Friday, May 25, 2012

A Time, Season, and Reason For Everything

A reminder that there is a time, season, and reason for everything.  We need to take things in context and think them through, with the Lord's help, to make the best decision.  Compare these two verses:

"And now let us pacify the king, and we fulfil the aoath which we have made unto him; for it is better that we should be in bondage than that we should lose our blives; therefore, let us put a stop to the shedding of so much blood."  (Mosiah 20:23)

"Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief."  (1 Nephi 4:13)

Now we find ourselves, in 2012, in turmoil as a people, a nation, a world.  What do you think we can take from these two verses to help us decide what to do next?

Thursday, May 17, 2012

"You make a #living by what you get; you make a #life by what you give."


"While often attributed to Churchill, a search of over 2.5 million words by and about Churchill in The Churchill Centre's research database fails to show that Churchill ever spoke or wrote those words.  Equally encouraging, perhaps, are words he DID utter in Dundee, Scotland, on 10 October 1908: 

"'What is the use of living, if it be not to strive for noble causes and to make this muddled world a better place for those who will live in it after we are gone?  How else can we put ourselves in harmonious relation with the great verities and consolations of the infinite and the eternal?  And I avow my faith that we are marching towards better days.  Humanity will not be cast down.  We are going on swinging bravely forward along the grand high road and already behind the distant mountains is the promise of the sun.'"


I heard a mother I greatly respect speak in church on Mother's Day and quote these words.  Whether or not Churchill said them, or whether it was someone else, I really believe they are worth pondering deeply.  After all, we need to make a living, but isn't a life what we really want?

Saturday, March 31, 2012

"The Priesthood Is Not So Much A Gift As It Is A Call To Serve"


I love General Conference!  It is always a true spiritual feast that I can literally feel all through my body and soul.  The messages really do come from Heavenly Father, and His Son Jesus Christ, through the Holy Ghost.  People are saying the words, but you can feel the inspiration and the Spirit.

I especially look forward to the Priesthood Session.  We usually get poked with a sharp stick, as my friend Gary McKell would say.  The stick of a call to duty, to do better, especially at being mindful for the women and children that bless us so much.  And the spirit is always very strong.

There is always an enthusiastic choir of fairly young men to get things going.  Today it came from the Salt Lake University Institute, another time it might be MTC missionaries (but they sang this afternoon this time) or the BYU mens' choir.  Today's group was just as wonderful as any of them.  They started out with "Jesus Savior Pilot Me".  After the opening prayer they continued with "Carry On".  Not only were they good, it turns out they were very appropriate for the theme of the meeting, which then began with ...

(what follows are highlights of thoughts that touched me)

Elder David A. Bednar

"If at this moment we were asked to state in one sentence what is unique what would our answer be?" Quoting President McKay, he said it was priesthood of Christ restored! Priesthood is how God acts through men to save souls.

The Priesthood is inherently active, not passive!  The Priesthood covenant requires worthiness and also doing our duty.

He shared a lesson learned from his nonmember father. We Priesthood holders are not inherently different from other people, but because we have God's priesthood, we should act differently.

Sisters yearn for men with not only Priesthood authority, but also Priesthood power. The power that comes from leading and living actively in righteousness.

Brother Richard Edgley, released today as a counselor in the Presiding Bishopric

Discussed the challenges less active members face in coming back to full activity.

Many want to return but are afraid. Rescuing one person often means rescuing many generations to come.

Brother Adrian Ochoa, counselor in general Young Men's presidency

Quoted Elder Holland from last conference, "We are at war!" Stand up boldly for what you know is true!

Asked Aaronic Priesthood quorum presidencies to raise the Title of Liberty in their quorums!

Quoted President Monson, Never underestimate the far reaching impact of your testimony!

The choir and congregation then stood to sing "Ye Elders Of Israel".  

President Uchtdorf

Importance of taking the assignment of issuing callings seriously. Show respect. Explain it's importance. Let the flame of enthusiasm be evident!

It is vital to catch the vision of why we do what we do, not just the what and how.

There are times we must walk into the darkness in faith!  Said with much passion and enthusiasm!

Beware of conflicting priorities! The fact that something is good is not enough!

Quoted Thomas Edison, "The value of an idea is in the use of it!"

Plead with God for guidance in your daily life! Promised us He will not leave us alone if we do this!

Do the right things even when they are hard!

Bore fervent testimony of the reality of the restoration of Christ's church and Priesthood power to the earth!

President Eyring

Discussed the sacred sealing power, and its blessing to families.

Keys of the sealing power is held personally by the Prophet. We use them as he authorizes and sanctions it.

"It is the will of the Lord to strengthen family units."  Quoted President Joseph Fielding Smith April 1972 general conference

Gave 4 steps to lead in righteousness in the home:

1.     Gain and keep a witness that the Prophet holds sealing keys today.
2.    Pray for your wife's love, put her happiness above your own.
3.    Salvation is a family affair. Children need to be reassured they are loved and wanted...often!
4.    Lead your family in the Lord's way when discipline is needed.  Control our tempers and our pride.

Bore witness that President Monson holds and exercises priesthood keys today

President Monson

Heartfelt, "Brethren, how good it is to be with you today!"

How blessed we are to live in these last days when we have the Priesthood.  The Priesthood is not so much a gift as it is a call to serve!

The call of duty came to Adam, to Noah, Abraham, Samuel, Lehi, Nephi

Quoted 1 Nephi 3:7.  Will we murmur like Laman or answer the call like Nephi ?

Duty is joy!

Let us be worthy to serve!

Miracles are everywhere around us!

Related powerful war story of young man using priesthood to command fallen comrade to stay alive until medical help could be obtained.

Repeated one of his favorite quotes "Do your duty. Leave unto the Lord the rest."

Brethren, the world is in need of our help!

Let us be willing and worthy to serve! Follow in the footsteps of the Master!
  
Salt Lake Institute men's choir sang the closing song "Dear to the heart of the Shepherd" the spirit was even stronger than the words.

I know there was even more here than what I wrote, and hope you will help me remember what else was said and felt tonight!

So much good, I could not note it all ... What did you hear that especially moved you?

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Belief In God Compared To Gravity - Equally Important to a Peaceful Society?

A friend of mine recently quoted Neil deGrasse Tyson, the Frederick P. Rose Director of New York City's Hayden Planetarium: "The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it."


Pure scientific facts are indeed true whether or not you believe them.  But I respectfully and thoughtfully ask those who believe science and religion truth to be mutually exclusive to seriously consider that pure religious facts are also true whether or not you believe them.  Pure being the key word here.  Scientists are trained to be skeptical and to test and prove all assertions before accepting them as fact.  We humans are still learning new scientific facts, and just because there are some we have not yet proven does not immediately prove they are not true.  Likewise, just because we do not understand all that God knows, does not immediately disprove the value of religion.


Given this backdrop, I was especially excited to watch the YouTube recording of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a member of The Quorum of Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, speaking to Harvard Law School students this past week.


Less than a minute into his presentation, Elder Holland shared a profound quote from a 19th century cleric:  “The loss of popular respect for religion is the dry rot of social institutions. The idea of God as the Creator and Father of all mankind is in the moral world, what gravitation is in the natural; it holds all together and causes them to revolve around a common center. Take this away, and men [and women] drop apart; there is no such thing as collective humanity, but only separate molecules [of men and women drifting in the universe] with no more cohesion [and no more meaning] than so many grains of sand.”[i]

Much more is available on the internet on Elder Holland's talk. I would encourage you to start by looking at  http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/harvard-hosts-mormon-apostle.  He does a wonderful job of explaining how Mormons are indeed Christians, that we believe that the Church that Christ personally established has been restored.  Our differences with other Christians center around not believing in some of the compromises reached in the 4th and 5th centuries, when Mormons believe that core principles of the Christian Church were changed by men.

Going back to the quotation, please take a moment to seriously it.  Hasn't the loss of popular respect for religion had precisely the impact on society and all of our lives that was predicted?  Please take a moment to ponder that question, and then comment to share your thoughts on it with the rest of us.  Thanks!