Drawing upon Grace
Maddie gave a talk in church today. Someone near me said she could have practiced more so that she didn't stumble over her words or repeat herself when she lost her place. Those things used to bother me a lot. I still have this little voice inside my head reminding me to speak up, to practice before giving a talk, to do it perfectly. Somewhere in the past year, I seem to have dropped all that fuss about the delivery. I am now trying to focus on the message and the spiritual witness of truth in what I am hearing.
Maddie talked on Grace through the atonement of Christ referencing Moroni 10:32 -33, and compared it to her effort in art class. The next speaker talked about the joy he feels being with his family and the blessing of eternal families. The concluding speaker shared an overview of the last week before the resurrection of Christ. (The most recorded and documented event in the history of mankind.) He shared how he came to understand the atonement of Jesus Christ by participating in a council that restored a good friend into the membership of the LDS church. All these talks were very meaningful. Not one was delivered perfectly. It didn't matter. I think those that listened and understood Maddie's talk understood that.
This is a copy of her talk [edited].
My talk today based on the scripture Moroni 10:32-33.
“ Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves
of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and
love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace
sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by
the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the
power of God.
And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not
his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through
the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the
Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without
spot.”
Some things are challenging for me at school. One of those things this
year is my art class. I like pictures and pretty things but I have not taken
art class since Middle School.
I want to compare this experience in art class to the grace of the
atonement through Jesus Christ.
Lots of students in my class are really good at art and they like drawing.
I want to draw well but it is hard for me. When I watch other people it
seems so easy for them. When working on my project I often I spend a
lot of time putting graphite on the blending stone and a lot less time
making lines on the sketch paper. When I do, the lines aren’t where or
how I want them to be. Sometimes I feel bad that I am not as good at
them or as good as I want to be at drawing.
Each of us struggle with something.
We can look around us and see that someone else is taller, more
talented, has a higher skill level, or something else that we want to be.
Sometimes we don’t use our time well or make the best decisions. Not
one of us is as perfect as our brother and Savior Jesus Christ. When we
compare ourselves to others we feel bad, or bad, or depressed.
Sometimes we can be stuck that way for a while.
It is like when I spend my time putting graphite on my blending stone. I
am afraid I will make a mistake so instead of drawing I continue to
make a large circle of graphite on my paper. The graphite gets on my
hand and smears on my paper. I have to erase over and over again, and
wipe my hand clean so I don’t make a bigger mess. Finally I draw a line
on my paper. The line isn’t always how I want it to be so I erase it and
make another one. I do this a lot so drawing with graphite takes me a
long time. My family, classmates, and teacher encourage me to keep
working. Eventually I have a drawing. It is not perfect but it is the best I
can do. If I look around and compare it to the drawings of others, it is
easy to see my mistakes.
Still I have to turn it in like everyone else and get my grade. My teacher
looks at the work we have done. She could compare each drawing and
decide who did the best work. When my teacher looks at my art work,
she realizes doesn’t compare it to other people’s drawings. She
considers looks at my abilities, my effort, and recognizes my
improvement in doing something that is hard for me. Then she gives
me a grade.
My teacher isn’t able to fix my drawing herself. She can encourage me
and give me tools, and demonstrate how it is to be done, but she
cannot do it for me. It has to be my own work. Only when I have
finished can she accept the final project.
This is like the grace that we receive from Jesus. He knows our abilities,
our efforts, and willingness to make good decisions. Jesus wants us to
keep drawing too. He wants us to keep trying, repenting when we make
mistakes, and continue to improve. Like my teacher, he provides us
with tools like the scriptures and encouragement through prayer and
shows us the way to back to our Heavenly Father. When we ask for
help, he sometimes sends other people to help us, or whispers ideas to
our minds that give us courage. But he cannot do our work for us.
When we make mistakes, we can repent and wipe off the mess we
made and try again. As long as we keep working, we improve on what
we have made, and our finished product is accepted by Jesus. He
accepts us, just like my teacher accepts my drawing.
Jesus loves us no matter what. We make mistakes, and we can be
forgiven of those mistakes when we repent and try again. He won’t do
our work for us, but he will send his spirit to encourage us, and provide
the grace needed to make our efforts enough. Without the atonement
of Jesus Christ we are like me continually putting graphite on my paper,
making a mess, and never completing the drawing. Grace is the hope
we receive through Jesus Christ’s atonement. His grace unlocks the
gates of heaven for each of us.
I am thankful for family, friends, and teachers who help me to have
courage and keep trying to do my best work, and not worry about how
my work is compared to other people’s work.
I am so thankful for Jesus Christ and for his atonement. He gave us a
way to make our best effort good enough to be happy eternally.
Maddie talked on Grace through the atonement of Christ referencing Moroni 10:32 -33, and compared it to her effort in art class. The next speaker talked about the joy he feels being with his family and the blessing of eternal families. The concluding speaker shared an overview of the last week before the resurrection of Christ. (The most recorded and documented event in the history of mankind.) He shared how he came to understand the atonement of Jesus Christ by participating in a council that restored a good friend into the membership of the LDS church. All these talks were very meaningful. Not one was delivered perfectly. It didn't matter. I think those that listened and understood Maddie's talk understood that.
This is a copy of her talk [edited].
My talk today based on the scripture Moroni 10:32-33.
“ Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves
of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and
love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace
sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by
the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the
power of God.
And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not
his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through
the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the
Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without
spot.”
Some things are challenging for me at school. One of those things this
year is my art class. I like pictures and pretty things but I have not taken
art class since Middle School.
I want to compare this experience in art class to the grace of the
atonement through Jesus Christ.
Lots of students in my class are really good at art and they like drawing.
I want to draw well but it is hard for me. When I watch other people it
seems so easy for them. When working on my project I often I spend a
lot of time putting graphite on the blending stone and a lot less time
making lines on the sketch paper. When I do, the lines aren’t where or
how I want them to be. Sometimes I feel bad that I am not as good at
them or as good as I want to be at drawing.
Each of us struggle with something.
We can look around us and see that someone else is taller, more
talented, has a higher skill level, or something else that we want to be.
Sometimes we don’t use our time well or make the best decisions. Not
one of us is as perfect as our brother and Savior Jesus Christ. When we
compare ourselves to others we feel bad, or bad, or depressed.
Sometimes we can be stuck that way for a while.
It is like when I spend my time putting graphite on my blending stone. I
am afraid I will make a mistake so instead of drawing I continue to
make a large circle of graphite on my paper. The graphite gets on my
hand and smears on my paper. I have to erase over and over again, and
wipe my hand clean so I don’t make a bigger mess. Finally I draw a line
on my paper. The line isn’t always how I want it to be so I erase it and
make another one. I do this a lot so drawing with graphite takes me a
long time. My family, classmates, and teacher encourage me to keep
working. Eventually I have a drawing. It is not perfect but it is the best I
can do. If I look around and compare it to the drawings of others, it is
easy to see my mistakes.
Still I have to turn it in like everyone else and get my grade. My teacher
looks at the work we have done. She could compare each drawing and
decide who did the best work. When my teacher looks at my art work,
she realizes doesn’t compare it to other people’s drawings. She
considers looks at my abilities, my effort, and recognizes my
improvement in doing something that is hard for me. Then she gives
me a grade.
My teacher isn’t able to fix my drawing herself. She can encourage me
and give me tools, and demonstrate how it is to be done, but she
cannot do it for me. It has to be my own work. Only when I have
finished can she accept the final project.
This is like the grace that we receive from Jesus. He knows our abilities,
our efforts, and willingness to make good decisions. Jesus wants us to
keep drawing too. He wants us to keep trying, repenting when we make
mistakes, and continue to improve. Like my teacher, he provides us
with tools like the scriptures and encouragement through prayer and
shows us the way to back to our Heavenly Father. When we ask for
help, he sometimes sends other people to help us, or whispers ideas to
our minds that give us courage. But he cannot do our work for us.
When we make mistakes, we can repent and wipe off the mess we
made and try again. As long as we keep working, we improve on what
we have made, and our finished product is accepted by Jesus. He
accepts us, just like my teacher accepts my drawing.
Jesus loves us no matter what. We make mistakes, and we can be
forgiven of those mistakes when we repent and try again. He won’t do
our work for us, but he will send his spirit to encourage us, and provide
the grace needed to make our efforts enough. Without the atonement
of Jesus Christ we are like me continually putting graphite on my paper,
making a mess, and never completing the drawing. Grace is the hope
we receive through Jesus Christ’s atonement. His grace unlocks the
gates of heaven for each of us.
I am thankful for family, friends, and teachers who help me to have
courage and keep trying to do my best work, and not worry about how
my work is compared to other people’s work.
I am so thankful for Jesus Christ and for his atonement. He gave us a
way to make our best effort good enough to be happy eternally.
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