Day 10 – Pause to Help and Lift Another

“A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another”

We need to walk more resolutely and more charitably the path that Jesus has shown. We need to “pause to help and lift another” and surely we will find “strength beyond [our] own.”
If we would do more to learn “the healer’s art,” there would be untold chances to use it, to touch the “wounded and the weary” and show to all “a gentle[r] heart.” Yes, Lord, we should follow thee.

“A new commandment I give unto you,” he said, “That ye love one another; … By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:34–35.) This love that we should have for our brothers and sisters in the human family, and that Christ has for every one of us, is called charity or “the pure love of Christ.” (Moro. 7:47.) It is the love that prompted the suffering and sacrifice of Christ’s atonement. It is the highest pinnacle the human soul can reach and the deepest expression of the human heart. Howard W. Hunter, “A More Excellent Way,” Ensign, May 1992, 61

Do something to lift another today.

My ancestors’ experiences as handcart pioneers on Rocky Ridge in 1856 reminded me that we are not alone in our struggles.

My second great-grandmother Julia Hill and her sister Emily were baptized as teens in England, and then their parents, Thomas and Elizabeth Hill, disowned them. Nevertheless, Julia and Emily earned their own passage to America and sailed from Liverpool on the ship Thornton. Also on board this ship was Captain James G. Willey, who led the fourth handcart company west.

Once 23-year-old Julia and 20-year-old Emily arrived in Iowa, they joined the Willey handcart company. Early winter snowstorms caused everyone to suffer from hunger and exposure. On Rocky Ridge in Wyoming, many starved or froze to death. Those who survived were comforted in their suffering by their testimonies of Jesus Christ. But I believe what saved Julia and Emily, in addition to their testimonies, was their love for each other as sisters.

Drawing Strength

During one particularly difficult time for me, I prayed for understanding and had a dream about Julia and Emily. Their example of sisterhood lifted and encouraged me. Whether what I saw in my dream really happened exactly as I imagined does not matter to me. What does matter is the lesson I learned. I came to see clearly the parallel between it and my own struggle.

In my dream, I could see Julia and Emily stranded in the snow on the windy summit of Rocky Ridge with the rest of the Willey handcart company. They had no heavy clothing to keep them warm. Julia was sitting in the snow, shaking. She could not carry on. Emily, who was freezing as well, knew that if she did not help Julia stand up, Julia would die. As Emily wrapped her arms around her sister to help her up, Julia began to cry—but no tears came, only soft whimpering sounds. Together they walked slowly to their handcart. Thirteen died that terrible night. Julia and Emily survived.

We all have trials, but like Julia and Emily we needn’t perish on the windswept summit alone. Though we may feel abandoned, we are not. The Savior is near, and our brothers and sisters in the gospel are near as well. Perhaps we can even do as Emily did and lift another, even though we ourselves are suffering. When we do this, our brothers and sisters become as important as ourselves. We become sanctified—made clean and holy through our service. We become more like our Savior.

Julia and Emily understood this.

Day 9 - Making Righteous Choices

Do I strive to make my weaknesses become strengths? Do I think about the Savior when I have a choice to make? Will my decisions cause the Savior to suffer?
"you this day whom ye will serve... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15

Joshua 14:15
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD,choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Ezra Taft Benson, “In His Steps,” Ensign, Sep 1988, 2

In all ages prophets have looked down through the corridors of time to our day. Billions of the deceased and those yet to be born have their eyes on us. Make no mistake about it—this is a marked generation. There has never been more expected of the faithful in such a short period of time than there is of us. Never before on the face of this earth have the forces of evil and the forces of good been so well organized. Now is the great day of the devil’s power. But now is also the great day of the Lord’s power, with the greatest number of priesthood holders on the earth.
Each day the forces of evil and the forces of good enlist new recruits. Each day we personally make many decisions showing the cause we support. The final outcome is certain—the forces of righteousness will win. But what remains to be seen is where each of us personally, now and in the future, will stand in this battle—and how tall we will stand. Will we be true to our last days and fulfill our foreordained missions?

Great battles can make great heroes and heroines. We will never have a better opportunity to be valiant in a more crucial cause than in the battle we face today and in the immediate future. Some of the greatest battles we will face will be fought within the silent chambers of our own souls. David’s battles in the field against the foe were not as critical as David’s battles in the palace against a lustful eye.

Each of us has his or her own battlefield. The tactics which the enemy will use against us will vary from time to time. He will seek to exploit our weak spots, so we must be alert to the devil’s devious designs—the subtle sins and clever compromises as well as the obvious offenses.
We must remember that the devil seeks to make all men miserable like unto himself. We must also remember that the Lord loves us and seeks for us the fulness of joy which He enjoys. We must choose whom we will serve.

Christ lived on earth and was subject to all manner of temptation, but He won every battle. He is the most successful warrior that ever walked the earth, and He wants to help us win every battle, be it personal or public. When we fall short, His atonement will compensate for us on condition of our repentance.

Jesus knows His kingdom will triumph, and He wants us to triumph with it. He knows in advance every strategy the enemy will use against us and the kingdom. He knows our weaknesses and He knows our strengths. By personal revelation, we may discover some of our strengths through careful and prayerful study of our patriarchal blessing. In prayer we can ask Him to reveal to us our weaknesses so that we can amend our lives. The Lord has promised:
“If men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. … if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.” (Ether 12:27.)

Day 8 - Setting a Good Example

Do I do the right things for the right reasons? Do I set a righteous example for others? Do I believe that Heavenly Father is watching over me and knows what I do?

Col 1:10 - That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God

The Power of Example, Tambuli, Apr. 1982, By President N. Eldon Tanner

The example we set before the world will determine, in large measure, whether we gain friends or enemies. It is most important that each of us live according to the standards of the Church, adhering to the precepts of the gospel and keeping the commandments of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, which have been so well defined for us.

It is always impressive to read the stirring stories of what can be accomplished through the power of good example. I recently read a story which I would like to repeat. A nonmember relates that about ten years ago he was assistant manager of a discount store where they hired 16-18 year old students to work the night shift. He stated:

I don't remember how I hired the first Mormon girl, who was about 16 or 17, and I don't even remember her name. But I'll never forget her example. She was unusually honest, dependable and neat and clean, yet those words can't fully describe her the way I'd like. Compared to other kids, she was really noticeable.

Soon he hired one of her friends and found that she, too, was an exemplary employee. Both were friendly and helpful in their attitudes towards other employees and the customers.

Pretty soon I tried to hire any more of their Mormon friends that I could find. Individually and collectively, they were the best people I ever had work for me, he said. Never was there a single occasion when any of them disappointed me or proved to be untrustworthy. They were the finest employees and fellow workers than anyone could want.

One night he wanted a pizza for dinner but was unable to leave the store, so one of the Mormon girls went to get it for him. When she returned he found she had been in a minor accident. He offered to pay for the damages to her car because she was on his errand, but she refused, saying it was her responsibility. He said: I didn't think many young people that age would have that kind of character and I've never forgotten it.

This man recently met some LDS missionaries through his son, has had some of the discussions, and has attended some meetings. AAI have found that the things I admired in those girls 10 years ago are also found among the Mormon adults I have met, he said. AAI like their emphasis on the family and they seem to me like the happiest group of people I have ever met.
How wonderful it would be if all of us could make that kind of impression on those with whom we come in contact! Another recent article about a conversion carried this headline: Example Is Vital Conversion Factor. We hear many stories of conversions through the example of some of our members, but think of the impact if we all were having so as to influence others by our example.

We are fortunate to have the gospel of Jesus Christ and to understand what it can mean to us as we prepare ourselves here to live forever in the presence of God. The world does not understand the meaning of eternal life; we have the opportunity and responsibility, therefore, to teach all nations this glorious principle.

Day 7- Keep My Commandments

In the spring we often see kites flying freely in the air. At first you assume the kite string is holding the kite down and as you hold the string you can feel the kite tugging to be set free. You imagine that if you let go of the string, the kite would soar off into the atmosphere. But in reality if you let go of the string, what happens to the kite? It plummets to the earth.

The commandments are like the kite string. They appear to others to be holding us down, keeping us from soaring, when in reality it is our obedience to the commandments that allow us to reach our highest potential as sons and daughters of Heavenly Father.

1 Nephi 2:20 - And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands.

Do I keep the commandments and do I realize they are given to us by a loving Father in Heaven who wants the best for us?

Look Both Ways
by Janet G. Lee

From an address delivered at Brigham Young University on September 15, 1992.

You can just close your eyes and rush across the road. But what if you do it when a car is coming?

Janet G. Lee, ALook Both Ways, New Era, Feb. 1994, 46

My four-year-old niece Mollie was playing at her grandmother's house one day when she asked if she could cross the street to visit a favorite aunt. Mollie was cautioned to look carefully both ways before crossing. Always an inquisitive child, she questioned this procedure, so her grandmother replied, You could easily get hit by a car, and I love you so much I don't want anything to happen to you.

Before long Mollie was back. You lied to me! You said I would get hit by a car if I didn't look both ways. Well, I closed my eyes and ran over and back and a car didn't hit me!

Just as a loving grandmother cautioned a four-year-old child to look both ways before crossing a street, a loving Father in Heaven has given us detailed instructions to ensure our happiness and safe arrival at our ultimate destination. Yet we often question the consequences, or think we can get away with taking chances, so we close our eyes to some of God's commandments and cross the street of life. At such times it appears that we might not get hurt if we obey only some of God's laws. But the Lord has said, 'Keep my commandments.' He didn't say, 'Look this list over and pick out what you think applies,' or Try to work on part of these some of the time.' His instructions were simple, yet direct and unqualified 'Keep my commandments'.

Day 6 - Hold to the Rod

What does ‘Hold to the Iron Rod’ mean to me?

How does the word of God lead to the joy and happiness that come from partaking of the tree of life?

If the Savior came today, would I be worthy to kneel at his feet?

By faithfully holding fast to the word of God, we are led to a fullness of joy.

Although the young man in the story is much younger than many of us, the story has good insight into this subject. Read the scriptures that the story references.

Tears of frustration filled my eyes, so I couldn’t make sense of the words I had been reading.

“And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward,” read the verses I was studying for seminary. “And they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree” (1 Ne. 8:24).

I was 14 and struggling. I didn’t have many friends. Those I had were beginning to experiment with alcohol, tobacco, pornography, and immoral behavior. The pressure to participate was growing daily. I was struggling to stand up for my beliefs. I was struggling to find friends. I could understand why temptation was called “mists of darkness” (1 Ne. 12:17). I felt blind to the light of the Spirit.

I was trying to do what was right, doing my best to follow “the path which led to the tree” (1 Ne. 8:22). But I could relate to those people “who had commenced in the path” but were lost because of the “mist of darkness.” I felt like I had “wandered off and [was] lost” too (1 Ne. 8:23).

I rarely cried. But that night in my room, as I read those verses, I couldn’t keep the tears from spilling out. I really felt lost, and I wasn’t sure what to do. I wanted a solid metal handrail right there by my bed that I could grab on to and follow back to heaven.

My seminary teacher had said the rod of iron symbolizes the word of God in the scriptures and given through the prophets today. But I couldn’t hold on to a symbol. I shut my scriptures and poured my heart into prayer: “Father, where is my iron rod?”

The question stuck in my head for days. Then one night, like Lehi, I “dreamed a dream” (1 Ne. 8:2).

In my dream I was on my stomach on the seminary classroom floor. Something behind me held my legs so tightly that I couldn’t get free, and it was slowly pulling me backwards. Terror smashed me so I could hardly breathe. I was too scared to look back, but I knew I was being dragged into a darkness that would mean more than death. It meant spiritual destruction.
I looked around desperately for anything I could grab on to. It was then that I saw in front of me the Book of Mormon resting on a chair. Somehow I knew that if I could just make it to the book, I would be safe.

I woke up halfway between safety and destruction. I knew I had to go one way or the other.
Suddenly, I was more interested in the Book of Mormon. But while the dream was my wake-up call to read the Book of Mormon, it was the actual reading that changed my life. The Lord blessed me for being obedient. I found spiritual strength in the face of temptations. I found confidence to break ties with my old friends and reassurance that I was better off by myself until my prayers to find better friends were answered.

Most important, I could feel the Spirit when I read the Book of Mormon. I could feel the love of God. It felt so good I never wanted to put the book down. I had found my iron rod.
Soon after, tears again blurred the words I was reading. But this time they were tears of joy as I read Nephi’s promise to his brothers.

“And they said unto me: What meaneth the rod of iron which our father saw, that led to the tree?
“And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction” (1 Ne. 15:23–34).

Day 5 - The Fruits of Your Labors

Do not be discouraged. Be longsuffering, joyous and of good cheer.

Do I have the spirit of love, joy, peace and longsuffering? They shall know you by your desires and works.

Alma 36:25
25 - Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruitof my labors;

Galations 5:22
22 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,23 - Meekness, temperance; against such there is no law

Proverbs 8:19
19 - My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver

1 Nephi 8:10
10 - And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy.

1 Nephi 11:21-22
21 - And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?22 - And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which shedddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.

D&C 18:38
38 - And by their desires and their works you shall know them.

Heber J. Grant's Testimony

I know that God lives, I know that Jesus is the Christ, I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, I know that the Gospel tree is alive, that it is growing, that the fruits of the Gospel growing upon the tree are good. I have reached out my hand, and have plucked the fruits of the Gospel, I have eaten of them and they are sweet, yea, above all that is sweet. That is the inspiration that comes to every Latter-day Saint who realizes the force of this Gospel that we have espoused. It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the plan of life and salvation. God lives; Jesus is the Christ, and He is the chief corner stone of this great work He is directing it, and He will continue to direct it.

Heber J. Grant

Day 4 - Be Ye Fishers of Men

Matthew 4:19

l9 - And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Pray for a missionary experience.

Mark 1:17

l7 - And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

Read the following quotes and scriptures and ponder on these things as you go about your day today. Have a beautiful day.

Spencer W. Kimball said-"No person who has been converted to the gospel should shirk his responsibility to teach the truth to others. This is our privilege. This is our duty. This is a command from the Lord."

Heber J. Grant said- The best way in the world to show our love for our neighbor is to go forth and proclaim the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ."

D&C 4:4 -

For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul

Luke 5:1-11

1 - "And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,

2 - And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.

3 - And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the peple out of the ship.

4 - Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

5 - And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

6 - And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.

7 - And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

8 - When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

9 - For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:

10 - And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

11 - And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.
The 'fishers of men' are covering the earth with the gospel net in search of the faithful. Joseph Smith said- 'We ought to have the building up of Zion as our greatest object.'

Day 3-Obedience

Day 3 - Obedience - Be Obedient and Be Blessed - What manner of men (or women) ought ye to be?

Missionaries quickly learn that the reward for obedience is the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit. With that companionship a missionary cannot fail. So, it is with us as we strive to do what is right – we will always have the companionship of the Holy Ghost to guide us.

Romans 5:19
For as by one man=s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

D&C 130:21 When we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated

Listen closely for the still small voice today to guide you where ere you should go. Read this story to give your more insight on obedience.

R. Conrad Schultz, “Faith Obedience,” Ensign, May 2002, 29

In this world in which we live, things are not always what they appear to be. We sometimes are unaware of the powerful forces pulling on us. Appearances can be very deceptive.

A few years ago I had an experience with deceptive appearances where the results could have been tragic. My wife’s cousin and family were visiting us from Utah. It was a calm summer day on the Oregon coast, and we were fishing in the ocean. It was pleasant, and we were having a good time catching salmon, when for some reason I turned around to see a huge eight-foot wave bearing down upon us. I only had time to shout a warning before the wave hit us broadside. Somehow the boat stayed upright, but Gary, our cousin, was thrown overboard. We were all wearing life jackets and with some difficulty maneuvered the boat, half filled with water, to where he was floating and pulled him aboard.

We had been hit by what is called a sneaker wave. It doesn’t happen often, and there is no way to predict an occurrence. Later we found that up and down the Oregon-Washington coast, five people had drowned that day in three separate boating accidents. All were caused by the same sneaker wave, which for no apparent reason had welled up off the ocean surface. At the time we went out over the bar, the ocean was flat and calm and gave no sign of any danger. But the ocean turned out to be very deceptive and not at all what it appeared to be.

As we make our way through this life’s journey, we must continually be on guard and watch for those things which are deceptive and not what they appear to be. If we are not careful, the sneaker waves in life can be as deadly as those in the ocean.

One of the sneaky ploys of the adversary is to have us believe that unquestioning obedience to the principles and commandments of God is blind obedience. His goal is to have us believe that we should be following our own worldly ways and selfish ambitions. This he does by persuading us that “blindly” following the prophets and obeying the commandments is not thinking for ourselves. He teaches that it is not intelligent to do something just because we are told to do so by a living prophet or by prophets who speak to us from the scriptures.

Our unquestioning obedience to the Lord’s commandments is not blind obedience. President Boyd K. Packer in the April conference of 1983 taught us about this: “Latter-day Saints are not obedient because they are compelled to be obedient. They are obedient because they know certain spiritual truths and have decided, as an expression of their own individual agency, to obey the commandments of God. … We are not obedient because we are blind, we are obedient because we can see” (“Agency and Control,” Ensign, May 1983, 66).

Day 2-Prayer

Ere you left your room this morning, did you think to pray?

If you pray why worry and if you worry why pray.

Work as if it is all up to you and pray like it is all up to the Lord.

Sometimes, we have to P.U.S.H. a little harder. Read the following story to see how prayer and trusting in the Lord will make things happen.

The Rock / P.U.S.H.
A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light and the Savior appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. This the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing it with all his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore, and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain. Noticing that the man was showing signs of discouragement, the adversary decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the man's weary mind. "You have been pushing against this rock for a long time, And it hasn't budged. Why kill yourself over this? You are never going to move it." Thus giving the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These troubled thoughts discouraged and dishearten the man. "Why kill myself over this?" I'll just put in my time, giving just the minimum effort and that will be good enough. And that is what he planned to do until one day he decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his thoughts to the Lord. "Lord" he said, "I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even been able to budge that rock. What is wrong? Why am I failing?" The Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, When I asked you to serve me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so?"

"Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure, and your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. Yet you haven't moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in my wisdom. This you have done. I, my friend, will now move the rock."

At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is simple obedience and Faith in Him... By all means exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God who moves mountains.

P.U.S.H. ! When everything seems to get you down or go wrong, ...Just P.U.S.H.! When people don't react the way you think they should, ... Just P.U.S.H.! P.U.S.H.----- PRAY UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS!!!!!!!!!

God can reveal to us our talents and our strengths so that we will know what we can build upon. Be assured that in all our righteous endeavors, we can say, as did Paul: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philip. 4:13.)

Also be assured, as Paul said further, that there will be no temptation befall us but what is common to man: but God will, with each temptation, provide a way to escape. (See 1 Cor. 10:13.)

Welcome and Day 1-Faith

Welcome to the Astoria Ward Relief Society Blog!

Today is Day 1 in our 14 Day walk with Christ. We'll be using this space to share our experiences as we ponder and reflect each day upon a different aspect of His gospel. Please feel free to leave your own comments as you feel prompted to do so.

Day 1-Faith

D&C 14:7
And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God."

I am a Child of a loving Father in Heaven. Trust in him and have faith. He will never lead us astray.


Peace Be unto You

(John 20:19-29)


In the evening of the day Jesus was resurrected, His disciples met together in a room with the doors shut tightly against the Jews whom they feared. Suddenly, Jesus was standing in their midst. The apostles were startled and perhaps a little frightened, for they supposed they were seeing only a spirit.

To ease their alarm, Jesus spoke to them saying, Peace be unto you, and then to help them know that it was really He, Jesus showed them the mark of the soldier's spear in His side and the nail prints in His hands and feet where He had hung on the cross.

Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so I send you.

And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.

One of the apostles, Thomas, called Didymus, was not present when Jesus appeared to the others. When he was told of the Savior's visit he would not believe his brethren. However, eight days later Thomas was meeting with the disciples behind closed doors when, without warning, Jesus again appeared before them in the room. And again He allayed their fears by saying, Peace be unto you.

Then, knowing of Thomas's doubts, He said to that disciple, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

Thomas realized now that all that he had been told was true and answered, My Lord and My God.

Then with a mild reprimand, the Savior told Thomas what the difference is between belief and a true faith:

Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Gone is the sting of death. The grave is robbed of its victory.

He was the master of life and death, the man of miracles. It was He who made the blind to see, the lame to walk, the dead to live.