Children Of The Covenant - Week 23

One of the neatest experiences this week happened through a Service Member Group Leader I helped to get established in Jordan. He had an investigator in his unit who was interested in the Gospel. I helped coordinate with him and Military Relations at Church Headquarters, as well as the local priesthood leaders to teach, interview, and eventually baptize this young man. And because they were in Jordan, they had the opportunity to perform that sacred ordinance in the Jordan River at the site known locally as the site where Jesus himself was baptized by John. What a sacred experience!

I spoke in Church today about “Love” since tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. I spoke about the many meanings of the word “love” in the Greek language, how important it is to foster different kinds of love for friends, loved ones, our country, ourselves, and our God. I reviewed the evidence of God’s love for us. I also spoke on the obstacles to this great commandment of love: pride, selfishness, anger/hate, pain/hurt, fear, and shame. When these feelings permeate within us, love can be difficult to attain. I shared how repentance and forgiveness, with the help of God through prayer and the power of the Atonement of Christ, can help us overcome these obstacles so that love can fill our hearts.

As I have been learning more this week about the Covenant God made with Abraham and continues to extend to those faithful in these latter days, I continue to be awed by the love God has for each of us. Abraham made some mistakes of his own. He was not perfect, and he went through many trials. But God remembered him and his posterity despite all of that, and because Abraham continued to submit himself to God. The fact is God chose Abraham, and Abraham continued to choose God despite all his challenges and setbacks. God’s love reaches through generations, and He remembers those who make sacrifices to choose Him.

I am grateful to be a child of the covenant, to make those covenants myself with God, to see the blessings that God has poured upon me and my family for our sacrifices to Him, to feel His ever-present love despite my weaknesses, and to share those blessings with others in any way I can throughout the world.
 
In His Service,
Chaplain John Critchfield