Since today was the last day that I was preparing for Sunday’s lesson on being offended, I decided that I should go back to the main point of Elder Bednar’s talk. He specifically addressed it to members who had fallen away or would fallen away due to offense. I couldn’t find ‘inactive’ in the Topical Guide, but there were a lot of scriptures under ‘apostasy of individuals’ that seemed relevant.
I think the best section that I found came from Matthew 13. Christ presents the well-known parable of the seeds, and in verses 20 & 21, he addresses the seeds which fall on rocky ground. I thought it was interesting that the word was received by those this parable applied to “with joy”. Similarly, many of the members who come into the church and later leave receive the gospel news with joy and gladness. However, the people Christ speaks of are offended by trials or persecution, and leave the church. Similarly, we have many who are offended because of comments made or attention not given. The seed has not rooted deeply in their hearts. The young sprout of faith cannot push through the hard, difficult coating around their heart.
As we draw closer to the Savior and strive to emulate Him, our hearts become softer. Our ability to forgive increases. Our testimonies grow stronger. Our faith increases.
The scriptures referenced in the Topical Guide frequently reference the fact that those who receive light, truth, and knowledge and then turn away from it will find themselves in a worse state than those who remained ignorant. I don’t think this means that God will come down with a paddle and spank you for not listening to Him. Instead, you deny yourselves blessings in all aspects of your life. You deny yourself the companionship of the Holy Ghost, whose constant presence you are entitled to after you are confirmed. You draw away from Christ by virtue of the fact that you are not drawing closer to Him.
Similarly, when we deny the power of the Savior, we are in essence proclaiming that we do not need the redemption and atonement in our lives. We are putting our trust in the arm of the flesh – ours or the worlds’ – and not in Heavenly Father. We declare that we do need to be obedient to all of the precepts and commandments that He has given us.
Instead of trusting in ourselves or our own feelings, we need to rely on Heavenly Father. When someone offends or upsets us – and it will happen to most of the faithful – we can make the choice to forget and continue to obey. We can choose not deny ourselves the blessings that someone else won’t notice we are forfeiting. We can trust in our Savior and know that, no matter what, His love will sustain, uplift, and engulf us.
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