Consider That You Are The Answer To Somebody's Prayer



Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
Picture from October 2007
General Conference Talk



We had a very special treat yesterday and today.  Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a true Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, came to tiny La Verkin, Utah and spoke to us in stake conference.  Accompanying him was Elder Kevin Worthen of the Fifth Quorum of Seventy, President Leonard of the Utah St. George Mission, President David Jeppson, a counselor in the St. George Utah Temple Presidency and our past stake president, and all of their wives.

I got to hear all eight of these wonderful people over the six hours of meetings in three sessions, along with all three of our stake presidency, and several other powerful talks by stake members.  (One of my favorites was a short testimony from a young priest in the 7th Ward as to the blessings of taking the sacrament to the homes of those who are too sick or invalid to attend church.  You could feel his witness of the difference between saying the sacrament prayers and BLESSING the sacrament.)  

I keep a small journal of notes from special meetings that I began with stake conference three years ago.  This practice has been very helpful in having something to refer back to in remembrance of the principles and feelings that came in these meetings.

I have fourteen pages in my journal for these two days.  I wish I could have written faster.  I still didn't capture it all.  But I recorded enough.  I won't repeat it all here, it would make a post that is much too long.  If you would like to read the rest, come visit me some time and ask to see it.  I'll happily share.

There were a few times I was so moved by the testimony being shared that I couldn't write at all, I was just taking it in.  So if you went to the meeting and remember something I left out, that may be why.  I just hope that as I read it over that I will remember the way I felt.  I think I will.

What I will share here is my notes of the apostolic testimony and blessing of Elder Holland.  That's what he told us apostles do - testify and bless.  And that is indeed what he did.

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Elder Holland began in the priesthood leadership session by expressing his love, his thanks to us for coming to the meeting and for serving.  He said "We don't get enough opportunity to say thank you for serving."  He said he was also speaking for the President of the Church, who wanted to thank each of us personally, and he said I think I can speak for the Lord himself in thanking you.

Elder Holland then asked us to thank the people we serve with.  Start with your wife, your children, and your grandchildren, and tell them it is from Elder Holland himself, sincerely.  (And so I will, starting here:  Thank you.  Thank you for being my wife, my child, my child-in-law, my grandchild, my friend.  Thank you for brightening my life with your sweet spirit and smile.  Feel my thanks, and that of Elder Holland to you.)

We are all here because of the women in our lives.  Thank them.

He then said "I want to make one point about the priesthood in the Sacred Grove.  What was the key question Joseph Smith came to ask?  (Which church is true)."

"James 1:5 is a far reaching scripture that was about to change the course of history."

He then described in detail the key role of our dispensation and Joseph Smith's role in it.  All other dispensations, even the dispensation of the meridian of time, prepared for this one -- because this is the last one, the one that won't be taken away, the one where the most work is done.  (How many temples were there in other dispensations, and how much ordinance work was done?  How long did righteousness continue following the days of Moses, Lehi, Alma, or even the people of 4th Nephi?  Elder Holland pursued this line of thought for several minutes.)

"Satan would have killed Joseph Smith if he could have.  He can't kill us, he can only try to persuade others to do it for him.  So Satan tried to powerfully bind Joseph's tongue.

"One lesson from this is that we need to speak.  The only thing Satan needs to succeed is for us to keep our mouths shut.

"Tell your wife that you love her!  We can do better than the brother in Maine (he named him, but I didn't catch it) who when asked by his wife after 50 years of marriage if he loved her said 'I told you at the altar that I loved you and I'll tell you if that changes'.  The only thing Satan needs to succeed is for us to keep our mouths shut.  Tell your wife that you love her!"

Elder Holland expressed all of this with exquisite passion and emphasis.  These were not soft, calm speeches.

He continued with his discussion of the events in the Sacred Grove.  He had us read from Joseph Smith 1 about the churches then existing, "they draw near to me with their lips but their hearts are far from me" (verse 19).  He pointed out this was about hypocrisy, and rather than criticize others he invited each of us to privately evaluate if we talk better than we do.  We need to do better at living the way we preach.

 

This is a story of POWER.  He wrote the word on the white board in capital letters and put a box around it.  Satan tried to exercise power, then was overcome by the power of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.  Elder Holland then continued in verse 19 noting that the church "teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof."

He referred to D&C 84:19-21:

"And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God.  Therefore in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.  And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh"
Elder Holland continued, saying, "A mystery is something that has to be answered by revelation.  We should use the power, not deny it.  In our council meetings, we should be thinking 'who needs an ordinance?'"

He said that "we need to deal more with revelation -- something to get the POWER of the priesthood into the home (that we are thinking about in this council meeting).  We all need miracles in our lives!  The only answer to that is the holy Melchizedek Priesthood."

"Consider that you are the answer to somebody's prayer."

Elder Holland mentioned a few numbers about our stake, and said they are in line with the church.  "We're a one-third church, that's why there aren't miracles."  This relates to about one-third being fully active and doing.

He recommended 3 things to increase power in our stake:

1.  Baptize Melchizedek Priesthood.  To do this, we priesthood brothers need to open our mouths.  We need to talk with our colleagues more than we do.  The 19 year old missionaries will not reach them -- we need to.

2.  Reclaim. (Seek the one)

3.  Protect.  We are losing youth from age 8 on.  If we do not encourage their parents, we will lose them.

"The power of the priesthood is the ultimate mark of the true church.  We should regularly ponder what can only do because we hold the priesthood ... and then do it!"

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I was really touched by Elder Holland's spirit and the power and passion of his message.  All of us were.  It was all any of us talked about afterwards.

This was his first presentation, given in the priesthood leadership session.  He spoke again in each of the two sessions that followed.  This post is getting long, so I will close for now and continue another time to talk about his other two talks.  They were equally moving!

Being One Composed of Many

Some thoughts as I read 1 Corinthians 12 today ...

12 "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ."

Like many scriptures, it is saying multiple things simultaneously, like the different colors of light that you can see from a diamond depending on how you hold it.  In this case, I believe it is speaking to teamwork, and it is also providing an explanation as to how Christ, God the Father, and the Holy Ghost can be one (team, if you will) and still be unique individuals ...


25-27 "That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.  And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.  Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular."

Or you could say, Charity, being the true love of Christ, never faileth.  We were challenged in church not so long ago to do a 20/20/20 daily ... 20 minutes of scripture study and meditation, 20 minutes of exercise, and I believe this is noteworthy to be included, 20 minutes of meaningful service.  Consistency in charity, really caring about each other, is vital. 

If you agree, please share this thought along with your own comments.  Thanks!

We Are Truly What We Eat ... And Also What We Breathe, Drink, Think About, And More

I especially took note of a couple passages as I read in the scriptures this morning...

1 Corinthians 2:9-12 "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God."

It touches me that God has things great beyond our imagination prepared for those who love him, and who seek him out.  I'm sure some of those things are after this life, but I also believe that many of them are available here, now ... if we simply ask and listen quietly, patiently for an answer.  I have personally experienced this joy and know others who have as well.  It is a wonderful feeling and worth pursuing.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."

We truly are what we eat ... and also what we breathe, drink, think about, and more.  Our body and our soul are worth caring for.  Consistently.

Does this sound like Paul talking about his own day in the first century A.D. ... or ours?

Romans 13:11-14: "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.  Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof."

Does this sound like Paul talking about his own day in the first century A.D.  ... or ours in the twenty-first century? 

Sobering, isn't it?  Please ... comment on the first reaction you had when you read this.  Thank you.

Blessed Are They That Have Not Seen, And Yet Have Believed

I have truly enjoyed this particular reading of the Gospel of John, for instance,

John 20:29 "Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

It is a true blessing to be able to discern truth from its intangible evidence, and then to act on that truth.  Truth is not limited to those things we can detect with the senses of sight, sound, smell, or touch.

John 20:31 "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."

Great as it is to be able to discern truth, it is a greater blessing to be able to believe in the specific truth that Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of God, and that this belief is spiritually lifegiving!

John 21: 17 "He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep."

 

As we grow in our belief in Christ, we will grow to love Him ever more deeply.  It is a commandment to do so, along with the companion commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves.  We do this by "feeding" them, or by serving them in the same way we would willingly serve Christ himself.  This is so important that Christ lovingly asked Peter three times to do this, for emphasis on its importance.

 

And He blesses us so greatly as we do so!

If Ye Know These Things, Happy Are Ye If Ye Do Them

Some thoughts to ponder for today ... Christ speaking in John 13:15-17 "I have given you an example, ye should do as I have done unto you. ... If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them."

Then continuing in John 14:12-16, He says "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;"

And in John 14:21 He says, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."

John 14:26-27 adds "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

In my mind, I hear Him speaking these words in a clear, gentle, powerful voice.  I repeat them.  They are so comforting and so full of loving guidance and direction. 

I love the Lord.  I love to hear His voice.  I know you can feel His love for you too.

Life Is So Much Fuller When We Do Acknowledge Jesus Christ

I love it when I read the Scriptures and something new jumps out at me that I hadn't noticed before.  Actually that happens a lot, and I do appreciate it!

This morning it was Luke 11:3, part of Luke's telling of Christ's teaching His disciples how to pray by giving what we now call The Lord's Prayer as an example.

"Give us day by day our daily bread."

A seemingly small difference in wording from "Give us this day our daily bread" in Matthew 6:11. (In both cases I'm quoting the King James Version of the Bible.  I realize other versions have slight variations, I simply want to comment on some things that struck me as I read today.

Both Matthew and Luke's accounts of this prayer humbly acknowledge the Lord's hand in everything in life, even something as basic as simple forms of food, such as bread.  We could of course take the attitude that it is our work that produces our bread, that it does not involve the Lord.   Life is so much fuller when we do acknowledge Him, when we do follow His example, when we do talk to Him about our need for His direction in everything we do.  We have so many choices in life.  It is too easy to get caught up in the details of bread production, so to speak, and lose sight of the bigger picture of life.  The Lord helps us keep our priorities aligned with His.  The resulting increased balance in our life is a real blessing.

Not to mention that when we get in the daily habit of going to the Lord with all the details of our life, even our daily (or our day by day) bread, then we have a priceless communication established with Him when we reach situations in life where it seems there are no answers.  I offer my personal witness, added to countless other witnesses, that He has the answers.  Always.  Even when there are no answers visible to mortal eyes.

Which gets me back to the subtle distinction between our bread this day, or our bread day by day.  It seems to me that day by day not only acknowledges our need for the Lord each individual day, and the need to pray to Him each day, but it also gives a longer term view. 

We need Him as we make our longer term decisions in life, the ones that are going to affect us tomorrow, next week, next year, and beyond -- in addition to our needs of this moment in time.

I offer my personal testimony that we truly do need the Lord today and every day.  I welcome you to write your testimony, or comment, on the blessing of the Lord in your life in the space provided here.  I share my testimony with you in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.