Toby And Her Rock

     I’m going to win!!! Said my younger sister Toby. Last summer Toby went on a youth trek to experience what the pioneers had gone though traveling from Illinois, to Missouri, to Nebraska, though Wyoming and then finally to Utah. the youth spent a few days walking part of this long enduring trek with little to eat as the pioneers did (sometimes just a biscuit for lunch) but along the way as they were becoming tired they were given a rock (about the size of a football or softball) to carry along their way. The rock represented sin, they could get rid of the rock by going to the bishop (an office in the church, he can’t forgive sins but can help you get though the repentance process). Sins are lifted from us as we turn to the Lord and ask for forgiveness. Mosiah 26:29 says

Therefore I say unto you, Go; and whosoever transgresseth against me, him shall ye judge according to the sins which he has committed; and if he confess his sins before thee and me, and repenteth in the sincerity of his heart, him shall ye forgive, and I will forgive him also.

Toby kept hold of her rock while everyone else went and got rid of theirs by going to the bishop, her friends told Toby "go get rid of your rock!!", "why are you holding on to it??". "I'm going To Win!!!" she replies. "Win what??" they ask. After a long time of growing weak form caring the rock and unable to carry it any further she went to the bishop, he took it the rock, and threw it off to the side. Toby stood their puzzled, learning the she didn’t need to carry it the whole way but could have got rid of it immediately. Sometimes in our lives we carry "rocks" but as we turn to Christ we can get those "rocks" thrown to the side. Don’t let any sin drag you down, He is forever there for us and He can lift any burden from us, if we truly want to be better. He is the light and life of the world, His arms forever extended towards us and we can continually feel strong as we look to Him.