Brad Wilcox - Changed through His Grace

2017 Bradley Ray Wilcox and Deborah G. Gunnell Wilcox Family Trust

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher, Deseret Book Company, at permissions@deseretbook.com or P. O. Box 30178, Salt Lake City, Utah 84130. This work is not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The views expressed herein are the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the position of the Church or of Deseret Book Company.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Wilcox, Brad, author.

Title: Changed through his grace / Brad Wilcox.

Description: Salt Lake City, Utah : Deseret Book, [2017] | Includes bibliographical references.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016043270 | ISBN 9781629722863 (hardbound : alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: AtonementThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. | Grace (Theology) | Jesus ChristMormon interpretations. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsDoctrines. | Mormon ChurchDoctrines.

Classification: LCC BX8643.A85 W548 2017 | DDC 234dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016043270

Printed in the United States of America

Publishers Printing, Salt Lake City, Utah

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Cover painting, He Anointed the Eyes of the Blind Man , by Walter Rane. Used by permission.

Design: Shauna Gibby

Book design Deseret Book Company

To Matt and Natalie Burt

and a moment on the Sea of Galilee Ill never forget.

Peace, peace, be still.

( Hymns , no. 105)

Acknowledgments

I express appreciation to Joseph Smith, who allowed us all to more fully understand and enjoy the Lords grace and gifts renewed in latter days ( Hymns, no. 167). Like him, I, too, am a lover of the cause of Christ.

Thanks to Lisa Roper at Deseret Book who believed in this project and gave me a deadline. This book would never have been written without her consistent encouragement and help. I am indebted to my wife, Debi, and our family: Wendee and Gian Rosborough, Russell and Trish Wilcox, Whitney and Landon Laycock, and David Wilcox. How I love them! They are always my earliest and best sounding boards and editors, along with being the brightest lights in my life. Brett Sanders, who may as well be family, selflessly read early drafts and suggested important changes. His understanding of doctrine, talent as a writer, and deep love for the Savior make his feedback and friendship invaluable.

Special thanks to Tyler Rostedt and his parents, Bill and Leanne, for letting me share their story, as well as to Brent and Lori Rich, who were going through their own battle with cancer at the same time they opened their hearts and home to the Rostedts. Thanks as well to Stephen and McKenna Dutcher for permitting me to share their personal journey. I am convinced our chance meeting was not at all by chance. I also appreciate Mitch Kawai and will forever be thankful for his courage and positive choices. These wonderful friends inspire me, and I am thankful for their examples and trust.

I am grateful to Amy White, with whom I once spoke at Womens Conference on the topic of grace. I have included portions of our talk in this book. Thanks to Sheamus Kelly, Mark Richins, Spencer and Angela Olsen, Kenzie Shoemaker, Matthew C. Godfrey, Garrit Van Dyk, and Sara L. Allen. Additionally, thanks to Mallory Albrecht, Kolby Hales, Kim Hathorn, Alan Sackett, Jon Hill, Matthew Merrill, and Bret and Fiona Ostler for their doctrinal insights. As always, the team at Deseret Book has been amazing: Laurel Day, Tracy Keck, Emily Watts, Shauna Gibby, and Malina Grigg. Finally, thanks to Cody Sanders, who keeps me exercising. It is one thing to write about change and another to live it. Her support and friendship make it easier.

Note

. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2007), 352.

The Grace He Proffers Us

Have you been changed by grace? This is the question I asked several years ago when I was invited to give a Brigham Young University devotional address. It became a life-changing question for Brad McNary, his wife Rachel, and their five children.

Recently, Brad wrote me this e-mail: A couple years ago the seams that held the fabric of our family together were splitting apart. My relationship with Rachel was broken and we were losing our oldest daughter. Everywhere I turned the outlook was grim and I was terrified. I felt the bottom was about to fall out of my life. At that low point, two LDS missionaries arrived. Brad and his family began attending church. He recalled, I had been raised as an evangelical so I appreciated how closely the LDS Church aligned with the description of Christs Church in the New Testament, but I worried because I didnt hear much said about grace.

Brad asked the missionaries, Do Mormons believe in grace? The elders assured him that we do and provided some materials to study, including that BYU devotional. Brad wrote, Your question, Have you been changed by grace? really made me consider for the first time how I was responding to Gods grace. It made me think about my life and placed me on a path toward humility and repentance for major obstaclessins that surely would have ruined our family.

The McNarys were baptized on July 26, 2014, and sealed a year later. In Brads e-mail, he wrote, My wife and I are closer than ever. Our oldest daughter is happier and making better choices. We are now an eternal family and serving faithfully in the Church. We have been changed through His grace.

On the cover of this book is Walter Ranes beautiful depiction of Christ healing the blind man (see John 9:17). I love how the painting shows this man turning toward Christ, but I love even more how Christ is reaching out toward the man. This is how the Savior reaches out to all of us.

The full extent of His reach is clearly demonstrated in the text of a favorite hymn: I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me, confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me ( Hymns , no. 193). The word confused can mean perplexed and disoriented, but it can also mean overwhelmed. Indeed, we should feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of Christs grace. Proffers is more than a synonym for offers . Adding the prefix pro to offers indicates that instead of simply extending a gift to someone, the giver takes initiative to proactively place the gift before the receiver.

Think of the emblems of the sacrament. They are not simply offered to the congregation. Latter-day Saints dont approach the front of the chapel to take them. Rather, the bread and water are proffered to usliterally placed before each of us individually, even when we are late and standing in the foyer (and dont ask me how I know that). This teaches us much about how lovingly the gift of grace is given.

Nevertheless, in Doctrine and Covenants 88:33 we read, For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift. We stand all amazed at the grace Jesus proffers us, but He must stand a little amazed Himself at how many are unwilling to receive His selfless gift. The emblems of the sacrament simply sit in trays when we refuse to accept and internalize them.