Becoming a Christian means becoming a follower of Jesus Christ, which means literally, to take upon us His name. This is a promise we make, and one that we renew each time we partake of the sacrament. And since my thoughts are so frequently centered on my Savior, I sometimes take little moments to stop and weigh in on just how well I am representing Him; I wonder if I am truly living as if I have taken His name upon me, and I can tell you without question or hesitation, many times the answer is definitely NO. That truth disappoints me greatly. However, if I never failed in my attempt to be what Christ would have me be, there would have been no need for Him to atone for me, and that is just something I CANNOT imagine!
Of late, my mind has been revisiting the Savior's great intercessory prayer in chapter 17 in the book of John. Each time I read it, I am awed all over again by His love for His disciples, which includes all of us. The prayer is painfully-beautiful and beyond description because of how much love went into it. His pleas in behalf of those who believed in and followed Him must have even brought the Father to tears. The Lord was about to take upon Himself the sins of every soul who ever lived and ever would live, yet here He was, pouring His very heart into pleas for those who love Him. It makes me emotional just imagining it!
9-10 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
Can we say that we are truly His, in mind, heart, body, and spirit?
14-18 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
Can you not feel the power of those words? To be a true Christian is to be a true follower of Christ, which means doing our best to emulate Him in every area of our lives. We should be willing to stand up for Him, to testify of Him by word and example no matter where we are, and in the process, be prepared to be hated, because that kind of sacrifice is always a part of the sanctification process. Many will not want to hear our words, many will shun us and give us their backs. But that is okay. As long as we endure in the Lord, we will rise above it, thereby being in the world but not of it. And truthfully, to be a follower of Christ in these the last days, we absolutely CANNOT be of the world!
Yes, this is all a tall order, I know. But it can be done. Do you know why? Because the Savior said it could. Don't believe me? Read His intercessory prayer for His disciples (all of His true followers) in full. And no, we won't be perfect and get everything right, but then, neither did the disciples of old when He was here with them.
But the Lord prepared them for hard times just as He is preparing us. And He atoned to cover what we can't.
There is no greater love than that.
This country has officially passed the point of no return, and it is pretty saddening to witness the 
