He Restoreth My Soul...

 When Mom and I were in Paris we had the opportunity to visit a 770 year old cathedral called Sainte-Chapelle, that has recently been restored. The combined effects of centuries of grime, candle soot, pollution and weather on the windows had been painstakingly cleaned and repaired. These photos show a little bit of the beauty and prompted my thoughts as I prepared a talk for church about developing a personal relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ. I am sharing my notes from that talk here...

The outside of the building is a dull grey stone, but when I walked up the stairs and entered the chapel it took my breath away as my eyes filled with tears. 

Inside this dazzling space the lower level of the walls were hand painted with beautifully intricate designs and the main expanse of the walls extending to the soaring ceiling were brilliant stained glass panels sharing stories from the Bible and of the life of our Savior. The craftsmanship and artistry of those stained glass panels, as the sun shone through the newly restored windows filling the room with light, was breathtakingly beautiful. 

As I pondered on the work, care and effort that was required to restore the glass to allow the light to shine through, the words of the 23rd Psalm came to my mind…

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: 

I know the restoration of our souls is possible, because I have witnessed it in my own life through loving guidance, gentle correction, tender mercies and illuminating experiences in my darkest days. 

However, this cleansing and healing process that allows us to be filled with light is a shared restoration project with our Savior that we must choose to participate in… 

Samuel the Lamanite taught us: He hath given unto you that ye might know good from evil, and he hath given unto you that ye might choose life or death; and ye can do good and be restored unto that which is good, or have that which is good restored unto you; or ye can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you. Helaman 14:31



The gift of agency makes this possible and yet it is part of this human experience that we don’t always make the best choices, we often make mistakes and mess things up but Nephi asks us: 

Behold, doth he cry unto any, saying: Depart from me? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; but he saith: Come unto me all ye ends of the earth, buy milk and honey, without money and without price. Behold, hath he commanded any that they should depart out of the synagogues, or out of the houses of worship? Behold, I say unto you, Nay. Hath he commanded any that they should not partake of his salvation? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but he hath given it free for all men; and he hath commanded his people that they should persuade all men to repentance. 2 Nephi 26:25 - 27

Sometimes this process of repentance, of cleaning off the grime and pollution of our actions, choices and attitudes from our souls, can feel overwhelming. We may feel alone, surrounded by darkness and wondering if we have been forsaken by our Heavenly Father. Jesus knows that pain and that burden because he experienced it when he took upon himself our sins and transgressions in the Garden of Gethsemane and upon the cross of Calvary. 

Which makes his message personal and his intention towards us clear as our Savior urges everyone to: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

and he reminds us…

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. - Revelation 3:20

 

So how do we learn to hear his voice? How do we open the door? He invites us to: 

Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me. D&C 19:23

As we learn of him and practice following him He also promises us

• comfort
• hope
• forgiveness
• the good of the land
• a heart of flesh
• whatsoever is right
• wisdom
• light
• power
• strength

and He encourages us as he invites us to: 

Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Doctrine and Covenants 88:63

He wants us to seek his companionship, study his words in the scriptures and as Alma taught his son Helaman: Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good...Alma 37:37

when we feel trapped, overwhelmed or burdened he reminds us: And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions. Mosiah 24:14-15,21

I have felt my burdens eased as I have relied on him in times of deep sorrow and hurt and looking back I can recognize the many ways that he has strengthened me when I felt alone. I know he will do the same for each of us as we turn to him. 

for he invites everyone to: Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?  2 Nephi 31:10,12

he tells us clearly: This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.John 15:12,17

We come to know him more deeply when we follow him in loving and forgiving others, even if we have been betrayed or hated or treated cruelly as he was. We come to know him more completely when we serve, bless and uplift others as he did. We come to know him more fully when we turn to him over and over again as our example, as our guide, as our Savior. 

Sometimes these things are very difficult, but we do not have to do it alone and he reminds us: 

…if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. Ether 12:27

So I join John and Moroni in encouraging… Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 1 John 4:7,11-12

Wherefore, my beloved (brothers and sisters, let us) pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that (w)e may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that (w)e may become the sons (and daughters) of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Moroni 7:48

this is our challenge and our joy - knowing that through our Savior Jesus Christ our souls might be restored even more brilliantly than those beautiful stained glass windows because: If our eyes are single to the glory of God, our whole bodies will be filled with light. JST, Matthew 6:22

I echo Ether’s invitation who wrote… And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever. Ether 12:41