Becoming New in Christ

This week I listened to THIS TALK by Elder Dale G. Renlund, and it has left me pondering about the sacrament and my covenants.

Elder Renlund quoted President Russell M. Nelson saying:

I made a covenant as I partook of the sacrament that I would be willing to take upon me the name of Jesus Christ and . . . to obey His commandments. Often, I hear the expression that we partake of the sacrament to renew covenants made at baptism. While that’s true, it’s much more than that. I’ve made a new covenant. You have made new covenants (italics added).

Whoa. The sacrament is much. more. than. renewing. covenants.

Much more.

So I have been thinking about that. About Jesus being the New Covenant and how I can make a new covenant with Him each and every week.

Each Sabbath, as I give to Him my offering of my righteous desires coupled with my carnal tendencies, I can become new.

When taken worthily and with real intent, the sacrament is The Way I become a new creature in Christ.

This means that in partaking of the sacrament, the things of the world slowly--ever so imperceptibly slow-- start to become less and less important to me, and the things of God--the very things of eternity--start to become more and more important to me.

The sacrament not only helps me to become more like Him, it is my cry to Him that I need Him to give me the ability to live His doctrine--especially the "endure to the end" part--with Christ-like determination.

And He does.

He gives me what I need.

What an amazing covenant I have made.

Small and Simple Things

This evening I had the opportunity to participate in our Relief Society Christmas Program entitled, Women Who Knew Christ. I was asked to play the part of the mother of Mary. As I practiced my part, there was a phrase from Luke 1:35 that jumped out at me:

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Had I read correctly? Did the angel just refer to the Son of God as a holy thing? And right then Alma 37:6-7 was brought to my remembrance:

Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.

And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.

Yep. The very Son of God was born by and in and to small and simple circumstances.

Compared to how a king would have been received.

Compared to how birthing accommodations are today.

Compared to what can be announced to the world in real time on social media.

Yet, in His small and simple way, He continues to confound the wise and brings about the salvation to many souls.

I share my witness with King Benjamin that "there is no other name give nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent."