In the October 2011 General Conference, Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles called repentance “a divine gift”, meaning that repentance is not something that is inherent within the natural man, and that in order to obtain it, we must seek it from God. “Wo, wo, wo unto this people; wo unto the inhabitants of the whole earth except they shall repent; for the devil laugheth, and his angels rejoice, because of the slain of the fair sons and daughters of my people; and it is because of their iniquity and abominations that they are fallen!” 3 Nephi 9:2 Repentance is a part of our road to salvation. Without it we cannot be saved.
 

But why can’t we just repent on our own and it be acceptable to God? The prophet Jeremiah stated, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.” Jeremiah 13:23. The fact is, true repentance is a change of our very nature. “And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” Mosiah 5:2.
 

This change must be wrought of the Spirit of God. It is a gift of God. We cannot bring about this change on our own. We of ourselves cannot save ourselves. We need a Savior. “And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God” Mosiah 27:26. This is a miracle of God which must be sought after with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength, for God has said except we do this, we shall in no wise be saved.
 

I testify that true repentance is a gift, one that should be carefully sought after, asked for, fully appreciated and cared for, and recognized as only coming from our Heavenly Father through his Son, Jesus Christ, and by no other means do we receive it, this to his honor and his glory, leaving you this testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
 

Craig Fujisue
 

Bro. Prestwich, an instructor for the BYU Idaho Pathway Book of Mormon class, presented a video this week that he had made concerning the book of Enos. In the video, Bro. Prestwich asked a question, “Can you change your feelings, and if you can, how?” He states that Enos tells us, after explaining about his father who nurtured and admonished him in the Lord, how apparently he was feeling some sort of guilt as he remembered the words of his father and how he allowed those feelings to sink deep into his heart. (Enos 1:3) Next Bro. Prestwich explains that those feelings caused Enos to act by kneeling down in prayer and in mighty supplication unto the Lord. (vs. 4) Once Enos felt what he needed to feel, and acted as he needed to act, the Lord spoke to him, and he came to know what he needed to know, which was that he was going to be ok. (vs. 5, 6)
 

Once Enos knew this, he began to have feelings for his family, the Nephites. He again acted by pouring out his soul before the Lord. (vs. 9) Once again after feeling what he needed to feel and acting as he needed to act, the Lord spoke to him and he knew what he needed to know. (vs. 10)
 

This pattern is repeated as he then began to feel feelings for his brothers, the Lamanites. (vs. 11) The feelings caused Enos to act and to know. (vs. 12)
 

Bro. Prestwich explained that this pattern repeats itself throughout the scriptures, and that by following this pattern we become more like our Savior, Jesus Christ.
 

It was interesting because shortly after viewing this video, I got to apply the lessons I learned in a real world situation. After I had felt what I needed to feel, and acted as I needed to act, the Lord did indeed respond with a miracle and with the help that I needed.
 

I can testify that as we follow this pattern of feeling and then of acting by going to the Lord in mighty supplication and prayer, the Lord will respond to any righteous petition we present before him, and we will know what we need to know. In D&C 6:36, the Lord commands us to look to him in every thought. As we fulfill this commandment, we in essence also fulfill Christ’s commandment of John 15:4, which is to abide in him. It is my prayer that as we go through the day feeling our feelings, we should never forget to act and to turn to the Lord in every thought.
 

As we become more dependent upon him, we will become more like him. Of this I testify, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
 

Bro. Craig Fujisue
 

The atonement of Jesus Christ is perhaps the most difficult for man to fully understand or appreciate. The Book of Mormon prophet Jacob, under divine inspiration, attempts to help us to appreciate more fully exactly what was accomplished through Christ’s coming to this earth and giving the ultimate sacrifice for us as is reflected in 2 Nephi 9.
 

We know from the scriptures that when God created this earth and all the things upon it, including man, that “God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” Gen. 1:31. Our parents, Adam and Eve, walked in perfect harmony with our Creator, and He walked with them. But when they partook of the forbidden fruit and transgressed God’s commandment, a separation occurred between God and man. God, being holy, and who “cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance” (D&C 1:31) separated himself from man and no longer walked with him.
 

Jacob tells us that man became fallen because of the transgression, and that “…because man became fallen they were cut off from the presence of the Lord.” (vs. 6)
 

But, Jacob tells us that God had a plan whereby we could be saved from the fall and return to Heavenly Father’s presence. He states that due to the fall, our bodies must waste away and die, but that in our bodies we shall see God. (vs. 4)
 

He further states that God will manifest himself in the flesh to those at Jerusalem and that it was expedient for him to do so (vs. 5, see prophecies of Zechariah 9:9) and that it behooved God “that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him.” (vs. 5)
 

Jacob explains that had it not been for this sacrifice, and this great atonement, “the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more.” (vs. 7) He also stated that “if the flesh should rise no more our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more.” (vs. 8)
 

Had we remained with the devil, our spirits would have become like the devil, and to have become devils, or angels to the devil, to be shut out from the presence of God eternally, in misery forever. (see vs. 9)
 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
 

Not just any atonement would have sufficed to rescue man from his fallen state. Jacob stated that it needed to be “an infinite atonement” (vs. 7) otherwise “this corruption could not put on incorruption” and “the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration.”
 

Christ in his infinite love and mercy offered himself up as the ultimate sacrifice and provided that infinite atonement necessary to save both you and me. Because of his great sacrifice, we now have power over physical and spiritual death (which Jacob calls hell – see vs. 12) through the resurrection. Jacob tells us, “…the paradise of God must deliver up the spirits of the righteous, and the grave deliver up the body of the righteous; and the spirit and the body is restored to itself again, and all men become incorruptible, and immortal, and they are living souls, having a perfect knowledge like unto us in the flesh, save it be that our knowledge shall be perfect.” (vs. 13)
 

It is with great reason Jacob sings the praises of God for such an unspeakable gift. Shouldn’t we too?
 

I testify that due to the unfathomable love that God has toward us, and in his infinite wisdom and mercy, God has provided the only way out of death, hell and misery through his beloved and only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. We do well to heed his counsel and obey his instructions for our salvation.
 

In the Name of Jesus Christ, amen.
 

Craig Fujisue
 

D&C 88:118 states, “And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.” I think that most, if not all people understand the concept of learning by study, but what does it mean to learn by faith? The Bible Dictionary states, “To have faith is to have confidence in something or someone.” Although one supposes that by this definition one could have faith in a number of different things, the point of this message is to provide us the way to maximize our learning. Scripture tells us in Proverbs 3:5&6, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” In all our ways we are to trust God to be the source of all our blessings, and this is especially true when it comes to our learning.
 

When opening our books to study, we should remember that the first principle and ordinance of this Gospel is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and we should meekly and humbly, with a heart that is sincere in its desire to obtain that which God may reveal to us through our studies, seek our Heavenly Father’s assistance through prayer and petition in the name of his beloved Son Jesus Christ for help from on high. Having offered up our prayer, and having the gentle confirmation of our Heavenly Father hearing our prayer through the witness of the Holy Ghost, we should believe that God will grant our petition and bless us with what we have asked for.
 

This trust and confidence in the Lord and his blessings is the basis for our learning by faith. In a talk given in the 2006 General Conference, Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stated, “Endowed with agency, you and I are agents, and we primarily are to act and not just be acted upon.” Learning by faith requires that we act in order to be acted upon and receive the learning we are seeking through our studies. We must follow the Savior’s instructions when he said in Mark 11:24, “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”
 

May the Lord bless your efforts to learn by study and by faith.
 

Craig Fujisue
 

There is hope for those that think there is no hope. For those that think that they have sinned too much for God to forgive them, there is good news. God sent his Son, his only begotten Son, to this Earth to pay the ultimate price so that you, in spite of all your sins, could be forgiven, and that you could come back into Heavenly Father’s presence. In spite of how unbelievable it may seem, you have been forgiven, if you are willing to give up on those sins and never go back.
 

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stated in a talk from the April 2006 General Conference: “Are you battling a demon of addiction—tobacco or drugs or gambling, or the pernicious contemporary plague of pornography? Is your marriage in trouble or your child in danger? Are you confused with gender identity or searching for self-esteem? Do you—or someone you love—face disease or depression or death? Whatever other steps you may need to take to resolve these concerns, come first to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Trust in heaven’s promises. In that regard Alma’s testimony is my testimony: ‘I do know,’ he says, ‘that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions.’
 

“This reliance upon the merciful nature of God is at the very center of the gospel Christ taught. I testify that the Savior’s Atonement lifts from us not only the burden of our sins but also the burden of our disappointments and sorrows, our heartaches and our despair. From the beginning, trust in such help was to give us both a reason and a way to improve, an incentive to lay down our burdens and take up our salvation. There can and will be plenty of difficulties in life. Nevertheless, the soul that comes unto Christ, who knows His voice and strives to do as He did, finds a strength, as the hymn says, ‘beyond [his] own.’ The Savior reminds us that He has ‘graven [us] upon the palms of [His] hands.’ Considering the incomprehensible cost of the Crucifixion and Atonement, I promise you He is not going to turn His back on us now. When He says to the poor in spirit, ‘Come unto me,’ He means He knows the way out and He knows the way up. He knows it because He has walked it. He knows the way because He is the way.”
 

I testify that you have forgiveness for your sins, regardless how bad you think they have been. Come home unto Christ.
 

In The Name of Jesus Christ
 

Craig Fujisue

In an April 2004 General Conference, Elder Boyd K. Packer, then acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, gave a talk where he stated clearly, “Fear is the opposite of faith.” Thus, because fear is the opposite of faith, in the great battle between good and evil, we can see people making choices that will lead them to one or the other. I think no where is such polarity illustrated better than in the Book of Mormon and specifically in the stories of Nephi and his brethren. Given the story of Nephi and his brethren going back to Jerusalem to recover the plates from Laban as an example, we can see a striking contrast in the attitudes, thoughts, words and actions of each of the individuals involved.
 

Nephi was a man of faith. “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” (1 Nephi 3:7), he stated. His brothers, Laman and Lemuel were not. Listen to the comments they made after an angel declared to them that the Lord would deliver Laban into their hands, “How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands? Behold, he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty; then why not us?” (1 Nephi 3:31).
 

Laman and Lemuel’s words dripped with fear. It was obvious, they did not know God. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ stated, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3. If faith is a tremendous principle of power, should it not follow that it’s opposite, fear, should be a principle of weakness?
 

Laman and Lemuel could never appropriate power into their lives because they rejected the very principle to which power is attached. As a result, they lived lives filled with and motivated by fear. Why did Laman and Lemuel not want Nephi to be their leader? Because they feared that Nephi would take advantage of the situation to abuse them. Without faith, fear reigns. It is unfortunate to see people follow in similar paths as Laman and Lemuel today. Such individuals will never know the joy serving the Lord by faith brings to those that follow Him. In order to find joy in this life, we must let go of all fear, and replace that fear with trust in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
 

It is my prayer that we all learn to do so, in the Name of Jesus Christ.
 

– Craig Fujisue
 

Today’s Thought To Meditate On comes from this year’s “Teachings of the Presidents of the Church” study of the life of the Prophet George Albert Smith, pages 108-109:
 

“Now, I want to say, my brothers and sisters, that the advice of Jesus Christ, is still in force with us wherein he said, ‘Search the scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me.’ [John 5:39] Do not neglect the old family Bible; do not put it away upon the shelf and forget it. Find out, if you do not already know, what it says, and if you have read it before, read it again often to your children and to your children’s children. Read them not only the Bible, but other books of scripture that the Lord has given us for our exaltation, for our comfort and for our blessing.
 

“I admonish you, O Israel, search the scriptures; read them in your homes; teach your families what the Lord has said, and let us spend less of our time reading the unimportant and often harmful literature of the day, and go to the fountain of truth and read the word of the Lord.”
 

A treasure is something that is highly prized or greatly valued. It is cherished and regarded as precious by the individual. Luke 12:34 states, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” So a treasure occupies the heart, the thoughts and the meditations of the individual.
 

There are many things that could be considered treasures to different people, but scripture constantly urges us to get our priorities straight.
 

“Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life” D&C 84:85. The “words of life” are the scriptures.
 

Do you treasure up continually the scriptures in your heart, or is your treasure something else?
 

When Jesus was about to be delivered to the hands of wicked men, He spent time in the garden of Gethsemane. In it, He “…lifted up his eyes to heaven” and prayed. There are no prayers recorded that are more poignant than that of the Son of Man in His last recorded prayer with His Father. In it, He prayed for Himself and for us. And the words that He stated should be subject for profound meditation as we strive to understand what is the height, the depth and the breadth of its meaning.
 

As recorded in John 17:5, “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” His prayer was that both He and Heavenly Father share in the same glory, thus making Him equal with the Father.
 

But, this was not all. In John 17:20 & 21 we read the following, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”
 

Additionally, Christ continues to say in John 17:22, “And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:”
 

We are taught in modern society many times to be independent and to cherish independence, but the ways of the Lord are much higher. He teaches us that alone, we can do nothing. (c.f. John 15:5). He teaches us to turn to Him in every thought (c.f. Prov. 3:5,6; D&C 6:36) “And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.” D&C 59:21
 

I can do nothing without God. As well, I can do nothing without you. In Christ we are One. He who abides not in this love is none of His.
 

May God bless you richly with oneness in the body of Christ.
 

In celebration of the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, today’s thought to meditate on comes from an April 1999 conference talk from then President Gordon B. Hinckley (see http://bit.ly/ldsorggc).
 

Here are some quotes:
 

“‘If a man die, shall he live again?’ asked Job (Job 14:14). There is no question of greater importance than this.
 

Those of us who live in comfort and security seldom give any thought to death. Our minds are on other things. Yet there is nothing more certain, nothing more universal, nothing more final than the closure of mortal life. No one can escape it, not one.”
 

“But Jesus the Christ changed all that. Only a God could do what He did. He broke the bonds of death. He too had to die, but on the third day, following His burial, He rose from the grave, ‘the firstfruits of them that slept’ (1 Cor. 15:20), and in so doing brought the blessing of the Resurrection to every one of us.
 

Contemplating this wondrous thing, Paul declared: ‘O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?’ (1 Cor. 15:55).”
 

“He was betrayed, arrested, condemned to death, to die in awful agony by crucifixion. His living body was nailed to a cross of wood. In unspeakable pain, His life slowly ebbed away. While yet He breathed, He cried out, ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do’ (Luke 23:34).
 

The earth shook as His spirit passed. The centurion who had seen it all declared in solemnity, ‘Truly this was the Son of God’ (Matt. 27:54).
 

Those who loved Him took His body from the cross. They dressed it and placed it in a new tomb offered by Joseph of Arimathaea. The tomb was sealed with a great stone at its opening, and a guard was set.
 

His friends must have wept. The Apostles He loved and whom He had called as witnesses of His divinity wept. The women who loved Him wept. None had understood what He had said about rising the third day. How could they understand? This had never happened before. It was totally unprecedented. It was unbelievable, even for them.
 

There must have been a terrible sense of dejection and hopelessness and misery as they thought of their Lord taken from them in death.
 

But that was not the end. On the morning of the third day, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary returned to the tomb. To their utter amazement, the stone was rolled away and the tomb was open. They peered inside. Two beings in white sat at either end of the burial site. An angel appeared to them and said, ‘Why seek ye the living among the dead?
 

‘He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
 

‘Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again’ (Luke 24:5–7).
 

These simple words—’He is not here, but is risen’—have become the most profound in all literature. They are the declaration of the empty tomb. They are the fulfillment of all He had spoken concerning rising again. They are the triumphant response to the query facing every man, woman, and child who was ever born to earth.”
 

“… He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:4–5).”
 

“Thanks be to the Almighty. His glorified Son broke the bonds of death, the greatest of all victories. As Paul declared, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22).
 

He is our triumphant Lord. He is our Redeemer, who atoned for our sins. Through His redeeming sacrifice all men shall rise from the grave. He has opened the way whereby we may gain not only immortality but also eternal life.
 

As an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, I bear witness and testimony of these things this Easter day. I speak in solemnity and reverence and gratitude, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.”