Things Fall Into Their Proper Place

Some quotes about choosing our priorities and our course in life that mean a lot to me ...

“When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives.  Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities.”

--- President Ezra Taft Benson (General Conference Address, 2 April 1988)

“Please remember this one thing.  If

What I Learned Volunteering in the 12 Step Addiction Recovery Program

Report on Our Church Service Mission in the 12 Step Addiction Recovery Program

A Talk Presented in Virgin Ward, January 19, 2014

1.      As you heard Willyne say, Bishop Spendlove asked us to report on our experience serving as church service missionaries working with the 12 step addiction recovery program.

2.      It is an honor to serve the Lord in any mission He calls us to.  The deep love that comes from patient charitable service is abundant!   We have made many dear friendships that mean so much to us.

3.      Often in missionary report talks, special experiences with

Understanding My Place In Heavenly Father’s Plan.

Each of the twelve high councilors in our stake spoke in assigned wards on "Understanding My Place In Heavenly Father's Plan".  I would have really enjoyed being a "fly on the wall" to listen to the other eleven ... I'm sure there would have been eleven wonderful ways to express this.  Here's mine. I'd love to hear what this topic means to you ...

Let me start by sharing a spiritual experience I had one recent morning.  Willyne and I have had several experiences where we have been touched by the pain of life, both in our own lives, and in the lives of those we have worked with.  Many around us our discouraged in the tough road to perfection, and want to give up because it’s impossible and too hard, so why try.

Recently I read the following verses again, which helped reaffirm my answer to this question about why keep trying when the path seems to difficult ...

In the beginning was the Word

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

"The same was in the beginning with God.

"All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

"In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

"And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not."

                                                                              -- John 1:1-5


I am moved by how John starts his testament with such a simple yet elegant description of Christ's eternal role and His relationship to His (and our) Father.

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?

"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?

"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?

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! 

Gold Flecks and Silage Pits

The Redlands California Temple as it looked this morning

Are you curious what gold flecks, loving the Lord with all your heart, might, mind, and strength, and silage pits have in common?  I was asked last night to present this talk to the High Priests group in church tomorrow.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on why Elder Ballard chose to relate these items to each other.


As for me, I thought it was brilliant!


http://brightcove.lds.com.edgesuite.net/assets/general-conference/2011-april/2011-04-2090-elder-m-russell-ballard-64k-eng.mp3

Elder Richard G. Scott on Personal Revelation ... twice

I have often wondered how I could tell the difference between an inspired impression from Heavenly Father through the Holy Ghost and something I thought of myself and felt good about.  Somewhere over this past weekend I heard it said at church that Elder Scott had asked this very question in a meeting once, and after some detailed group discussion, gave the answer that there is no difference, if you are keeping the commandments your good thoughts do come from the Lord.

The more I thought about that, the more I wanted to know if Elder Scott had really said it, or if he was misquoted somehow.  My search for an answer led me to two of his General Conference talks, one given in April 2007 (http://goo.gl/ohaEP), the other in October 2009 (http://goo.gl/nzrUh).  I never found the exact quote, but these two gems gave me great insight in to what he describes as the struggle to receive personal revelation ... and a good deal of comfort that Nephi's testimony that "the Lord ... giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them" specifically applies to the commandment to pray ... and to work to hear and understand the answers we receive.

What Elder Scott says is far more instructive than anything I will write here, and I urge you to click on each of the links above to his talks, slowly allowing what the Lord said through him to sink deeply into your soul.  What I will write here is simply my own study notes.  The purple highlights are what I have marked in his talk, the other comments are my personal thoughts on those highlights.

• "Prayer is a supernal gift of our Father in Heaven to every soul. Think of it: the absolute Supreme Being, the most all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful personage, encourages you and me, as insignificant as we are, to converse with Him as our Father."

• Don’t worry about your clumsily expressed feelings. Just talk to your compassionate, understanding Father. You are His precious child whom He loves perfectly and wants to help. As you pray, recognize that Father in Heaven is near and He is listening.  Read that thought a few times ... it is so comforting!

• A key to improved prayer is to learn to ask the right questions. Consider changing from asking for the things you want to honestly seeking what He wants for you. Then as you learn His will, pray that you will be led to have the strength to fulfill it.   This concept is also very sobering to contemplate.

• Should you ever feel distanced from our Father, it could be for many reasons. Whatever the cause, as you continue to plead for help, He will guide you to do that which will restore your confidence that He is near. Pray even when you have no desire to pray. 

• I have learned much about prayer by listening to President Hinckley offer supplications in our meetings. You can also learn from him by carefully studying the exceptional public prayer he offered at the conclusion of the October 2001 conference for Father’s children throughout the world. He prayed from his heart, not from a prepared manuscript. (For convenience that prayer is reproduced at the end of this message.)  Be sure to click on "show references" at the end of the talk so that you will see this special, emotional prayer, given at General Conference held three weeks after the horrible events of September 11, 2011.

• Study that prayer [President Hinckley's], and you will find that there are no vain repetitions, no posturing to impress others, as sometimes occurs. He combines simple words eloquently. He prays as a humble, trusting son who knows well his beloved Father in Heaven. He confides in the certainty that His answer will come when most needed. 

• Seldom will you receive a complete response all at once. It will come a piece at a time, in packets, so that you will grow in capacity. As each piece is followed in faith, you will be led to other portions until you have the whole answer. 

• However, His answers will seldom come while you are on your knees praying, even when you may plead for an immediate response. 

• Hence, you should find periods of quiet time to recognize when you are being instructed and strengthened. His pattern causes you to grow.

•  Be thankful that sometimes God lets you struggle for a long time before that answer comes. Your character will grow; your faith will increase. There is a relationship between those two: the greater your faith, the stronger your character; and increased character enhances your ability to exercise even greater faith.

• On occasion, the Lord will give you an answer before you ask. This can occur when you are unaware of a danger or may be doing the wrong thing, mistakenly trusting that it is correct.  Elder Scott continues this thought later in his talks.  I consider it to be part of the answer to whether our "good feelings" that may not always be accompanied by "burning in the bosom" are of God.  If we follow in good faith the still, small promptings we receive, He will not let us proceed too far down the wrong course of action without giving a warning prompting -- which still leaves it up to us to be quietly listening for.

• "life will be easier when you accept that what God does in your life is for your eternal good."

•  Obey the Master’s counsel to “study it out in your mind.” Often you will think of a solution; as you seek confirmation that your answer is right, help will come. It may be through your prayers, or as an impression of the Holy Ghost, and at times by the intervention of others.  The thought occurs to me that if we want the Lord's help in our own prayers, we should be willing to let him use us, through service, to be the answer to others' prayers.  This goes back to the encouragement Elder Scott gives us to ask in prayer what Heavenly Father's will is for us rather than for what we think we want.

• After quoting D&C 9:8-9 about the experience of Oliver Cowdery trying to translate without "studying it out in [his] mind", Elder Scott continues with:  Then the answer comes as a feeling with an accompanying conviction. The Savior defines two separate ways: “I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost.”Answers to the mind and heart are messages from the Holy Ghost to our spirits. For me, response to the mind is very specific, like dictated words, while response to the heart is generalized, like a feeling to pray more.Then the Lord clarifies, “But if [what you propose] be not right you … shall have a stupor of thought.” That, for me, is an unsettling, discomforting feeling.

• Actually, He will reply in one of three ways. First, you can feel the peace, comfort, and assurance that confirm that your decision is right. Or second, you can sense that unsettled feeling, the stupor of thought, indicating that your choice is wrong. Or third—and this is the difficult one—you can feel no response.

• What do you do when you have prepared carefully, have prayed fervently, waited a reasonable time for a response, and still do not feel an answer? You may want to express thanks when that occurs, for it is an evidence of His trust. When you are living worthily and your choice is consistent with the Savior’s teachings and you need to act, proceed with trust. As you are sensitive to the promptings of the Spirit, one of two things will certainly occur at the appropriate time: either the stupor of thought will come, indicating an improper choice, or the peace or the burning in the bosom will be felt, confirming that your choice was correct. When you are living righteously and are acting with trust, God will not let you proceed too far without a warning impression if you have made the wrong decision.   This is very reassuring to me.  At the same time it is very challenging, because it clearly puts the burden on each of us individually to "live righteously and act with trust".  Hence the need to study and pray deeply and daily, finding the quietest spot and time we can.  What a blessing the temple is in this regard ... I don't know that we can go too often.  With the strength gained from daily devotionals and a constant quiet prayer in our hearts, it is easier to find sin repulsive and to make correct choices in life.  

In his October 2009 talk, Elder Scott addresses the impact of sin on personal revelation:

• I share a warning. Satan is extremely good at blocking spiritual communication by inducing individuals, through temptation, to violate the laws upon which spiritual communication is founded,  Earlier in his talk he noted ...

• When such influences are present, it is like trying to savor the delicate flavor of a grape while eating a jalapeño pepper. Both flavors are present, but one completely overpowers the other. In like manner, strong emotions overcome the delicate promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Going now to the beginning of this October 2009 talk, Elder Scott adds additional counsel to that given in his earlier talk:

• Elder Scott quotes John Taylor relating an experience with Joseph Smith ... "he told me never to arise in the morning without bowing before the Lord, and dedicating myself to him during that day."

• I am convinced that there is no simple formula or technique that would immediately allow you to master the ability to be guided by the voice of the Spirit. 

• They [Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ] know that essential personal growth will come as you struggle to learn how to be led by the Spirit.  This is yet another way Satan can get us to wander in the mist of darkness saying "the struggle is too hard".  It isn't!  Heavenly Father is there with us and will never ask us to do something without providing the way to do it ... including this.

• I witness that as you gain experience and success in being guided by the Spirit, your confidence in the impressions you feel can become more certain than your dependence on what you see or hear.

• Spirituality yields two fruits. The first is inspiration to know what to do. The second is power, or the capacity to do it. These two capacities come together. That’s why Nephi could say, “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded.”

• As each impression came, I carefully wrote it down. ... After each ... impression was recorded, I pondered the feelings I had received to determine if I had accurately expressed them in writing. As a result, I made a few minor changes to what had been written. Then I studied their meaning and application in my own life.  Subsequently I prayed, reviewing with the Lord what I thought I had been taught by the Spirit. When a feeling of peace came, I thanked Him for the guidance given. I was then impressed to ask, “Was there yet more to be given?” ...[there was] ... Had I not responded to the first impressions and recorded them, I would not have received the last, most precious guidance.  Here is another thought worth reading and rereading carefully.

• I believe that you can leave the most precious, personal direction of the Spirit unheard because you do not respond to, record, and apply the first promptings that come to you.

• Have patience as you are perfecting your ability to be led by the Spirit. By careful practice, through the application of correct principles, and by being sensitive to the feelings that come, you will gain spiritual guidance. 

• Sometimes the impressions are just general feelings. Sometimes the direction comes so clearly and so unmistakably that it can be written down like spiritual dictation.

• I bear solemn witness that as you pray with all the fervor of your soul with humility and gratitude, you can learn to be consistently guided by the Holy Spirit in all aspects of your life. 

Returning to Elder Scott's earlier (April 2007) talk, he concludes with this reminder of the important role that sincere gratitude plays in prayer and in life,

An important aspect of prayer is gratitude. Jesus declared, “And in nothing doth man offend God … save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.” When we contemplate the incomparable gift of prayer and the limitless blessings that flow from it, honest appreciation fills our mind and heart to overflowing with thanksgiving. 

I am very grateful for the prompting I had to search for the answer to my question ... and that opportunity I received to prayerfully study and ponder this precious apostolic counsel as a result.  This means so much to me ... I hope it also does to you.

Jesus lives! And we can help Him help us.

Listening on today's walk ...

"You are my hands"  - http://t.co/MYJDYtx

True words from President Dieter Uchtdorf (April 2010 General Conference).  It comes from a sign placed by a statue of Jesus Christ after World War II damage left the hands too damaged to repair.  It was decided to leave the statue without hands to permanently remind us of the horrors of war ... but with the sign.

Jesus lives!  And we can help Him help us.

Celebrate Easter in August with beautiful music - http://t.co/4TFDvIi

Ezekiel Prophesies of the Book of Mormon, A Wonderful Additional Testament of Jesus Christ

In the past two days my scripture reading has taken me to Ezekiel 37-38 and to 3 Nephi 15-16.  Especially when reading the chapters in Ezekiel, I found the LDS Institute of Religion student manual very helpful (see http://institute.lds.org/manuals/old-testament-institute-student-manual-2/ot-in2-08-jer-ez-27.asp).

Sections 27-20 through 27-27 of the manual discuss Ezekiel 37-38.  Among other things, there are prophecies about writing on the "stick of Judah" and the "stick of Joseph" (Ezekiel 37:16) and the symbolism of these sticks being joined together.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints believe this is a prophecy of the coming forth of the Bible and the Book of Mormon to both testify of Christ.  There is also a discussion in the student manual that some bible scholars believe the word "stick" should be interpreted as "'rod or scepter' rather than a record of some kind".  The student manual goes on to present archaelogical findings as well as additional scriptures to discuss both points of view.  Like many prophecies, this one has dual meanings.  It is very interesting reading, I recommend it.

I also enjoyed the reminder that the Book of Mormon "will bring us to a knowledge of Christ".  President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, is quoted on page 314 of the Book of Mormon Institute student manual, "The central purpose of the Book of Mormon is its testament of Jesus Christ.  Of more than 6,000 verses in the Book of Mormon, far more than half refer directly to Him."

President Packer goes on to quote a verse that is one of my favorites, "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)

We cannot rejoice in Christ enough!  It is a true blessing to have an additional testament of Him.

Missionary calls really are inspired of God

Elder Ronald A. Rasband describes in detail how research is merged with prayer and faith to produce inspired missionary calls.  Every time.  Listen here: - http://t.co/QeKvUcY

Missionary calls really are inspired of God

Elder Ronald A. Rasband describes in detail how research is merged with prayer and faith to produce inspired missionary calls.  Every time.  Listen here: - http://t.co/QeKvUcY

Health, Medicine, Priesthood Blessings, and Faith - Crystal Clear Counsel from Elder Oaks

Listening while walking today ...

Elder Dallin H. Oaks, master teacher and Apostle, on healing - http://broadcast.lds.org/general-conference/2010-april/2010-04-3010-elder-dallin-h-oaks-64k-eng.mp3.  We believe in following healthful practices of eating, exercise, and disease prevention.  We believe in seeking competent medical treatment when healing is needed.  We believe in the power of the priesthood to draw on the blessings of heaven to heal.  Elder Oaks quoted the prophet Brigham Young saying that asking for priesthood blessings to heal without seeking any other remedies is akin to asking the Lord to bless your crops without tilling the soil or planting seeds.

This is all solid, good counsel.  What touched me the most was Elder Oaks' description of a family who exercised much prayer and faith on behalf of one of their own, a teenager stricken with a terminal illness.  At the funeral, one of this family affirmed their belief that more than enough faith had been expressed to restore this person to full health, and acknowledged that the will of the Lord had been done.  Priesthood blessings are dependent on the faith of the recipient, and even more dependent on the Lord's will.

Elder Oaks expressed this as clearly as I have ever heard it done.  I encourage you to click on the link above, listen to it for yourself, and be blessed.  The following two songs immediately preceded his talk.  Each will pierce your heart.  I love the music of General Conference!

Walking Music:  God Loved Us So He Sent His Son - http://broadcast.lds.org/general-conference/2010-april/2010-04-3001-god-loved-us-so-he-sent-his-son-256k-eng.mp3

Inspiring, Harmonizing Men: "Choose The Right"- http://broadcast.lds.org/general-conference/2010-april/2010-04-3002-choose-the-right-256k-eng.mp3

"But Bold We Need To Be"

I was blessed to hear Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's April 2010 conference talk "Place No More For The Enemy Of My Soul" while walking today.   


We live in a stunningly beautiful world given to us by our loving Heavenly Father.  We humans have done many things with it that are also beautiful, but have also done many other things that pollute it horribly.  Pornography probably should top the list of pollutants.  It is so distasteful that it is difficult to discuss politely.  


Elder Holland does a good job of it, quoting the Book of Mormon prophet, "I feel much like Jacob of old, who said, 'It grieveth me that I must use so much boldness of speech … before … many … whose feelings are exceedingly tender and chaste and delicate.'  Elder Holland responds to the quote by saying, " But bold we need to be."  And he is. 


Here are some selected memorable thoughts from this talk:

• "... true love must include the idea of permanence."
• "... the only real control in life is self-control."
• "If a TV show is indecent, turn it off. If a movie is crude, walk out. If an improper relationship is developing, sever it."
• "Many of these influences, at least initially, may not technically be evil, but they can blunt our judgment, dull our spirituality, and lead to something that could be evil."
• "An old proverb says that a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step,  so watch your step."
• "More than one man has been saved from sin or stupidity by remembering the face of his mother, his wife, or his child waiting somewhere for him at home."
• "Cultivate and be where the Spirit of the Lord is. Make sure that includes your own home or apartment, dictating the kind of art, music, and literature you keep there."
• "If you are endowed, go to the temple as often as your circumstances allow"
• "Most people in trouble end up crying, “What was I thinking?” Well, whatever they were thinking, they weren’t thinking of Christ."

I hope you will let each of those thoughts pass through your mind slowly.  They are well worth pondering, then internalizing.  So is Elder Holland's full talk, you can listen to it by clicking here:
http://broadcast.lds.org/general-conference/2010-april/2010-04-2090-elder-jeffrey-r-holland-64k-eng.mp3

The closing song after Elder Holland's talk was very appropriate, "Nearer My God To Thee"  It was inspiring walking music to say the least:  http://broadcast.lds.org/general-conference/2010-april/2010-04-2091-nearer-my-god-to-thee-256k-eng.mp3

Let the Lord be our watchman and guide

I listened again to Elder David Bednar's talk in April 2010 General Conference today.  It is available here:  http://broadcast.lds.org/general-conference/2010-april/2010-04-2080-elder-david-a-bednar-64k-eng.mp3.

Elder Bednar points out that early warning is much better than getting caught in emergencies (or worse).  He gives Noah before the flood, as well as Joseph and Mary protecting the young Christ child and other illustrations of this truth. 

I was especially touched when Elder Bednar continued by saying:

"Spiritual warnings should lead to increasingly vigilant watching. You and I live in “a day of warning” (D&C 63:58).  And because we have been and will be warned, we need to be, as the Apostle

Paul admonished, 'watching . . . with all perseverance' (Ephesians 6:18).

"I pray for the guidance of the Holy Ghost as I describe a spiritual early warning system that can help

parents in Zion to be watchful and discerning concerning their children.  This early warning system

applies to children of all ages and contains three basic components:  (1) reading and talking about the

Book of Mormon with your children, (2) bearing testimony of gospel truths spontaneously with your children, and (3) inviting children as gospel learners to act and not merely be acted upon.  Parents who do these things faithfully will be blessed to recognize early signals of spiritual growth in or challenges with their children and be better prepared to receive inspiration to strengthen and help those children."

This is a wonderful promise!  He goes on to say "Regular reading of and talking about the Book of Mormon invite the power to resist temptation and to produce feelings of love within our families." 

I love the Bible and try to read from it daily.  It is powerful inspiration.  There is also something very special about the Book of Mormon.  I have learned in my own life that Elder Bednar's words are true.  As I read the Book of Mormon daily it does indeed act as an early warning system.  It does invite the power to resist temptation, to produce feelings of love in our families, and indeed it invites the Spirit of the Lord to dwell with us.

I need that Spirit.  Life gets harder with each passing day.  I cannot walk this path alone.  I am thankful I don't have to.

Pride and Prophecies

Today's reading took me to Ezekiel 28 and 3 Nephi 6.  My immediate response was to get overwhelmed with details I was not familiar with in Ezekiel and to be amazed yet again in 3 Nephi at how quickly we humans can get prideful and overconfident after miraculously recovering from despair or impending doom.  Once again I turned to my friends, the course manuals of the Institute of Religion of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for additional guidance from the words of apostles and prophets.

Chapter 27 of the student manual on the second half of the Old Testament (click on http://institute.lds.org/manuals/old-testament-institute-student-manual-2/ot-in2-08-jer-ez-27.asp), notes that beginning in Ezekiel 25 the prophet Ezekiel switches from warning his fellow Jews of their impending captivity if they do not repent to prophecies of their future once they had been conquered. For example, Items 27-6, 27-7, and 27-8 in the Institute manual describe how Ezekiel's prophecies of the future downfall of Tyre and Sidon, cities that had been Israel's past enemies, come to pass three centuries after Ezekiel's time.  There is the promise of more prophecies, many pertaining to our day, to come in the remaining chapters of Ezekiel -- I am looking forward to reading these.

The recent chapters I've read in 3 Nephi have also caught my attention.  As recently as 3 Nephi 3, beginning in the year 19 AD, Giddianhi makes his invitation to the Nephites to join in the secret (evil) works of the society of Gadianton - with the threat of annihilation to any who turn down the invitation.  In 3 Nephi 4, all the Nephite nation gathers in one central place, with enough food and supplies to last seven years, and stripping the surrounding land bare so their enemies have nowhere to get food.  They got the idea and ability to do this through inspiration, and when successful, they all acknowledged the Lord's hand in their survival.  In the year 26 AD, the Nephites return to their former residences through out the country having successfully eliminated the secret society entirely.  3 Nephi 5 talks about a short period of peace thereafter.  Then ... by 30 AD things are as bad as ever.  Pride sets in enough that some of the people reestablish the secret society!  

Pages 292 and 293 of the Book of Mormon student manual (see https://lds.org/si/bc/seminary/content/library/manuals/institute-student/book-of-mormon-student-manual_eng.pdf) provides some explanation that is quite beneficial ...

1.  "President Henry B. Eyring warned about such challenges in our day: 'A little prosperity and peace, or even a turn slightly for the better, can bring us feelings of self-sufficiency. We can feel quickly that we are in control of our lives, that the change for the better is our own doing, not that of a God who communicates to us through the still, small voice of the Spirit. Pride creates a noise within us which makes the quiet voice of the Spirit hard to hear. And soon, in our vanity, we no longer even listen for it. We can come quickly to think we don’t need it' (in Conference Report, Oct. 2001, 16; or Ensign, Nov. 2001, 16)"

2.  " Elder M. Russell Ballard further explained the danger of heeding Satan’s temptations:  'In the premortal world before we left the presence of Heavenly Father, He warned and cautioned us about new experiences we would have in mortality. We knew that we each would have a physical body of flesh and bone. Never having been mortal before, we had no experience dealing with the temptations of mortality. But Heavenly Father knew and understood. He charged us to control our mortal bodies and to make them subject to our spirits. Our spirits would have to master the physical temptations that our bodies would encounter in a temporal world. Spiritual power over the influence of Satan comes to us by keeping the commandments of our Lord, Jesus Christ. . . .

'Satan will seek to tempt us at times and in ways that exploit our greatest weaknesses or destroy our strengths. But his promises of pleasure are short-lived deceptions. His evil design is to tempt us into sinning, knowing that when we sin we separate ourselves from our Heavenly Father and the Savior, Jesus Christ. We begin to move away from Heavenly Father’s promised blessings toward the misery and anguish in which Satan and his followers languish. By sinning we put ourselves in Satan’s power.

'Now, my dear young friends, I understand the struggles you face every day in keeping the commandments of the Lord. The battle for your souls is increasingly fierce. The adversary is strong and cunning. However, you have within your physical body the powerful spirit of a son or daughter of God. Because He loves you and wants you to come home to Him, our Father in Heaven has given you a conscience that tells your spirit when you are keeping the Lord’s commandments and when you are not. If you will pay more attention to your spiritual self, which is eternal, than to your mortal self, which is temporary, you can always resist the temptations of Satan and conquer his efforts to take you into his power' (in Conference Report, Apr. 1993, 5–6; or Ensign, May 1993, 6–7)"

I really enjoyed this reminder of the dangers of pride and how to make positive choices to avoid it.  I hope you did as well and invite you to share as a comment here relevant experiences you have had with this personally.

Is God a spirit only or a spirit in a resurrected body similar to Christ?

We were asked this question in reference to John 4:24 by David in the missionary discussion we had with him yesterday, so we did some checking and found this good article by William O. Nelson in the July 1987 Ensign magazine:  http://t.co/eWuZ2MV.  We went back today and had an enjoyable conversation with David on this subject.  Hope you enjoy reading it too!

Walking Inspiration

A sweet testimony! - http://broadcast.lds.org/general-conference/2010-april/2010-04-2060-elder-koichi-aoyagi-64k-eng.mp3

The blessings of following the Lord the first time He asks - http://broadcast.lds.org/general-conference/2010-april/2010-04-2070-elder-bruce-a-carlson-64k-eng.mp3

Listening is such a great way to walk!