Post # 183 -- The Savior’s Touch -- By Elder Walter F. González - Of the Seventy

Dear Family and Friends

I just returned from a short trip to Oklahoma City. I took one of my grandsons and my older granddaughter whom I live with along with me. This trip did not turn out the way that I had planned. I guess I did not do my research very well☹ 


Have you ever had something like this happen to you before? Where you worked hard to plan something and it goes along okay and everyone has a good time, but it still wasn’t what you had planned it to be☹

We got a late start and ended up getting to our hotel in the wee hours of the morning. 

Part of what made us later was having to be forty five minutes at a gas station because 

I was not able to figure out the gas pump and neither was the clerk and I ended up having to put more expensive gas in my car☹

 When we finally arrived they could not find our reservation☹ I was just about to give up and sleep in the car when the desk clerk says, ‘oh, here you are, but it says that you already checked out.” Obviously not true or I wouldn’t be standing here in front of you, right?

Okay so then he tells me that they do not have a room like the one I had requested☹ He tells me that he only has one room left in the entire hotel and he will give it to me for the same price as on our reservation, this part was great! We could and did make the new room work for us, but…

when we arrived in our new room☹ we found dirty sheets on the couch and no clean ones in the room. Yes, you guessed it. We had to go back down to the front desk to get bedding. 

He gave us the bedding rolled upon a quilt. When we got back to our room there was only a top sheet☹ No, we did not make another trip back down to the front desk☹ we made it work for us, but…

When making the bed my granddaughter bumped into the mini wall next to the refrigerator and it came loose, she thought it was a cupboard door come off its hinges. 

Well … it wasn’t☹ She was able to replace the board. Then I went to put the TV on, but it would not work! We were definitely batting a thousand!

Not that I wanted to watch television, but I like to turn it on for the noise of it to buffer anyone in the hallways of the hotel! My granddaughter ended up playing music on her phone while we slept! The bed I slept in was really was comfortable for me😊😊😊😊😊

I do not say this very often, if at all! even my own bed is uncomfortable for me to lay flat and sleep in. I don’t know if it was because I was so tired or if the bed was truly comfortable, because  I never am able to sleep flat without being in a lot of pain when I wake up the next morning, so this was good😊

We were able to find a Salvation Army and my granddaughter was able to find some VHS of her favorite Disney movies, so this was good too! We also found the local Walmart which made my grandson very happy. He learned all about window shopping and he was really okay with it.

I did buy them lunchables and top Ramen soup and some bubbles, though😊 The next night we stayed at a different hotel, which was nice, but the beds were uncomfortable for me☹

But the others seemed to sleep well enough. The problem was that we had to wait until 3pm in order to check in which put a damper on my plans, though I did not realize it at the time.

This reminds me of another trip I took. It was a time when I took my oldest granddaughter to the temple, which was great. I was planning on attending the temple as well. 

That trip did not work out so well for me either☹ We had other girls traveling with us during this trip as it was a youth temple trip. I had volunteered to be a driver because I had the room and I hadn’t been to the temple for quite a long while☹

 When we arrived at the temple, we were all excited to be going to the temple… but I couldn’t go in. I had forgotten my temple recommend so I spent the time walking around the temple grounds and writing in my notebook about how I was feeling☹ 

Even on the temple grounds you can feel the Spirit of the Lord is present. I sat for a while just basking in the beauty of my surroundings😊 Everything else went just fine. Our rooms were good, though I wasn’t able to get too much sleep☹ 

That has been kind of typical for me, especially since I hurt my knee falling through the porch and then again at work getting out of the van when I was driving route one day☹ After getting hurt while stepping down from  the van, I was in pain for almost 9 years☹

I was unable to sleep flat from that day forward up to this present date. Prior to that I couldn’t sleep on my back because of back problems☹

If I slept on my back I would need to have someone help me to get out of bed in the morning☹ My life is so sad, right? Oh, maybe we should get back to that temple trip😊

On our return trip everything was going along just fine. We were making good time heading home. The girls were all having fun just chatting about their experiences in the temple and of course… boys! 

I was driving along when the girls asked if we could stop to eat. I went off the next off ramp and there was road construction, so I had to turn around to go the way I needed to go.

We found a diner and had an enjoyable time together eating some dinner😊 when it was time to leave, we all got into the car and were on our way! No problems, I went through the road construction and right onto the highway. All is well, I didn’t forget anyone, and everyone had been fed and we were headed home… or so I believed…

Until I saw the sign that said Welcome to Colorado!!! Whoops☹ Oh, no! I couldn’t believe my eyes!! 

It appeared as though I had gotten myself really turned around in that little town and entered the highway and we were headed in the wrong direction. 

Nobody realized the mistake I had made until I saw the sign! Of course, there was no place to turn around for miles and miles☹

The girls were good sports about it. They laughed and laughed at me😊 when they got themselves calmed down they each phoned their parents to let them know that I would be dropping each one off at their home since it was my fault that they would be getting in later than expected☹ Finally I got everyone home where they belonged and we went home😊

Well, I am planning another trip and I hope that this time I do a better job of getting all of my facts straight and correct before I leave town😊 

I am also thinking that there is a more inexpensive way for us to eat while we are on the road for this next trip😊 

Oh my, I have been rambling today. I wanted to share this general conference talk with each of you. It is called ‘The Savior’s Touch”

As we come unto Him, God will come to our rescue, whether to heal us or to give us the strength to face any situation. I love this quote, don’t you?

Roughly 2,000 years ago, the Savior came down from the mountain after teaching the Beatitudes and other gospel principles. 

As He walked, He was approached by a man sick with leprosy. The man showed reverence and respect as he knelt before Christ, seeking relief from his affliction. 

His request was simple: “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.”

The Savior then extended His hand and, touching him, said, “I will; be thou clean.”¹

We learn here that our Savior always wants to bless us. 

Some blessings may come immediately, others may take longer, and some may even come after this life, but blessings will come in due time.

Much like the leper, we can find strength and comfort in this life by accepting His will and knowing that He wants to bless us. 

We can find the strength to face any challenge, to overcome temptations, and to understand and endure our difficult circumstances. Surely, in one of the most crushing moments of His life, the Savior’s strength to endure was deepened as He said to His Father, “Thy will be done.”²

The leper did not make his request in a pretentious or demanding manner. His words reveal a humble attitude, with high expectations but also with a sincere desire that the will of the Savior be done. 

This is an example of the attitude with which we should come unto Christ. 

We can come unto Christ with the certainty that His desire currently is and always will be the best for our mortal and eternal lives. He has an eternal perspective that we do not have. 

We must come unto Christ with a sincere desire that our will be swallowed up in the will of the Father, as His was.³ This will prepare us for eternal life.

It is very hard to imagine the physical and emotional suffering that weighed on the leper who came unto the Savior. Leprosy affects the nerves and skin, causing disfigurement and disability. Additionally, it led to great social stigma. Someone stricken with leprosy had to leave their loved ones and live isolated from society. 

Lepers were considered unclean, both physically and spiritually. For this reason, the law of Moses required that lepers wear torn clothing and call out, “Unclean!” as they walked.⁴ Sick and despised, lepers ended up living in abandoned houses or in the tombs.⁵ It is not hard to imagine that the leper who approached the Savior was broken.

Sometimes—in one way or another—we too can feel broken, whether due to our own actions or those of others, due to circumstances we can or cannot control. In such moments, we can place our will in His hands.

Some years ago, Zulma—my wife, my better half, my best part—received some difficult news just two weeks before the wedding of one of our children.

 She had a tumor in her parotid gland, and it was growing rapidly. Her face began swelling, and she was to immediately undergo a delicate operation. 

Many thoughts ran through her mind and weighed on her heart. Was the tumor malignant? How would her body recover?

 Would her face become paralyzed? How intense would the pain be? Would her face be permanently scarred? Would the tumor return once removed? Would she be able to attend the wedding of our son? As she lay in the operating room, she felt broken.

In that very important moment, the Spirit whispered to her that she had to accept the will of the Father. She then decided to place her trust in God. 

She strongly felt that whatever the result, His will would be the best for her. Soon she drifted into surgical sleep.

Later, she wrote poetically in her diary: “On the surgeon’s table I bowed before Thee, and surrendering to Thy will, I fell asleep. I knew I could trust Thee, knowing that nothing bad can come from Thee.”

Do you think that you would be able to bow to the will of the Lord if you were in the same situation or a similar one?

She found strength and comfort from surrendering her will to that of the Father. That day, God blessed her greatly.

Whatever our circumstances might be, we can exercise our faith to come unto Christ and find a God we can trust.

This is so very true. I was able to do this when I was diagnosed with my cancer.

 When you have stage 4 cancer or any cancer for that matter, you never know when your time will be done on this earth.  

At the time of my diagnosis I felt a calmness come over me and I knew that no matter what happened I knew it would be God’s will and I was okay with whatever He had planned for the rest of my life😊 

I wonder how old his son was when he wrote the following:

As one of my children, Gabriel, once wrote:

According to the prophet, God’s face is brighter than the sun

and His hair is whiter than snow

and His voice roars like the rushing of a river,

and next to Him man is nothing. …

I am crushed as I realize that even I am nothing.

And only then do I fumble my way to a god I can trust.

And only then do I discover the God I can trust.⁶

A God we can trust emboldens our hope. 
We can trust Him because He loves us and wants what is best for us in every circumstance.

The leper came forward because of the power of hope. The world gave him no solutions, not even comfort. 

Thus, the Savior’s simple touch must have felt like a caress unto his entire soul. We can only imagine the deep feelings of gratitude the leper must have had at the Savior’s touch, especially when he heard the words “I will; be thou clean.” 

The story states that “immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”⁷

We too can feel the touch of the Savior’s loving, healing hand.

What joy, hope, and gratefulness come to our souls in knowing that He wants to help us to be clean! As we come unto Him, God will come to our rescue, whether to heal us or to give us the strength to face any situation.

At any rate, accepting His will—not our own—will help us understand our circumstances. 

Nothing bad can come from God. He knows what is best for us. Perhaps He will not remove our burdens right away.

Sometimes He can make those burdens feel lighter, as He did with Alma and his people.⁸ 

Ultimately, because of covenants, the burdens will be lifted,⁹ either in this life or at the holy Resurrection.

A sincere desire that His will be done, along with an understanding of our Redeemer’s divine nature, helps us develop the kind of faith that the leper showed in order to be cleansed. 

Jesus Christ is a God of love, a God of hope, a God of healing, a God who wants to bless us and help us be clean. 

That is what He wanted before coming to this earth when He volunteered to rescue us when we fall into transgression. 

That is what He wanted in Gethsemane when He faced humanly incomprehensible pain during the agony of paying the price of sin. 

That is what He wants now when He pleads on our behalf before the Father.¹⁰ 

That is why His voice echoes still: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”¹¹

He can heal us and lift us up because He has the ability to do it. 

He took upon Himself all the pains of body and spirit so that His bowels would be filled with mercy in order to be able to help us in all things and to heal us and lift us up.¹² 

The words of Isaiah, as cited by Abinadi, put it beautifully and movingly:

“Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. …

“… He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”¹³

This same concept is taught in this poem:

 “O Carpenter of Nazareth,

 This heart, that’s broken past repair,

 This life, that’s shattered nigh to death,

 Oh, can You mend them, Carpenter?”

 And by His kind and ready hand,

 His own sweet life is woven through

 Our broken lives, until they stand

 A New Creation—“all things new.”

 “The shattered [substance] of [the] heart,

 Desire, ambition, hope, and faith,

 Mould Thou into the perfect part,

 O, Carpenter of Nazareth!”¹⁴

If you feel that in any way you are not clean, if you feel broken, please know that you can be made clean, you can be mended, because He loves you. Trust that nothing bad can come from Him.

Because He “descended below all things,”¹⁵ He makes it possible for all things that have been broken in our lives to be mended, and thus we can be reconciled with God. 

Through Him, all things are reconciled, both things that are on the earth and things that are in heaven, making “peace through the blood of his cross.”¹⁶

Let us come unto Christ, taking all necessary steps. As we do, may our attitude be one of saying, “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” If we do so, we can receive the Master’s healing touch, alongside the sweet echo of His voice: “I will; be thou clean.”

The Savior is a God we can trust. He is the Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah, of whom I testify in His holy name, even Jesus Christ, amen.

I just read the amen, then I realized that we are at the end of this conference talk from the October 2019 general conference. 

I hope and I pray that you too will set some goals so that you too can be like the leper asking the Savior “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” 

And hearing His response to each one of us the same as the leper “I will; be thou clean.”

I sure do hope, and I pray that you have each one been enlightened and lifted up in Spirit after reading this talk. I love the story about his wife and how she had faith and how she shared her struggle. 

Her journey through her will to accepting that of her [and each one of our] Heavenly Father’s will for her life. She is a wonderful example to me😊

Have I told you lately just how amazing each one of you are? Oh, has it been that long? 

Well, here it comes then… You are AMAZING!!! 😊😊😊😊 You are a child of God!! And don’t you forget it!! And don’t you let anyone else try to convince you otherwise because it simply is not true!!!

Let us each make a goal to do better, to be better, to do whatever is necessary so that we will be able to always choose the will of our Heavenly Father over our own!!! 

I know from personal experience that this can and is often times a challenge at best, but if it were easy would it really be worth it in the long run?

I have found from experience that yes, sometimes in life some good things are easy, but usually if your want something good that wi
ll last you will need to work hard for it. 

This feeling of calmness and peace in the face of what will eventually be my death sentence is worth every effort to attain😊

I see others at the cancer center and in town who struggle so through life’s trials and tribulations. 

I have family members who are struggling with situations in their lives that would be easier to bear if they could and would put their trust in and rely on their Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, who is our Savior😊

Remember that He paid the price for us, so that we will not have to! He willingly suffered more than mere man can bear except unto death. And He did this for each one of us. 

He loves us each that much!!! He willingly did this for each one of us individually and collectively. He only asks us to have faith in Him, to come, follow me!

He has even showed us the way! He has given us His great example to pattern our lives after😊 He knows us -- each one of us, personally! He knows our weaknesses and all of this has been taken into account. 

Through our Heavenly Father’s plan we can each one of us can return to live with Him and His Son, Jesus Christ, if we do our part and live our lives righteously.

Through His Atonement, Jesus Christ has prepared the way for us to make it through this life with His help. 

He went through so much for each one of us you know? We should at least learn about Him. Oh dear, I am going on again. Why didn’t you tell me that I was rambling on, so much?

Please remember your prayers each and every day. Please continue studying the Book of Mormon with me and all of our cyber study buddies out there in cyberspace😊 Until my next post, be sure that you at least consider what has been shared with you today ans don’t forget to make it a spectacular week😊