I am humbled by the opportunity I have to speak to all of you this Easter Sunday – I couldn’t ask for a better day or a better group of people to give my mission farewell.
In the Spring 2010 General Conference, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf related the following story –
“A story is told that during the bombing of a city in World War II, a large statue of Jesus Christ was severely damaged. When the townspeople found the statue among the rubble, they mourned because it had been a beloved symbol of their faith and of God’s presence in their lives.
Experts were able to repair most of the statue, but its hands had been damaged so severely that they could not be restored. Some suggested that they hire a sculptor to make new hands, but others wanted to leave it as it was—a permanent reminder of the tragedy of war. Ultimately, the statue remained without hands. However, the people of the city added on the base of the statue of Jesus Christ a sign with these words: “You are my hands.”
Ever since I heard this story, I have marveled at its divine implications. We have been entrusted with an incredible gift and responsibility. Like those from Galilee, (HOLD UP HANDS) these hands are the hands of the Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of all men. Your hands and mine can be and are the hands of the Christ.
But what does it mean to be the Lord’s hands?
I believe that if we are to be his hands in mortality upon the earth today, we must look to what the Lord himself did with his hands during his mortal ministry.
His hands healed the sick. In Mark 8, we read of one such instance –
22 - And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.
23 - And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and [he] … put his hands upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.
I love how this story underscores the love of the Savior each of God’s children individually. When this blind man – this beloved yet anguished son of our Heavenly Father – was brought to him, Christ led him by the hand away from the hustle and bustle of the town that were surely there during the day. Then, through divine power and authority, Christ laid his holy hands upon this poor man’s eyes and restored his sight.
In Matthew 8, we read again of Christ healing the sick. Being followed by a great multitude after his Sermon on the Mount, Christ was approached by a leper, saying,
“Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”
Leprosy, a terrible and contagious disease of the skin, provided a cause in biblical times to shun the infected person. Because leprosy can be transmitted through touch, those with the disease were traditionally banished from their family, friends, and neighbors. But Christ, our savior, looked beyond his outward appearance, beyond the disease, and into his heart. Our elder brother reached out his hand, not caring about what the world would think, and touched him, saying “be thou clean.”
If we are to be the hands of Christ, we too must reach out our hands. Through our actions of demonstrated faith in his name, we can lift the heads and hands which hang down.
Christ’s hands blessed little children. In Mark 10:13-16, we read:
And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
Christ recognized that children are perhaps closer than any of us to heaven. The poet William Wordsworth articulated this sentiment in his poem Ode to Intimations of Immortality when he wrote:
“Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:
The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar:
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home:
Heaven lies about us in our infancy!”
Let us learn from the savior’s example and learn to more fully serve little children. While many times their company brings immense joy, I admit that at times their presence can emphasize the “suffer” in “suffer the little children to come unto me.” But let us, like Christ, forbid them not. This week, I will have the opportunity to travel to the east coast to see my little 5-month-old nephew, Landon (and his parents too). I cherish every moment I have with him. What an experience it is to hold a little child, to feel heaven radiating from his tiny, innocent little hands!
Spend some time with the little ones in your life, be it your children, siblings, nephews, nieces, or grandchildren. Our hands can bless their lives, and our own, through something as simple as a hug.
Christ’s hands lifted the faithless. In Matthew 14, we read of Christ’s interaction with Peter on the water:
“25 And … Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
Like Peter, I believe that all the people of the world feel at times like their faith is sinking. We may take notice the boisterous winds around us and feel as though life is just too difficult to bear. Any significant trial, such as the death of a loved one, can cause us to question our faith and recognition of the divine. If we are to be the hands of Christ, we must be there for those who are sinking with our hand outstretched. It is our duty and responsibility to be there for those who may be emotionally or spiritually drowning.
Christ’s hands fed 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fishes. Christ’s hands comforted Martha in her grieving and called forth Lazarus from the dead. Christ’s hands reached down to gently and tenderly wash the feet of the apostles.
Christ’s hands were doing good his entire life. Our modern day prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, articulated the value of our Lord’s divine hands in 1991 when he wrote,
“With the finger of his hand there was written in the sand that message which the winds did erase but which honest hearts did retain. The hand of the carpenter. The hand of the teacher. The hand of the Christ.”
Yet this Easter morning, I am solemn in recalling what was done to his hands on my behalf. His hands, which had done nothing but good his entire life, were gripped in pain in Gethsemane as he suffered for the wrongdoings of the hands of all mankind. Into those tender hands was thrust a scepter of derision as the King of Kings was mocked and ridiculed by the hands of men. Then, after bearing his cross to Golgotha, those hands – those holy, faultless hands – were nailed to the cross, sealing his supernal act of sacrifice and love.
For three days, his hands lay still in the Garden Tomb.
But on the morning of the third day, 1,978 years ago, I testify that those hands rose again! Those hands, which lay still for 3 days, again received their divine strength and conquered death itself!
The late apostle James E. Faust captured the wonder of that glorious day in the lyrics to the hymn, “This is the Christ.”
“They heard His voice, a voice so mild;
23 - And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and [he] … put his hands upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.
I love how this story underscores the love of the Savior each of God’s children individually. When this blind man – this beloved yet anguished son of our Heavenly Father – was brought to him, Christ led him by the hand away from the hustle and bustle of the town that were surely there during the day. Then, through divine power and authority, Christ laid his holy hands upon this poor man’s eyes and restored his sight.
In Matthew 8, we read again of Christ healing the sick. Being followed by a great multitude after his Sermon on the Mount, Christ was approached by a leper, saying,
“Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”
Leprosy, a terrible and contagious disease of the skin, provided a cause in biblical times to shun the infected person. Because leprosy can be transmitted through touch, those with the disease were traditionally banished from their family, friends, and neighbors. But Christ, our savior, looked beyond his outward appearance, beyond the disease, and into his heart. Our elder brother reached out his hand, not caring about what the world would think, and touched him, saying “be thou clean.”
If we are to be the hands of Christ, we too must reach out our hands. Through our actions of demonstrated faith in his name, we can lift the heads and hands which hang down.
Christ’s hands blessed little children. In Mark 10:13-16, we read:
And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
Christ recognized that children are perhaps closer than any of us to heaven. The poet William Wordsworth articulated this sentiment in his poem Ode to Intimations of Immortality when he wrote:
“Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:
The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar:
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home:
Heaven lies about us in our infancy!”
Let us learn from the savior’s example and learn to more fully serve little children. While many times their company brings immense joy, I admit that at times their presence can emphasize the “suffer” in “suffer the little children to come unto me.” But let us, like Christ, forbid them not. This week, I will have the opportunity to travel to the east coast to see my little 5-month-old nephew, Landon (and his parents too). I cherish every moment I have with him. What an experience it is to hold a little child, to feel heaven radiating from his tiny, innocent little hands!
Spend some time with the little ones in your life, be it your children, siblings, nephews, nieces, or grandchildren. Our hands can bless their lives, and our own, through something as simple as a hug.
Christ’s hands lifted the faithless. In Matthew 14, we read of Christ’s interaction with Peter on the water:
“25 And … Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
Like Peter, I believe that all the people of the world feel at times like their faith is sinking. We may take notice the boisterous winds around us and feel as though life is just too difficult to bear. Any significant trial, such as the death of a loved one, can cause us to question our faith and recognition of the divine. If we are to be the hands of Christ, we must be there for those who are sinking with our hand outstretched. It is our duty and responsibility to be there for those who may be emotionally or spiritually drowning.
Christ’s hands fed 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fishes. Christ’s hands comforted Martha in her grieving and called forth Lazarus from the dead. Christ’s hands reached down to gently and tenderly wash the feet of the apostles.
Christ’s hands were doing good his entire life. Our modern day prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, articulated the value of our Lord’s divine hands in 1991 when he wrote,
“With the finger of his hand there was written in the sand that message which the winds did erase but which honest hearts did retain. The hand of the carpenter. The hand of the teacher. The hand of the Christ.”
Yet this Easter morning, I am solemn in recalling what was done to his hands on my behalf. His hands, which had done nothing but good his entire life, were gripped in pain in Gethsemane as he suffered for the wrongdoings of the hands of all mankind. Into those tender hands was thrust a scepter of derision as the King of Kings was mocked and ridiculed by the hands of men. Then, after bearing his cross to Golgotha, those hands – those holy, faultless hands – were nailed to the cross, sealing his supernal act of sacrifice and love.
For three days, his hands lay still in the Garden Tomb.
But on the morning of the third day, 1,978 years ago, I testify that those hands rose again! Those hands, which lay still for 3 days, again received their divine strength and conquered death itself!
The late apostle James E. Faust captured the wonder of that glorious day in the lyrics to the hymn, “This is the Christ.”
“They heard His voice, a voice so mild;
It pierced them through and made their souls to quake;
They saw Him come, a man in white,
They saw Him come, a man in white,
The Savior who had suffered for their sake.
They felt the wounds in hands and side,
And each could testify; This is the Christ;
I read His words, the words He prayed
While bearing sorrow in Gethsemane;
I feel His love, the price He paid.
How many drops of blood were spilled for me?
With saints of old in joyful cry
I too can testify; This is the Christ;
This is the Christ, the holy Son of God,
Our Savior, Lord, Redeemer of mankind.
This is the Christ, the healer of our souls
Who ransomed us with love divine!”
And so do I testify that Jesus Christ, the son of God, truly came to this earth to redeem us all. Even as he showed himself to the apostles at Jerusalem, so did he come to the people on the American continent. And when he showed himself unto the people, each of them felt the prints of the nails in his heavenly hands and spoke in awe, “This is the Christ!”
I testify that Christ will come again! One day, the Lord and creator of Heaven and earth will return to the work of his hands – and when he does, every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess the divine truth – “This is the Christ!”
But until that day, that glorious day, each of us must use our hands in a way so that those who see the works of our hands can recognize the hands of the Savior and say (HOLD UP HANDS) “This is the Christ.”
It is my hope and prayer that the people of the Czech Republic will see in my hands the hands of the Savior. I pray that in 2 years my hands will be a little more rough and worn than they are now – for I intend to use them. My hands will knock on the doors of concrete communist apartments; they will clasp in earnest prayer as I plead to be led to those ready to listen; and, God willing, perhaps they will be instruments in bringing others to my Redeemer – to our redeemer – Jesus Christ.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
They felt the wounds in hands and side,
And each could testify; This is the Christ;
I read His words, the words He prayed
While bearing sorrow in Gethsemane;
I feel His love, the price He paid.
How many drops of blood were spilled for me?
With saints of old in joyful cry
I too can testify; This is the Christ;
This is the Christ, the holy Son of God,
Our Savior, Lord, Redeemer of mankind.
This is the Christ, the healer of our souls
Who ransomed us with love divine!”
And so do I testify that Jesus Christ, the son of God, truly came to this earth to redeem us all. Even as he showed himself to the apostles at Jerusalem, so did he come to the people on the American continent. And when he showed himself unto the people, each of them felt the prints of the nails in his heavenly hands and spoke in awe, “This is the Christ!”
I testify that Christ will come again! One day, the Lord and creator of Heaven and earth will return to the work of his hands – and when he does, every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess the divine truth – “This is the Christ!”
But until that day, that glorious day, each of us must use our hands in a way so that those who see the works of our hands can recognize the hands of the Savior and say (HOLD UP HANDS) “This is the Christ.”
It is my hope and prayer that the people of the Czech Republic will see in my hands the hands of the Savior. I pray that in 2 years my hands will be a little more rough and worn than they are now – for I intend to use them. My hands will knock on the doors of concrete communist apartments; they will clasp in earnest prayer as I plead to be led to those ready to listen; and, God willing, perhaps they will be instruments in bringing others to my Redeemer – to our redeemer – Jesus Christ.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
You always write the best talks.
ReplyDeleteand lessons.
basically the best at everything.