“I testify that Jesus Christ is relief. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we may be relieved of the burden and consequences of sin and be succored in our infirmities.” (Camille N. Johnson, April 2023 General Conference)
This message really stood out to me last week. It reminded me, once again, to turn to Jesus Christ for help and strength. But how does He relieve our burdens? Sometimes our problems and challenges seem overwhelming, or even impossible to overcome. This scripture in Jesus’ words helps explain how He can relieve our burdens and succor us:
“Come onto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28-30
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
I have often wondered what it really means to take His yoke upon us. One thing that really stood out to me this last time is that we take Christ’s yoke upon us, not the other way around. But what does that mean? In Sister Johnson’s talk, she explains:
“That the yoke is easy and the burden is light presumes we get in the yoke with the Savior, that we share our burden with Him, that we let Him lift our load.”
At least part of what it means to “take my yoke upon you” then is to share our burdens with the Savior—to allow Him to help us carry them. We do this through prayer, asking, and sometimes pleading, for God’s help. We can ask that through the atonement of Jesus Christ, we will receive the help, strength, comfort, and guidance that we need. I have seen the miracle that these prayers bring many times in my life. By allowing Him to help carry our burdens, He strengthens and helps us! How can anything be more of a “win, win”?!
How is taking His yoke upon us related to learning of Him? I believe that as we allow Him to help carry our burdens, we are opening ourselves to His influence—learning of Him and from Him. He teaches us to be more “meek and lowly in heart,” as He is. The scripture footnotes I found for these words were “gentle,” “humble,” and “contrite heart.” Perhaps the Savior can help us handle our challenging situations with not only more strength, but also with more humility, kindness, and patience. I believe that as we try to walk with Him, the lessons He teaches us are very individual, tailored to us personally. And Christ can give us an increase of faith in Him and a brightness of hope amid our sometimes-challenging life journeys.
A few years ago, I had an experience that helped me understand this scripture in Matthew 11 a lot better. As I was praying one morning with some heavy concerns on my mind, I was able to visualize what it means to take the Savior’s yoke upon us. I could visualize myself sitting there with my bag of burdens, which felt too heavy and overwhelming. I visualized the Savior approaching me and asking if He could help. I agreed and allowed Him to begin putting each “burden” in a cart, which would be pulled with a yoke. As He lifted each burden for me, I literally began to feel relief. With some of the “burdens,” I could picture Him asking me if I wanted to keep carrying them or if I wanted to leave them behind. It was a reminder to me that there are many things I no longer need to carry, and that with His help, I could let go of them! Picturing myself getting in a yoke with the Savior helped me understand how He could help me, and it literally made my burdens feel lighter!
Sister Johnson also shared this: “Our beloved prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, invited us to overcome the world and find rest. He defined ‘true rest’ as ‘relief and peace.’ President Nelson said, ‘Because the Savior, through His infinite Atonement, redeemed each of us from weakness, mistakes, and sin, and because He experienced every pain, worry, and burden you have ever had, then as you truly repent and seek His help, you can rise above this present precarious world.’ That is the relief Jesus Christ offers us!”
I know from experience that Christ can give us this kind of relief!