He Heals...

Recently we heard of a powerful fast and testimony that occurred in a local Singles Ward. It began as many do, brothers and sisters getting up and sharing their faith and love for the Lord and His Church. And then, a young man got up to bear his testimony...it was not like any of the others that had come before. He shared his story of living a life of gang membership, drugs, and violence. He said he had gone to prison at the age of 17, for shooting and killing a friend of his. He spent 15 years behind bars. He has only been free for three months. But that wasn't the freedom he spoke of. He spoke of the freedom that comes through Jesus. The saving and healing power, and freedom from death and sin, that comes through the Atonement.

Following this incredibly powerful testimony, not one, but two more young men got up and shared their stories, that were quite similar.

These three men shared more than the fact that they had messed up...big time...and had to pay a price. More than the fact that they were all on a difficult road to recovery...

They each shared personal experience and knowledge of the Savior and His ability to help and heal. They bore powerful testimonies of the reality of the Savior and His Atonement. They bore witness of His ability to reach us, no matter how low we have fallen or how dark of a place we are in...

Boyd K. Packer offered these powerful words: "Restoring what you cannot restore, healing the wound you cannot heal, fixing that which you broke and cannot fix is the very purpose of the Atonement of Christ...
"There is no habit, no addiction, no rebellion, no transgression, no apostasy, no crime exempted from the promise of complete forgiveness. That is the promise of the Atonement of Christ."

Read these words. Really read them. Believe them. For they are true. They are meant for you. And for me. We all need forgiveness. We all need the Atonement. We all need Jesus.

Jesus will never leave us. Never abandon us. No matter how far we estrange ourselves from Him, one thing is certain...He will never be more than an arm's length away, because that is as far as we can push Him. The very minute we turn to Him, He will be there. Ready to help, and bless, and heal.

If you have lost your way for a moment, all is not lost. You are not a lost cause. There is hope. There is help. And it comes in the form of the loving Savior and His Atonement. They way back may not be easy. But you will not travel it alone. He will be with you every step of the way, no matter how long or hard the journey. He loves you. He wants to help. Turn to Him. He will make you whole. He will make you new.

Trust Him. He is who He says He is, and He can do all for you He says He can do. He is your older brother, your Savior. And His love and power know no end...

Here is a music video to a song called "Cry Out To Jesus" by the band Third Day...

"One of the most viscous and destructive lies concocted by the father of all lies (the devil) is that there is no return from mistakes and sin. He would have us believe that there are no U-Turns allowed. This is wrong. We can turn around, change our minds, change our hearts, and come unto Christ." 

-Mary Ellen Edmunds