Relief Society Message- Heidi Willie

Thoughts on “Come Unto Christ – Living as Latter-day Saints” by Elder John A. McCune

General Conference, April 2020

This talk by Elder McCune of the Seventy seemed especially relevant to me recently as our kids went back to school during a pandemic, required to wear face masks while social distancing etc. Sometimes, we are required to do hard things. Even as kids!

Elder McCune began his talk by recalling a recent opportunity to hold a page of the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon. On this page, the bold words of Nephi were recorded: “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.”

Elder McCune said he felt appreciation for the words of a young Nephi, who had been asked to perform a very difficult task in obtaining the plates of brass from Laban. But Nephi knew that if he continued to stay focused on the Lord, he would be successful in fulfilling what the Lord commanded him. Nephi knew in whom He could trust. He declared, “My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.” Elder McCune stated:

“As followers of Christ, we are not spared challenges and trials in our lives. We are often required to do difficult things that, if attempted alone, would be overwhelming and maybe impossible. As we accept the Savior’s invitation to “come unto me,” He will provide the support, comfort, and peace that are necessary, just as He did for Nephi ... Even in our deepest trials, we can feel the warm embrace of His love as we trust Him and accept His will. We can experience the joy reserved for His faithful disciples, for “Christ is joy.”

Another example of trust in the Savior is the story of Peter and the disciples fishing in the darkest hour of the night during a terrible storm. They amazingly saw Jesus calmly walking upon the water towards them. Peter asked the Lord to bid him come to him on the water and the Lord said “Come.” At first, Peter was prosperous, moving forward with hope, actually walking on the water! But then his focus shifted from the Lord and he began to sink. He cried to the Lord and Jesus immediately reach out and saved him.

The Lord invites us to come unto him. One of my favorite LDS Podcasters recently suggested this imagery on the subject:

Imagine what it would be like for you to walk on the water to meet the Lord. He is steady. He is peace. His power allows the water to support your steps and the water obeys as you move forward to Him in hope. And if you have a moment when you sink through the water it’s ok. Jesus can immediately reach through the water and save you, when you ask Him, and you try again. As you look to the Lord, all things work together to support your progress. Learning to walk on water takes constant focus on the Savior. It takes practice. It’s a learned process. We practice moving forward in hope despite the storm raging around us. And if we sink we try again and again. If you are sinking right now or are afraid of the coming storm, re-center your focus on the Lord. Do the gospel basics and he will prosper you that you may move forward toward Him with hope.

Since the pandemic hit, I have missed going to church every Sunday. It has been very concerning to me especially that our youth have been missing their traditional activities, lessons and camps. Sometimes teenagers just don’t want to hear it from parents, right? They, like all of us, need that extra teaching and reinforcement from the testimonies, examples and fellowship of others that is found in church to help them stay focused on the Savior.

Elder McCune pointed out that the adversary would entice some to leave the joy of the gospel by separating Christ’s teachings from His Church. He would have us believe that we can stay firmly on the covenant path on our own, through our own spirituality, independent of His Church. But in these latter days, Christ’s Church was restored in order to help Christ’s covenant children stay on His covenant path.

Through Christ’s Church, we are strengthened through our experiences as a community of Saints. We hear His voice through His prophets, seers, and revelators. Most importantly, through His Church we are provided with all the essential blessings of Christ’s Atonement that can be realized only through participation in sacred ordinances.

At the end of his address, Elder McCune bore this powerful testimony:

“I bear witness that as we come unto Christ and live as Latter-day Saints, we will be blessed with an added measure of His love, His joy, and His peace. Like Nephi, we can do difficult things and help others do the same, because we know in whom we can trust. Christ is our light, our life, and our salvation. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

- Sister Heidi Willie