The Ultimate Price: Have I Been Worth It?

In the midst of Easter Parades, Easter Egg Hunts, Easter Bunnies and Easter Eggs, amidst the abundance of pink and yellow ribbons overflowing the shelves in the supermarkets, we might be reminded of the meaning of Easter through days with names like Passover Thursday, Atoning Friday and Resurrection Sunday, that Easter had a beginning and that beginning is about making the choices in deed, and in courage, and in faith; choices that must be made to be true to who we are and what we believe, in response to the charge given us with the atonement.

Jesus Christ paid the price for our every wrong, that as we repent we may be freed from our sins or payment would reach into the eternities. Through the atonement we were given the possibility to repent, to receive forgiveness, and go on, without having to carry the heavy burden of every wrong we ever did.

Because our Saviour, Jesus Christ atoned for us, suffered and paid the full price for our every wrong, we can actually receive forgiveness from God. As we realise our wrongs, do not repeat them, and to the extent that this might be possible, do our best to correct our wrongs; we may if receive His forgiveness and once again find peace in our hearts.

This payment for our sins didn't happen because it was easy or convenient but because of His love for us. While it would be impossible to fully understand how Our Saviour Jesus Christ atoned for our sins, it may help us trying to imagine how difficult this might have been, even for the Son of God. As we remember the words of Jesus, when in Gethsemane: "... Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done... And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." (Luke 22:42, 44)

I imagine that in this dark and sad moment of history, God would desperately want to reach out and lift the pain, to stop everything. Yet, it went on and in preparation for the crucifixion Jesus was beaten, whipped, mocked, rejected, humiliated and treated as a criminal; all while His and our Heavenly Father must have cried heavy tears.

"And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him," (Luke 23:33) our Heavenly Father, Father of Jesus Christ must have trembled to His very core, with tears flooding His eyes, hearing Jesus lovingly, in a Spirit of kind forgiveness praying and pleading for His assailants:  "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."(Luke 23:34)

Still, amidst a constant flow of mockery, the crucifixion continued in what must have been an abundance of tears and empathy from those who loved Him.

What must have been hours later, drained, fatigued and thirsty, as pain and feelings of abandonment would seem overwhelming in what must have been the most lonely hour of His life, Jesus, overcome with agony of the whole experience cried out in a loud voice of ultimate loneliness: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34)

Hearing such a plea, our Heavenly Father certainly would want to reach out and spare His only begotten son from such suffering. As the literal Father of Jesus Christ, He must have wanted to respond in ways I can't begin to imagine. Even with God's perfect knowledge and understanding of what had to happen, He must have have agonised as His son was beaten, whipped and crucified, and finally left to die while hanging on the cross. The Heavens must have grieved and cried that day, to see the Son of God suffer such misery!

Jesus had walked the earth, shared His teachings and dealt with people's doubts, hypocrisy, lies and mockery, all while they conspired against Jesus the Christ to ultimately crucify Him. He had preformed miracles, helped where He could and in return suffered the full extent of evil in the world. Jesus Christ was subjected to a process of blind injustice, suffering every measure of trials, agony and difficulty that we might ever face in a lifetime, only to finally suffer a crucifixion with common criminals. He had truly earned the right to finally say "It is finished." John 19:30 and "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." A long and hard road had finally and mercifully come to an end, and He gave up His Spirit.

Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ both suffered this, all of this, out of love for us that we may be allowed repentance. And, as we truly repent of our wrongs, we may be allowed redemption, to once again find peace in our hearts and sin no more. He walked this long and hard road alone, that we don't have to, and after reviewing some small understanding of what my Saviour did for me, I can't help but ask myself: Have I been worth it, will the sum of my life and what I have done with what I've been given, all be worth His great sacrifice or have I rejected it all with my many shortcomings?

Good Also Happened on September 9th, 2001

Some years ago as I was watching the events of 9/11 unfold live on CNN here in Denmark, I was shocked and saddened that the world had come to a point where such a gruesome event could happen. As for many around the world, my focus was drawn to the victims of New York and their families. 

But, while the people of New York were grieving in agony and saddened by their loss, good things were happening elsewhere as a consequence of the very same event. I received this story from our family's favorite spammer, my ninety year old Mother-In-Law, who enjoys forwarding e-mails to everyone she knows. She's the grandmother of our three "Elder Jepsens" and the Mother of my wife, granting her an infinite "License to spam" us. 

While my Mother-In-Law's emails are quite a variety, some are funny and some are urban legends, this is not only factual but a real hope-booster. I checked the story and found that not only does the Delta Flight 15 Trust Fund exist, it has since grown to $1.5 million in donations and has helped send 134 students to universities or trade schools. Additionally, I found other accounts to verify what follows and I would highly recommend that you read it. I personally approached it with some hesitation due to the length, wondering if it would be worth my time but was glad that I did and it truly lifted my day! Here it is exactly as I received it, enjoy: 

DELTA FLIGHT 15

Here is an amazing story from a flight attendant on Delta Flight 15, written following 9-11:

"On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, we were about 5 hours out of Frankfurt, flying over the North Atlantic. All of a sudden the curtains parted and I was told to go to the cockpit, immediately, to see the captain. As soon as I got there I noticed that the crew had that "All Business" look on their faces. The captain handed me a printed message. It was from Delta's main office in Atlanta and simply read, "All airways over the Continental United States are closed to commercial air traffic. Land ASAP at the nearest airport. Advise your destination."

"No one said a word about what this could mean. We knew it was a serious situation and we needed to find terra firma quickly. The captain determined that the nearest airport was 400 miles behind us in Gander, Newfoundland, Canada. He requested approval for a route change from the Canadian traffic controller and approval was granted immediately--no questions asked. We found out later, of course, why there was no hesitation in approving our request. 

They're not kidding about the "WELCOME" in Gander, Newfoundland! 

"While the flight crew prepared the airplane for landing, another message arrived from Atlanta telling us about some terrorist activity in the New York area. A few minutes later word came in about the hijackings. 

"We decided to LIE to the passengers while we were still in the air. We told them the plane had a simple instrument problem and that we needed to land at the nearest airport in Gander, Newfoundland to have it checked out. 

"We promised to give more information after landing in Gander. There was much grumbling among the passengers, but that's nothing new! Forty minutes later, we landed in Gander. Local time at Gander was 12:30 PM! .... that's 11:00 AM EST. 

"There were already about 20 other airplanes on the ground from all over the world that had taken this detour on their way to the U.S. After we parked on the ramp, the captain made the following announcement: "Ladies and gentlemen, you must be wondering if all these airplanes around us have the same instrument problem as we have. The reality is that we are here for another reason." Then he went on to explain the little bit we knew about the situation in the U.S. There were loud gasps and stares of disbelief. The captain informed passengers that Ground control in Gander told us to stay put. 

Gander Airport as the planes were adding up, following September 11, 2001

"The Canadian Government was in charge of our situation and no one was allowed to get off the aircraft. No one on the ground was allowed to come near any of the air crafts. Only airport police would come around periodically, look us over and go on to the next airplane. In the next hour or so more planes landed and Gander ended up with 53 airplanes from all over the world, 27 of which were U.S. commercial jets. 

"Meanwhile, bits of news started to come in over the aircraft radio and for the first time we learned that airplanes were flown into the World Trade Center in New York and into the Pentagon in DC. People were trying to use their cell phones, but were unable to connect due to a different cell system in Canada. Some did get through, but were only able to get to the Canadian operator who would tell them that the lines to the U.S. were either blocked or jammed. 

"Sometime in the evening the news filtered to us that the World Trade Center buildings had collapsed and that a fourth hijacking had resulted in a crash. By now the passengers were emotionally and physically exhausted, not to mention frightened, but everyone stayed amazingly calm. We had only to look out the window at the 52 other stranded aircraft to realize that we were not the only ones in this predicament. 

"We had been told earlier that they would be allowing people off the planes one plane at a time. At 6 PM, Gander airport told us that our turn to deplane would be 11 am the next morning. Passengers were not 
happy, but they simply resigned themselves to this news without much noise and started to prepare themselves to spend the night on the airplane. 

"Gander had promised us medical attention, if needed, water, and lavatory servicing. And they were true to their word. Fortunately we had no medical situations to worry about. We did have a young lady who was 33 weeks into her pregnancy. We took REALLY good care of her. The night passed without incident despite the uncomfortable sleeping arrangements. 

"About 10:30 on the morning of the 12th a convoy of school buses showed up. We got off the plane and were taken to the terminal where we went through Immigration and Customs and then had to register with the Red Cross. 

"After that we (the crew) were separated from the passengers and were taken in vans to a small hotel. We had no idea where our passengers were going. We learned from the Red Cross that the town of Gander has a population of 10,400 people and they had about 10,500 passengers to take care of from all the airplanes that were forced into Gander! We were told to just relax at the hotel and we would be contacted when the U.S. airports opened again, but not to expect that call for a while. 

"We found out the total scope of the terror back home only after getting to our hotel and turning on the TV, 24 hours after it all started. 

"Meanwhile, we had lots of time on our hands and found that the people of Gander were extremely friendly. They started calling us the "plane people." We enjoyed their hospitality, explored the town of Gander and ended up having a pretty good time. 

"Two days later, we got that call and were taken back to the Gander airport. Back on the plane, we were reunited with the passengers and found out what they had been doing for the past two days. What we found out was incredible. 

"Gander and all the surrounding communities (within about a 75 Kilometer radius) had closed all high schools, meeting halls, lodges, and any other large gathering places. They converted all these facilities to mass lodging areas for all the stranded travelers. Some had cots set up, some had mats with sleeping bags and pillows set up.

"ALL the high school students were required to volunteer their time to take care of the "guests." Our 218 passengers ended up in a town called Lewisporte, about 45 kilometers from Gander where they were put up in a high school. If any women wanted to be in a women-only facility, that was arranged. Families were kept together. All the elderly passengers were taken to private homes. 

"Remember that young pregnant lady? She was put up in a private home right across the street from a 24-hour Urgent Care facility. There was a dentist on call and both male and female nurses remained with the crowd for the duration. 

"Phone calls and e-mails to the U.S. and around the world were available to everyone once a day. During the day, passengers were offered "Excursion" trips. Some people went on boat cruises of the lakes and harbors. Some went for hikes in the local forests. Local bakeries stayed open to make fresh bread for the guests. Food was prepared by all the residents and brought to the schools. People were driven to restaurants of their choice and offered wonderful meals. Everyone was given tokens for local laundry mats to wash their clothes, since luggage was still on the aircraft. In other words, every single need was met for those stranded travelers.

Passengers at an elementary schools in Gander, Newfoundland.  

"Passengers were crying while telling us these stories. Finally, when they were told that U.S. airports had reopened, they were delivered to the airport right on time and without a single passenger missing or late. The local Red Cross had all the information about the whereabouts of each and every passenger and knew which plane they needed to be on and when all the planes were leaving. They coordinated everything beautifully. It was absolutely incredible. 

"When passengers came on board, it was like they had been on a cruise. Everyone knew each other by name. They were swapping stories of their stay, impressing each other with who had the better time. Our flight back to Atlanta looked like a chartered party flight. The crew just stayed out of their way. It was mind-boggling. Passengers had totally bonded and were calling each other by their first names, exchanging phone numbers, addresses, and email addresses. 

"And then a very unusual thing happened. One of our passengers approached me and asked if he could make an announcement over the PA system. We never, ever allow that. But this time was different. I said "of course" and handed him the mike. He picked up the PA and reminded everyone about what they had just gone through in the last few days. He reminded them of the hospitality they had received at the hands of total strangers. He continued by saying that he would like to do something in return for the good folks of Lewisporte. 

"He said he was going to set up a Trust Fund under the name of DELTA 15 (our flight number). The purpose of the trust fund is to provide college scholarships for the high school students of Lewisporte. He asked for donations of any amount from his fellow travelers. When the paper with donations got back to us with the amounts, names, phone numbers and addresses, the total was for more than $14,000! 

"The gentleman, a MD from Virginia, promised to match the donations and to start the administrative work on the scholarship. He also said that he would forward this proposal to Delta Corporate and ask them to donate as well. As I write this account, the trust fund is at more than $1.5 million and has assisted 134 students in college education.

"I just wanted to share this story because we need good stories right now. It gives me a little bit of hope to know that some people in a far away place were kind to some strangers who literally dropped in on them. It reminds me how much good there is in the world."

"In spite of all the rotten things we see going on in today’s world this story confirms that there are still a lot of good and Godly people in the world and when things get bad, they will come forward. "God Bless America...and the Canadians."

http://www.atlanticbusinessmagazine.ca/departments/upfront/abmupfront-4/
http://www.globalatlanta.com/article/25058/
http://www.virtual-aide.com/shirley_brooks_jones/my_lewisporte_story.htm

Remembering the Atoning Sacrifice of Jesus Christ with Gratitude

“I believe that none of us can conceive the full import of what Christ did for us in Gethsemane, but I am grateful every day of my life for His atoning sacrifice in our behalf. At the last moment, He could have turned back. But He did not. To the depths of my very soul, I am grateful to Him. He taught us how to live. He taught us how to die. He secured our salvation.” 
- President Thomas S. Monson

Treasure in Heaven: The John Tanner Story

Elder Neal A. Maxwell once said "Consecration is the only sacrifice which is also a victory." The following two videos on that very subject tells of an example worthy to be shared:

Gratitude: Something to be Grateful For

I am grateful that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints have a missionary program. I am grateful that every day of the year we have missionaries in the world who's main purpose is to share the message that God lives, hears and answers our prayers.


Many years ago a couple of missionaries went out of their way, left the more comfortable city roads and began bicycling through the countryside. This is back when my parents were young and I wasn't yet born. Technology in Danish farming was mostly nonexistent at this time, leaving very little time for my parents to talk to any missionaries. The tractor had only just begun showing its appearance and was in the beginning not very versatile and only available to a select few farmers. Much of the work was done either by hand or by horse. Many crops had to be weeded and thinned, simply by farmers working their way up and down row after row of crops, until every field was completed. This would make for strong but sore and aching backs. This was not an optional hobby for anyone, it had to be done in time or the losses could ruin the farmer.


Taking a look at the situation, the missionaries quickly understood that if time was a commodity, they would have to make time and give time in order to get time in return. They both grabbed some tools and soon stood shoulder to shoulder with my parents while showing both their worth and sincerity. These missionaries were both able and willing to share in other's burdens. This was no small token effort, they knew how to work and work they did, enough so that when they had saved my parents the time needed for them to stop and listen, they did. When enough time, teaching and listening had passed, my parents were baptized.


I am grateful that missionaries continue to serve for the same reasons as back then. It gives me hope and I find it impressive, that young men and women worldwide are giving up precious time to share what they believe in. It is not only young people serving on missions but regardless of age they all sacrifice their time unselfishly. This wonderfully inspired program changes everyone involved for the better. I am grateful to have served a full-time mission, that my good wife has served a full-time mission and that our sons have followed and are following our example serving full-time missions.


I am grateful that thanks to revelation, strong spiritual leaders, Godly doctrine and a lot of good people of faith, reverence and obedience, we have a missionary program with 52,483 missionaries (2010 Statistics) in 340 missions around the world and the church materials are translated into 166 languages.


There is far more cause for gratitude to be found: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints does not spend their efforts advertising the good they do around the world, it seems they have much better things to talk about. It is consequently a little known fact that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter'Day Saints has 8,583 Welfare Services Missionaries and Humanitarian Service Missionaries stationed around the world and that since 1985, more than 178 countries have benefitted with more than $ 1,3 Billion of humanitarian assistance from the welfare program of the church.


Indeed, I have much to be grateful for and I'm grateful that I am not the only one. If it wasn't for people believing that God still lives, if it wasn't for prophets, seers and apostles alive today, receiving revelation for all who will take some time and listen, I might never have heard about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, my children might not have so much to be grateful for and we might never have learned the value of gratitude.


Why then is gratitude so important? Most people understand that courteous and polite behavior includes gratitude. Upon receipt of a gift or favor, a pleasant exchange takes place confirming that this was well received and appreciated. When gratitude is turned to God it may take on a whole new dimension, depending on our scope of things. 


It may sound like kindergarten logic that giving thanks to God for the good in life means accrediting your blessings to God. But, this is not just a matter of saying "Thank you." It's about admitting that everything good in life has come from God.  He gave you the opportunity, ability and motivation, while you justified His trust in you with your efforts. Giving God the credit for all the good in your life can actually change your life for the better. 


Instead of thinking that you did everything all by yourself, express your gratitude to God. Be grateful that you could--and were able. Instead of thinking of yourself as more talented, able, stronger, harder working or luckier than others, give thanks to God that you have been given the means to help others find and develop their talents and strength that they too might succeed. 


There is a great deal of happiness found in seeing others benefitting and succeeding through your efforts. As you begin to make gratitude a regular part of your prayers, your outlook on life might soon follow and life's hurdles may not seem quite so obstructive. I have yet to learn a lot about right and wrong but I do know that recognizing the hand of of God in my life has made a difference for me.

That's Our Missionaries, All 53.000 of Them at Any Given Time

"Most successful men have not achieved their distinction by having some new talent or opportunity presented to them. They have developed the opportunity that was at hand."
-- Bruce Barton  

As young men in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints go and serve on missions, they are not leaving because they have nothing else to do. They are busy, active, socially well functioning and often successful young people. They leave all this behind to serve God on a two year mission. Why, because they have faith in God and something to share, something to do and they act on it. These are the successful young missionaries we hear about and these are the beginning testimonies that future generations of our church will be building upon. That's our missionaries, all 53.000 of them at any given time.  

Scriptures: Do We Value Them Enough?

On the the 400th anniversary of the King James translation of the Bible we might remind ourselves of its true value and humble beginnings. 

Every day of the year valuable time and thousands of dollars are spent by young people in the prime of their lives to share a message found in a few books known as scripture. 


People serving as missionaries make sacrifices that we all can become more aware the contents of these scriptures and make them a part of our lives. Lives, rights and freedom have been lost sharing or preserving our right to access these same books known as scripture. If we are not ready to make even a small sacrifice to preserve our access to, or maintain our knowledge of the scriptures, perhaps we are not sufficiently familiar with its contents?


We are a generation blessed with easy access to the scriptures but such privilege come with the risk of taking our treasured scriptures for granted. Are we justifying these great acts of sacrifice with an equal effort of knowing what's on the very pages, that people have died for?