"But these are written..."

"Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written..."(John 20:31). Thomas, one of the Lord's Apostles had a hard time believing that the Lord had come again, I imagine it was because he had not fully understood the words of the Savior before His crucifixion. Upon appearing to the disciples with Thomas in their presence this time, the Lord gave what I feel was a gentle rebuke to Thomas yet a great lesson to us, "blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed". With our celebrations in commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ I hope we ponder upon the words of Christ a little more fully and apply them into our lives a little more often. As I looked at this chapter of scripture what stuck out to me were the words "but these are written", I think of our lives and how many "other signs" we have seen in our lives. A woman on my mission commented on the grim condition of the world today and how many have strayed from the path and do not believe; I think these words could be adapted, "but these/[we] [believe]". Then completing the scripture "... that [they] might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing [they] might have life through his name".

Triclinium

We get to learn some pretty interesting things in my New Testament class. For example, we learned about the last supper and what the setting was probably like. Our teacher explained the very probably set up of the place where Jesus and the apostles dined that night. He talked about the triclinium which is a customary way of placing three couches where those eating would recline during dinner. They were placed in a "U" shape and in the middle of that "U" would be a low square table. It is a little odd for me to think of eating while reclining, although I do enjoy it on the occasion, but it is definitely different than what we are used to in a dinner setting with guests. I think that as we understand the culture and traditions of the time we are able to understand certain teachings better. I have not yet learn any particular significance to know about the triclinum except for the fact that it explains how the beloved disciple was able to lean of Jesus' chest, but I'm sure there may be more to learn from this cultural fact.

No Other Way

"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man commeth unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). This sounds so exclusive but what does it really mean? I'm not saying that this is the all inclusive answer but this is what I feel this means. I have found myself many times wondering, "OK, so I'm in a tough situation, what do I do?". Sometimes I just want to know more or just know what it is that I need to do to be happy and help others be happy. My life experience, short as it may be, has allowed me to see the truth to Jesus', statement, "I am the way, the truth, and the life". To gain more insight I want to site a scripture from the Book of Mormon. This scripture is in 3 Nephi 27:21 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do;". He came down and showed us a perfect example; He showed us the way to true happiness. This is amazing to me! He tells us, this is the way ("I am the way"), it's like having the answers to a test-- that would be nice especially now during finals:). But why so exclusive? It makes sense to me that there is no other way but it may not be so clear to others. I'm not sure I can explain myself clearly but I will do my best. The plan is simple, not ambiguous, nor confusing; there's not many ways but just one and we are told what it is. Every single person to live on this earth will know; it is a God given promise to us. Each one of us will have the opportunity to accept Christ and His true gospel; no one can choose for us, we must make that decision for ourselves. What about our exemplary friends who live great lives but do not believe in Christ? Each and every single one of us will be given the opportunity to accept this plan, created since before the earth came to be. In us is the ability to discern truth; within our hearts we know when something is right or when something is wrong. Our Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to return to Him and thus it is clearly given to us "no man commeth unto the Father but by me". We must follow Him, do the things that we have seen Him do, keep the commandments which He has given us and if we so do He tells us "blessed are ye, for ye shall be lifted up at the last day" 3 Nephi 27:22). As we follow Him in this life we will see the "fruits" of our actions. We will find peace in our lives, guidance, and a clearer understanding of life and who we are. I am grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and I am happy for this season in which we celebrate His birth.