Monday December 17, 2007

Lance Evanson
17 December, 2007
NT Journal #3

New Testament Journal #3

Monday, of the last week at the Jerusalem Center, was another full day field trip. We went to Bethany, Bethphage, Pater Noster Church, Dominus Flevit Church, and finished up in the upper room. The last two field trips that we went on were completely focused on the last week of the Savior’s life.
Reading the New Testament has always helped me to gain an appreciation for the Jesus’ life and all that He did for me and because it has helped me to gain that appreciation I have often strived to learn more about the important events in His life. Particularly the events of the last week of His life illustrate the key role of why He was here and what He did, thus visiting these sights has really helped me to visualize and better understand what sacrifice He made.
In Bethany Lazarus was raised from the dead, near Bethphage Jesus began his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and at Pater Noster He taught of the destruction of the temple and of His second coming to reign on earth. It was on the western slope of the Mount of Olives that Jesus sat and wept over Jerusalem, a sight marked by Dominus Flevit Church. Finally in the room of the Last supper He ate the Passover meal, introduced the sacrament, washed His apostles’ feet, and taught them about Love, the Holy Ghost, and the True vine. We went from place to place and spoke about each location and read the account of the events that happened from the scriptures. Each seemed to become more alive as we walked through the sights and saw with our mind’s eye those events from so many thousands of years ago.
When we finished at the upper room we were free to go on in our own directions through the city or back to the center. The group I traveled with went on through the city frantically finishing our final purchases. We then returned back to the center and finished out the evening in blissful quiet and peace— well in as much quiet and peace as eighty students allow one another while living such close quarters.
This semester has been abundant with spiritually enlightening and uplifting experiences and teachings; each experience was unique in and of itself, yet they all seemed to run together. Studying the teachings of the last week of the Savior’s mortal ministry, and visiting the physical sites gave me great comfort during these last days here in Jerusalem. I specifically point out a small portion of the feelings I had when we visited the garden tomb for the last time. The emphasis of the visit and tour was specifically to show that although Jesus laid down His life, He also took it up again. It is a great knowledge to understand the blessings of the atonement and resurrection. Visiting the tomb again reminded me that although I may have physical ailments and trials of body and spirit they may all come to an end because of Christ’s atonement.
I believe in Christ and in the powers of His atoning sacrifice and resurrection. I know that our Heavenly Father lives and loves us. I know that by it is by Christ’s mercy that we may obtain salvation and exaltation if we will be obedient to our covenants and to the commandments of God.