Monday December 10, 2007

Danny Sorenson
Professor Victor Ludlow
Rel. 311
12-10-07
On the tenth we went to the Christian Section on a field trip to the Terra Sancta, Church of the Holy Sepulchur, and to the Church of the Redeemer. One of the main points that I got from Brother Ludlow was that while there are some divisions within the Christian community, there is always one thing that unites us, the devotion to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It was amazing to think about that statement, because it truly showed me that while we may have different beliefs than other people, that in reality we are much closer to each other than we expect. That point was then reiterated to me, as we then went to the Church of St. Mark’s with the alternative site of the Upper Room. Our tour guide was this really kind, older lady from Iraq who told us all about the history of the church. But the main thing that she kept talking about was that, “We have a great God, who loves us.” She just kept saying that, and she talked about an experience where she was able to speak to a man who only spoke Hebrew, she certainly believed it and considered it a miracle. It really struck me then, that God really does love all of his children, and has even set up a method for people who have not received the Gospel in this life to obtain the blessings of the Gospel vicariously through us. Later that night we had our last class with Brother Huntington where we found that the people who had gone to the Temple Mount had not been able to get on and that we ourselves would not be able to go inside.
My highlight for the New Testament period was almost certainly our visit to the small chapel in Nain. It was just a small, humble chapel maintained by an Arab family; however, it commemorates an event that was never small or insignificant. I can only imagine the mother of that child, and I have to assume that she would have become a faithful follower of her Savior. It was a great example of the love that Jesus Christ has for each of us, and it reminded me of the peace, and warmth, and comfort that can come into our lives through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.