Word Count: 498

[Possible titles]
Overcoming a Fear of God
Learning to Come to Him
A God of Love, Not Wrath

Comment [JB1]: I like this title the best.

[Kicker] It took me a year to learn that God wants us to repent so that he can bless usnot to
punish us.
[Aricle] From April 2011 to the next year, I had traveled 450 miles, and crosseds a sea. But for

Comment [JB2]: Could you put the specific

month and year?

all the time that passed and distance traveled, I was in the same spiritual place.
I was a missionary in the Caribbean, and I had been out for six and eighteen months,
respectively. I was sitting in two chapels, one brand new, an example of modern Mormon
architecture and thoughtfulness. The other was full of particleboard paneling and falling ceiling
tiles, an example of years of faithful service by the pioneering members of a still-struggling
Comment [JB3]: Love these details.

branch.
It seemed as though I was living in an extended state of dj vu. I was listening to
General Conference and soaking in every word of the talks. I really was in the same place
spiritually at least. The six-month me listened to Elder D. Todd Christoffersons talk As Many
as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten, while eighteen-month me watched Elder Neil L. Andersen
deliver What Thinks Christ of Me?
These two talks are rather different in subject, but they both had the same effect on me. I
was had been carrying unnecessary burdens, burdens that, though they weighed on my soul, I
was had gotten good at hiding. But the key to the talks effect on me was that I was humbled,
prepared to change.

Comment [JB4]: Did the talks humble you,

or were you humbled by some other event?

Elder Christoffersons words rang true as he advised me to willingly . . . accept and

even seek correction. That was me! I was humble and ready to change, right? Little did I know
that the next step was to be chastened, rebuked, and persuaded to make a lasting change.
So I did; I unloaded this burden on my priesthood leadera loving servant who, under
the guidance of the Spirit, told me that the Lord would accept my willingness to change. But Im
sad to say that I retained at least some of the burden. I had not allowed myself to change, fearing
a vengeful and angry Gods wrath.
But I did not understand had not understood Elder Christoffersons address correctly.
God does ask us to be humble and repent, but Hhe does so with the promise that his everlasting
love will encircle us when we come unto hHim.
So a year passed, and the Lord had another plea ready for eighteen-month me. Elder
Andersen was the one to extend this call, using words I had read many times: Come unto me, all
ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)
This time I was ready to give my burden it all to the to the Savior. I was just as humble as
a year earlier, but I was now willing to submit myself to what I was sure would be swift
retribution upon my head. But I learned the most awe-inspiring lesson that day, one that seems so
simple now: God does not ask us to repent so that he can punish us, he does it so that he can love
us. I have to remind myself of this it every so often, but its stayed with me.
Read Elder Christoffersons talk, As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten, here.
Read Elder Andersens talk, What Thinks Christ of Me? here.

[Tags] D. Todd Christofferson, Neil L. Andersen, humility, repentance, love, atonement,

General Conference

Comment [JB5]: I think this should be

rephrased. Gods love is unconditional, so He
wouldnt need us to repent to love us. Maybe
something like He does it so that we can draw
closer to his love.
Comment [JB6]: I really like this story, but I
feel like this last statement could be a little
stronger. Really give us a strong sense of how
this experience affected your life.
Comment [JB7]: Can you make these a little
more exciting?

[SEO Keyword] repentance

[Text for meme] God does not ask us to repent so that he can punish us, he does it so that he can
love us.
or
We ought to rejoice that God considers us worth the time and trouble to correct. D. Todd
Christofferson

Comment [JB8]: Again, maybe rephrase

this.