"Would you sell your soul for a nickel?"

Lesson taught by: Jeanine M.

Elder Robert C. Gay tells a story of going to the movies with his allowance, buying a ticket for 25 cents and having enough money to also buy 5 candy bars.  After he turned 12, the price of the ticket went up. He decided he looked the same as he did when he was eleven so he paid for a 25 cent ticket and still had enough for his usual amount of candy bars.  After arriving home, instead of his father being pleased with him, he posed the question,

“Would you sell your soul for a nickel?”

This question is very similar to the one Christ asked his disciples shortly after they were asked to take up the cross and follow him. He asks them, 

“what shall a man give in exchange for 

his soul?"

As we recall the events leading up to His crucifixion, the disciples deny Him and Judas Iscariot even betrays Him.

How many of us claim to love the Savior and have a testimony that He is our Redeemer and yet we compromise and justify our actions.  Elder Gay said, “As we consider the nickel...exchanges in our lives, we can either self-justify our actions, like Cain, or look to submit to the will of God.”

King Lamoni’s father was taught by Aaron and was willing to forsake all he had so he could taste of the joy and hope of the atonement.  It is sweet to feel the connection to heaven and receive this healing power.

President Eyring spoke about the times when we feel disconnected to God.  He said, “God is never hidden, yet sometimes we are, covered by a pavilion of motivations that draw us away from God and make Him see distant and inaccessible.  Our own desires, rather than a feeling of “Thy will be done,” create the feeling of a pavilion blocking God.”

What are the things in our lives that create pavilions? Like the extra candy bars at the movies, are they worth hanging onto in exchange for our souls?

We can rid ourselves of pavilions blocking us from God by having faith that the atonement is real and that God is truly there.  We can have a desire to know and do His will.  

Patience is closely tied to having faith.  Having faith in God’s timetable as well as his plan for us requires patience and humility to accept His will.