 |
| First Session of General Conference 2014 |
Elder
Boyd K. Packer: Jesus Christ is the resurrected Christ.
We worship and recognize Him for the pain He suffered for us
collectively and for the pain He endured for each of us individually,
both in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross. He bore all with
great humility and with an eternal understanding of His divine role
and purpose. Had
He not accomplished the Atonement, there would be no redemption. It
would be a difficult world to live in if we could never be forgiven
for our mistakes, if we could never purify ourselves and move on.
The
mercy and grace of Jesus Christ are not limited to those who commit
sins either of commission or omission, but they encompass the promise
of everlasting peace to all who will accept and follow Him and His
teachings. His mercy is the mighty healer, even to the wounded
innocent.
...
no matter how large the organization of the Church becomes or how
many millions of members join our ranks, no matter how many
continents and countries our missionaries enter or how many different
languages we speak, the true success of the gospel of Jesus Christ
will be measured by the spiritual strength of its individual members.
We need the strength of conviction that is found in the heart of
every loyal disciple of Christ.
We
need to seek out those who have strayed and assist them to return to
the fold. We need everyone’s wisdom and insight and spiritual
strength. Each member of this Church as an individual is a critical
element of the body of the Church.
He
presides over this Church. He is no stranger to His servants. As we
move into the future with quiet confidence, His Spirit will be with
us. There is no end to His power to bless and direct the lives of
those who seek truth and righteousness.
Elder
Lynn G. Robbins:
While
it certainly takes courage to face perils, the true badge of courage
is overcoming the fear of men. For example, Daniel’s prayers helped
him face lions, but what made him lionhearted was defying King Darius
(see Daniel 6).
That kind of courage is a gift of the Spirit to the God-fearing
who have said their prayers. Queen Esther’s prayers also gave her
that same courage to confront her husband, King Ahasuerus, knowing
that she risked her life in doing so (see Esther
4:8–16).
Courage
is not just one of the cardinal virtues, but as C. S. Lewis
observed: “Courage
is … the form of every virtue at the testing point. … Pilate
was merciful till it became risky.”1
King Herod was sorrowful at the request to behead John the Baptist
but wanted to please “them which sat with him at meat” (Matthew
14:9).
King Noah was ready to free Abinadi until peer pressure from his
wicked priests caused him to waver (see Mosiah
17:11–12).
King Saul disobeyed the word of the Lord by keeping the spoils of war
because he “feared the people, and obeyed their voice” (1 Samuel
15:24).
To appease rebellious Israel at the foot of Mount Sinai, Aaron
crafted a golden calf, forgetting which way he faced (see Exodus 32).
Many of the New Testament chief rulers “believed on [the Lord]; but
because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should
be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more
than the praise of God” (John
12:42–43).
The scriptures are full of such examples.
Sister
Cheryl A. Esplin: The
sacrament becomes a spiritually strengthening experience when we
listen to the sacrament prayers and recommit to our covenants. To do
this, we must be willing to take upon us the name of Jesus
Christ.2Speaking
of this promise, President Henry B. Eyring taught: “That means
we must see ourselves as His. We will put Him first in our lives. We
will want what He wants rather than what we want or what the world
teaches us to want.”3
.........(story
of YW who tries and feels failure when she repeatedly makes the same
mistake weekly) One Sunday after her self-evaluation, she began to
feel gloomy and pessimistic. She could see that she was making the
same errors over and over again, week to week. But then she had a
distinct impression that she was neglecting a big part of the
Atonement—Christ’s enabling power. She was forgetting all the
times the Savior helped her be who she needed to be and serve beyond
her own capacity.
Aaronic
Priesthood holders represent the Savior when they prepare, bless, and
pass the sacrament. As a priesthood holder extends his arm to offer
us the sacred emblems, it is as if the Savior Himself were extending
His arm of mercy, inviting each one of us to partake of the precious
gifts of love made available through His atoning sacrifice.
Elder
Sam Wong:
“When
Jesus saw their faith”
(emphasis added). I had not noticed this in the past—their faith.
Our combined faith will also affect the well-being of others.
Elder
D. Todd Christofferson: God
will not ... make us something we do not choose by our actions to
become. Truly He loves us, and because He loves us, He neither
compels nor abandons us. Rather He helps and guides us.
Through
the Atonement of Jesus Christ and His grace, our failures to live the
celestial law perfectly and consistently in mortality can be erased
and we are enabled to develop a Christlike character. Justice
demands, however, that none of this happen without our willing
agreement and participation. It has ever been so. Our very presence
on earth as physical beings is the consequence of a choice each of us
made to participate in our Father’s plan.9 Thus,
salvation is certainly not the result of divine whim, but neither
does it happen by divine will alone.10
It
is the requirement of and the opportunity for repentance that permits
mercy to perform its labor without trampling justice
Christ
died not to save indiscriminately but to offer repentance. ... So by
making repentance a condition for receiving the gift of grace, God
enables us to retain responsibility for ourselves. Repentance
respects and sustains our moral agency: “And thus mercy can satisfy
the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety,
while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the
whole law of the demands of justice;.”20
Resenting
the law of gravity won’t keep a person from falling if he steps off
a cliff. The same is true for eternal law and justice. Freedom comes
not from resisting it but from applying it.
We
must defend accountability against persons and programs that would
(sometimes with the best of intentions) make us dependent. And we
must defend it against our own inclinations to avoid the work that is
required to cultivate talents, abilities, and Christlike character.
...we
do not need to achieve some minimum level of capacity or goodness
before God will help—divine aid can be ours every hour of every
day, no matter where we are in the path of obedience.
My
plea is simply to take responsibility and go to work so that there is
something for God to help us with
Elder
Dieter F. Uchtdorf:
The
Everlasting and Almighty God, the Creator of this vast universe, will
speak to those who approach Him with a sincere heart and real intent.
He will speak to them in dreams, visions,
thoughts, and feelings.
If
any man will do [God’s] will, he shall know of the doctrine,
whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.”10 In
other words, when you are trying to verify the truth of gospel
principles, you must first live them. Put gospel doctrine and Church
teachings to the test in your own life. Do it with real intent and
enduring faith in God
In
other words, if you want to recognize spiritual truth, you have to
use the right instruments. You can’t come to an understanding of
spiritual truth with instruments that are unable to detect it.
By
the same token, if we remove ourselves from the light of the gospel,
our own light begins to dim—not in a day or a week but gradually
over time—until we look back and can’t quite understand why we
had ever believed the gospel was true. Our previous knowledge might
even seem foolish to us because what once was so clear has again
become blurred, hazy, and distant.
The
Church is a home for all to come together, regardless of the depth or
the height of our testimony. I know of no sign on the doors of our
meetinghouses that says, “Your testimony must be this tall to
enter.”
It
is my testimony that this spiritual light is within the reach of
every child of God. It will enlighten your mind and bring healing to
your heart and joy to your days. My dear friends, please do not delay
the moment to seek and strengthen your own personal testimony of
God’s divine work, even the work of light and truth.
Elder
Dallin H. Oaks:
The
Savior did not limit His warning against contention to those who were
not keeping the commandment about baptism. He forbade contention by
anyone. Even those who keep the commandments must not stir up the
hearts of men to contend with anger. The “father of contention”
is the devil; the Savior is the Prince of Peace.
Loving-kindness
is required, but a follower of Christ—just like the Master—will
be firm in the truth.
Less
grievous behaviors, even though unacceptable to some believers, may
simply need to be endured if legalized by what a Book of Mormon
prophet called “the voice of the people” (Mosiah 29:26). On the
subject of public discourse, we should all follow the gospel
teachings to love our neighbor and avoid contention. Followers of
Christ should be examples of civility. We should love all people, be
good listeners, and show concern for their sincere beliefs. Though we
may disagree, we should not be disagreeable. Our stands and
communications on controversial topics should not be contentious. We
should be wise in explaining and pursuing our positions and in
exercising our influence. In doing so, we ask that others not be
offended by our sincere religious beliefs and the free exercise of
our religion. We encourage all of us to practice the Savior’s
Golden Rule: “Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye
even so to them” (Matthew 7:12). When our positions do not prevail,
we should accept unfavorable results graciously and practice civility
with our adversaries. In any event, we should be persons of goodwill
toward all, rejecting persecution of any kind, including persecution
based on race, ethnicity, religious belief or nonbelief, and
differences in sexual orientation.
We
challenge all youth to avoid bullying, insults, or language and
practices that deliberately inflict pain on others. All of these
violate the Savior’s command to love one another.
As
difficult as it is, to live in the turmoil around us, our Savior's
commandment to love others as He loves us is probably our greatest
challenge.
Elder
Neil L. Anderson: Opposition against the things of God sends seekers of
truth to their knees for answers.8
“Studying
the Church … through the eyes of its defectors,” Elder Neal A.
Maxwell once said, is “like interviewing Judas to understand Jesus.
Defectors always tell us more about themselves than about that from
which they have departed.
Each
believer needs a spiritual confirmation of the divine mission and
character of the Prophet Joseph Smith. This is true for every
generation. Spiritual questions deserve spiritual answers from God.
The
negative commentary about the Prophet Joseph Smith will increase as
we move toward the Second Coming of the Savior. The half-truths and
subtle deceptions will not diminish. There will be family
members and friends who will need your help. Now is the time to
adjust your own spiritual oxygen mask so that you are prepared to
help others who are seeking the truth.21
A
testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith can come differently to each of
us. It may come as you kneel in prayer, asking God to confirm that he
was a true prophet. It may come as you read the Prophet’s account
of the First Vision. A testimony may distill upon your soul as you
read
the Book of Mormon
again and again. It may come as you bear your own testimony of the
Prophet or as you stand in the temple and realize that through Joseph
Smith the holy sealing power was restored to the earth.22
With faith and real intent, your testimony of the Prophet Joseph
Smith will strengthen. The constant water balloon volleys from the
sidelines may occasionally get you wet, but they need never, never
extinguish your burning fire of faith.
Elder
Ted R. Callister: When all is said and done, the home is the
ideal forum for teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Teach them their
divine nature.
One
of the most meaningful things we can do as parents is teach our
children the power of prayer, not just the routine of prayer.
As
parents, we can teach our children to pray for things of eternal
consequence—to pray for the strength to be morally clean in a very
challenging world, to be obedient, and to have the courage to stand
for the right.
We
might all ask ourselves: do our children receive our best spiritual,
intellectual, and creative efforts, or do they receive our leftover
time and talents, after we have given our all to our Church calling
or professional pursuits?
Elder
Jorg Klingbat: On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your
spiritual confidence before God? Do you have a personal witness that
your current offering as a Latter-day Saint is sufficient to inherit
eternal life? Can you say within yourself that Heavenly Father is
pleased with you? What thoughts come to mind if you had a personal
interview with your Savior one minute from now? Would sins, regrets,
and shortcomings dominate your self-image, or would you simply
experience joyful anticipation? Would you meet or avoid His gaze?
Would you linger by the door or confidently walk up to Him? Whenever
the adversary cannot persuade imperfect yet striving Saints such as
you to abandon your belief in a personal and loving God, he employs a
vicious campaign to put as much distance as possible between you and
God. The adversary knows that faith in Christ—the kind of faith
that produces a steady stream of tender mercies and even mighty
miracles—goes hand in hand with a personal confidence that you are
striving to choose the right.
6
practical points of advice:
- Take responsibility for your own spiritual well-being.
- Take responsibility for your own physical well-being.
- Embrace voluntary, wholehearted obedience as part of your life.
- Become really, really good at repenting thoroughly and quickly.
- Become really, really good at forgiving.
- Accept trials, setbacks, and “surprises” as part of your mortal experience.
Brothers
and sisters, my counsel to this sister missionary is my counsel to
you: acknowledge and face your weaknesses, but don’t be immobilized
by them, because some of them will be your companions until you
depart this earth life. No matter what your current status, the very
moment you voluntarily choose honest, joyful, daily repentance by
striving to simply do and be your very best, the Savior’s Atonement
envelops and follows you, as it were, wherever you go. Living in this
manner, you can truly “always retain a remission of your sins”
(Mosiah 4:12) every hour of every day, every second of every minute,
and thus be fully clean and acceptable before God all the time. Yours
is the privilege, if you want it, to come to know for yourself, today
or soon, that you are pleasing God in spite of your shortcomings.
Elder
Eduardo Gavarret: The Lord invites us using various verbs: “Come
unto me,” “Follow me,” “Walk with me.” In each case it is
not a passive invitation; it is an invitation to act.
“Come
unto me,” “Follow me,” and “Walk with me” are invitations
containing inherent power—for those who accept them—to transform
your life and generate a change within you that will lead you to say,
“[I] have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good
continually.
Elder
Jeffrey Holland: In what would be the most startling moment of
His early ministry, Jesus stood up in His home synagogue in Nazareth
and read these words prophesied by Isaiah and recorded in the Gospel
of Luke: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath
anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal
the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and … set
at liberty them that are bruised."
Thus
the Savior made the first public announcement of His messianic
ministry. But this verse also made clear that on the way to His
ultimate atoning sacrifice and Resurrection, Jesus’s first and
foremost messianic duty would be to bless the poor, including the
poor in spirit. From the beginning of His ministry, Jesus loved the
impoverished and the disadvantaged in an extraordinary way. He was
born into the home of two of them and grew up among many more of
them. We don’t know all the details of His temporal life, but He
once said, “Foxes have holes, and … birds … have nests; but the
Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” Apparently the Creator
of heaven and earth “and all things that in them are” was, at
least in His adult life, homeless.
Given
the monumental challenge of addressing inequity in the world, what
can one man or woman do? The Master Himself offered an answer. When,
prior to His betrayal and Crucifixion, Mary anointed Jesus’s head
with an expensive burial ointment, Judas Iscariot protested this
extravagance and “murmured against her.”Jesus said: “Why
trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work. … “She hath done
what she could.”
King
Benjamin says we obtain a remission of our sins by pleading to God,
who compassionately responds, but we retain a remission of our sins
by compassionately responding to the poor who plead to us.
I
don’t know exactly how each of you should fulfill your obligation
to those who do not or cannot always help themselves. But I know that
God knows, and He will help you and guide you in compassionate acts
of discipleship if you are conscientiously wanting and praying and
looking for ways to keep a commandment He has given us again and
again.
Elder
L. Tom Perry: That old enemy of all mankind has found as many
devices as he can think of to scatter tares far and wide. He has
found ways to have them penetrate even the sanctity of our own homes.
The wicked and worldly ways have become so widespread there seems to
be no real way of weeding them out. They come by wire and through the
air into the very devices we have developed to educate and entertain
us. The wheat and the tares have grown close together. A steward
managing the field must, with all his or her power, nourish that
which is good and make it so strong and beautiful the tares will have
no appeal either to the eye or the ear. How blessed are we as members
of the Lord’s Church to have the precious gospel of our Lord and
Savior as a foundation on which we can build our lives.
We
certainly have been warned of events that we will be facing in our
day. Our challenge will be how we prepare for the events the Lord has
said are surely still to come. Many
in our worried society understand that the disintegration of
the family will
bring only sorrow and hopelessness into a troubled world. As members
of the Church, we have the responsibility to preserve and protect the
family as the basic unit of society and eternity. The prophets have
warned and forewarned about the inevitable and destructive
consequence of a deterioration of family
values.
As
the world continues to watch us, let us be certain that our example
will sustain and support the plan the Lord has designed for His
children here in mortality. The greatest teaching of all must be done
by righteous example. Our homes must be holy places in order to stand
against the pressures of the world. Remember that the greatest of all
the blessings of the Lord come through and are given to righteous
families.
Women
who make a house a home make a far greater contribution to society
than those who command large armies or stand at the head of
impressive corporations. Who can put a price tag on the influence a
mother has on her children, a grandmother on her posterity, or aunts
and sisters on their extended family?
A
successful parent should never be too busy to capture a moment in a
child’s life when an important lesson can be taught.
Elder
Quentin L. Cook:
As Brother Randall L. Ridd poignantly taught at the last general conference, speaking of the Internet, “You can get caught up in endless loops of triviality that waste your time and degrade your potential.”9
When we rationalize wrong choices, big or small, which are inconsistent with the restored gospel, we lose the blessings and protections we need and often become ensnared in sin or simply lose our way.
Many choices are not inherently evil, but if they absorb all of our time and keep us from the best choices, then they become insidious.
This life is the time to prepare to meet God.22 We are a happy, joyous people. We appreciate a good sense of humor and treasure unstructured time with friends and family. But we need to recognize that there is a seriousness of purpose that must undergird our approach to life and all our choices. Distractions and rationalizations that limit progress are harmful enough, but when they diminish faith in Jesus Christ and His Church,
they are tragic.
Elder
Craig C. Christensen: Do you see in Joseph’s experience a
pattern you could apply in gaining or strengthening your own
testimony? Joseph allowed the scriptures to penetrate his heart. He
pondered them deeply and applied them to his own situation. He then
acted on what he had learned. The result was the glorious First
Vision—and everything that came after it. This Church quite
literally was founded on the principle that anyone—including a
14-year-old farm boy—can “ask of God” and receive an answer to
his prayers.
Some
people speak of a testimony as if it were a light switch—it’s
either on or off; you either have a testimony, or you do not. In
reality, a testimony is more like a tree that passes through various
stages of growth and development. Some of the tallest trees on earth
are found in Redwood National Park in the western United States. When
you stand at the base of these massive trees, it is amazing to think
that each one grew from a tiny seed. So it is with our testimonies.
Although they may begin with a single spiritual experience, they grow
and develop over time through constant nourishment and frequent
spiritual encounters.
Elder
Dean M. Davies: When we fast and give an
honest fast offering, we contribute to the Lord’s storehouse what
would have been expended on the cost of the meals. It does not
require monetary sacrifice in excess of what would be expended
normally. At the same time, we are promised the extraordinary
blessings, as previously noted.
President
Dieter F. Uchtdorf: In these simple
words, “Lord, is it I?” lies
the beginning of wisdom and the pathway to personal conversion and
lasting change.
When
we start believing that our contributions at home, at work, and at
church are greater than they actually are, we blind ourselves to
blessings and opportunities to improve ourselves in significant and
profound ways.
Terrible
and often unnecessary things happen when members of the Church become
disengaged from gospel principles. They may appear on the outside to
be disciples of Jesus
Christ,
but on the inside their hearts have separated from their Savior and
His teachings. They have gradually turned away from the things of the
Spirit and moved toward the things of the world.
My
beloved friends, my dear brethren, ask yourselves, “Where is my
treasure?”
Is
your heart set on the convenient things of this world, or is it
focused on the teachings of the diligent Jesus Christ? “For where
your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”8
We
must approach our Eternal Father with broken hearts and teachable
minds. We must be willing to learn and to change. And, oh, how much
we gain by committing to live the life our Heavenly Father intends
for us.
Those
who do not wish
to learn and change probably will
not and
most likely will begin to wonder whether the Church has anything to
offer them.
But
those who want to improve and progress, those who learn
of the Savior and
desire to be like Him, those who humble themselves as a little child
and seek to bring their thoughts and actions into harmony with our
Father in Heaven—they will experience the miracle of the Savior’s
Atonement. They will surely feel God’s resplendent Spirit. They
will taste the indescribable joy that is the fruit of a meek and
humble heart. They will be blessed with the desire and discipline to
become true disciples of Jesus Christ.
President
Henry B. Eyring: I will always remember how the Lord calls
companions carefully chosen for his priesthood holders in
preparation.
My
bishop had powerful counselors, and for reasons I did not understand
then, more than once he called me on the phone at home and said,
“Hal, I need you to go with me as a companion to make some visits.”
Once, it was to take me with him to the home of a widow living alone
and without any food in the house. On the way home he stopped his
car, opened his scriptures, and told me why he had treated that widow
as if she had the power not only to care for herself but would, at
some time in the future, be able to help others.
That
is why the scriptures are so important to prepare us in the
priesthood. They are filled with examples. I feel as if I can see
Alma following the angel’s command and then hurrying back to teach
the wicked people in Ammonihah who had rejected him.4 I
can feel the cold in the jail cell when the Prophet Joseph was told
by God to take courage and that he was watched over.5 With
those scripture pictures in mind, we can be prepared to endure in our
service when it seems hard.
I
still am strengthened by that trust from a great father and
priesthood man. I knew that his trust was not in me but that God
could and would tell me what was true. You seasoned companions can
bless a young priesthood holder in preparation whenever you can show
him that kind of trust. It will help him trust the gentle feeling of
inspiration for himself when it comes as he someday places his hands
to seal the blessing to heal a child the doctors say will die. That
trust has helped me more than once.
Before
they receive your correction, they must have felt of your love early
and steadily. They must have felt your genuine praise before they
will accept your correction.
President
Thomas S. Monson: The story of the Bismarck German "unsinkable"
ship
To
us comes the signal: chart your course, set your sail, position your
rudder, and proceed.
Yet
there are those who do not hear, who will not obey, who prefer to
walk a path of their own making. Too often they succumb to the
temptations which surround all of us and which can appear so
enticing.
As
bearers of the priesthood, we have been placed on earth in troubled
times. We live in a complex world with currents of conflict
everywhere to be found. Political schemes ruin the stability of
nations, despots grasp for power, and segments of society seem
forever downtrodden, deprived of opportunity and left with a feeling
of failure. The sophistries of men ring in our ears, and sin
surrounds us.
Ours
is the responsibility to be worthy of all the glorious blessings our
Father in Heaven has in store for us. Wherever we go, our priesthood
goes with us. Are we standing in holy places? Please, before you put
yourself and your priesthood in jeopardy by venturing into places or
participating in activities which are not worthy of you or of that
priesthood, pause to consider the consequences.
We
who have been ordained to the priesthood of God can make a
difference. When we maintain our personal purity and honor our
priesthood, we become righteous examples for others to follow. The
Apostle Paul admonished, “Be thou an example of the believers, in
word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in
purity.”3 He
also wrote that the followers of Christ should be “as lights in the
world.”4 Providing
an example of righteousness can help to illuminate an increasingly
dark world.
As
we venture forth on our individual voyages, may we sail safely the
seas of life. May we have the courage of a Daniel, that we might
remain true and faithful despite the sin and temptation which
surround us. May our testimonies be as deep and as strong as that of
Jacob, the brother of Nephi, who, when confronted by one who sought
in every way possible to destroy his faith, declared, “I could not
be shaken.”8
President
Henry B. Eyring: That personal revelation of acceptance, for
which we all long, does not come easily, nor does it come simply for
the asking. The Lord gave this standard for the capacity to receive
such witnesses from God. It is a guide for anyone seeking personal
revelation, as we all must.
“Let
thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the
household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly;
then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the
doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews
from heaven.
“The
Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion.”4
The
enemy of our souls will try to lead us to take offense and to doubt
the prophet’s calling from God.
I
bear you my witness that is true. Heavenly Father hears your prayers.
He loves you. He knows your name. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of
God, and our Redeemer. He loves you beyond your ability to
comprehend.
Elder
Russell M. Nelson: Twenty-six years
before he became President of the Church, then-Elder George Albert
Smith said: “The obligation that we make when we raise our hands …
is a most sacred one. It does not mean
that we will go quietly on our way and be willing that the prophet of
the Lord shall direct this work, but it means … that we will stand
behind him; we will pray for him; we will defend his good name, and
we will strive to carry out his instructions as the Lord
Sister
Carol F. McConkie:
In every age the Lord gives his people the direction they need at the
moment of their peril and danger. And surely in the days ahead there
will be times when nothing but the wisdom of God, descending from
heaven and flowing forth from prophetic lips, will be able to save
his people.”17
Elder
Robert D. Hales:
Jesus is a God, yet He continually distinguishes Himself as a
separate, individual being by praying to His Father and by saying
that He is doing His Father’s will. During His ministry among the
Nephites, He pled, “Father, I pray not for the world, but for those
whom thou hast given me out of the world, … that I may be in them
as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one, that I may be
glorified in them.”24
With
this in mind, we are not surprised that the Restoration of the gospel
began with the appearance of not one but two glorified beings. Of his
First Vision, the Prophet Joseph
Smith testified:
“One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing
to the other—This
is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”25
Elder
James J. Hamula: The bread and water in that order are not
inconsequential. The bread reminds us of his body which reminds us
that it was resurrected and we will be too. The water reminds us that
we can be washed clean through His atoning blood. And if we are clean
we can remain in God's presence and if we are unclean we cannot dwell
with him.
First,
we witness our “willingness” to remember. Then we witness that we
“do” remember. In so doing, we are making solemn commitments to
exercise faith in Jesus Christ and in His Redemption of us from death
and sin.
We
further declare that we will “keep his commandments.” That is a
solemn commitment to repent. If our thoughts, words, or actions have
been less than what they should have been in days past, we recommit
ourselves to more closely align our lives with His in days to come.
When
we commit ourselves to these principles, we are promised in the
sacramental prayers that we will “have his Spirit to be with
[us].”38 Receiving
anew the Spirit is a consummate blessing because the Spirit is the
agent who cleanses and purifies us from sin and transgression.
Brothers
and sisters, the most important event in time and eternity is the
Atonement of Jesus Christ. He who accomplished the Atonement has
given us the ordinance of the sacrament to help us not only remember
but also claim the blessings of this supreme act of grace. Regular
and earnest participation in this sacred ordinance helps us continue
to embrace and live the doctrine of Christ after baptism and thereby
pursue and complete the process of sanctification. Indeed, the
ordinance of the sacrament helps us faithfully endure to the end and
receive the fulness of the Father in the same way Jesus did, grace
for grace.40
President
Thomas S. Monson:
Each of us will walk the path of disappointment, perhaps because of
an opportunity lost, a power misused, a loved one’s choices, or a
choice we ourselves make. The path of temptation too will be the path
of each. We read in the 29th
section of the Doctrine and Covenants:
“And it must needs be that the devil should tempt the children of
men, or they could not be agents unto themselves.”12
Likewise
shall we walk the path of pain. We, as servants, can expect no more
than the Master, who left mortality only after great pain and
suffering. While
we will find on our path bitter sorrow, we can also find great
happiness.
Other
instructions given to us by the Savior are at our fingertips, found
in the holy scriptures. In His Sermon on the Mount, He tells us to be
merciful, to be humble, to be righteous, to be pure in heart, to be
peacemakers. He instructs us to stand up bravely for our beliefs,
even when we are ridiculed and persecuted. He asks us to let our
lights shine so that others may see them and may desire to glorify
our Father in Heaven. He teaches us to be morally clean in both our
thoughts and our actions. He tells us it is far more important to lay
up treasures in heaven than on earth.15 His
parables teach with power and authority. With the account of the good
Samaritan, He teaches us to love and to serve our neighbors.16 In
His parable of the talents, He teaches us to improve ourselves and to
strive for perfection.17 With
the parable of the lost sheep, He instructs us to go to the rescue of
those who have left the path and have lost their way.
M.
Russell Ballard:
I
have found that when members forget that the prophets and apostles
speak as a unified voice, they speak for the Lord at that time. In
other words, they leave the Old Ship Zion—they fall away; they
apostatize. Tragically, they often experience short-term and
eventually long-term unintended consequences, not only for themselves
but also for their families.
Our
local Church leaders, like seasoned river guides, have been tutored
by life’s experiences; have been trained and mentored by apostles
and prophets and other officers of the Church; and, most important,
have been tutored by the Lord Himself.
Although
we have visited [leaders in] the White House in Washington, D.C., and
leaders of nations [and religions] throughout the world, we have also
visited the most humble [families and people] on earth.
“When
you thoughtfully consider our lives and ministry, you will most
likely agree that we see and experience the world in ways few others
do. You will realize that we live less in a ‘bubble’ than most
people. …
“… There
is something about the individual and combined wisdom of the [Church
leaders] that should provide some comfort. We have experienced it
all, including the consequences of different public laws and
policies, disappointments, tragedies, and deaths in our own families.
We are not out of touch with your lives.”6
In
searching the scriptures and the words of past and current apostles
and prophets, we should focus on studying, living, and loving the
doctrine of Christ.
To
bear another’s burdens includes helping, supporting, and
understanding everyone, including the sick, the infirm, the poor in
spirit and body, the seeker and the troubled, and also other
member-disciples—including Church leaders who have been called by
the Lord to serve for a season.
Elder
Richard G. Scott: The first
tool is prayer. Choose to converse with your Father in Heaven often.
Make time every day to share your thoughts and feelings with Him.
Tell Him everything that concerns you. He is interested in the most
important as well as the most mundane facets of your life. Share with
Him your full range of feelings and experiences.
We
talk to God through prayer. He most often communicates back to us
through His written word. To know what the voice of the Divine sounds
and feels like, read His words, study the scriptures, and ponder
them.5
When
we are consistently praying morning and night, studying our
scriptures daily, having weekly family home evening, and attending
the temple regularly, we are actively responding to His invitation to
“come unto Him.” The more we develop these habits, the more
anxious is Satan to harm us but the less is his ability to do so.
Through the use of these tools, we exercise our agency to accept the
full gifts of His atoning sacrifice.
Elder
Carlos Godoy: The best paths in life are rarely the easiest.
Often, it is exactly the opposite. We can look to the examples of the
prophets I have just mentioned.
Moses,
Lehi, and Joseph Smith did not have easy journeys in spite of the
fact that their decisions were correct.
He
said, “Carlos, I have some good news and some bad news for you. The
good news is that you are among the three finalists this year.”
There was only one opening at that time. “The bad news is that one
of the other candidates is the son of someone important, the other is
the son of someone else important, and then there is you.”
I
quickly responded, “And I … I am a son of God.”
Elder
Allan F. Packer: As we work toward exaltation, we must work on all of
the requirements and not become distracted by focusing on one or two
requirements or other unrelated things. Seeking the kingdom of God
leads to joy and happiness.1 If
needed, we must be willing to change. Frequent
small corrections are less painful and disruptive than large course
corrections.
Qualifying
for exaltation becomes a quest of a lifetime.
President
Boyd K. Packer has said, “The ultimate end of all activity in
the Church is that a man and his wife and their children can be happy
at home.”11
Temple
and family history work is part of living the gospel at home. It
should be a family activity far more than a Church activity.
However,
there is one obstacle the Church cannot remove. It is an individual’s
hesitation to do the work.
This
calls for a change in our priorities. Don’t
fight the change, embrace it! Change is part of the great plan of
happiness. Elder
David A. Bednar has promised: “I invite the young people of
the Church to learn about and experience the Spirit of Elijah. … I
promise [that] you will be protected against the intensifying
influence of the adversary. As you participate in and love this holy
work, you will be safeguarded in your youth and throughout your
lives.”20
Brothers
and sisters, it’s time to take the cover off our hatchets and go to
work. We must not sacrifice our exaltation or that of our families
for less important interests.
Elder
Hugo Martinez: Like
Brother Udine Falabella, father of Elder Enrique R. Falabella,
used to say, “He who serves in some thing is good for something; he
who serves in no thing is good for nothing.” These are words that
we need to keep in our minds and in our hearts
The
love of Jesus Christ must be our guide if we are to become aware of
the needs of those we can help in some way. The teachings of our
Lord, Jesus Christ, show us the way. And that is how our personal
ministry begins: discovering needs, then tending to them. As Sister
Linda K. Burton, Relief Society general president, said, “First
observe, then serve.”3
Elder
Larry S. Kacher:
I had a choice to make. Some of their questions created doubt and
uncertainty. The choice was an important one. Where would I turn for
answers? There were many who wanted to convince me of the error of my
ways—“riptides” determined to pull me away from the peaceful
current that had become a wonderful source of happiness. I learned
very clearly the principle that there is “opposition in all things”
and the importance of acting for myself and not forsaking my agency
to others.3
Still,
there were many questions I could not answer. How would I address the
uncertainty they created? Rather than allow them to destroy the peace
and happiness that had come into my life, I chose to set them aside
for a season, trusting that in the Lord’s time, He would reveal all
things.
From
time to time I have an image that haunts me. What if that September
day, while relaxing on the beach of the Indian Ocean, I had said to
my daughter Nellie, “Yes, go ahead. Swim out to the sandbar.” Or
if she too had followed my example and had been unable to swim back?
What if I had to live life knowing that my example resulted in her
being pulled by a riptide out to sea, never to return?
Elder
David A. Bednar: When we invite you to attend church with us or
to learn with the full-time missionaries, we are not trying to sell
you a product. As members of the Church, we do not receive prizes or
bonus points in a heavenly contest. We are not seeking simply to
increase the numerical size of the Church. And most importantly, we
are not attempting to coerce you to believe as we do. We are inviting
you to hear the restored truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ so you
can study, ponder, pray, and come to know for yourself if the things
we are sharing with you are true.
Brother
giving first aid to little brother then running outside to offer aid
to friends story. Why did that little boy do what he did? Please
note that he immediately and intuitively wanted to give to his
friends the very thing that had helped him when he was hurt. That
little boy did not have to be urged, challenged, prompted, or goaded
to act. His desire to share was the natural consequence of a most
helpful and beneficial personal experience.
Many
of us as adults behave in precisely the same way when we find a
treatment or medication that alleviates pain with which we have long
suffered, or we receive counsel that enables us to face challenges
with courage and perplexities with patience. Sharing with other
people things that are most meaningful to us or have helped us is not
unusual at all.
Lehi’s
instant response to partaking of the fruit of the tree and
experiencing great joy was an increased desire to share with and
serve his family. Thus, as he turned to Christ, he also turned
outward in love and service.
As
Enos turned to the Lord “with full purpose of heart” (2 Nephi
31:13),
his concern for the welfare of his family, friends, and associates
increased simultaneously.
Absolute
truth exists in a world that increasingly disdains and dismisses
absolutes. In a future day, “every knee [shall] bow” and “every
tongue [shall] confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God
the Father”
(Philippians
2:10–11).
Jesus the Christ absolutely is the Only Begotten Son of the Eternal
Father. As members of His Church, we witness He lives and His Church
has been restored in its fulness in these latter days.
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