Being Touched by the Savior

 Being Touched by the Savior

My mother passed away on August 21, 2014, on her 64^th wedding anniversary.  After arriving home from the funeral I felt a sadness at being separated not only from my mother but from all my siblings and my father... for I live a long ways from many of them.  It was such a wonderful feeling of love when we were all together working on the plans for our dear mother’s funeral.  One particular day I felt a need to call one of my sisters to talk.  In our conversation she said something to me that left an impression on my mind...

a seed was planted.

That very next Sunday during the sacrament my mind went back to that comment by my dear sister.  She had told me how she had felt a desire to touch the Savior just as those who had lived during his lifetime had, and so for a year she went on a quest to learn how she could touch the Savior.  

She read stories about his life, studying those accounts of others who were privileged to touch the Savior, and her heart yearned for that experience someday herself.  Then she said one day as she was partaking of the sacrament, she heard the words come into her mind,

                           “Now you have touched the Savior”.  

She realized how true that was. 

As long as she was worthy,

each time she partook of the sacrament,

 she was touching the Savior 

and being cleansed from it.

The following Sunday as I was partaking of the sacrament, I pondered that thought from my sister and suddenly....
                              I felt the Holy Ghost begin to teach me.  

The story of the woman being healed by the Savior just merely by touching his garment came into my mind. (Matthew 9:20-22) 

She had been sick for twelve years seeking help from many physicians to no avail.  But when she heard about Jesus and the miracles he was performing, she just knew he could heal her.  There were so many people always surrounding Jesus and so she said within herself, 

“If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole (healed)."  

I realized that this woman had enough faith in who Jesus was and the power or light that was in him.  She knew that she only needed to touch him to receive his healing light.  

As the story goes she did touch the hem of his garment as he passed by and when she did He felt it.  He felt a portion of His power, His light leave him and he turned around to see who had touched him.  When he saw her, he could tell who had received a portion of his light and he said to her, 

“Daughter be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole.” 

And she was healed from that hour.  

This is a beautiful story about faith, but also about the power or light that comes from the Savior that does heal...... that does strengthen our mortal bodies and makes us whole in so many ways.

I continued to search for other accounts of healing and was led to another story that is found in Matthew 14:35-36.  

This account is mentioned right after the experience of Peter walking on the water.  I had never remembered this part of the story because my mind was always drawn to the experience of Peter and the faith he had to walk on water. But as I began to read further, I found that this ship he was on eventually landed into the land of Gennesaret. 

"And when the men of that place had knowledge of him,”   

which means they recognized him because of his light and the Holy Ghost bore witness of this to them, or they had seen him before and heard of the great miracles he had performed, 

“they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased; and they besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.”

As I read that story I sensed how much faith those people had in Jesus Christ.  I realized that they had probably bore their illnesses, their trials and adversities for a very long time.  These had humbled them and when they saw and learned what Jesus Christ could do and who he was, they only had to touch the hem of his garment to be healed. 

As I came to understand this, I realized that for me, 

each time I partake of the sacrament.....

        as the bread touches my lips, as the water trickles down my throat, 

I am touching the Savior.

The sacramental prayers remind me of this, especially these parts, 

“….to bless and sanctify this bread or water to the souls of all those who partake or drink of it…”  

As that prayer is said over the bread and water they are made holy, they have been consecrated and purified… 
                              “to the souls of all who partake of it.”  

That thought is so powerful to me and has helped me to understand more that sacred ordinance that I have the blessing to participate in every week.  For every week I can touch the Savior and be made holy and purified.

Another part of the prayer that reminds me of this truth is...

“….that they may eat in remembrance of the Body of thy Son...”.  And “…..that they may do it in remembrance of the Blood of thy Son…” 

The final part of the prayer,“….that they may always have his Spirit to be with them,” is truly a beautiful promise. 

 I can have his spirit with me, which has always meant that I could have the Holy Ghost to guide and prompt me; but I can also have His light, the light of Christ, which can heal me from my sins and my sorrows and make me whole.

I realized that that is truly a wonderful gift of the spirit to be healed and made whole.  But to receive this gift of the spirit there is a commandment I must follow.  It is found in Mormon 9:29, 

“…see that ye partake not of the sacrament of Christ unworthily, but see that ye do all things in worthiness, and do it in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God; and if ye do this, and endure to the end, ye will in nowise be cast out.” 

       This is the secret -- to be worthy. 

That is a truth that I remember being taught from my youth.  But it has been a life long journey to understand more deeply what that means and what it can do for me.  I know that to receive any spiritual gift from God I need to be worthy in every respect. 

To touch the Savior  is a spiritual gift.   What does that mean?  For me that means repenting of my sins no matter how small they seem to be.  It means, if I have offended any, knowingly or unknowingly, I must apologize and repent before I am truly worthy.  I must come to the sacrament table with a broken heart and a contrite spirit.  I have found that the Holy Ghost will bring to my remembrance things that I need to repent of if I am humbly asking for that knowledge.

In Brother John Groberg's conference address, he said, 
"We must do our part and cry with full fervor of soul, “Father, forgive me through the merits of thy Beloved Son as I partake of these emblems of his broken body and spilt blood for me. Please, Father, through him, forgive me! Help me to do better.”

That very next week, I approached the sacrament being prepared spiritually and feeling worthy. I was excited for this special experience, for I knew what I had desired of the Savior would be realized in that moment as I partook of the sacrament.  I wanted to experience the healing and the cleansing power that I knew he had promised would come to me as I partook of the sacrament.  

My heart began to beat rapidly and I felt a great sob wanting to escape my body as I sang the sacrament song and listened intently to the sacrament prayers.  Before I knew it, there was the deacon at our row holding out the sacrament tray.  Reverently I partook of the bread, closed my eyes and felt the Light of Christ course through my body healing and purifying it.  It was a truly remarkable experience for me that day, one that has forever changed my life and my understanding of the Power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ in my life.

I testify that you too can experience the cleansing and healing power associated with partaking of the sacrament worthily.  For each Sunday we all have the privilege of touching the Savior.  I invite you to study more in depth the sacramental prayers, the stories of others being healed by merely touching the Savior and to learn how the atonement of Jesus Christ can heal you and make you whole.  Share with us your experiences and insights that have come to you as  you continue to do as Alma taught, “experiment on the words of Christ.”  (Alma 34:4)

I encourage you to prepare yourself each week to partake of the sacrament by becoming worthy to 

                                             touch the Savior.... 

           

Additional reading: 

Esplin, Cheryl A. “The Sacrament—a Renewal for the Soul,” Oct 2014

Hamula, James J. "The Sacrament and the Atonement," Oct 2014

John H Groberg "The Beauty and the Importance of the Sacrament," April 1989