Good morning brothers and sisters, Please allow me to introduce myself.

If you don't already

know me. My name is Juan Carlos Martinez. I’m the 2nd counselor in the Elders Quorum. I’m

the proud father of 4 beautiful children. Although some of them are in their teenage years they

still find ways to surprise me, make me proud, and of course make me smile. I’ve been fortunate

enough to have celebrated 10 years of marriage this year to my incredible wife who is probably

one of the hardest workers I've ever met. Together we’ve managed to build a home for

ourselves here in Brantford, puppy, pool, truck and all. My youngest played baseball for the first

time this year. He definitely enjoyed hitting the ball. My little girl graduated from middle school

and is headed to highschool. My second oldest has learned the joys of hard work and a G2

drivers license. And last but not least. My oldest son is on his way to university in another

province to study the principles and laws of this great nation. How wonderful is my heavenly

father for blessing me with the life I've always wanted but never thought I could have or

deserve..

July 30th. The Year 2000, 22 years ago. The world was a different place. For those of you that

remember the world was in chaos. People thought this was the end. Computers were going to

shut down, planes were going to fall out of the sky. Other people thought it was the begining of

something new. I had just turned 18. The next few years would dictate who I would become,

who I would be. I, unfortunately, was looking for an exit, a way out. Not permanently, but more

so figuratively. Cause you see, I was in, I was the trend, the fashion, the face. I was cool. I didn't

have time for school, I didn't have time for family and most of all I didn't have time for God. The

years leading up to 18 were filled with sadness, anger and resentment. I grew up in a broken

home with an abusive stepfather who brought more sadness into my life than anyone since. I

don't talk about him much but there are scars to this day of things I went through and things I

witnessed. My parents finally divorced and my father left. There were 4 of us now. My brother

soon left for a mission. My mom took on multiple jobs to support us. Me and my sister had
become distant. This being my fault. I suddenly found myself free. Free to make my own

choices. Free to live my life as I saw fit. Free to sign any dotted line I came across. I wandered

the world with anger and resentment. Whole heartedly rebelling against my maker any chance I

got. No education, no aspirations and no skills to back up my big boy talk. I wanted to drown my

pain and depression with anything I could. But my heavenly father had other plans for me.

On October 1st 2003 3 year after my birthday my decisions and actions caught up with me. I

was now a father. My son had been born into a tumultuous relationship with no captain at the

helm. His fate was soon to follow my broken and uneven path. I was still a child with no

direction, no future. Thus began the saga of Juan Martinez. Why am I telling you all this?

Based on a small portion of someone's life it can be easy to condemn or exalt. No one's life can

be understood by one moment of pain or happiness. As nice as my life may have sounded at

the beginning of my introduction or as perfect as my life may seem to some of you now. I’m still

an imperfect person. I make mistakes everyday. The decisions in my life came with real

consequences and real blessings. “ So why the Story brother Martinez? Why tell me your

difficulties, when my life is either just as rough or worse?

In preparing for this talk I had to take a hard look at myself. And ask where did I start? Today I'd

like you to do the same with you. Where did you start? Where was your beginning? Good or

bad? How far have you come in this life to achieving your goals? How close have you come to

reaching true happiness? Are you truly happy?

Lehi taught his son Jacob “ Men are that they might have joy” Nephi, another son of Lehi sees

a vision of a tree that represents the love of God, which is “ the most desirable above all other

things and the most joyous to the soul” President Nelson has taught “ the Joy we feel has little

to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives” so i

ask all of you what is your focus?

Jesus Christ led a life dedicated to helping others. He helped the homeless, the unfortunate, the

mane, the sick. He raised the dead, calmed the seas and performed miracles all while

preaching love and forgiveness. He led a life of service for his fellow man without judgment. He

did something that took me a long time to understand. He took on the sins of the earth. If you

were to ever think that he doesn't understand you. He does. If you ever thought how could

Jesus know my struggles, my pains, my addictions. He does. That is why we can come to him,

because he will understand. He is our brother or saviour, our great mediator with the father. We

can learn so much from the scriptures about how our savior can help us mend the things that

are broken in our lives. He can heal broken relationships with God, broken relationships with

others and broken parts of ourselves. He knows our complete story and exactly how we've

suffered. He knows our capabilities and our vulnerabilities. He knows you personally. He knows

you by name. He is our shield!

Before becoming active in the church again I often looked at a picture of Jesus Christ that my

mom once showed me. In case you’d like to have a look for yourselves it's called Lost and

Found by Greg Olson. In the picture Jesus is sitting with a young man on a park bench. The boy

looks like he's speaking with Jesus while a nap sack and sleeping bag are ready and waiting for

the boy's next destination. Jesus is intently listening, smiling but ready to embrace this young

man in case the hurt becomes too much to speak.. Almost to the point where I can picture

Jesus’s arm extending and placing it on the boy’s shoulder. Letting him know that everything will

be alright and that he loves him so much.

It wasn't until preparing this talk that I have since seen another side to this picture. One where

the boy was lost but now ready to come home. Because of my older brother I am able to heal.

Because of his great sacrifice i am able to be forgiven

Christ was once presented with a woman who many claimed was an adulteress. According to

the law of Moses she was to be stoned. When asking Jesus what they must do Jesus

responded by saying “he that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” They

were of course dumbfounded by the response and soon were convicted by their own

conscience and did nothing and left. Jesus then asked the woman what had happened to her

accusers and if no one was to condemn her anymore? No,the woman responded. There was no

one. Jesus then said “neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more.” Another way to say go

and sin no more could be GO and Change. The saviour invites us to repent, to change our way

of thinking, to change our associations and to change how we feel about ourselves. I think thats

a big one. To change how we feel about ourselves. Now i’m not going to ask you to raise your

hands but who here has a hard time with how you feel about yourself? Or better yet forgiving

yourself? Christ's invitation to go forth and change can also allow us to go forth and heal. Jesus

Christ is the source of healing for all that is broken in our lives. He is most importantly the great

mediator and advocate with the father. Christ sanctifies and mends our relationship with our

father in heaven by allowing us mercy when Justice is required.

Justice, the eternal law of justice will be the measure against which we will settle our spiritual

account. If you can picture justice, we picture it holding a set of scales and blindfolded, impartial

or unsympathetic. There is no sympathy in Justice. Our lives will be weighed on the scales of

justice. The prophet alama from the book of mormon proclaimed “ Justice claimeth the creature

and executeth the law, and the law inflicted the punishment. If not so, the works of justice would

be destroyed and God would cease to be God.” In Shakespeare’s, the Merchant of Venice they

say. “In the course of Justice only, none of us should see salvation.” In the parable about a man

who wanted something so important to him that he would do anything to get it, we learn that his

desire to have this ”something” incurred a great debt. He was warned about that much debt and

his creditor who would demand payment at the end of his term. Foolishly the man decided to

sign the dotted line and pay later. The payment was still some time off and was never really
worried about it. Like all of us, the creditor was always in the back of his mind. He made

payments every now and again somehow thinking the day of reckoning would never really

come. But as always the day came and the debt was due. He had never fully paid the debt. His

creditor was demanding payment in full. That's when, the man realised that the creditor not only

had power to repossess all that he owned but also throw him in jail. The creditor demanded

payment. But the man was unable. The creditor explained the consequences of the contract and

all the things he had authority to do. The man asked for time or forgiveness hoping the creditor

would have mercy. Neither could be granted, mercy would only be beneficial to one side and

leave the debt unpaid. Justice needed to be served. There they were, one asking for justice and

another for mercy. Both laws could not be served, Two eternal laws that seem to contradict

each other. Is there a way for Justice to be served and Mercy to be granted also? Fortunately

the man had a friend who was willing to take on the debt because he knew and loved him

dearly. Although he thought his friend foolish and short sighted he agreed to help. His friend

offered to pay his debt in full knowing that by not doing so the creditor could potentially enact

justice. The creditor agreed, and a bargain was struck on the condition that the man would now

have his friend as the new creditor to show him mercy. The friend made it clear that the man

would pay the debt to him on terms he would set. He also said, it wouldn't be easy, but it would

be possible. He need not go to prison. So the creditor was paid in full. The contract was not

broken, mercy was extended. Both laws stood fulfilled, because there was a mediator. Justice

had claimed its full share and mercy was fully satisfied.

In order to grow spiritually one must understand the significance and meaning of this parable.

Boyd k Packer once said “This lesson is so valuable because there is a spiritual account, with a

balance kept and a settlement due that no one of us will escape” He goes on to quote 2nephi

2:7 “He offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who

have a broken heart and a contrite spirit and unto none else can the ends of the law be
answered” Every person ever born or yet to be born is the beneficiary of both the mediation and

the atonement of the savior. This forgiveness comes on the conditions of repentance and

personal righteousness. My wise older brother once said to me that he would sometimes think

of Jesus Christ's sacrifice in the garden of gethsemane and how incredible Jesus was to take

upon himself and bear our transgressions, our foolishness, our grief, our sorrows and our

burdens. The pain must have been excruciating, unbearable, unfathomable. The scriptures say

“His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” My brother couldn't

help but think how much pain he may have caused Jesus at that moment and how much he

may cause him in the future.

Brethren the debt is paid, he has stretched forth his arms in loving embrace. He invites us to

heal and be whole again. I too would invite each and everyone of you to focus and strengthen

your relationship with the savior. Open your hearts to his message of love and forgiveness that

he may be merciful and forgiving concerning our weaknesses. He is the one person I know I can

trust and understand who I am. I’d like to leave you you with a beautiful poem written by Eliza R

Snow

How great the wisdom and the love

That filled the courts on high

And sent the savior from above

To suffer, bleed and die!

His precious blood he freely spilt

His Life he freely gave,

A sinless sacrifice for guilt,

A dying world to save.

How great, How glorious, How complete,

Redemptions grand design,

Where justice, love and mercy meet

In harmony divine!

I say these things in the name of my saviour and redeemer Jesus Christ Amen