3 Nephi 9:13-14

This week's verses:

13 O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?

14 Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.

I like reviewing all the things in these verses that Jesus invites us to receive: healing, eternal life, mercy, Jesus himself. The question that occurs to me is why anyone would not want to receive those gifts. Thinking about one of my own experiences with healing helps me better appreciate the challenge of receiving the Savior.



I had a friend that I lived with for a couple of months. We didn't know each other well when we started being roommates, and we quickly saw how different we were. It became difficult to talk to each other, and as we worked together, our differences became more evident. We didn't really know how to talk through the challenges we had with one another and it mostly resulted in a lot of contention - arguing, yelling, silent treatment, etc. We really got to the point where we couldn't stand being in the same room with one another. Eventually, he moved away, and we didn't speak to each other for years.

During those years, I often thought about this friend and how much I disliked him. Just thinking about that time made me upset about the terrible time I had. There was also some sense of being a martyr; I had suffered because this friend had been so hard on me. 

These feelings of victimhood were not pleasant, but they shielded me from considering my part in our relationship. As long as I maintained I was right and the grieved party, I did not have to accept that I had fell short from being the kind of person I wanted to be - someone who can communicate with others, even through disagreements and ill-matching characters. 

So, for me, remembering this experience helps me see why I may not want to seek the Savior, repent, and seek healing. 

The rest of the story is that I eventually realized that more than anything else, I wanted to be like Jesus, and that after this life, when I stood before God, I wanted to know that I had treated His children with love. I also did not want those feelings of bitterness and upset anymore. I reached out to my friend after more than 10 years and sought his forgiveness which he freely gave. He is an excellent man with an amazing family that I have come to admire. The healing that Christ brings is so much better than the self-deceived, self-righteous angst I had before.

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