Mary spoke to her son, there was an agreement between them. Then she went ahead to dish instructions to the servants based on that confidence. She knew of her son’s ability to solve problems and when she spoke, it was without doubts.

Also, when Mary – a young virgin – had her first encounter with the angel Gabriel, all she needed was an assurance that “with God, nothing is impossible.” So Mary humbly committed herself to the idea (or prophecy) of conceiving and birthing the savior of the world without demanding to know the specifics. She committed herself without asking why or how. She had great faith in God and we all know how that turned out for her.

When we talk about faith, we refer to the great confidence we have in someone and usually this confidence stems from our knowledge of what they are capable of.

The faith we have in our Heavenly Father and in his son, Jesus Christ grows even as our knowledge of them grows. We know who they are and what they can do, so we do not ask questions or allow doubts take root in our hearts whenever they speak to us or give us instructions. We believe and we act, and we act because it is not enough to believe. The mother of the savior, Jesus Christ, did more than believe in the divine power of her son. She acted upon it.

Some of us are very quick to point out that there is no relationship between studying the scriptures, paying our honest tithe or praying in behalf of other people and the issues we face on a daily basis. Issues such as how to establish a happy marriage; struggles between balancing work, family and church duties, challenges with keeping the Word of Wisdom, unemployment, pornography, financial stability or raising our children.

We conclude that we are required to do big things to expect big miracles and changes. Here’s what Elder L Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy counsels. “We can deal with our everyday issues by our small and simple acts of faith – whether they be in marriage, work… When we decide to do whatsoever God commands us, we align our behavior with his will.

Lastly, lets us consider repenting whenever we sin, putting our trust in God and showing gratitude always. Being grateful no matter the circumstances is an act of faith in God. It requires that we trust God and hope for things we may not see but which are true. By being grateful, we follow the example of our beloved savior who said, “Not my will, but thine be done.”

True gratitude is an expression of hope and testimony. It comes from acknowledging that we do not always understand the trials of life but trust that one day we will. Our sense of gratitude is nourished by the many sacred truths we know.

May we learn to serve one another, pay our honest tithe, study the scriptures regularly and magnify our callings. I know that…

24/11/2018