Christ has the power to heal us through his Atonement, but we have to be willing to develop a relationship with him first.
Because I have learned about biblical stories and studied the scriptures since I was young, I have always thought that I knew a lot about Jesus. However, when Elder David A. Bednar asked, “Do we only know about the Savior, or are we increasingly coming to know Him?” in his general conference talk “If Ye Had Known Me,” I realized that I had been neglecting my personal relationship with Christ. Several years have passed since that talk was given, and I am still working on getting to know the Savior.
Photo by Amy Humphries
I recalled this experience as I listened to Elder Michael John U. Teh’s April 2021 general conference talk titled “Our Personal Savior.” Elder Teh says that hearing Elder Bednar’s questions inspired him to put more effort into coming to know Christ, and he lists three ways we can do so:
- Recognize that developing a relationship with Christ should be our number one priority.
- Internalize the scriptures so that “scriptural passages and the words of the prophets become so intimately meaningful to us that they become our own words.”
- Seek to increase our understanding of the personal nature of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Elder Teh emphasizes that “because of His atoning sacrifice, the Savior has power to cleanse, heal, and strengthen us one by one.” As I look back on my life, I’ve seen how Christ has ministered to me individually and strengthened me when I’ve needed it. Recognizing that Christ has healed me personally makes me want to come to know him better by following Elder Teh’s simple recommendations. Although it takes constant effort, building a close relationship with Christ will be worth it because our knowing Christ will change our hearts and improve our lives.
Read the rest of Elder Michael John U. Teh’s talk “Our Personal Savior” to learn more about how to foster a personal relationship with Christ.
Source: ChurchofJesusChrist.org
—Emma Franklin, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY DANIEL WANG
Find more insights
Take a look at Mackenzie Sinclair Brady’s Latter-day Saint Insights article “Do I Know Christ?” to discover more insights about Elder Bednar’s talk.
Learn why our foundation should be centered on Christ by reading Catherine Niesporek’s Latter-day Saint Insights article “Strengthening Our Foundation in Christ.”