The Love of Christ

Today, I had my "final" for my religion class. Really, we just met and sang a few songs, then had thoughts shared to us by about 10 students in the class, and then our professor.

Nearing the end of our final time, my professor was wrapping up the discussion and he said that he was actually really impressed by the newly married couples in our class. He proceeded to point out and name the married couples in the class, another couple of girls who were married, and then was like, "and Felicia, you've only been married a few weeks" and then kept talking. Anyway he was impressed by the way we talked about the temple and about our marriages. It made me happy inside that I was grouped into that group :)

So then he asked us if he had ever told us the story of this friend of his (I can't remember his name). He hadn't, so he then began to tell us the story.

His friend was called to be a mission president somewhere in the Midwest. As many people feel when they get a new calling, he felt really unqualified to be a mission president. He felt kinda weird about it, and felt like he wasn't good enough to be there. I'm not sure how long after, but President Uchtdorf came to speak to them for part of an area mission presidents' seminar. This mission president thought he would get an answer when President Uchtdorf was speaking, but nothing came. He kind of had the feeling that he was going to be released that day. 

Then President Uchtdorf wanted everyone that was there to go to the temple, to go to a session together. The whole time, this Mission President still didn't really feel like he had an answer, and still felt inadequate and like he shouldn't be a mission president. In the celestial room, President Uchtdorf greeted every mission president with a hug. When this mission president got there, he was greeted with a huge, warm hug (not a wimpy hug). Cheek to cheek, President Uchtdorf whispered in his ear, "I love you". Immediately, he felt an outpouring of love from the Savior and was just overwhelmed and so touched.

Because of that experience, he decided he would do that with his missionaries, right before they went home. There was one particular elder who had given this mission president a lot of grief. The elder just really struggled, and the mission president would work with him, and work with him, and work with him. The elder would promise to try harder, but he would just end up back working with the mission president.

Finally, this elder's two years were up. They were all going through the temple, and the mission president was worried. He wasn't sure if he would be able to sincerely say, "I love you" to this elder. The elder finally made it to the celestial room, and the mission president embraced him. The elder then started sobbing, and just whispered "thank you" over and over for extending mercy towards him and for always working with him. The mission president then felt the same outpouring of love, going through him, towards this elder.

Then he realized: we are all "that elder". We're not perfect, and we make mistakes. We're constantly coming back to the Savior asking for forgiveness. One day, he will greet us, embrace us, and whisper, "I love you". His arms of love and mercy are always extended towards us.

I was absolutely touched by this story. As I was sitting there in class, I felt an outpouring of love, from my Savior, towards me. I'm so grateful for the knowledge that I have. And I am SO grateful for the love that our Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ, has for me and for each one of us.