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Sunday, September 08, 2013

Spiritual Sunday: Giving away our burdens.



 Spiritual Sunday today is about being comforted. During summer seminary I had a lesson about Ammon, King Lamoni, and King Lamoni's father. The thing I love about this story is the subtle change in what King Lamoni's father finds important. In Alma 20:23, the king offers up to half of his kingdom to Ammon in exchange for his life. Then as he feels the spirit and desires to learn the gospel he offers to Aaron, Ammon's brother, all of his kingdom to receive the joy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. What does any of this have to do with being comforted? Hold on. 

         My favorite part of this whole idea of what the king will come up comes in Alma 22:18
"If thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee," Sometimes this is the hardest thing for us to give away. The great thing about King Lamoni's father was all he was willing to give away, so what are we willing to give away to know the Lord?

         May I make a suggestion? Maybe one of the most important things to give away are our burdens, our afflictions and our trials. "Come cast thy burden on the Lord and bear a song away." I get it, life is hard. Life is really really hard. There is so much that gets in our way, so much that tears us down. There is insecurity and doubt and pain. So may we, more often, turn to the Lord with our burdens and give them to Him. 

     "Let your hearts be comforted... Be still and know that I am God."

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