Garden of Gethsemane:

In the middle of the city, right next to the road, you can hear honks honking and people talking and laughing, and this is where the Garden of Gethsemane is found. You wouldn’t expect it to be like this. It’s not very big, and it’s just a gated area. The olive trees do look very old. There is a Church of All Nations Cathedral right next to it. I went with three other girls here. I went prayerfully, waning to experience what He wanted me to. Of course, this place was where the most important event of all Human history had occurred. Christ suffered here as the first part of the atonement. As a general authority describes it, he thinks of the Garden experience as “a long line of people,” that Christ saw our faces one by one as He atoned for our sins here.

We went into the chapel and ended up staying there longer than anticipated. There was a beautiful mosaic just inside with an angel coming to comfort Christ as He prayed. I was able to read in three of the four gospels about this incident. Christ was so kind, and asked the apostles not to “enter into temptation” so that they could support Him. As He performed the most powerful act for all of us, they slept. He had to ask them three times to stay with Him. They did not. And all He had to say afterwards was, “It is enough.” “It’s ok, I have done this for you. Here is my love.” I love seeing His character here. Soon after He was arrested on spurious charges, the mob not even understanding or realizing the great act He had just finished. For them.

On the sweaty hot walk home, I truly enjoyed my conversation with Rachel. We talked about Christ, and EFY, and what we had felt there. It made me so grateful.

As I left the garden, I felt a powerful peace. His atonement allows us to overcome the natural man. He literally saves us. We all have need for a Savoir. We are fallen. Through Him, we can repent and put our will in better alignment with His. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” According to Elder Bednar and the definition of “grace” in the Bible Dictionary, through Christ’s atonement, He understands what we are going through and with that knowledge can help us do and become more than we ever could if left to our own means. This is the Enabling Power. I have experienced this in my life as I have seen Him enable me to be a tool in His hands and overcome temptation.

Even though it was in the middle of the city and had a lot of distractions and tourists, that’s kind of how life is. It’s up to you to find your quiet times with the Lord and let Him help you to understand. If you just do the bare minimum, you won’t get the full experience. The Lord is always there, it’s just up to us to meet Him half way.