The Restoration

 

The Restoration

Stake Conference, General Session, September 22, 2024

 

One of the most significant events in history occurred in the Spring of the year 1820.  The world was a different place back then.  In 1820 The United States of America had only been operating under the Constitution for 31 years.  James Monroe was serving as the fifth president of the United States and Maine was admitted as the 23^rd state in the Union.

Internationally, Britain was still considered the most important power in the world.¹  Britain was ruled by King George IV.  Following Britain were Russia, France and Prussia.  In early 1820 those countries were ruled by Czar Alexander I, King Louis XVIII, and King Frederick William III respectively.

There were literally only a couple of people in the whole world who would know on that day what happened.  A young boy in a small town in upstate New York would go into the woods to pray.  In the region where this young boy, named Joseph Smith, lived there had been a great religious fervor.  This young boy with an innocent and open mind wanted nothing more than to know what was true.  He felt confused as he listened to the philosophies of the various churches so he had determined that we would go into a grove of trees and pray to our Heavenly Father that He might enlightened his mind and let him know where he could find God’s truth.

In Joseph Smith’s own words, this is what happened when he prayed. “I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.  When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”²

God the Father and His son Jesus Christ had appeared to young Joseph.  The Heavens had been opened and God had descended to call a modern-day prophet in order to commence the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it had existed at the time of Christ.  This event, known only to a few initially, would be one of the most significant events to prepare the world for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

The scriptures state that when Christ was upon the earth, and growing up, that he increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.³  Much the same happened with Joseph Smith over the next few years.  He was only 14 years old when God appeared to him.  He faced much tribulation over the next several years, but he was growing in wisdom.  In stature, he even became a tall and strong young man.  Eventually, as he recognized his weaknesses and humbled himself before the Lord, another heavenly messenger appeared to him.  This time it was a person who identified himself and Moroni.  Moroni had been a great prophet in the Americas anciently and had hidden a record of his people.  He told Joseph that he would be instrumental in translating the ancient record that contained the fullness of the gospel and would be the means of spreading the gospel throughout the world.

This translation, which we now have as the Book of Mormon, would be key in the process of restoring truths to the earth that had been lost after the Savior was crucified and his early Apostles were killed.  In the midst of translating the Book of Mormon, Joseph learned about baptism.  Through inquiring of the Lord concerning baptism, the Aaronic Priesthood, which held the authority to baptize, was restored to Joseph by another heavenly messenger, John the Baptist.  Shortly thereafter the keys of the Melchizedek priesthood were restored through yet another set of messengers sent from heaven.  This time it was Peter, James, and John, the Lord’s apostles who held this authority anciently.  Throughout the translation of the Book of Mormon, Joseph learned important truths about the great Plan of Happiness or the plan that our Heavenly Father has for us here on earth.  Other marvelous truths were restored over time.  A church was organized in order to administer the affairs of the newly restored gospel.  Further revelation taught Joseph how to organize this church and how to manage its affairs.  He was taught that he needed to again call apostles as Christ had done anciently.  He was instructed to spread the word through missionary work and begin to teach the people of the world that Christ’s true church had been restored to the earth.

Let’s consider for a minute the consequences of the Heavenly Visit in 1820 and why it is the most significant event in the past thousand years

God the Father and His son Jesus Christ appeared to a young boy and called him as a prophet.  Telling him that we would be instrumental is restoring the gospel to the earth.

As a prophet, seer, and revelator, Joseph Smith was able to translate the Book of Mormon which contains the fullness of the gospel.

As a prophet, the keys of the priesthood were restored to Joseph Smith.  The divine authority could then be passed on to others directly in an unbroken chain from those Heavenly messengers.

Temple ordinances and covenants were restored to the earth which further enable man to repent, follow Jesus Christ, and return to the presence of our Father.

The sealing power was restored that allowed families to continue in their familial relationships throughout eternity.

As a prophet, Joseph Smith could show the world that God could speak to them again through those with the proper authority.

As this authority was passed from prophet to prophet, revelation continued to come from Heaven that was pertinent to our specific time and circumstances.

A firm faith in and testimony of the events of that Spring day in 1820 lays the foundation for everything we need in these latter days.  Because of the events of that day, we have a prophet here on the earth today.  We have additional scripture that teaches of how to return to our Heavenly Father.  We have priesthood authority which allows us to continue in the ordinances and covenants needed to return to Father and to bless our fellow man here on the earth.  We have everything we need to be exalted.

Now we know that we will face the fiery darts of the adversary in these latter-days.  We will have the philosophies of men heaped upon us in books, movies. Podcasts, and social media.  But, having a testimony of God the Father and in the atonement of his son Jesus Christ. Having a testimony of the restoration of the gospel, and a testimony of our current prophets and apostles will be a foundation upon which we can answer all our questions, combat all our weaknesses, and find the joy in this life that the savior promises.

Building from that basic testimony we can know that what the prophets say is the word of God.  We can avoid the confusion and noise of the world as we hear the philosophies of men trying to teach as truth things contrary to the word of God.  We can know that even though we feel inadequate we can rely on the Atonement to help us change our hearts and become better people.  We can look to the prophets to teach us that Discipleship is rarely convenient or in fashion.  We can have the courage to stand for what we know to be true despite ridicule from both inside and outside the church.

From time to time the prophets of these latter-days have issued proclamations to the world.  In April 2020, in commemoration of the heavenly vision Joseph Smith received, our current prophet and apostles issued a new proclamation titled “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World.”

In part this proclamation reads: We affirm that under the direction of the Father and the Son, heavenly messengers came to instruct Joseph and re-establish the Church of Jesus Christ. The resurrected John the Baptist restored the authority to baptize by immersion for the remission of sins. Three of the original twelve Apostles—Peter, James, and John—restored the apostleship and keys of priesthood authority. Others came as well, including Elijah, who restored the authority to join families together forever in eternal relationships that transcend death.

We further witness that Joseph Smith was given the gift and power of God to translate an ancient record: the Book of Mormon—Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

We declare that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, … is Christ’s New Testament Church restored. This Church is anchored in the perfect life of its chief cornerstone, Jesus Christ, and in His infinite Atonement and literal Resurrection. Jesus Christ has once again called Apostles and has given them priesthood authority. He invites all of us to come unto Him and His Church, to receive the Holy Ghost, the ordinances of salvation, and to gain enduring joy.⁴

As the first presidency and the quorum of the twelve apostles have proclaimed, the restoration of the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ includes the authority to baptize, the priesthood authority to perform the ordinances of salvation, the sealing power, the church as Christ would have it organized, and the Book of Mormon as another testament of Jesus Christ, along with so much more.

If we just consider the Book or Mormon, it is evidence of the prophetic calling of Joseph Smith.  If we come to believe that the Book of Mormon is true and contains the word of God, we know that only a prophet of God could have brought that forth.  And if Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, then all the other truths that he restored stand as truth from our Heavenly Father.

There is a video series, hosted by Scott Christopher, that I have watched that focuses on evidence for different aspects of the Book of Mormon.⁵  One episode explores geographic evidence, another historical evidence, another literary evidence and so forth.  But each episode ends with the admonition that none of this evidence will prove anything for certain.  The only way to know for certain that the Book of Mormon is true is to pray about it and gain a spiritual witness that it is true.  The things of God can only be learned from God and not from mortal philosophy or experiment.

The prophet Moroni knew this and ended the book with the admonition to the reader to seek this spiritual confirmation.  Moroni says in chapter 10 verses 4 and 5, “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”⁶

The only way to know of the truth of the Book of Mormon is to have that manifest to you by the power of the Holy Ghost.  I know that for some that manifestation comes at a very powerful moment.  For others, that manifestation comes over time as you read and study.  I don’t think I remember a specific time when I came to know the Book of Mormon was true. I remember believing it as a youth at some level.  Over time as I had experiences with the Book of Mormon that testimony grew to the point where today I have a very strong testimony that the Book of Mormon is true and that it can change lives.

There is one more thing I have learned in Moroni’s admonition.  If we back up one verse to verse 3, he says, “Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, … that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.”

He tells us that we should remember how merciful the Lord has been and ponder that in our heart.  I find that gratitude and humility are very closely tied together.  As we consider the mercies of the Lord and become truly grateful for all that he has done, it opens up our hearts.  So, in verse 3 he asks us to remember the mercies of God and in verse 4 he tells us to ask with a sincere heart.  I believe that developing the gratitude spoken of in verse 3 will allow us to have the sincere heart spoken of in verse 4.

One other truth that we have been taught is that we must remember.  Here are a few examples of this teaching from the Book of Mormon.

·         remember, remember, my son Helaman, how strict are the commandments of God.

·         And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you.

·         O, my beloved brethren, remember my words.

·         And now, my beloved brethren, seeing that our merciful God has given us so great knowledge concerning these things, let us remember him,

·         remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

One might say, I have read the Book of Mormon many, many times.  I have a strong testimony of the Book.  Why do I need to keep reading it?  It doesn’t ever change.  The answer is in remembering.  We have just read about this in 3 Nephi chapter 2.  Not many years after an indisputable sign was given of the Saviors birth we read that, “the people began to forget those signs and wonders which they had heard, and began to be less and less astonished at a sign or a wonder from heaven, insomuch that they began to be hard in their hearts, and blind in their minds, and began to disbelieve all which they had heard and seen”⁷

We need to make a conscious effort to continue to remember the things we know to be true.  We need to constantly remember the words of the Book of Mormon and the words of our current prophets.  Without daily remembering the words of Christ we will begin to forget and then become hard in our hearts and blind in our minds.

Brothers and sisters, I bear testimony to you that God the Father and His son Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith. I bear testimony that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth in these latter days.  I know that Russell M Nelson is a modern-day prophet that gives to us today the words of Christ.  I am grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost that makes these things known to me.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_relations_(1814%E2%80%931919)#:~:text=Britain%20continued%20as%20the%20most,defeat%20of%20Mexico%20in%201848.
2. Joseph Smith – History 1:17 https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/js-h/1?lang=eng#p17
3. Luke 2:52 https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/luke/2?lang=eng#p52
4. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/the-restoration-of-the-fulness-of-the-gospel-of-jesus-christ/a-bicentennial-proclamation-to-the-world?lang=eng#subtitle1
5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6030mVPhoaw
6. Moroni 10: 4-5 https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/moro/10?lang=eng#p4
7. 3 Nephi 2:1 https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/3-ne/2?lang=eng#p1 

 

Education and Employment

 

Education and Employment

Stake Conference, Leadership Session, September 21, 2024

Brothers and Sisters, thank you so much for making the effort to be here with us today.  Each of you are in leadership positions with our wards and stake and can make a difference in the lives of our members.  I hope as you listen to the training we are receiving today that you will know of those within your stewardship or friends or neighbors that could benefit from what you have learned.  You are the ones that can influence their lives.  As I was writing my talk, I kept switching back and forth between my audience being our leaders that will teach these principles and those that the principles are taught to.  I think both exist in this audience today so hopefully I am consistent and you can take what you need for yourself and what you need to share with others.

As I meet people throughout the stake, I can see those that have challenges in life that could be addressed with better education or employment.  I also see our young people in some cases not being prepared to support themselves in the world.  It is increasingly difficult to survive economically today.  Often our members must look at their situations and decide if further education or enhanced employment opportunities would make a difference.

Fortunately, the church has provided some resources to help.  There is also a growing source of assistance coming from the community.

The Lord has always taught us to be educated.  In Doctrine and Covenants he mentions this many times.  In D&C 88:118 he says, “seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.”

In D&C 90:15 he says, “and study and learn, and become acquainted with all good books, and with languages, tongues, and people.”

D&C 109:7 ”seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom, seek learning even by study and also by faith;”

Education begins when we are young and continues throughout our life.  There are so many different opportunities now to learn in interesting and new ways that were not available just a short time ago.  When I was a young boy, public education was really the only alternative.  You nearly always went to the school within your boundaries.  As I visit with people now, I have found many who go to public schools outside their boundaries for the purpose of language immersion or other academic pursuits.  There are those that choose from a wide variety of charter schools and other forms of elementary and secondary education.  There is also a vast array of online resources for those that choose to educate their children at home.  I have talked to several people lately who have chosen this approach and have found great success.  There are many online services that can help with funding, curriculum, and support groups to help you.  Whatever sort of education structure works best for you and your children, the important thing is that our children become educated.  They need to emerge having a solid ability to read, write, and communicate effectively.  They need to have a basic knowledge of math, science, history, cultural arts, social studies, and as much more as possible.  Having a wide range of knowledge will benefit them throughout their lives and make them better people. 

Now education is not only secular but religious as well.  For our young people, their efforts to earn a degree, pursue athletics, and accomplish as much as possible in High School, should not result in a neglect of their religious studies.  Seminary will be a very important part of their education.  As they study the things of this world in context with the things of God, they will discover many precious truths.  Help them keep their mind as spiritually focused as it is career focused.  Do all you can to encourage seminary attendance.  They will be much more successful in their careers if they have the companionship of the Holy Ghost with them.  Precious knowledge of God’s truths to guide their endeavors.

I may have mentioned before one of my favorite stories of President Nelson.  This story applies to so many principles, but we can apply it here.  The story is about a time when he was to perform heart surgery.  It was a complicated situation, and he really didn’t know what he was going to do.  As the surgery proceeded and he opened the man’s heart, in his mind he saw exactly what to do.  He saw every nip, tuck and stitch to make to repair the man’s heart.  Now President Nelson had to be extremely educated about the science of the heart and the function of the human body to even understand that vision.  But he also needed to have continued in his spiritual studies and kept in close contact with the Holy Ghost for that revelation to be received.

Once we have arrived at the point of a high school diploma, signifying our completion of a proper secondary education, then the question of further education arises.  President Hickley has said, “You face great challenges that lie ahead. You are moving into a world of fierce competition. You must get all of the education you can. The Lord has instructed us concerning the importance of education. It will qualify you for greater opportunities. It will equip you to do something worthwhile in the great world of opportunity that lies ahead. If you can go to college and that is your wish, then do it. If you have no desire to attend college, then go to a vocational or business school to sharpen your skills and increase your capacity.”¹ 

Again, we must guide our young adults to pursue additional education of some sort.  Opportunities abound for further education.  Bro Curfew has shared the wonderful BYU Pathways  Worldwide program.²  This is such an affordable and convenient way to gain additional credentials.  Even if you want to pursue higher education at a college or university and are waiting to save up some money, this is a program that can lead to waiving some of your future required classes and keeps you focused on having a learning mentality.  It also contains an Institute component that will augment your personal spiritual studies.  It demonstrates for us the perfect balance.  Teach our young adults that they should seek out an institute class no matter where they are going to school or even if they are not attending school and are already employed.

There are resources within the community that can help.   Elders Quorum Presidents and Relief Society Presidents, you should be talking to your members about the interests they have for pursuing a career and if they know how to pursue it.  If they are unsure how to proceed, you will have the combined experience of the Ward Council to help you find answers.  I know of a few people who have been able to finish training in one of the trades with the help of community, union, or employer assistance.  Someone will help put you in touch with these people to share with you their experiences and point you in the right direction.

There is so much that can now be learned online that can lead to degrees, certificates, or other credentials.  Sometimes it can just be for our own edification. The more we learn, the more we can help the world around us.  As we pursue lifelong learning, we are preparing ourselves for future service opportunities in this life and in the life to come.  The Lord has promised us that, “Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.

And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.”³

 Education can help our people to start in a satisfying career or help to advance their career options.  I think one of the most unused resources we have in the church is the LDS Employment Services.  The opening statement on the Employment Services website says, “No one should go through a job search alone. At Employment Services, we have a team of experts, support groups, webinars, workshops, and other resources available to help you achieve your self-reliance goals.”⁴

Employment services is available both online and in-person. A simple Google search for LDS employment services will take you to the church website.  You will find resources for job seekers, employers, and church leaders like you that are helping those with employment needs, either new employment or improved employment opportunities.

Finding a job is itself a job.  And just like any other job, there are certain skills and talents that will help us to be more successful at performing our job.  Many years ago, I found myself unemployed and turned to Employment Services.  At the time, my preconception was that Employment Services was for people looking for entry-level jobs or part-time work.  I had a lot of work experience at that point in my life and wanted a more advanced professional job that would allow me to support my family.  I found that they offered just what I was looking for.  They offered classes and training for people in my situation who were looking for work.  I took a class in resume writing, in another we learned interviewing skills, recorded mock interviews, and then critiqued them.  The wonderful thing about this experience is that I not only developed skills that helped me find a good job, but I have been able to teach those skills to others over the years. I have helped mostly my kids and their spouses with writing resumes, cover letters, and other things to help get an interview.

If you know of someone within your stewardship that is trying to find a job or needs to find a better job, take the time to look at LDS Employment Services.  If you go onsite to their office over by the Deseret Industries, the service missionaries that are there can help guide you through all that they have to offer.  Go over to the employment center.  See what they have to offer.  I think you will be amazed at all they can do to help in a job search.

Brothers and Sisters, as you go back to your presidencies and councils, think about those people in your wards that could benefit from some of these things.  As we become more educated and self-reliant we become better able to serve the Lord and build His Kingdom here on earth.  I pray that you will have the courage to move forward in your stewardship, that the Lord will guide and direct you and that you will know that through the atonement of Jesus Christ, we can become better people.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

1.  “Converts and Young Men,” Ensign, May 1997, 49–50. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1997/04/converts-and-young-men?lang=eng#p60
2.  https://www.byupathway.edu/
3.  Doctrine and Covenants 130:18-19  https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/130?lang=eng#p18
4.  https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/life/employment-services?lang=eng

 

Having a Perfect Brightness of Hope

 

Volta Ward

Having a Perfect Brightness of Hope

I want to talk today about a word, an English word, that can sometimes be confusing.  Now maybe this isn’t an issue in Samoan.  Maybe Samoan has two different words for the two different meanings.  I don’t know anything about Samoan but I did learn Spanish when I was a missionary in Argentina.  For example in English we have the word for.  F-O-R.  As an English speaker it didn’t really occur to me that the word “for” had different meanings.  But in Spanish, there are two words to use where we use for.  There is por and para.  This was always confusing to me, and I never really learned very well when to use which one.  I looked up for in the English dictionary and there were 20 different definitions for the word.  In some of these cases you would use the Spanish word por and in some of these you would use the word para.

I want to talk about the word Hope.  Often when we use the word hope it implies a hint of uncertainty.  For example, we might say that we hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow.  Or we hope that our favorite team wins.  You are probably saying today that you hope the stake speakers aren’t too boring!

However, in the gospel, the word hope is sure and unwavering.  Hope is a confident expectation of and longing for the promised blessings of righteousness.  Prophets have spoken of having a firm hope or having a perfect brightness of hope.

When we have hope, we trust God’s promises.  Mormon taught that such hope comes only through the Atonement of Jesus Christ: “What is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.”

As we strive to live the gospel, we grow in our ability to “abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”  We increase in hope as we pray and seek God’s forgiveness.1

The prophet Nephi teaches more about hope.  In one sermon he asks what do we do once we have gotten into this strait and narrow path.  He asks if that is all that is necessary.  In response to his hypothetical question he says, “Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.”2

Hope nourishes our faith.  When we have hope we act in those ways that our hope tells us.  Our greatest promise is that we shall have eternal life.  It is the promise of the scriptures, it is the promise of the prophets, it is the promise of temple covenants and our Lord, Jesus Christ.  Eternal life doesn’t just mean that we will live forever through the eternities.  All of us will receive the blessing of immortality through the resurrection of our Savior.  But to have eternal life is to live through the eternities in the presence of our Heavenly Father.  Our hope in Christ convinces us that the promises are true.  We know that Heavenly Father has a great eternal plan.  We lived before we came to this earth.  We live on this earth to learn from a mortal experience and show our faith, and we will live again in the next life.  Our hope in this great plan should compel us to examine where we are on the path that leads to eternal life.

Do we ever stop in life to imagine our eventual interview with Jesus Christ?  Surely it will happen.  At some point you will stand before God to give an accounting .  What if that point was right now?  How would you feel?  Are there things that you wished were different?  Then now is the time to make them different.  Then how would you feel if you knew you were earnestly striving to change things in your life?

The prophet Ether tells us that God gives us weaknesses in order to humble us.  And if we do become humble then God will make those weak things become strengths.  Do you suppose this is easy?  It is not.  Changing and becoming stronger in our weak areas takes strength, courage, and humility as the Lord works with us and we work with Him.

I heard a very angry person say something once that has left an impression on me.  They were struggling with certain things in life, and someone pointed out to them that the Lord was trying to teach them patience.  The angry person declared, “Well the Lord certainly hasn’t done a very good job of teaching me patience.”  I thought to myself, one of the titles we use for the Lord is Master Teacher.  I don’t think the greatest teacher of all failed in His teaching.   I think we fail as his students.  When we take opportunities and challenges in life to grow and learn, we can take comfort in knowing that we are preparing ourselves better for that eventual interview.

To me, having a perfect brightness of hope, allows me to have joy and happiness in my struggles through life because I know that they are shaping me into a better version of myself and preparing me for eternal life.

I was recently reading the talk that Elder Patrick Kearon gave on the day he was announced as the newest member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.  It was a commencement address given at BYU – Hawaii.  He had been scheduled to give the talk for some time but it so happened that the day before he was to deliver the talk, he was called in to Pres Nelson’s office and extended the call.  These are his words.

“As I prepared thoughts to share with you, of course I never imagined that I would be sharing them on the day when I would be named the newest member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. It is staggering to me to even say that. This call came yesterday. I slept very little last night, as you can well imagine. I realize now, in the most extraordinary way, that never have I prepared remarks for others that so perfectly fit a moment in my own life. God, who is over all, and to whom yesterday’s call is no surprise, directed me to these messages for you. But they are also, in this moment, very much for me.”3

In the same manner, I am grateful for the opportunity to prepare this talk.  I have learned far more about hope than I have been able to teach.  I even found myself writing things that in some sense chastised me.  The Holy Ghost does that to me often!  I tend to get very overwhelmed and anxious when confronted with new things or difficult situations.  I think this is probably common for many people.  But then I look at some of my recent struggles and I must ask myself, “Am I having joy in these struggles because it is shaping me into a better person?”  That is not a very easy thing to do.

I am reminded of the story in the New Testament when the Jewish leader Jairus pled for Jesus to heal his 12-year-old daughter, who lay dying at home.  Because of the surrounding crowd, Jesus was delayed and soon a servant came to Jairus to tell him that his daughter was dead and to not trouble the Master.  When He heard this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Fear not: believe only.”4

I think belief and hope are closely tied together.  We believe in the promises of the Savior.  We have hope in the promises of the Savior.  Both drive our faith to act in ways that will fulfill those promises.  This scripture reminds us that belief should not be accompanied by fear.  It is the same with the challenges placed before us.  We can have hope and not fear the situations that we find ourselves in.

In my life much of the fear I have felt has come from serving in various callings in the Church.  It has taken me a long time to overcome some of those feelings and instead embrace the opportunities.  I remember several years ago I was serving as a counselor in a Bishopric.  It was the fourth different Bishop I had served with, and I had become pretty comfortable with the role of a counselor.  I began to have feelings that I might be called to serve as a Bishop myself.  Nothing scared me more than the thought of serving as a Bishop.  I had all kinds of excuses for why I couldn’t be a very effective Bishop.  I told my wife that I would turn down the call.  That it wasn’t fair that the Lord would require something so far out of your area of comfort and ability just because you were trying to be righteous.

Well, the Lord had a little more work to do with me.  I was soon after confronted with several other things, outside of church, that were beyond my abilities.  I learned to become more humble and rely on the Lord to help me through those times.  After a while I found myself released from bondage so to speak.  I had learned even deeper what the Lord can do with you.  I found myself finally saying that I would do what the Lord asked of me because he had been so merciful to me.  Not long after that I was called as a Bishop.  Those six years were filled with amazing experiences of the Lord making up for my shortcomings and helping me to fulfill those responsibilities.  I began again to have joy in my life and hope in the promises of the Savior.

Six months after I was released as a Bishop my current calling came.  It was a completely different experience.  I still feel that I am inadequate for the calling, but I willingly accepted the call and I have seen the hand of the Lord in helping me to serve him and fulfill my responsibilities.  I have greater hope, joy, and faith in my Heavenly Father, and his Son Jesus Christ.

Brothers and sisters, I pray you find hope in the Gospel.  I pray that you recognize that as you rise to your potential you can find joy in knowing that our Savior is shaping you.  I testify of the reality of our loving Father in Heaven, who hears your every prayer; of His living Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ; and of the infinite atoning gift of the Redeemer of us all.

1.  See Gospel Library, Topics and Questions, Hope.  https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/hope?lang=eng

2. 2 Nephi 31:19-20

3. Kearon, Patrick, “Give Me a Light That I May Tread Safely into the Unknown”, Liahona, July 2024.  https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2024/07/digital-only/give-me-a-light-that-i-may-tread-safely-into-the-unknown?lang=eng#title1

4. Luke 8:50

Foregiveness

Stake Conference

April 13,2024

Forgiveness

I recently finished re-reading a book I read several years ago called Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. Many of you may have read this book. It chronicles the life of Louis Zamperini and is inspiring in many ways. Much of the book focuses on his imprisonment in a Japanese Prisoner of War camp during World War II. In those camps he was subjected to all kinds of sadistic, cruel, and inhumane treatment that attacks the very core of an individual. It strips them of dignity and subjects them to intense pain and anguish.

At the end of the war upon returning home, Louie is haunted by the memories and the trauma he had experienced. As he becomes obsessed with finding his captors and somehow finding retribution for their actions he spirals into a deep depression. Recurring nightmares opens his emotional wounds. To cope with his feelings, he turns to alcohol which further damages his ability to confront his feelings and emotions. He had married and now his wife was ready to end the marriage because of the problems that his alcoholism had introduced into their life. Finally, she convinces Louie to go to a spiritual revival tent meeting where a young energetic preacher named Billy Graham was preaching. Angry at what the young preacher said and mad at God for the injustices he had experienced, Louie vowed never to return.

His wife eventually persuades him to try one more time. At this meeting, Louie has a profound spiritual experience. He recalled with great clarity conversations he had had with God during his captivity and realized that he had experienced many miracles, been spared numerous times and that he owed God a great debt of gratitude. He returned home that night, threw away his alcohol, cigarettes, and pornography and never turned back.

Somehow in that meeting, Louie had allowed the healing power of the Savior to enter his heart. Because of the atonement of Jesus Christ, he was able to completely abandon his habits and turn his full attention to the things of Christ.

Louie eventually traveled to Japan and met many of his captors who were now in prison for war crimes. As he looked out over the faces of those that had been so cruel he said he felt compassion and forgiveness. Beautiful, effortless, and complete.

As I read his account I was amazed at how quickly and completely he had been able to change his thoughts, attitudes, and even physical addictions. The healing of our Savior can be quick. It is always complete.

Many have been hurt by the actions of others, whether their actions were intentional or not. We cannot control the agency of others, but we can control our agency and how we choose to act. Harboring anger, hatred, or resentment against others is Satan’s way of denying us the comforting power of the Holy Ghost and the healing power of Jesus Christ.

Forgiving others is an act of extreme humility. We must set aside our pride and expectations of retribution or retaliation. We must set aside our limited, human perception of fairness and justice. We must accept our Savior’s atonement and have faith that we can be healed and that His justice is infinite and complete.

Is there someone you know that you need to forgive? As we exercise humility we are becoming more like our Savior. Becoming more like our Savior is the reason we are here on earth. Maybe one of the most poignant examples of humility and forgiveness is when our Savior is hanging on the cross. He asked his Father to forgive those who had tortured and crucified him because they knew not what they did.

But!, you say, so-and-so knew exactly what they were doing, and I can never forgive them. How can you be certain what exactly they knew? How can you be certain of the intent? How can you be certain of their capacity for empathy and understanding? I believe that part of the humility involved in forgiveness is knowing that God perfectly understands his children and that ultimately perfect justice will be served.

Forgiving another involves turning over to God the things that are God’s. Our time here on earth is short. Daily repentance helps to become more like the Savior. Each day we want to grow closer to Him so that we can return to His presence and enjoy eternal life and exaltation.

One of the very first things that Christ taught the people of the Book of Mormon when he appeared to them was to avoid contention.

For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.

Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away. (3 Nephi 11: 29-30)

As you look at the world around us, you can see what happens when people let their hearts get stirred up with anger. People say things they later regret. They act in ways that can have lasting negative consequences. Each successive action or comment must validate the previous in a never-ending downward spiral.

Now, it is important to remember that forgiving one of their actions is not the same as condoning their actions. Sometimes we feel that in order to forgive someone that we have to somehow justify that their actions were acceptable. This is never the case. Those who are victims of verbal, physical, or sexual abuse should never feel that the abuse was justified. Others will be held accountable for the exercise of their agency. We can and should remove ourselves from abusive relationships for our own protection. Forgiving those who have been abusive is about cleansing our hearts of anger and all things that offend the Spirit. It is about turning our thoughts to the Savior and trusting that in the end, all will be made right through the Atonement.

We all have our heroes of the scriptures, both ancient and modern. As I read the Book of Mormon, I love those prophets that wrote upon the plates. As I study early church history, I grow to love Joseph Smith even more. As I listen to General Conference I love modern-day prophets. When people ask me what my favorite scripture is or my favorite prophet, it is usually one that I have recently read. At this point is our “Come, Follow Me” study I have an even deeper admiration for Nephi. Here is a man that on more than one occasion frankly forgave his brothers for their actions against him. He struggled to keep his family together in the wilderness, even when his own parents murmured. He struggled to get everyone safely to the Promised Land. And despite all his struggles his family eventually broke apart and he had to flee for his life. But at the end of a very difficult and tumultuous life he leaves us with these comforting words:

…We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins. (2 Nephi 25:26)

Remember that daily repentance is looking for a remission of our sins. It is a lifelong process, and we know that it is through Christ that we can do all things.

I am grateful for my faith in and testimony of God, the Eternal Father; His Son, Jesus Christ; and the Holy Ghost. My faith and testimony are strengthened continually as I try to serve them. The more I learn about our Savior and His infinite and eternal atonement, the more I learn how much I don’t know. I have experienced this with other things in my life. The more I learn about something, the more I realize what I still don’t know and have yet to learn.

And then there is just trying to keep a firm grasp on those things I have learned. Over the past couple of weeks, I have had some sleepless nights. I laid awake at night worrying about conflicting priorities in my life. There is no harder decision than trying to decide between two very worthwhile things. I prayed to ask our Heavenly Father to help me know what to do. I got myself quite worked up and, in the end, Heavenly Father helped things to fall into place in such a way that I was able to do both things and didn’t have to decide between one or the other. I see his hand in my life. I see him blessing me and helping things to work out. So why do I still end up spending sleepless nights worrying about things? I still need to develop more faith that Heavenly Father is even in the details of our life. I am grateful for the experiences I have that teach me this. It is such a blessing to be with you, to feel your spirit, and know that I am among true disciples of Christ. I thank you and leave you my love, ITNOJC,A .

Invite Diligent Learning

General Stake Priesthood Meeting – February 25, 2024

Invite Diligent Learning

We had the opportunity to attend a Leadership conference yesterday. We can seek out the resources of the church in the Gospel Library app. Teaching in the Savior’s way.

Let’s discuss one of the events in Jesus’s life and see what we can learn. This account is taken from Matthew 14:24-33.

24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.

25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

The disciples or apostles were experiencing troubled times. In the story, the trouble comes from winds and rough waves. They were also troubled because they did not understand what they were seeing on the water. This trouble and fear caused them to cry out. How many times do we cry out because of our trouble and fear? Jesus answered them and said, “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.”

This simple declaration of who He was helped the apostles. Because they had spent time with the Savior, they understood who he was. They had accompanied Him on many occasions when he had performed many miracles and taught many great truths. In fact, they had just left from having witnessed Christ feed about five thousand men, beside women and children, with two fishes and five loaves. They had studied His words which is one of the steps of diligent learning by those of us that are His disciples.

Another step to diligent learning is to prepare to learn. The Lord taught us to prepare ourselves to receive the word. In his parable about the sower he says:

3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

We need to prepare ourselves to be “good ground”. We need to have spiritual eyes to see and ears to hear what the Lord would have us know. This reminds us of the story of Enos. When he went into the forest to hunt he reflected on all the things he had been taught by his father. He had a deep desire to know the things that his father knew and had prepared his mind and eyes and ears to receive learning from the Lord.

Another step to diligent learning is sharing the truths we have learned. In our story of Christ walking on the water, when he had come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then the apostles worshiped him, saying, of a truth thou art the Son of God. In this setting they shared with each other truths that they had learned. That is one of the wonderful opportunities we have in our quorum and class meetings. We can share with others the truths we have learned. I learn much from what I hear others share in our meetings. And I learn much as I share the truths that I have learned. There have been many occasions when I have started to share my thoughts and other truths have popped into my mind. We do not need to be eloquent to share with others. The prophet Enoch lamented that he was slow of speech. The Lord promised him that if he had faith and opened his mouth, the words would come. This does not necessarily mean that if you are terrified to offer your thoughts in class that the first time you do will be an amazingly eloquent well-spoken message. Mine rarely are! But as we have faith to open our mouths, we will become more comfortable and better able to share our thoughts.

We will also be better able to share the truths we know with others. Have you ever had the opportunity to share gospel truths with a friend or neighbor? How has that enhanced your testimony? Speaking up and sharing gospel truths is something that I need to practice. It can be a very special experience. My wife is much better at this than I am. There was a time when we lived in Las Vegas that she was at work. One of her co-workers had a child that was suffering from leukemia. He was quite sick and very weak, and the child’s mother felt such pain because of his little tormented body. My wife listened carefully as she talked about her pain and then offered whatever reassurance she could. She told the mother that she was so grateful for the resurrection and the fact that some day our bodies would rise from the grave and be healed from all our afflictions. This was something the young mother had never considered or even been taught. She asked my wife more about the resurrection and in the end told my wife she felt very comforted knowing about the resurrection and what would happen to her child. It was a tender moment for both of them and helped strengthen my wife’s own testimony of the resurrection.

Finally, the Savior has invited us to live what he taught. This means to take action based on the things we have learned. It is not enough to just learn if we don’t apply those things to our daily repentance and become someone more. A few of Christ’s invitations include, “Let your light so shine before men.” “Love your enemies.” “Ask, and it shall be given.” And to Peter on the boat, his invitation was simply, “Come”. And Peter took action based on the truths that he understood.

The Lord said, “Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock”.

This great message is reinforced in one of our beloved Primary songs. I can see you doing the actions when the rains came down and the floods came up!! The house on the rock stood strong. Our house will stand strong if we do the things we have learned.

As you have listened here throughout this meeting, I hope that the Spirit has whispered something to your heart. What did you think that you could do that would be an action based on the truths you have learned? This action will bring you closer to the Savior and help you withstand the winds and the waves of life.

One of the things we were taught yesterday is the power of prayer in helping us to know how to become better people or to become better at the attributes that the Savior wants us to develop. We watched an old ministering training video. Many of you may have seen it but it was a great reminder. The video starts with an elders quorum president asking a brother how ministering to a particular family was going. The brother confessed that he was not doing much. He was busy, traveled a lot and wasn’t very good at reaching out to this family. The elders quorum president asked him if he knew their names. He knew the names of the parents but not the children. The elders quorum president challenged him to just learn the names of all the family members and to begin praying for them by name. The brother agreed to this and after some amount of time he felt the desire and courage to begin interactions. It started with sitting by them at church and blossomed over time. He developed a genuine love for this family. But the point I got out of the training was that the brother did not know where to start to become better and the counsel from his quorum president was to pray about them. Maybe we don’t know where to start. Maybe we aren’t sure what actions can lead to the results we desire. Prayer is the place to start. Don’t try to figure it out on your own. Ask the Lord and he will help you to come to a better place.

Apply these steps to your gospel learning.

Study his word

Prepare to receive his word

Share what you have learned with others

Act upon the things you have learned