Curt Dahl's Book of Mormon Blog

AM I A CHRISTIAN?

2011-10-18T17:24:00.001-06:00

AM I A CHRISTIAN?

There’s been a lot in the news lately about whether we as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are “Christians” or not. I’d like to answer that with several scriptures in the Book of Mormon – ANOTHER TESTAMENT OF JESUS CHRIST.

II Nephi 2:26

And 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 man look for a remission of their sins.”

II Nephi 2:28

“…For the right way is to believe in Christ and deny him not …”

II Nephi 28:14

“ … They have all gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men.”

II Nephi 31:2

“Wherefore the things which I have written sufficeth me, save it be a few words which I must speak concerning the doctrine of Christ …”

II Nephi 31:20

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.”

II Nephi 32:3

“Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.

II Nephi 33:10

“… Believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men to they should do good.”

Now, all these verses have been taken from ONE of Nephi’s sermons … just ONE sermon. You can find the sermon in II Nephi 25-33. And I’ve only selected a few of the verses that mention Christ.

I have prayed about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and I know by the power of the Holy Ghost that it is the word of God and that it testifies Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World. No man can tell me I haven’t felt the promptings of the Holy Spirit as I’ve read it’s holy words.

There may be some in the world who don’t feel we believe in the “same” Jesus that they believe in. Well, I believe in the Jesus Christ who revealed himself to the Prophet Joseph Smith on several occasions. I believe in the Jesus Christ who restored His church on the earth today. Some may not know it’s been restored, but I know by the promptings of the Holy Ghost it is true. I would say to those who feel we don’t believe in the “same” Jesus, that “No” we do not. We believe in a Jesus Christ who reveals his will to living prophets and apostles today. We have more than the Bible to guide us in a world filled with turmoil and difficult situations. It would be like a mathematician saying “I believe in arithmetic and there can be no more understanding beyond addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.” Well, I would say to that mathematician that there is more. There is geometry, algebra, trigonometry and calculus. With the understanding of these principles there is so much more to understand about numbers and what they can tell us. Which begs the question ... "If someone loves the Savior, why wouldn't they want to learn everything they can about him ... especially if it's something they haven't yet heard?

Do I believe in Christ? Am I a Christian? I answer with an unapologetic YES! No one can tell me that the promptings of the Holy Ghost haven’t whispered to my heart that He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. I know through his atonement the Holy Ghost has sanctified my soul and that He has forgiven me of many sins and shortcomings. I’m not perfect, but I know through Jesus Christ I can be. And if I strive to follow Him I will be able to live with He and our Father along with my family, forever.

This is why I believe in Christ.

I Nephi 2:16

2011-09-20T15:18:00.000-06:00

“…I Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature …”

I Nephi 2:16

I’ve been thinking lately about this scripture and why it’s important to know that Nephi was young at the beginning of the Book of Mormon. For some time I’ve felt that Nephi was called of God at a young age just like Joseph Smith was called at a young age.

As you know, Joseph Smith was just 14 years-old when, in the spring of 1820, when God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to him in the sacred grove. But did you remember that for the next three years, Joseph was left to ponder this vision without any further heavenly manifestation? This means he was 17 years old when Moroni next appeared to him in the bedroom of his home.

I imagine that when Nephi says he was “exceedingly young,” he may be telling us he was, like Joseph Smith, somewhere between 14 and 17 years old.

The more I’ve thought about this, the more I start to feel that the ages of 14-17 are critical in the lives of our youth. I believe this is when so much of the character of each young person is formed. It’s not that all the important decisions are made between 14 and 17 because I believe the MOST important decisions come between 19 and 26. (Those decisions include; Will I Go on a mission? Who will I marry? Will I marry in the temple? What should I study in college? Where should I go to college? What profession to I want to pursue? Etc.) But molding the CHARACTER to make those decisions, I believe, comes at an earlier age. The age of Joseph Smith and I believe the age of Nephi in the beginning of the Book of Mormon.

So, what does all this mean for you? I believe it means you should look to Joseph Smith and Nephi to see what they did in their early lives that prepared them to face the crucial decisions they needed to make in the days, months, and years ahead of them.

One thing you can focus on is searching for truth. Joseph Smith was a seeker of truth. When the area around Palmyra, New York, found itself in a religious upheaval in the early 1800’s, Joseph didn’t just take someone’s word for the truth - he knew if it was true, God would help him know it. Then he didn’t just wait for Heavenly Father to appear to him, he took the responsibility to find the truth. First of all he went to several of the Church meetings and revivals in order to acquaint himself with the teachings. He then turned to the scriptures. Now I suppose he read a long time before he came to the verse in James 1:5 “If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God.” Even after reading this verse he didn’t just wait for the Lord to reveal himself. He pondered on the scripture again and again and said, “Never before had a scripture penetrated the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. I pondered on it again, and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God I did.” Then he acted upon those promptings. He said, “For how to act I did not know and unless I received more wisdom from God I would never know … At length I came to the determination I must ask of God.” Then Joseph went to the grove to seek an answer. But he didn’t go into the grove unprepared. His character was formed. His heart was soft. It prepared him for the challenges he faced as the gospel was restored to the earth.

Nephi had a similar experience. He had heard his father, Lehi, speak about the things of God and the impending destruction of Jerusalem. He wanted to know if these things were true. Just like Joseph Smith did 2,400 years later, Nephi went to the Lord in prayer. He says, “… having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord.” He goes on to say, “… and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father, wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers.” (I Nephi 2:16)

The character of these young prophets was built when they were young. As I mentioned earlier, I believe they were somewhere between 14 and 17 years old. So, you young people, you parents who have children of this age, you grandparents who have grandchildren who will someday be this age … I believe this is the age where the most important spiritual character is developed and built. I believe this is the age where daily scripture study, daily personal prayer, and the daily influence of the spirit will have the greatest effect in the years to come. Don’t think that you can start being aware of spiritual things when you go on a mission or when you go away to school or when you get married. NOW is the time to develop your spiritual character.

I believe Nephi did it this way … I believe Joseph Smith did it this way … I believe each of you will be blessed as you do it this same way. Now I challenge each of you to mold your spiritual character as early in your life as you can.

PRESS FORWARD AND ENDURE TO THE END - II Nephi 31:25

2011-08-24T13:13:00.000-06:00

Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastsness 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.

Toward the end of Nephi’s life and ministry he shared this scripture. I believe it truly gives us an ultimate road map to return to live with our Heavenly Father. The two statements that seem to stand out are “Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ” and “Endure to the End.” Think of the great joy, accomplishment, and reward comes to those who do these things. Certainly you can think of examples in your life who have pressed forward against all odds to accomplish something great.

Pressing forward and enduring to the end is easy to talk about when everything is going your way, it’s when things get tough that it starts to become more difficult. I believe we have to be aware of discouragement and disappointment in our lives that would cause us to give up and quit trying. One great example of urging an entire country to endure to the end was Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain during World War II.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill

On October 29, 1941, Churchill visited his alma-mater prep school, Harrow, in Northwest London to speak to the students there. This was at a time when the entire country had been ravaged by German bombs and had endured the Battle of Britain. His message, however, was not one of gloom and doom or of giving up. In fact it was quite the opposite and because one of the most famous speeches ever given.

Churchill admonished the young men at Harrow to:

“Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

Then he continued, and although this part isn’t as famous, it surely is just as inspiring.

“Do not let us speak of darker days: let us speak rather of sterner days. These are not dark days’ these are great days – the greatest days our country has ever lived; and we must all thank God that we have been allowed, each of us according to our stations, to play a part in making these days memorable in the history of our race.”

Churchill was known as the “British Bulldog” and I think you can tell by this story that he was as tough as a bulldog. His example is one of the world’s greatest models of never giving up.

However the following is a story of a man who decided on his own not to press forward and endure to the end. He hasn’t gone down in history as someone who was willing to endure to the end. His name was Louis Moses Rose.

In early March, 1836, Rose was under the command of Colonel William Travis in the old Spanish mission called the Alamo. Colonel Travis and his approximately 200 fellow soldiers faced the overwhelming force of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna’s nearly 1,500 troops. One night before the final battle it was reported that Colonel Travis gathered his fellow defenders together, gave a speech and issued a challenge. He told his outnumbered band of men that he “intended to fight to the death if necessary” but if there was any one of the men who felt like trying to escape the battle he was free to go.

The Alamo,

San Antonio, Texas

The story continues that at that moment Colonel Travis reached for his long polished steel sword, pulled it from its scabbard and then deliberately put its tip on the ground. He next pulled the blade across the ground creating a line – referred to as “the line in the sand.” He then asked those outnumbered and out equipped men to demonstrate their resolve to stay and fight by stepping across the line.

One by one the men stepped across the line, most likely knowing it meant certain death in a brutal manner. In the end every man stepped across the line except one; Louis Moses Rose. There are many who wouldn’t have blamed Rose for escaping through the Mexican Army’s lines that night knowing that those who stayed had no chance of winning. But he chose not to stay by the side of those who were counting on them.

The next day the cannon fire from outside the Alamo tore through its walls allowing General Santa Anna’s men to storm the old mission and kill every man there. Each man died a hero having made a stand to fight for something bigger than each one of them.

I don’t judge Louis Moses Rose for his choice, but I know that every other man in that company was offered the same choice and every one of them chose to stand for something they believed in; everyone except Louis Moses Rose.

One individual from our early church history who personified pressing forward and enduring to the end was John R. Moyle. John was a convert to the Church who left his home in England and traveled to the Salt Lake Valley as part of a handcart company. He settled and lived in Alpine, Utah, about 22 miles as the crow flies to the Salt Lake Temple where he was the chief superintendent of masonry during its construction. To make certain he was always at work by 8 o’clock on Monday morning he would start walking about 2 a.m. Monday mornings in order to arrive on time. He would finish his work week at 5 p.m. on Friday and then start the long walk home, arriving there shortly before midnight. Each week he would repeat that schedule for the entire time he served on the construction of the temple. That would be a grand story of dedication, but it was only the beginning of this story for John Moyle.

Once when he was home on the weekend, one of his cows bolted during milking and kicked Brother Moyle in the leg, shattering the bone just below the knee. With only the medical assistance available in that rural area, his family and friends took a door off the hinges and strapped him onto that makeshift operating table. They then took the bucksaw they had been using to cut branches from a nearby tree and amputated his leg just a few inches below the knee. When, against all medical likelihood, the leg started to heal, Brother Moyle took a piece of wood and carved an artificial leg. First he walked in the house … then around the yard … finally, he ventured out about his property. When he felt he could stand the pain, he strapped on his artificial leg – walked the 22 miles to the Salt Lake Temple – climbed the scaffolding, and with a chisel in his hand hammered out the declaration, “Holiness to the Lord.” (Gene A. Sessions, ed., “Biographies and Reminiscences from the James Henry Moyle Collection,” typescript, Church Archives, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 203)

“Holiness To The Lord”

The Salt Lake Temple

To this day you can see John Moyle’s work above the front doors of the Salt Lake Temple where it reads, “Holiness to the Lord.” By pressing forward and enduring to the end his example was also etched into the annals of greatness.

How will you be known and remembered by your friends and family? Are you one who overcomes all odds by pressing forward? Are you one who won’t give up, but endures to the end? The greatest part of Nephi’s words here are this: “Ye shall have eternal life.”

Eternal life is the greatest of all the gifts of God. (read D&C 14:7) Our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, reserve this great gift to those who obey their commandments, press forward when times are tough and endure to the very end. At the end of that path we are promised the greatest blessing possible … the opportunity to live with God and our families forever. That seems like a deal we should all seek for. I pray that throughout our lives we will never forget Nephi’s inspiring words. I pray we will all press forward with a steadfastness in Christ. I pray we will all feast upon the words of Christ and endure to the end. If we do, I know we will have the greatest of all the gifts of God.

Don't Be Offended

2011-08-17T14:49:00.001-06:00

I Nephi 8:33 – “They did point the finger of scorn at me … but we heeded them not.”

Have you ever been scorned? Scorn is described as showing distain or disrespect. Being scorned is not a very pleasant experience for anyone to have to endure. In fact, it can be downright miserable. But Nephi teaches us a great lesson about listening to those who would scorn us … he said, “But we heeded them not.” Now I believe it takes great courage to walk away from someone who may scorn you, but Nephi was clear in his actions … he heeded them not.” I think there is a great lesson in these few words. I believe that lesson is; “Don’t be offended by someone.”

In the many years I have served as a Bishop or member of the Stake Presidency I have seen far too many people stop coming to church, or worse yet, become angry with the Church because they “were offended” by someone there. Sometimes it’s been a neighbor who offended them, sometimes it’s a teacher who may have said something in a lesson, there have even been several times when I have heard people say that it was “the Bishop” who offended them and made them mad. But in my experience it doesn’t seem to matter who it was, the outcome is usually the same … they “get even” by staying home and becoming less-active members of the Church.

Can you imagine how Nephi’s life would have been if he quit following the Lord every time his brothers offended him? I don’t believe they would ever have made it to the Promised Land. I think they may have been out in the desert for years looking for the nearest directions back to Jerusalem. But Nephi had the courage to “heed them not” and I encourage each of you to do the same thing when you may feel offended at Church or by someone in the Church. And trust me, there will come, probably several times in your life, experiences when you can take offense at something someone will say or do to you at Church.

You’ve probably heard the saying; “Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.” I believe this saying means it is foolish to think that causing serious and irreversible damage to something that offends is going to improve or resolve the issue in the big picture. That is certainly the case when it comes to people who stay away from the Church because they’ve been offended.

The folly of staying away from the church because of offense has been around since the beginning of this dispensation. One of the most interesting stories involved Elder Thomas S. Marsh, who was at the time the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

While in Far West, Missouri, Elder Marsh’s wife, Elizabeth, and her friend, a Sister Harris wanted to make a large amount of cheese. In order to do this they needed to exchange milk from their cows in order to make more cheese then they could make individually. To be honest and fair they agreed that they would not keep what were called the “strippings,” but that the milk and strippings should all go together. Now the strippings were the creamier part of the milk that usually came at the end of each milking. Sister Harris was honest in her agreement, but Sister Marsh selfishly saved a pint of strippings from each cow for her own use. This disagreement turned into an argument that they refused to settle on their own. Their home teachers were asked to settle the argument (now that’s an interesting role for the home teachers to play, isn’t it?). The Home Teachers sided with Sister Harris and found Elizabeth Marsh guilty of failure to keep her agreement. She and her husband were upset with the decision of the Home Teachers and appealed the matter to their Bishop for a Church trial. (Remember, all this was over milk strippings!) The bishop’s court decided that the strippings were wrongfully saved and that Sister Marsh had violated her agreement with Sister Harris.

Thomas Marsh then appealed to the high council and these 12 men upheld the bishop’s decision. But the Marsh’s were still not satisfied with the outcome so they pled their case to Joseph Smith and his counselors. The First Presidency agreed with the Bishop and High Council and upheld the decision.

Elder Thomas B. Marsh, who sided with his wife through all this, became more offended with each successive decision – so offended, in fact, that he went before a state magistrate and swore that the Mormons were hostile toward the state of Missouri. His testimony against the church led to Governor Lilburn Boggs’ extermination order which resulted in over 15,000 Church members to be driven from their homes in Missouri. All of this because Elder Marsh and his wife Elizabeth were offended by Sister Harris’ charges. (See George A. Smith, “Discourse,” Deseret News, Apr. 16, 1856, 44)

What an incredibly high price to pay for offense. Can you imagine how much better things would have been if Elder and Sister Marsh would have taken Nephi’s advice and “heeded not” the offense? Their pride inflicted great pain into the very lives of our pioneers. So, who do you think loses when they stop coming to Church because they’ve been offended? Of course, it’s the person staying away.

When Elder David A. Bednar served as a Stake President he often visited the homes of “less-active” members who had quit attending church because they had been offended. After speaking with them and discussing the situation Elder Bednar would then say something like this. “Let me make sure I understand what has happened to you. Because someone at church offended you, you have not been blessed by the ordinance of the sacrament. You have withdrawn yourself from the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. Because someone at church offended you, you have cut yourself off from priesthood ordinances and the holy temple. You have discontinued your opportunity to serve others and to learn and grow. And you are leaving barriers that will impede the spiritual progress of your children, your children’s children, and the generations that will follow.” Elder Bednar then says that many people would think for several moments and then respond: “I have never thought about it that way.”

Then Elder Bednar would extend an invitation: “Dear friend, we are here today to counsel you that the time to stop being offended is now. Not only do we need you, but you need the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Please come back – now.” (David A. Bednar, “And Nothing Shall Offend Them,” October 2006 General Conference). I’m confident that there were many who heard Elder Bednar’s invitation, put their hurt aside, and returned to enjoy the blessings of the gospel.

The story of Thomas Marsh also had a happier conclusion. In 1857 Brigham Young conducted a meeting and introduced to the congregation a man who appeared to be old and frail.

Said President Brigham Young to the congregation: “Brother Thomas B. Marsh, formerly the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, has now come to us, after an absence of nearly nineteen years. He is on the stand to-day, and wishes to make a few remarks to the congregation.

Brother Marsh rose to the pulpit. “I do not know that I can make all this vast congregation hear and understand me. My voice never was very strong, but it has been very much weakened of late years by the afflicting rod of Jehovah. He loved me too much to let me go without whipping. I have seen the hand of the Lord in the chastisement which I have received. I have seen and known that it has proved he loved me; for if he had not cared anything about me, he would not have taken me by the arm and given me such a shaking.

“If there are any among this people who should ever apostatize and do as I have done, prepare your backs for a good whipping, if you are such as the Lord loves. But if you will take my advice, you will stand by the authorities; but if you go away and the Lord loves you as much as he did me, he will whip you back again.”

In a letter to Heber C. Kimball, First Counselor in the First Presidency at the time, Elder Marsh admitted he had learned a very hard lesson. He wrote: “The Lord could get along very well without me and He … lost nothing by my falling out of the ranks; But, O what have I lost?! Riches, greater riches than all this world or many planets like this could afford.” (Thomas B. Marsh to Heber C. Kimball, May 5, 1857, Brigham Young Collection, Church History Library.) Thomas Marsh could have saved him and his family a lot of grief, agony and blessings if he had “heeded not” the offense many years earlier.

Thomas Marsh

I hope … I plead … I pray … that you will never let offense keep you away from the beautiful blessings of the gospel. It doesn’t matter what the offense … it is NOT worth it! If you are tempted to let offense keep you away, think about the example of Thomas B. Marsh and then think about the teachings of Nephi. His counsel is as important today as it has ever been when he recorded … “They did point the finger of scorn at me … but we heeded them not.”

II Nephi 25:26 - OVERCOMING OUR MISTAKES

2011-08-10T16:25:00.000-06:00

And 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 what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

I believe of all the scriptures Nephi has given us this one contains the message of the greatest hope possible. The reason is very clear. It promises us that because of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we have a source where we can turn to for a remission of our sins. Now, that’s very important to know because none of us … and let me repeat that … none of us will get out of this life without needing a remission of sins. The apostle John said this in the New Testament.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

- I John 1:8

So there you have it. Not the most encouraging news, but it’s a fact … we all sin. We all make mistakes. Those mistakes may be large or they may be small, but every single one of them will keep us from returning to live with our Heavenly Father if not for the Savior allowing us to receive a remission of our sins through repentance and His atonement for us.

We live in a very unrighteous world. The practices of our world make it harder and harder to follow the Savior. But the prophet of our day … the prophet who the Lord has sent to share the message you need has said this:

“We have come to the earth in troubled times. The moral compass of the masses has gradually shifted to an “almost anything goes” position.

I’ve lived long enough to have witnessed much of the metamorphosis of society’s morals. Where once the standards of the Church and the standards of society were mostly compatible, now there is a wide chasm between us, and it’s growing ever wider.” (President Thomas S. Monson – Priesthood Power - April 2011 Priesthood Session)

Now that sounds like a prophet of God, doesn’t it? I can imagine Noah, or Abraham, or Elijah warning the youth of their day that the standards of the Lord and the standards of the world were growing ever wider … after all, isn’t that the role of a prophet to warn the people? This is exactly what President Monson did in this recent conference talk. He even talked about specific practices and situations that the youth of today should guard against and stay away from.

“Many movies and television shows portray behavior which is in direct opposition to the laws of God. Do not subject yourself to the innuendo and outright filth which are so often found there.

The lyrics in much of today’s music fall in the same category. The profanity so prevalent around us today would never have been tolerated in the not-too-distant past. Sadly, the Lord’s name is taken in vain over and over again. Recall with me the commandment—one of the ten—which the Lord revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” I am sorry that any of us is subjected to profane language, and I plead with you not to use it.

I implore you not to say or to do anything of which you cannot be proud.

Stay completely away from pornography. Do not allow yourself to view it, ever. It has proven to be an addiction which is more than difficult to overcome. Avoid alcohol and tobacco or any other drugs, also addictions which you would be hard pressed to conquer.” (ibid)

Then, like a loving prophet, President Monson gives counsel on how to stay as far away as possible from the temptation and sorrow sin can bring into our lives.

“What will protect you from the sin and evil around you?

I maintain that a strong testimony of our Savior and of His gospel will help see you through to safety. If you have not read the Book of Mormon, read it. I will not ask for a show of hands. If you do so prayerfully and with a sincere desire to know the truth, the Holy Ghost will manifest its truth to you. If it is true—and it is—then Joseph Smith was a prophet who saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. The Church is true. If you do not already have a testimony of these things, do that which is necessary to obtain one. It is essential for you to have your own testimony, for the testimonies of others will carry you only so far. Once obtained, a testimony needs to be kept vital and alive through obedience to the commandments of God and through regular prayer and scripture study. Attend church … attend seminary or institute if such is available to you.” (ibid)

And then, he also reminds us that if we have made mistakes, there is a way to overcome that mistake. Again, as a Prophet, his words lead us to the Savior, because He is the only one who can redeem us from our sins and mistakes and lift those burdens from our lives.

“Should there be anything amiss in your life, there is open to you a way out. Cease any unrighteousness. Talk with your bishop. Whatever the problem, it can be worked out through proper repentance. You can become clean once again. Said the Lord, speaking of those who repent, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow,” “and I, the Lord, remember them no more.” The Savior of mankind described Himself as being in the world but not of the world. We also can be in the world but not of the world as we reject false concepts and false teachings and remain true to that which God has commanded.” (ibid)

Right there the Lord’s prophet tells us we can, through the Savior, overcome the evil in our world world and find “peace in this world and eternal life in the world to come.” (D&C 59:23) Isn’t it wonderful that the Prophet doesn’t just warn us, but he points out the only path we can travel to return to live with our Heavenly Father. That path is following the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Now, back to Nephi’s scripture:

Isn’t this exactly what President Monson is also saying? Throughout the church - in our Sacrament Meetings, in our Sunday Schools, in our Priesthood and Young Women’s meetings, in our seminaries and institutes, in our General and Stake Conferences, in our Family Home Evenings and family prayers – we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, our leaders preach and prophesy of Christ … and again, what is the reason for this … that our Children may know what source they may look for a remission of their sins.” In other words, I believe we teach of the Savior in all these meetings so that you, the youth and future leaders of this Church may know where you can turn to when you’ve made mistakes or done things in your life that need to be resolved. We talk of the Savior so you, each one of you, will never forget the hope that can be found through repentance. And, of course, that repentance is only available because of the love and atonement of the Savior.

My wish is that we all can feel the incredible hope that comes from this message. Never forget that no matter what sins you have committed … no matter what mistakes you may have made in your lives … no matter where you have fallen short … the Savior will always be there to lift you, love you and embrace you with his spirit if you will just look to him for a remission of sins.

That is the “good news” of the Gospel. That is the reason why it’s probably even more important today to “talk of Christ and rejoice in Christ.”

I Nephi 2:16 - Nephi was exceedingly young

2011-07-29T14:23:00.000-06:00

“And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, …”

This will be a short post today, but have you ever thought about this scripture that says "Nephi, being exceedingly young"? I've often thought that perhaps, just maybe, that exceedingly young age would be about the same age Joseph Smith was when he received the first vision ... Fourteen.

For me, this puts a whole new perspective on the actions of Nephi as he goes back and forth in the wilderness between Jerusalem and his father's tent. Can you imagine how his brothers may have felt taking direction from someone who was "exceedingly young." I'm sure if you are 14 and have older brothers, they wouldn't want to take directions from you. Can you imagine a 14 year-old young man having to face a man as powerful as Laban? It just shows me how mature and how much faith Nephi must have had. I hope we can all have the faith and confidence in the Lord that Nephi had at this "exceedingly young" age.

II Nephi 15:26 – 28 - Modern Missionaries Roar Like Lions

2011-07-22T15:29:00.000-06:00

26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth; and behold, they shall come with speed swiftly; none shall be weary nor stumble among them.

27 None shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken,

28 Whose arrows shall be sharp, and all their bows bent, and their horses’ hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind, their roaring like a lion.

Even as I type this I can hear the collective sigh of each one of you saying: “Not again. Please, not Isaiah … Anything, but Isaiah. Now, I don’t pretend to understand everything Isaiah wrote, or even most … okay, maybe even not much; but I want to share with you a few things about this scripture that I think is profound for our day.

Let’s take it a verse at a time … I find that makes it much easier to understand and digest. I know some of you may be thinking, but if it’s Isaiah you want to read it as fast as you possibly can – Not so. I think the best way is to read it like you would have to eat an elephant, one bit (or in this case, one verse) at a time.

Starting in verse Twenty-six. “And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far”. An “ensign” is a flag that symbolizes a nationality. I believe what Isaiah is describing here is that in the last days the Lord will show to the world a place where He has gathered His people.

“And will his unto them from the end of the earth.” Like a snake “hisses” to get attention or to warn its prey, I believe this “ensign” will “hiss” or warn the world..

“And behold, they shall come with speed swiftly: none shall be weary nor stumble among them.” Again, I believe that this means the Lord will send people throughout the world with great speed and they won’t be tired.”

Verse Twenty-seven reads; “None shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken.” I believe this means those who come from the Lord’s gathering place will arrive at their destination fresh and energized.

Verse Twenty-eight: “Whose arrows shall be sharp, and all their bows bent, and their horses’ hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind, their roaring like a lion.” I think this could mean that when they arrive they won’t only be energized, they will have be ready for battle and armed with effective weapons.

Okay, now let’s put this all together and see what in the world Isaiah might have been seeing in his vision.

Here’s how I see it. Isaiah sees that in the last days the Lord will gather His people together in a specific and physical place. From that place His people will send forth a word of warning to the rest of the world. As part of that warning He will send messengers throughout the world. Those messengers will go into the world quickly and will arrive at their destinations fresh and ready to combat the evils of the world with effective and powerful weapons.

I hope you can see where this is going. I believe in these verses Isaiah is seeing the miraculous missionary effort of our day! He has already gathered the Saints into Stakes throughout the world. His ensign has been raised in these Stakes. From the members of the church the word of warning is going to all the people of the world. That word of warning comes from the tens of thousands of missionaries who are sent forth each year. The miraculous part comes in the fact that wherever these missionaries are called, they arrive fresh … even as Isaiah states without a latchet of their shoe broken. They carry with them the ultimate weapon against evil, the Book of Mormon and they go forth preaching with the roar of a lion!!

Wow! Can you imagine what a miracle this would have been in Isaiah’s day to travel with such speed around the world and to arrive fresh without sleeping and without so much as a latchet of the shoe being broken. In Isaiah’s day just traveling a distance of a few hundred miles would require days of travel and sleep … repairing shoes and clothing that would wear out and break along the way and finally arriving at the place tired, dirty and worn out. But this isn’t how Isaiah saw the latter-days and it’s not how our missionaries go forth today.

Our missionaries today leave on jet airplanes and can travel almost anywhere in the world in 24 hours or less. (Although it did take me more than 24 hours once to travel to Cape Town, South Africa.) When they arrive in their mission they are dressed in the same suits they wore when they left. They arrive somewhat fresh (although mostly scared) and they carry with them the message of the restored gospel and the evidence of this great restoration – the Book of Mormon. They do this to warn the world of the evil that keeps people from drawing closer to the Savior.

This is why I believe Nephi felt it was so important to include this part of Isaiah’s writings in the Book of Mormon … because he, too, could feel the importance of these words as they described the last days.

I think the most impressive part of this message is that both Isaiah and Nephi saw our day and saw the missionary effort going forth. Here, nearly 2,600 years ago, two of the Lord’s prophets (because the Lord said out of the mouth of two or more witnesses would every word be established) witnessed and testified of the latter-day miracle of the missionary work throughout the world. They saw you young men flooding the earth with the truth. They saw you arriving in your fields of labor quickly. They saw you preaching with the roar of a lion to the people of the world. They saw how your missionary work would bless the world and bring souls to the Lord. Isn’t it a wonderful thing to be part of a great prophesy in the last days.

To you young men – as you prepare to serve your missions, remember it’s the Lord’s work. Prophets of old have seen our day. He will help you. He will bless you. He knows your message will prepare the world for His second coming.

To you young women – if you don’t serve a mission yourself, be a great example of righteousness to the young mean you know and encourage them to serve with their heart, might, mind and strength. Let them know that the Lord needs each one of them to take the gospel to the entire world. Let them know that the Lord will bless those who seek to bring souls to him.

I know that both Isaiah and Nephi saw our day. I know they saw this great army going forth. I know you are part of this great army. I know the Lord knows you and trusts you to serve him and to bring souls to him. I know if you go forth your life will be blessed beyond measure. Best of all He has shown us, through His prophets, how everything ends … and you know what? If you’re on His team … you win.

The Word of God Leads to the Love of God - I Nephi 11:25

2011-07-07T15:00:00.000-06:00

“And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God.” (I Nephi 11:25)

I just love what we learn from Nephi in this scripture. First of all, in Chapter 11 verse 1 we’re told that Nephi desired to know the things that his father, Lehi, had seen in his vision. Isn’t that a great lesson … if you desire to know something, ask the Lord. Now Nephi didn’t just ask, he says he “sat pondering in mine heart.” Again, Nephi teaches us that the best way to let the Lord answer our desires is to ponder them in our hearts.

While Nephi was pondering the Spirit of the Lord came to him in a vision and then showed and explained the vision of “The Tree of Life” that his father, Lehi, had seen. In verse 25 the Spirit of the Lord explains what the rod of iron, word of God, fountain of living waters, and the tree of life all symbolize. Here’s what I get from this scripture:

The Iron Rod = The word of God. (Just like we learn in the Primary Song.)

The Tree of Life = The Love of God

The Iron Rod leads to the Tree of Life.

That means “The Word of God leads to the Love of God.”

Or in other words; if you want to feel the love of God you must read, ponder and pray about the word of God found in the scriptures and study the words of the prophets. Think about this for a moment … the words of God will help us feel the love of God. What a great blessing! Can you imagine how lost we would be without the love of God? Nephi teaches us a great lesson that to feel that love we need to know God through the scriptures.

Think about some of the greatest questions the world has about God. Below are a few I think people in the world most want to know and understand.

Who is God?

Does God know me?

Does God have a purpose for my life?

Is there life after death?

A few years ago I was working on a media project for the Church where we asked people in a few cities in the USA as well as in London, England and Sao Paulo, Brazil these very questions to see what people knew about God and His love for us.

The first question we asked was; Who is God? Here are some of the exact answers we got from the people we interviewed:

Man: “God to me is unexplainable … it’s an intangible force, energy, light … I really don’t know how to explain it.”

Man: “There isn’t any one definite answer to “Who is God?”

Woman: “I don’t think that God’s a real person … I think that would be impossible.”

Man: “I think that God is a concept, so God is everything and anything … it’s different things for different people. So for me, it’s more a concept, it’s a force, it’s an energy. It’s everything and anything in the universe.”

Man: “God is kind of a big question mark to me.”

Woman: “I don’t think God exists for me … he exists for other people, but not for me.”

We asked some others this question: Does God Know Me? Here are the answers to that question.

Man: “I’m not sure … how can he know me?”

Woman: “I think so … I hope so.”

Man: “I don’t think that God cares about me. I’m just a tiny little spec.”

Woman: “I don’t think I know God, so I don’t know if God knows who I am.”

Woman: “I couldn’t really say what God thinks of me.”

The next question was: Does God Have A Purpose for My Life?

Man: “I don’t know the purpose. I can’t sit here and tell you I know what the purpose is. I don’t think anybody does.”

Man: “Honestly, I feel a little uncertain right now about what my purpose is, I’d say very unsure.”

Woman: “Does anyone’s life have a purpose … I don’t think so.”

Woman: “I don’t think you know that until the day you die.”

The final question we asked was: Is There Life After Death?

Man: “I don’t know if there’s life after death. I sure hope so.”

Woman: “I don’t know what exactly will happen … I don’t know if we’ll have a body or not.”

Woman: “I hope to still exist … somehow.”

Man: “There has to be something beyond earth … I don’t know what.”

Woman: “I don’t believe in life after death. I think it’s a nice idea but … no.”

Woman: “I really hope that when you die it’s not ‘game over.’”

Man: “What comes next I have a lot of doubts in my mind.”

Man: “I don’t know … I wish I did.”

After hearing the answers of these people in different parts of the world I believe I began to understand just how fortunate we are to have the Word of God and the living prophets. Because of the “Iron Rod” I have answers to those questions and if I were asked these same questions I could answer each one with firm conviction that comes from the Holy Ghost.

Who is God?

“God is my Heavenly Father. He is a glorified person with flesh and bones. I lived with Him as a spirit before I came to earth. He has provided a way for me and my family to return and live with him after this life.”

Does God Know Me?

“God knows me intimately. He is concerned about my well-being and happiness. Because He knows me he has allowed me to have the Holy Ghost as my companion to help me through the challenges of life. Because He knows me has allowed me to hold His Priesthood which allows me to act and serve in His name here on earth.”

Does God Have a Purpose for My Life?

“Yes. His purpose for my life is that I receive a physical body, gain earthly experiences, make covenants, and receive ordinances that will allow me to return to live with Him and my family, forever.”

Is There Life After Death?

“Yes. Through the atonement, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ, God allows every person on earth the opportunity to live after this life forever. As we show our love by obeying his commandments and making and keeping sacred covenants he promises the opportunity to live with him … in other words, to have “eternal life” which is the greatest of all the gifts of God.”

I know these things because of the “The Word of God” found in the scriptures and through the words of His prophets. Knowing these things is one of the greatest gifts of love the Lord gives to us in this life. Truly, like Nephi taught, “The Word of God leads to the Love of God.” I pray we can all find that incredible love in our lives as we listen to the Lord’s prophets and read and ponder the scriptures … just like Nephi taught.

Negative Peer Pressure - I Nephi 8:28

2011-06-29T16:37:00.000-06:00

“And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them: and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost.”

Have you ever felt the “scoffing” of friends? Well, I believe “scoffing” to Nephi is the same as “peer pressure” is to you, today. I’m sure you’ve all felt peer pressure many times in your life. The peer pressure you face today is relentless and it comes from every angle. Who can turn on the TV, go to a movie, listen to music, read a magazine, surf the web or peruse YouTube without being influenced by “Peer Pressure?” It screams: “Look like this,” “Drink this and be cool,” “Eat this and look fabulous,” “Buy some of this and be funny.” Sometimes resisting peer pressure is easy because the pressure isn’t that close to you … in other words, it may not be hard to resist drugs and alcohol if the only place you see it is in the media. But it’s a lot harder to resist when those peer pressures come directly from friends and close acquaintances. One of the greatest moments of “peer pressure” I ever experienced when I was younger happened just before I left on my mission.

For the two years prior to my mission I worked at KSL-TV as a cameraman. My responsibility there was to run camera for the TV shows produced at KSL such as the Newscasts each night and other programs like the BYU and Utah football/basketball Coaches shows, Days of ’47 Parade, Sporting Events such as BYU/Utah/Utah State Basketball games, Music and the Spoken Word, and (don’t laugh) Romper Room. It was a great job for someone as young as I was and it gave me a great start to my career. While I was at KSL I became best friends with a guy I met there. We worked closely almost every day and both had a passion for our work. We really tried to be the best cameramen in the business. We both had dreams of having long careers in the media industry. We were both single and going to school. Because we shared so much in common and spent so much time together we became best friends. We were like brothers. One of the only differences between us was that my dear friend was not a member of our Church … and he had no desire to change that. It was during our friendship that I decided I needed to serve a mission. I didn’t try to force anything on him, but I knew he thought it was a mistake for me to take two years away from my career to serve a mission. After my final day at KSL before I was to leave on my mission I stood outside the studios on the sidewalk in Salt Lake City. I’ll always remember it being a very warm afternoon. My friend and I walked out together and paused for a moment. Then he looked me directly in the eye and said, “You’re making the biggest mistake of your life.” He went on for several minutes to say that he couldn’t understand how I could throw away everything I had worked for to go on a mission. He couldn’t believe I would leave my beautiful girlfriend (who is now my beautiful wife), my schooling and especially my job just to be a missionary for my Church.

I felt terrible as he was saying all these things. After all, how do you answer questions like that? When he was finished telling me how foolish I was I could only respond by saying, “I know it’s the right thing to do regardless of all these things you’ve said and it’s something I believe I need to do.” If I hadn’t have known in my heart through the spirit that I was to go on a mission, I don’t know if I could have responded that way. He put forth some persuading reasons for not going, but I had a spiritual witness that I needed to serve.

My friend wrote to me every week of my mission. When I had been out about 3 months I received one of his weekly letters. As I read it, I couldn’t believe what he was telling me. He said that shortly after I left on my mission he started taking the missionary lessons. The purpose of this letter was to tell me he had made the decision to be baptized and join the Church. He went on to say that my example helped him want to learn more about the Church.

What if I had given into the peer pressure I felt that day on the street outside of KSL? I wouldn’t have gone on a mission, perhaps my friend wouldn’t have joined the church and I promise I would have missed out on some of the greatest blessings of my life. I thought back on how I found the strength to respond to my friend the way I did those few months ago. I believe it was because the Spirit had testified to me that I was doing was what the Lord wanted me to do and I couldn’t go against something I knew was right. I believe it’s the same with any temptation you may face through peer pressure; whether it be drugs, alcohol, pornography, immorality or any other form of sin – you need to lean on your testimony to help you through it. Is it any surprise then why you are encouraged to find your own testimonies as early in life as possible?

Peer pressure can be so subtle and persuasive. I believe the greatest desire of every person on the earth is to feel successful, loved, and valued. Peer Pressure is Satan’s great lie to make you think participating in sinful behavior will make you successful and help you feel the love and value of the world. What a great lie! But there’s a reason Satan is referred to as “The Father of Lies.” It’s because he is brilliant at creating cunning, cruel, and convincing counterfeits.

I think it’s much like this example: A few years ago a study was conducted on a brand of artificial sweeteners. Like all artificial sweeteners, this product was designed to give food and drinks the sweet taste of sugar with zero calories. (In other words, it was a counterfeit of sugar.) This results of this study revealed some very interesting findings. First of all it suggested that this artificial sweetener didn’t satisfy the bodies craving for sweets … in fact it did just the opposite … it increased the appetite for sweet and secondly, it never left the consumer with a feeling of satisfaction.

I’ve often thought that this is just like the many counterfeits Satan thrusts upon us through peer pressure. These temptations always increase the appetite for more of the soul killing activity but never, ever leave a person satisfied. The victim is always left “wanting more and never being satisfied.” Is there a worse feeling than that?

If Satan’s scheme is to tempt you away from success, love and value then the Savior’s Plan of Happiness is to lead you to these things. I believe the only way to find this type of happiness and fulfillment is through the Savior.

I want to share with you one man’s philosophy of finding value and success, … but I believe at its roots are the Saviors teachings of love.

John Wooden coaches UCLA Basketball

John Wooden was perhaps the most successful college basketball coach of all time. He was known as the “Wizard of Westwood” because he coached the U.C.L.A. Bruins located in the Westwood area of Los Angeles. In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s when basketball was at the center of my own universe UCLA ruled the world of college basketball. Coach Wooden’s UCLA teams won 10 NCAA championships over the his last 12 years of coaching including seven in a row from 1967-1973. Also during that run UCLA won 88 straight games. (A record that may never be broken.) Not only was John Wooden perhaps the greatest coach of all-time in any sport, but he was also a great teacher and gentleman. As he was teaching his basketball players about success he felt the definition of success found in the dictionary wasn’t as descriptive as he thought it should be so he laid out his own definition for young people.

“Success is peace of mind which is
a direct result of self-satisfaction
in knowing you made the effort to
become the best that you are
capable of becoming.”

Take this definition of success and then think about any peer pressure you may feel. Does the peer pressure bring you closer to becoming what you are capable of becoming or does it lead you away from it? I believe that’s a pretty good measuring stick for finding success, love and value in the world. I also believe that through the restored gospel we are blessed to have a perfect understanding of what we are “capable of becoming.” We are capable of returning to live with our Heavenly Father as families because of the life, mission and atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

It’s my prayer that each of us will be able to avoid the pain and sorrow that come from yielding to negative peer pressure. I know that as we lean on the Savior and our testimonies of his atonement we will be protected and guided to do what is right. I promise as you continue to invite the spirit into your life you will be given strength to resist participating in activities that will bring regret and sadness. I also promise as you let this spiritual strength guide your actions you’ll feel the inner peace and on-going satisfaction that comes from knowing you are loved, valued and successful in the eyes of the Lord.

"Adversity Makes Us Stronger"

2011-06-17T10:22:00.000-06:00

Here’s a verse from Isaiah that Nephi includes in his record. (And it’s one that is easy to understand … you see, not all of Isaiah’s writings are confusing.)

“I have refined thee, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.” (I Nephi 20:10)

When we came to this life from the pre-existence we knew it was going to be a test. We knew there were going to be challenges and struggles. We knew it was going to be hard and it was going to be difficult. But we also knew it would be worth it. Because at the end of the test is the opportunity to not only live with God, the Eternal Father, but to live like Him. That is the greatest gift possible.

So, what I believe Nephi wants us to learn from this verse is that as we go through the hard times in our lives we need to be aware that God hasn’t forgotten us. In fact, he allows us to face these difficulties in order to “refine” us. The word “refine” means to purify. Isn’t that interesting that this life is meant to purify us. That’s not always easy to remember when we’re being tossed around by the storms of life.

I love the story President Hinckley shared about challenges. He said this:

“I know something of the frustrations of life in general. I have had my head bumped and my shins barked. On some of these occasions when I have needed a laugh I have turned to a letter which . . . was first published in the Manchester, England, Guardian and later reprinted in the Deseret News.

A hurricane had hit the West Indies, and a bricklayer was sent to repair the damage. He wrote to the home office as follows, and I hope you can get this delightful picture:

"Respected Sirs:

"When I got to the building I found that the hurricane had knocked some bricks off the top. So I rigged up a beam with a pulley at the top of the building and hoisted up a couple of barrels full of bricks.

When I had fixed the building, there was a lot of bricks left over. I hoisted the barrel back up again and secured the line at the bottom, and then went up and filled the barrel with the extra bricks.

Then I went to the bottom and cast off the line. Unfortunately the barrel of bricks was heavier than I was, and before I knew what was happening the barrel started down, jerking me off the ground. I decided to hang on, and halfway up I met the barrel coming down and received a severe blow on the shoulder.

I then continued to the top, banging my head against the beam and getting my finger jammed in the pulley. When the barrel hit the ground it bursted its bottom, allowing all the bricks to spill out.

I was now heavier than the barrel and so started down again at high speed. Halfway down, I met the barrel coming up and received severe injuries to my shins. When I hit the ground I landed on the bricks, getting several painful cuts from the sharp edges.

At this point I must have lost my presence of mind because I let go of the line. The barrel then came down, giving me another heavy blow on the head and putting me in hospital.

I respectfully request sick leave."

I don’t know whether that experience would “purify” a person, but it would surely teach the lesson of patience.

Isaiah isn’t the only prophet in the Old Testament to use the example of being “refined in the furnace.” Malachi also uses this analogy when he says this:

"And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." (Malachi 3:3)

I read a story a few years ago of a woman who wanted to know more about the refining of silver. So she went to visit a silversmith to learn more about the process of refining silver. The Silversmith explained the process to her as he sat in front of his fire. The woman had many questions.

"Sir" the woman said, "do you sit while the work of refining is going on?"

"Oh, yes," replied the silversmith; "I must sit with my eye steadily fixed on the furnace, for if the time necessary for refining be exceeded in the slightest degree, the silver will be injured."

The woman began to understand the meaning of the expression, "He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

Christ sees it needful to put us into a furnace (this life is the furnace); But His eye is steadily intent on the work of purifying, and His wisdom and love are both engaged in the best manner for us. Our trials do not come at random; for as the Savior taught "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered." (Matt. 10:30)

As the woman was leaving the shop, the silversmith called her back, and said he had forgotten to mention that he only when he sees his own image in the silver does he know the purifying is complete.

What a great truth this teaches us about the furnace and the refining process. This means for us that the work of purifying will only be accomplished when Christ sees his image reflected in each of us. And for that to happen we must go through the refiner’s fire.

I don’t know of many who have gone through that refiner’s fire more than the Martin Willie Handcart Company. I would like to share with you a remarkable story about how this terrible experience refined the lives of those involved until they had the Savior reflected in their images. This was shared by (then) Elder James E. Faust in the April General Conference in 1979.

Some years ago President David O. McKay told from this pulpit of the experience of some of those in the Martin handcart company. Many of these early converts had emigrated from Europe and were too poor to buy oxen or horses and a wagon. They were forced by their poverty to pull handcarts containing all of their belongings across the plains by their own brute strength. President McKay relates an occurrence which took place some years after the heroic exodus: “A teacher, conducting a class, said it was unwise ever to attempt, even to permit them [the Martin handcart company] to come across the plains under such conditions.

“[According to a class member,] some sharp criticism of the Church and its leaders was being indulged in for permitting any company of converts to venture across the plains with no more supplies or protection than a handcart caravan afforded.

“An old man in the corner … sat silent and listened as long as he could stand it, then he arose and said things that no person who heard him will ever forget. His face was white with emotion, yet he spoke calmly, deliberately, but with great earnestness and sincerity.

“In substance [he] said, ‘I ask you to stop this criticism. You are discussing a matter you know nothing about. Cold historic facts mean nothing here, for they give no proper interpretation of the questions involved. Mistake to send the Handcart Company out so late in the season? Yes. But I was in that company and my wife was in it and Sister Nellie Unthank whom you have cited was there, too. We suffered beyond anything you can imagine and many died of exposure and starvation, but did you ever hear a survivor of that company utter a word of criticism? Not one of that company ever apostatized or left the Church, because everyone of us came through with the absolute knowledge that God lives for we became acquainted with him in our extremities.

“ ‘I have pulled my handcart when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot ahead of the other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I have said, I can go only that far and there I must give up, for I cannot pull the load through it.’ ” He continues: “‘I have gone on to that sand and when I reached it, the cart began pushing me. I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart, but my eyes saw no one. I knew then that the angels of God were there.

“‘Was I sorry that I chose to come by handcart? No. Neither then nor any minute of my life since. The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay, and I am thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin Handcart Company.’ ” (Relief Society Magazine, Jan. 1948, p. 8.)

Here then is a great truth. In the pain, the agony, and the heroic endeavors of life, we pass through a refiner’s fire, and the insignificant and the unimportant in our lives can melt away like dross and make our faith bright, intact, and strong. In this way the divine image can be mirrored from the soul. It is part of the purging toll exacted of some to become acquainted with God. In the agonies of life, we seem to listen better to the faint, godly whisperings of the Divine Shepherd. (The Refiners Fire; President James E. Faust - General Conference - April 1979)

I hope that every time you read about the refiner’s fire, or if there is a time you feel the intense heat of adversity in your life, that you will consider the blessing that comes to those who are refined through this process if they but put their hand in the Lord’s and allow his image to shine in their faces.

"We Lived After the Manner of Happiness"

2011-06-09T08:52:00.002-06:00

#25
II Nephi 5:27
And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness.

I’ve thought a lot about what Nephi meant by living “after the manner of happiness.” I’m certain it went beyond having money, food, and clothing. I’m sure it surpassed momentary pleasure. I’m convinced it was more than good weather. I think what Nephi was teaching us here is that as a people they lived like we want to live … as a “Zion’s People.”
In our day, that means keeping the covenants we’ve made. One of the covenants we’ve all made at baptism is taking upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ in all that we do. We get the opportunity to renew that covenant each Sunday during the sacrament. It reminds us of who we need to pattern our lives after … the Savior.
I love that the Savior created this world. I love that he’s referred to as the “Creator.” Creativity is very important to me and it’s an important part of what I do for a living. Creativity is exciting. Several years ago I traveled to Chicago for a conference on Creativity. One of the sessions I attended at the conference was called “One Hundred Ways to be More Creative.”
I thought you might like to hear a few of the hundred methods our instructor suggested to become more creative:

Wear your watch on the other hand – change the part in your hair … do something. Act differently. Think differently.

Re-arrange the room. Re-arrange something in the room. Put a catsup bottle on your desk or a croquet ball. Add something from childhood to the room: a doll, a large plastic truck.

Turn literally everything into a game. If you think a task is a “chore” it drains energy. If you think it’s a “game” it generates energy.

Walk barefoot in the mud.

Float the rumor you have an IQ of 175.

Make a furniture fort at home. Spend half an hour in it with your whole family.

Go to the zoo in the middle of the day. Drop everything and watch an elephant for 30 minutes.

There were many incredible and fun ways presented to be more creative. But when he got to number 26 something grabbed my attention. #26 was this:

For one day, change your name. Be “Terry, or Ed, or Chuck or Gretchen or Lancelot.” Your entire day will be different. Notice how you see yourself everyday “through your name.” For example if your name is “Ed” you sit, eat, and make phone calls like an “Ed” would. Subconsciously, you think a “Bruce” would do it all slightly differently. Be a “Bruce” for a day. Try it. You don’t even have to tell anyone. They can call you by your regular name. You’ll notice more about yourself all day long. You’ll develop a heightened consciousness.

I got thinking about how some of the greatest actors have done that with the characters they’ve portrayed. They’ve studied them extensively trying to gain insight to every nuance of that character. You may have heard that Tom Hanks put on 50 pounds to play his character in the beginning of “Cast Away” so he could lose it later. Doing so allowed him to better understand and portray his character. I’ve heard of actors who have spent time in Army boot camps, spent time with homeless people, spent time in the gyms just so they could better understand the character they were going to portray.

Now, I’m not an actor, but I thought about #26 for quite a while and considered this; what if we all took upon us a different character for a period of time. Not just casually, but really getting into it. For example how differently would you act if you acted like your bishop? What would your life be like if you tried living it like President Monson? What kind of difference would it make in your life if you tried – not for a day or two – but always to be like the Savior? What if for the next week you took upon you His name? Well, we not only have that opportunity – we have that responsibility and it a responsibility we’re reminded of every Sunday.

… That they may eat in remembrance of the body of they Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which has has given them; that they may always have his spirit to be with them. Amen. (D&C 29:77)

How can our lives be different if we truly take upon ourselves the name of our creator, Jesus Christ. How would we act? How would we treat others? How would we better serve Him?

"Most people in trouble end up crying, 'What was I thinking?' Well, whatever they were thinking, they weren't thinking of Christ. Yet, as members of His Church, we pledge every Sunday of our lives to take upon ourselves His name and promise to 'always remember him' (D&C 20:77). So let us work a little harder at remembering Him." (Jeffrey R. Holland, "Place No More for the Enemy of My Soul," Ensign, May 2010, 46)

One of my most favorite sermons in the Book of Mormon is King Benjamin’s speech in Mosiah 2-5. In chapter 5 verses 8 and 9 he gives some thoughts on being called by the name of Christ.

8 “… Therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.
9 And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this shall be found at the right hand of God … for he shall be called by the name of Christ.”

Being the perfect teacher the Savior gives us some wonderful insights to how to act when we take upon us His name.

The person who takes upon themselves His name are promising to “bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things and in all places that ye may be in, even until death.” (Mosiah 18: 8-9)

The Aaronic Priesthood holder who takes upon himself the name of Christ will live the principles of “long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned.” He will have charity towards all men and let virtue garnish his thoughts unceasingly.” (D&C 121: 41-45)

The Youth who take upon them the name of Christ will not be afraid to “put on the whole armor of God.” They will gladly go through boot camp to put on the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation and the sword of faith to prepare them for the most important and rewarding role of all: To be like the Savior.

If we are successful in taking on the Savior’s name at all times will there be any person in our stake who wouldn’t have enough love and understanding to overcome any problem, any challenge, any heartache?

Think about it. If we all to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ and live like him will there be any youth in our stake who won’t use clean language, have clean thoughts and actions and keep themselves spiritually pure?

Will there be anyone who doesn’t read the scriptures daily or who doesn’t feel the peace that comes from the companionship of the Holy Ghost?

The Prophet Alma asks us each of us this question: “And now behold, I ask of you my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts? (Alma 5: 14)

Those who have received his image in their countenances and experienced this mighty change in their hearts will find it easier to follow President Howard W. Hunter’s counsel that he shared in his last public address to the Church:

“Mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love and then speak it again.” (President Howard W. Hunter; The Gifts of Christmas; The First Presidency Christmas Devotional, December, 2002)

If we will take upon us the name of the Savior we will win the prize. No, it won’t be a Tony, an Emmy or an Oscar. It will be “peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come.” (D&C 59:23) That prize is “the greatest of all the gifts of God.” (D&C 14:7)

I pray that we will all be more effective in our spiritual lives by taking upon us the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I testify as we do, our lives will be filled with greater joy, greater meaning, and greater happiness; and through all our trials, struggles and mistakes it will bring greater hope. This is what I believe is living “after the manner of happiness.”

I Nephi 7:21 - "I did frankly forgive them."

2011-06-01T10:30:00.000-06:00

Next to “love” I think the most powerful word in the in the human language is “forgive.” For most people forgiveness is something they quickly desire from others, but are not often willing to give to someone else.

Think about Nephi for a minute. His brothers, Laman and Lemuel had already beaten him with a rod (which I think would be only slightly less bulky than a baseball bat!), they had just tied him up and left him in the wilderness to be “devoured by wild beasts.” Think about how easy it would have been for Nephi to hold a grudge, harbor hatred and look for ways to “get even with his brothers.” After all, it wasn’t as if he wasn’t justified. He endured some very malicious and severe behavior from his older brothers.

But what is the example Nephi sets for all of us? The scripture makes it pretty clear, “I did frankly forgive them.” (I Nephi 7:21) I love the use of the word “frankly” … he didn’t just forgive them, but he forgave them “frankly.” The definition of the word “frankly” is this: straightforward; sincere; direct; unmistakable; freely. So you can understand that Nephi didn’t “almost” forgive them, or say he forgave them but then didn’t, or say “I might forgive, but I’ll never forget.” He said he “did frankly forgive them” which means he forgave them sincerely, unmistakably and freely. I believe these five words in the Book of Mormon teach a powerful lesson on how we should approach forgiveness.

You may ask yourself this question; “Would I be willing to forgive my brothers of these wrongs?” I think the way to discover this answer is to ask how willing you are to forgive others of the things they do to you. For example; what if someone tells your friends a hurtful lie about you? What if someone calls you a name behind your back and it gets back to you? What if someone borrows something valuable to you and then breaks it? What if someone treats you rudely and tells others not to be your friend? What if someone “steals” your best friend and turns them against you? What if your self-worth is crushed by vulgar expressions of hurtful words? These are the moments in our lives when we have to have the courage of Nephi and forgive others … as hard as that may seem.

I’ve seen from experience that people who can’t let go of “grudges” or can’t forgive someone else’s actions are most often the ones who lose the most. I remember many years ago when I was serving as a counselor, our Stake Presidency visited a home in our stake where a man had been wronged. He had every right to be upset because what happened to him “wasn’t right.” Despite all the evidence he shared about being justified in his feelings, President Casaday, our Stake President, gave some very wise counsel to him that day. He said, “You need to let it go and not let it consume you.” Those were very wise words that were not the counsel the man was hearing from others. Others were telling him to “get even” and to “get back” at the offenders. I wish I could say that he was able to follow President Casaday’s advice, but sadly he didn’t find it possible to let it go and it continued to consume him. I watched closely over the following weeks, months, and years. What I noticed was how this man wasted so much time and futile energy just trying to justify himself. Had he used that time and energy to build important relationships, to be productive, and to help others, think of how much happier and fulfilled he would have been. But, what I witnessed was a continual and underlying anger that was very consuming and destructive.

Are you holding any grudges or hard feelings that are holding you back from being all you can be? If you are, I would beg you to forgive and move on.

One of the greatest talks I ever heard on forgiveness was given in General Conference in April 2007 by President James E. Faust, who was serving as 2^nd Counselor in the First Presidency. In it he shared the tragic story of the murder of several innocent Amish school children and the remarkable story that followed. I’d like to share some of his talk with you:

In the beautiful hills of Pennsylvania, a devout group of Christian people live a simple life without automobiles, electricity, or modern machinery. They work hard and live quiet, peaceful lives separate from the world. Most of their food comes from their own farms. The women sew and knit and weave their clothing, which is modest and plain. They are known as the Amish people.

A 32-year-old milk truck driver lived with his family in their Nickel Mines community. He was not Amish, but his pickup route took him to many Amish dairy farms, where he became known as the quiet milkman. Last October he suddenly lost all reason and control. In his tormented mind he blamed God for the death of his first child and some unsubstantiated memories. He stormed into the Amish school without any provocation, released the boys and adults, and tied up the 10 girls. He shot the girls, killing five and wounding five. Then he took his own life.

This shocking violence caused great anguish among the Amish but no anger. There was hurt but no hate. Their forgiveness was immediate. Collectively they began to reach out to the milkman’s suffering family. As the milkman’s family gathered in his home the day after the shootings, an Amish neighbor came over, wrapped his arms around the father of the dead gunman, and said, “We will forgive you.”Amish leaders visited the milkman’s wife and children to extend their sympathy, their forgiveness, their help, and their love. About half of the mourners at the milkman’s funeral were Amish. In turn, the Amish invited the milkman’s family to attend the funeral services of the girls who had been killed. A remarkable peace settled on the Amish as their faith sustained them during this crisis.

One local resident very eloquently summed up the aftermath of this tragedy when he said, “We were all speaking the same language, and not just English, but a language of caring, a language of community, [and] a language of service. And, yes, a language of forgiveness.”It was an amazing outpouring of their complete faith in the Lord’s teachings in the Sermon on the Mount: “Do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.”

The family of the milkman who killed the five girls released the following statement to the public:

“To our Amish friends, neighbors, and local community:

“Our family wants each of you to know that we are overwhelmed by the forgiveness, grace, and mercy that you’ve extended to us. Your love for our family has helped to provide the healing we so desperately need. The prayers, flowers, cards, and gifts you’ve given have touched our hearts in a way no words can describe. Your compassion has reached beyond our family, beyond our community, and is changing our world, and for this we sincerely thank you.

“Please know that our hearts have been broken by all that has happened. We are filled with sorrow for all of our Amish neighbors whom we have loved and continue to love. We know that there are many hard days ahead for all the families who lost loved ones, and so we will continue to put our hope and trust in the God of all comfort, as we all seek to rebuild our lives.”

How could the whole Amish group manifest such an expression of forgiveness? It was because of their faith in God and trust in His word, which is part of their inner beings. They see themselves as disciples of Christ and want to follow His example.

Hearing of this tragedy, many people sent money to the Amish to pay for the health care of the five surviving girls and for the burial expenses of the five who were killed. As a further demonstration of their discipleship, the Amish decided to share some of the money with the widow of the milkman and her three children because they too were victims of this terrible tragedy.

Most of us need time to work through pain and loss. We can find all manner of reasons for postponing forgiveness. One of these reasons is waiting for the wrongdoers to repent before we forgive them. Yet such a delay causes us to forfeit the peace and happiness that could be ours. The folly of rehashing long-past hurts does not bring happiness.

(James E. Faust; The Healing Power of Forgiveness; April 2007; General Conference)

I believe the thing that allowed both Nephi and the Amish to forgive others of such heinous and revolting actions against them was their faith in the teachings of the “Prince of Peace,” Jesus Christ.

Perhaps the greatest measure of forgiveness took place nearly 2000 years ago on a lonely hill called “Calvary.” There the only perfect man to walk the earth was as wrongly accused of any man who ever lived. He gave sight to the blind, he healed the lame, he raised the dead … but all the Pharisee’s and Sadducee’s could see was hate and rage. Their hate wouldn’t end until the very God of this world was put to death in the most humiliating and painful method known to man – crucifixion. But even there, hanging on the cross in agony as they fought over his clothes and mocked him, He looked on the people and simply said,

“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

If the Savior, Himself, could forgive while enduring the pains of death, can’t we be more like Him and forgive those who may have offended us in situations much less monumental? It’s my prayer that we can all look to the example of the Amish, of Nephi and of our perfect example; the Lord, Jesus Christ, and look for ways to “frankly forgive.”

I Nephi 10:17 – Desire to know by the Holy Ghost.

2011-05-24T15:39:00.000-06:00

"I was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these

things, by the power of the Holy Ghost."

I Nephi 10:17

I had the wonderful opportunity recently to sit in the large sealing room in the Draper Temple. It is so beautiful. In the center, just above the alter, is a huge chandelier that hangs from the very, very high ceiling. The translucent glass windows towards the head of the alter allow the bright sunlight to filter into and throughout the room. It just feels just like you hope heaven is like.

I was in this beautiful room as Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone performed the marriage for Chad Williams and Brianna Pace from our Stake. I just love Elder Featherstone! We are so fortunate to have him live in our stake. He is such a great example to me. Often, as I serve as Stake President, I find myself thinking; “What would Elder Featherstone say or do in a situation like this?” This is because I admire and respect him so very, very much. I KNOW Elder Featherstone (and Sister Featherstone, too) would do anything for the Lord. He loves the Lord with all his “heart, might, mind, and strength.” He should be an example to all of us.

While we were sitting in this beautiful sealing room Elder Featherstone gave some wonderful and wise counsel to the Bride and Groom. (I often think giving advice at a wedding is like speaking at a funeral … the one you want to hear your comments isn’t listening.) But Elder Featherstone’s advice was great for everyone there. The thing I remember most about what he said is this:

“I know these things are true with every ounce and fiber of my being.”

I want you to know that I know Elder Featherstone knows the gospel is true. And I believe the reason he knows this is because he lives so the spirit can impress upon him every day that this is so. That how you know things are true … your faith and experience tell you so. For example, I know the sun will rise in the morning, not because I know all the science behind it, but because that’s what it’s done every single day of my life. It’s never failed. If it failed once, I wouldn’t be so sure, but my experience tells me it will rise in the morning and my faith each day confirms it.

It’s like knowing the truth. The Holy Ghost testifies of all truth. If you want to know that Jesus is the Christ - that Joseph Smith was a prophet - and that the Church of Jesus Christ has been restored, you need to feel the promptings of the spirit … not just once or twice … but daily. This is how your faith grows to knowledge. It’s comes through the continual promptings of the spirit.

I want each of you to know that I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God. It is “the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man (will) get closer to God by abiding by its precepts than by any other book.” (Book of Mormon introduction) I know it’s the word of God, not because I read it once … or that I read it a long time ago. I know it’s the word of God because I read it today; I read it yesterday; I read it the day before that and before that and before that … And each time I’ve read with a sincere heart I have felt the spirit testify that it is true. I’ve felt that feeling over and over and over and over. I know it’s true because I’ve had the continual promptings from the spirit witness it to me. This is how “belief” turns into “knowledge.”

I’m so glad I have knowledge from the Holy Ghost that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. It makes so many other things in my life much easier. It makes it easier to follow the guidance of the prophet; it makes it easier to pay my tithing, to obey the word of wisdom; it makes it easier to stay away from pornography and other sins of the world. It removes many of the “stumbling blocks” of life that so many others face every day.

I’ve had the opportunity to bear strong testimony that it is the word of God. One of those times was in March 2009. I was in Chicago on business. It was a cold, cold day. After my meetings were over I quickly caught a cab from downtown to O’Hare airport.

I got into the warm cab, and the cab driver asked me where I was off too. (This was after he said he wasn’t very anxious to take a passenger all the way out to the airport; but, he said if I were to give him a large tip it would make it worth it.) I nodded and told him I was flying home to “Utah.”

He asked me, “What is Utah famous for?” Being March, I said, “Well, it’s famous for its mountains and the snow.” I told him the 2002 Winter Olympics were held in Salt Lake. Then I told him it was also famous because it was the headquarters of the Mormon Church.

Our eyes were now glancing at each other in the rearview mirror, as they would for the remainder of the ride. His next comment was somewhat funny; he said, “I wish I could be a Mormon.” I asked him “why?” He said, “That way I could have more than one wife.” I chuckled and told him we don’t have more than one wife and that if anyone had more than one wife they wouldn’t be a member of our church. I told him I have one wife to whom I’ve been “happily married to for almost 32 years.”

He then said, “Well, you used to could have more than one.” I mentioned that the practice had been discontinued in 1890. But I got the sense that he knew more about the Church than he was originally letting onto.

I asked him about his religion. He had a mid-eastern accent. He told me he was raised in India and that now his beliefs were a combination of Islam and Christianity. I told him that seemed like an odd mix. He replied that he had the foundation of Islam but had converted to Christianity and now believed the Bible.

I told him I read the Bible and he quickly jumped in … “But you have another book.” I said, “Yes, I also read the Book of Mormon.”

His eyes focused on me in the rear view mirror and he suddenly got very serious. He said, “You shouldn’t read that book!”

I was caught a bit off guard but asked him why. He said because “it’s not a good book.”

I then, also got suddenly serious and said, “Oh, no, no. It’s a wonderful book. I love the Book of Mormon. I love it because it teaches me about Christ. I have learned more about Jesus Christ from reading this book than any other book I’ve ever read. It validates everything the Bible teaches and is another witness that Jesus Christ is our Savior. I read it every day. It makes me a better person.”

He was silent for several moments.

When our conversation continued we talked more about Christ. We talked about service. We talked about his son who was serving needy people in the inner-city as a missionary. I told him about my service as a missionary. It was pleasant. And I gave him a big tip.

I was most pleased though, because he knew how I felt about the Book of Mormon, but more importantly that I wanted to follow the Savior. I couldn’t have done that – with the total conviction of my soul – if I hadn’t known by the Holy Ghost that the Book of Mormon was the word of God and that it testifies of my Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

I believe, like Nephi, I had a desire to know by the Holy Ghost, the truthfulness of the Gospel. I testify to you that I do have this testimony. I promise it’s a testimony you can have, too. But more importantly, the Lord promise that you can have this knowledge. One of the last things Moroni writes in the Book of Mormon is this promise.

“And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that he 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. (Moroni 10: 4-5)”

I would ask you to do what I have done. Read the Book of Mormon. Ask the Lord with a sincere heart if it is true and then listen to the feelings of your spirit. The Lord promises you will feel of its truth by the power of the Holy Ghost. And I know that is true. I know it “with every ounce and fiber of my being.”

"Which Wolf Are You Feeding?"

2011-05-20T11:25:00.001-06:00

II Nephi 4:16 –

“Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord.”

I just love the way Nephi talks about the things of the Lord. He doesn’t just say “I really like them” or; “they’re good to know” or; “Aren’t they nice?” He says his “soul delighteth” in them. I believe that means Nephi thinks about the things of the Lord and they don’t just make him happy or pleased … they reach all the way to his soul. I believe he was “passionate” about the things of the Lord. When I think of something touching my soul, I think of things that reach the very core of who I am. In other words, I don’t think it’s possible to be reached more profoundly than in your soul. So, how did Nephi get to this point? I believe he got there by choosing the right over and over and over again. By doing this I believe he was able to discover the Lord’s ways and learned to love them. This reminds me of a story told by an old Sioux Indian chief that goes like this:

One winter’s evening whilst gathered round a blazing camp fire, an old Sioux Indian chief told his grandson about the inner struggle that goes on inside people.

“You see,” said the old man, “this inner-struggle is like two wolves fighting each other. One is evil, full of anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, deceit, false pride, superiority, and ego.”

“The other one,” he continued, poking the fire with a stick so that the fire crackled, sending the flames clawing at the night sky, “is good, full of joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”

For a few minutes his grandson pondered his grandfather’s words and then asked, “So which wolf wins, grandfather?”

“Well”, said the wise old chief, his lined face breaking into a wry smile, “The one you feed!”

I believe Nephi fed the good wolf every day. This is what led him to the things of the Lord and allowed his entire soul to be touched for good.

So, which wolf are you feeding? I believe President Uchtdorf gives us a very good “flight plan” of what it takes to feed the good wolf.

“The first step to walking in righteousness is simply to try. We must try to believe. Try to learn of God: read the scriptures; study the words of His latter-day prophets; choose to listen to the Father, and do the things He asks of us. Try and keep on trying until that which seems difficult becomes possible—and that which seems only possible becomes habit and a real part of you.” Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Love of God,” Ensign, Nov. 2009, 23

The “For the Strength of Youth” booklet provides more ways to feed the good wolf. For example, under the “Dress and Appearance” section it reads:

“Through your dress and appearance, you can show the Lord that you know how precious your body is. You can show that you are a disciple of Christ. The way you dress is a reflection of what you are on the inside. When you are well groomed and modestly dressed, you invite the companionship of the Spirit and can exercise a good influence on those around you. Immodest clothing includes short shorts and skirts, tight clothing, shirts that do not cover the stomach, and other revealing attire. Young men should also maintain modesty in their appearance and avoid extremes in clothing, appearance and hairstyles."

I would like to add to that by saying, never lower your standards for school dances or any other occasion. Always ask, "Would I feel comfortable with my appearance if the Lord were present?"

Choose entertainment and music that will uplift you; that will bring good thoughts and righteous choices. Have the courage to walk out of a movie or video party, turn off the computer or television. Change a radio station, or put down a magazine if it does not meet Heavenly Father's standards. Do it even if others don't have the courage or wisdom to.

Date only those who have high standards and in whose company you will be able to keep yours. Protect each other's honor and virtue at all cost. When you begin to date, no sooner than age 16, do so in groups or double dates. Avoid going out with the same person frequently. Now is the time to develop good friendships. I promise all these things will allow you to “feed the good wolf.”

To you young men specifically, President Hinckley said this about how to stay worthy as an Aaronic Priesthood holder.

“And so, to you young men who hold the Aaronic Priesthood, you have had conferred upon you that power which holds the keys to the ministering of angels. Think of that for a minute.

You cannot afford to do anything that would place a curtain between you and the ministering of angels in your behalf.

You cannot be immoral in any sense. You cannot be dishonest. You cannot cheat or lie. You cannot take the name of God in vain or use filthy language and still have the right to the ministering of angels.

I do not want you to be self-righteous. I want you to be manly, to be vibrant and strong and happy. To those who are athletically inclined, I want you to be good athletes and strive to become champions. But in doing so, you do not have to indulge in unseemly behavior or profane or filthy language.

To you young men who look forward to going on missions, please do not cloud your lives with anything that would cast a doubt upon your worthiness to go forth as servants of the living God.”

Personal Worthiness to Exercise the Priesthood – President Gordon B Hinckley (General Conference - Apr. 2002)

And how will you know when you’re feeding the “good wolf?” I believe David Beck, the General Young Men’s President sums it up perfectly for you.

"You will feel your heart changing as you become a faithful priesthood man. You will seek to be completely clean and administer the sacrament worthily. You will treat every young woman with kindness and respect. You will honor your parents. You will avoid offending the Spirit in what you think, say, or do. You will come to know the Lord, whom you serve, and you will ever strive to be like Him." David L. Beck, "The Magnificent Aaronic Priesthood," Ensign, May 2010, 56

I’d like to share an experience in my life when I was about your age. It was a pivotal time when I needed to decide which wolf I would feed for the rest of my life.

I was 18 years-old when this time came for me. I truly wanted to feel the love and power of the Lord’s atonement. I felt the best way to find this was by reading The Book of Mormon. I made my way through First and Second Nephi, then Jacob, Enos, Jarom, Omni, and the Words of Mormon. I started the Book of Mosiah and immediately came upon the remarkable address of King Benjamin. I was touched by his wisdom and ability to boldly express the importance of the Savior to his people. As I began the fourth chapter I read how the people reacted to his moving testimony.

“… And they all cried aloud with one voice, saying: O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth and all things …”

At that moment the spirit touched my soul more deeply than ever before. I continued reading into the third verse:

“And it came to pass that after they had spoken these words the Spirit of the Lord came upon them and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come, according to the words which King Benjamin had spoken unto them.”

It was a miracle. I felt the exact feelings his people experienced over 2,000 years earlier. It was if those verses had been included in The Book of Mormon just for me. I was filled with joy. I had a peace of conscience because of the atonement of the Savior.

On that day, sitting alone in the basement family room in a stuffed rocking chair, I gained a testimony. I knew which wolf I wanted to feed. Tears came to my eyes. The Holy Ghost had testified to my spirit that Jesus Christ was my Savior and Redeemer. This singular experience changed me. I was now prepared to testify as a missionary that the Savior’s gospel was again on the earth. I was prepared to honor the Savior for his sacrifice by following him and living his gospel.

In the many years since that event, I have had countless impressions and promptings from the Holy Ghost that Jesus Christ is the Savior of all mankind. Each brings the same feelings of deep contentment and lasting joy. Each strengthens my testimony from the bottom of its roots to the tips of its branches. Each gives me the desire to be a better person, to do good, and share this message with others.

I am grateful for the love of the Savior. I know He lives. I know He cares about each one of us. He knows us by name. He has not left us comfortless. It’s my prayer that each one of us will “Draw near” to the Savior and partake of the love he so willingly offers us through his atonement.

Now is the time for us to commit to feeding the good wolf. Remember you are a Child of God. When you feed the good wolf you’ll have His spirit to give guidance and peace in your life. Read your scriptures, pray, and be true to His word; His commandments and His Church Leaders. This is the way to happiness. I promise you.

All Men Must Come Unto Christ to be Saved – 1 Nephi 6:4

2011-05-16T11:42:00.000-06:00

“For the fullness of mine intent is that I may persuade men t come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved.” I Nephi 6:4

I’m sure you’ve read the charge, found several times in the Book of Mormon, to “Come Unto Christ.” I believe perhaps the most important thing we can do in this life is to “Come Unto Christ.” But I also believe every one of us may be holding on to something that keeps us from coming unto Him without hesitation or pause.

At the end of the Book of Mormon, Moroni, in his closing comments almost begs us to “Come Unto Christ” and “touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing.

“And again I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing.” (Moroni 10:30)

Touching not the evil gift, nor unclean thing brought to my mind something I read from President Spencer W. Kimball, who was the Prophet when I was called on my mission, married and moved into our stake. He records the following:

I am reminded of an article I read some years ago about a group of men who had gone to the jungles to capture monkeys. They tried a number of different things to catch the monkeys, including nets. But finding that the nets could injure such small creatures, they finally cam upon an ingenious solution. They built a large number of small boxes, and in the top of each they bored a hole just large enough for a monkey to get his hand into. They then set these boxes out under the trees and in each one they put a nut that the monkeys were particularly fond of.

When the men left, the monkeys began to come down from the trees and examine the boxes. Finding that there were nuts to be had, they reached into the boxes to get them. But when a monkey would try to withdraw his hand with the nut, he could not get his hand out of the box because his little fist, with the nut inside, was now too large.

At about this time, the men would come out of the underbrush and converge on the monkeys. And the men coming, they would shriek and scramble about with the thought of escaping; but as easy as it would have been, they would not let go of the nut so that they could withdraw their hands from the boxes and thus escape. The men captured them easily.

And so it often seems to be with people, having such a firm grasp on things of the world -- that which is telestial -- that no amount of urging and no degree of emergency can persuade them to let go in favor of that which is celestial. Satan gets them in his grip easily. If we insist on spending all our time and resources building up for ourselves in worldly kingdom, that is exactly what we will inherit.

In spite of our delight in defining ourselves as modern, and our tendency to think we possess a sophistication that no people in the past ever had -- in spite of these things, we are, on the whole, an idolatrous people -- a condition most repugnant to the Lord.

. . . It may seem a little difficult at first, but when a person begins to catch a vision of the true work when he begins to see something of eternity in its true perspective, the blessings begin to far outweigh true perspective; the blessings begin to far outweigh the cost of leaving "the world" behind.

Herein lies the only true happiness, and therefore we invite and welcome all men, everywhere, to join in this work. For those who are determined to serve the Lord at all costs, this is the way to eternal life. All else is but a means to that end.

-President Spencer W. Kimball, "The False Gods We Worship," Ensign, June 1976, First Presidency Message, pages 5-6.

Think about what “evil” things in your life may be keeping you from “Coming Unto Christ” without reservation. Maybe it’s not obeying your parents; judging others too harshly; or not following the promptings you feel from the Holy Ghost. It might be swearing; watching inappropriate movies or TV shows; or turning away from someone who needs a friend. Perhaps it’s viewing pornography; not reading your scriptures each day; or listening to music that you wouldn’t feel comfortable singing in front of your mother.

Let me share with you another secret I’ve found in letting go of the “evil” things in your life. I believe reading and studying the Book of Mormon each day has miraculous results in helping you overcome anything that may be holding you back from the Savior’s embrace.

Like Nephi and Moroni, I would plead, exhort, and even beg that you “let go” of whatever holds you back from “Coming Unto Christ.” Don’t be like the monkey’s that sacrificed their lives for one measly nut. Do what you need to do to make the changes in your life that you want to make … and I promise it will be easier as you read the Book of Mormon each day. I also promise that the moment you do let go and repent, you will find yourself closer to the Savior. When that happens your life will be filled with greater love, value, purpose and lasting happiness.

The Lamb of God Takes Away Our Stumbling Blocks - I Nephi 14:1

2011-05-09T12:06:00.000-06:00

Now here’s a scripture I’ll bet you haven’t paid too much attention to as you’ve read I Nephi chapter 14. It’s the very first verse of the chapter.

“And it shall come to pass, that if the Gentiles shall hearken unto the Lamb of God in that day that he shall manifest himself unto them in word, and also in power, in very deed, unto the taking away of their stumbling blocks.” (I Nephi 14:1)

Well, let’s look at this scripture for a moment. In this part of the Book of Mormon “the Gentiles” are all those who have been directed to come to this country from other countries. In other words, it’s each one of us … because all of us have ancestors who have come from other counties to settle here. For some it may have been one generation ago, for others it might have been 10 generations ago, but we all have ancestors who have come from other countries. So, we are the Gentiles mentioned here. Secondly it says “in that day.” I believe that is “our day” … it is the day of the restoration of the gospel in which we are all privileged to live in today.

So what does this scripture, written almost 600 years before Christ was born, mean to us today? I believe it means, very simply, if we obey the laws and commandments of the restored gospel, the Savior promises to bless us and take away the stumbling blocks that will cause those who don’t obey His laws and commandments to stumble. If there’s anything we don’t want to do in the race of life, it’s to stumble and fall.

Think about it. We live in a world that screams to us that it’s all right to be immoral; that viewing pornography hurts no one; that drinking alcohol is a social norm; that harmful drugs should be legalized; that immodest clothing is necessary to be noticed. These are all stumbling blocks that the Lord takes away from those who are obedient to the laws of the Gospel.

Those who participate in immorality, viewing pornography, consuming alcohol or illegal drugs, or who turn to immodesty to get noticed all will have a price to pay. As a Bishop and Stake President I’ve had the responsibility to talk to people whose happiness has been ruined and lives have been shattered because they have been fooled into believing these things bring joy. I’ve seen so many cheeks watered by tears and I’ve seen the inward soul wounded severely. On the other hand those who have obeyed the commandments, have been worthy to receive priesthood ordinances and the blessings of the temple have found lasting happiness because the Savior has “taken away” the stumbling blocks that usually accompany wrong choices.

I’d like to share with you a story that took place over ninety-years ago (in 1919) where the Lord took away a stumbling block of a young man who was greatly pressured to break the word of wisdom. This is the story of a track star for the University of Pennsylvania who was also a member of the Church. His name was Creed Haymond and he was a sprinter … particularly good at the 100 and 220 yard dashes. The following story about Creed Haymond is taken from a talk by Elder L. Tom Perry in the General Priesthood Session of General Conference on Oct. 5, 1996.

Elder Perry speaks:

I particularly remember a Primary teacher reading a story to us from the Improvement Era. I had the Historical Department find it for me and found it was worth repeating. The story is taken from the October 1929 Improvement Era, and is about Creed Haymond, a young Mormon who applied for and was accepted at the University of Pennsylvania. He was an athlete who was known for his speed and, because of the way he acted and participated, he was chosen to be the captain of the track team.

The Annual Meet of the Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America was held at Harvard Stadium at the end of May of 1919. To Cambridge came the greatest college athletes -- seventeen hundred in all. In tryouts, Penn had qualified seventeen men. Cornell, their most feared rival that year, had only qualified ten. The Penn team was in a position to be crowned the champions. The scores were made on the first five places--five for first, four for second, three for third, two for fourth, and one for fifth. Naturally, the team that qualified the most men had the greatest opportunity of winning the meet.

The Penn coach was in good spirits the night before the meet. He made the rounds of his team members before they retired. He came into Creed's room and said, ''Creed, if we do our best tomorrow, we will run away with it." Then the coach hesitated. ''Creed, I'm having the boys take a little sherry wine tonight. I want you to have some -- just a little of course.'' ''I won't do it, Coach.'' ''But, Creed, I'm not going to get you drunk. I know what you 'Mormons' believe. I'm giving you this as a tonic, just to put you all on your metal.'' ''It won't do me any good, coach; I can't take it." The coach replied, ''Remember, Creed, you're the captain of the team
and our best point winner. Fourteen thousand students are looking to you personally to win this meet. If you fail us we'll lose. I ought to know what is good for you."

Creed knew that other coaches felt that a little wine was useful for the men who have trained muscles and nerves almost to the snapping point. He knew also that what the coach was asking him to do was against all that he had been taught from his early childhood. He looked his coach in the eye and said, ''I won't take it."

The coach replied, ''You're a funny fellow, Creed. You won't take tea at the training table. You have ideas of your own. Well, I'm going to let you do as you please.''

The coach then left the captain of the team in a state of extreme anxiety. Suppose he made a poor showing tomorrow. What could he say to his coach? He was going up against the fastest men in the world. Nothing less than his best would do. His stubbornness might lose the meet for Penn. His teammates were told what to do and responded. They believed in their coach. What right did he have to disobey? There was only one reason. He had been taught all his life to obey the Word of Wisdom.

It was a critical hour in this young man's life. With all the spiritual forces of his nature pressing in on him, he knelt down and earnestly asked the Lord to give him a testimony as to what was the source of the revelation he had believed in and obeyed. Then he went to bed and slept in sound slumber.

Next morning the coach came into the room and asked, ''How are you feeling, Creed?''

''Fine,'' the captain answered cheerfully.

''All of the other fellows are ill. I don't know what's the matter with them,'' the coach said seriously.

''Maybe it's the tonic you gave them, Coach.''

"Maybe so," answered the coach.

Two o'clock found twenty thousand spectators in their seats waiting for the meet to begin. As the events got under way, it became plain that something was wrong with the wonderful Penn team. Event after event, the Penn team performed well below what was expected of them. Some members were even too ill to participate.

The hundred and two-hundred-twenty-yard dash were Creed's races. The Penn team desperately needed him to win for them. He was up against the five fastest men in the American colleges. As the men came to their marks for the hundred-yard dash and the pistol was shot, and every man sprang forward into the air and touched the earth at a run -- that is, all except one -- Creed Haymond. The one using the second lane in the trials -- the one that Creed was running in at this particular event -- had kicked a hole for his toe an inch or two behind the spot where Haymond had just chosen for his. They didn't use starting blocks in those days. With the tremendous thrust that Creed gave, the narrow wedge of earth broke through, and he came down on his knee behind the line.

He got up and tried to make up for the poor start. At sixty yards, he was last in the race. Then he seemed to fly past the fifth man, then the fourth, then the third, then the second. Close to the tape, heart bursting with strain, he swept into that climax with whirlwind swiftness, he ran past the final man to victory.

Through some mistake in arrangements, the semi-finals of the two-twenty were not completed until almost the close of the meet. With the same bad break that had followed the Penn team all day, Creed Haymond had been placed in the last qualifying heat for the two-hundred twenty yard dash. Then five minutes after winning it he was called to start in the final of the two-twenty, the last event of the day. One of the other men who had run in an earlier heat rushed up to him. ''Tell the starter you demand a rest before running again. You're entitled to it under the rules. I've hardly caught my breath yet and I ran in the heat before yours."

Creed went panting to the starter and begged for more time. The official said he would give him ten minutes. The crowd was clamoring for the final race to begin. Regretfully he called the men to their marks. Under ordinary conditions Creed would not have feared this race. He was probably the fastest man in the world at that distance, but yet he had already run three races that afternoon--one the heart-stopping hundred-yard dash.

The starter, ordering the breathless men to their marks, raised his pistol and with a puff of smoke, the race began. This time the Penn captain literally shot from his marks. Soon Creed emerged from the crowd and took the lead. He sprinted all the way up the field and with a burst of speed and eight yards ahead of the nearest man, he broke the tape, winning his second race -- the 220 yard dash.

Penn had lost the meet but their captain had astounded the fans with his two excellent runs.

At the end of that strange day, as Creed Haymond was going to bed, there suddenly came to his memory his question of the night before regarding the divinity of the Word of Wisdom. The procession of that peculiar series of events then passed before his mind -- his teammates had taken wine and had failed; his abstinence brought victories that even amazed himself. The sweet simple assurance of the Spirit came to him, the Word of Wisdom is from God. (''Speed and the Spirit,'' Joseph J. Cannon, The Improvement Era, October 1928,
pp. 1001-1007).

I believe that because of Creed Haymond’s courage in obeying the Word of Wisdom, the Lord removed the stumbling block which would have caused him to be sick and not be able to participate in perhaps the most important meet of his life.

Think again for a moment. What stumbling blocks has the Lord taken away from you because you have been obedient to His commandments? I’m sure there have been many as there have been in my life. I want each of you to know that true and lasting happiness comes from obeying the laws and commandments of the Lord. Satan does a wonderful job of counterfeiting evil to make it look like it will bring happiness. Don’t believe him. Believe your parents and your Church leaders. Believe in this great promise found in the Book of Mormon that if you “hearken” to the Savior, he will manifest himself to you in word, and also in power, in very deed, unto the taking away of your stumbling blocks.

It’s my prayer that we will all remember this great promise as we “press on” in our lives and choose to “hearken to the Lamb of God” who is our Savior, Jesus Christ.

I NEPHI 4:7 - " NEVERTHELESS, I WENT FORTH"

2011-04-26T13:44:00.002-06:00

I’ve already written about the scripture just before this which reads:

“And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.” (I Nephi 4:6)

But now I’d like to focus on the four words that follow this scripture.

“Nevertheless, I went forth.”

I don’t believe there’s a better call to action than these four words. They speak about being diligent, obedient, fearless, and true. How many times in your life have you been asked to do something you knew you should do, but really didn’t want to? I’m sure there have been many times, perhaps even just this week, when you may have felt this way. But Nephi set a great example for each one of us. He didn’t procrastinate – he didn’t question – he didn’t complain – he just “went forth.”

I’m sure there have been many who have been influenced by Nephi’s example of obedience and diligence. One I’d like to focus on today is a World War II hero. (As many of you know, I love World War II history and the many brave stories that have come from it.)

By way of background to this story; not long ago we were visiting the Salt Lake City cemetery to pay our respect and love at the graves of my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. (I love visiting cemeteries. They are so full of history, memories, and stories for the ages.) While we were there we stopped by President Hinckley’s grave site to remember him and his great example. Immediately to the west of President and Sister Hinckley’s graves I noticed a group of graves from the family of J. Rueben Clark. President Clark was a counselor in the First Presidency when I was born. He served in the First Presidency for nearly 29 years as a counselor to President Heber J. Grant and President David O. McKay. (Now that’s a lot of background information to the “rest of the story.”

Buried among the President Clark’s family members in that section of the cemetery is his son-in-law, Mervyn Sharp Bennion. I’d like to share with you the heroic story of Captain Mervyn Bennion - how he diligently filled his duty and “went forth.”

Captain Mervyn Sharp Bennion, US Navy

On the night of December 6^th, 1941, U.S. Navy Captain Mervyn Bennion of the USS West Virginia enjoyed dinner at the home Ralph Woolley, relatives of his wife, in Oahu, Hawaii. Ralph Woolley was serving as Stake President of the Oahu Stake in Hawaii. As the evening came to a close, the Woolley’s invited Captain Bennion to stay the night in their home so he wouldn’t have to travel back in the morning to attend Sunday School and Fast & Testimony meeting. Captain Bennion, being the diligent and dedicated leader he was, declined saying he felt he needed to be on the ship with his men He graciously said he would return in the morning to attend church with them.

The next morning, December 7^th, 1941, just before 8 o’clock in the morning Captain Bennion was shaving in preparation to go to Oahu for church. Suddenly, a sailor on watch on the bridge rushed to inform the Captain that they were under surprise attack by the Japanese. Captain Bennion immediately called his men “to Battle Stations.” The attack of Pearl Harbor had begun.

The first wave of torpedoes and bombs had caused major damage to the USS West Virginia. The USS Arizona, just astern of the West Virginia had taken a bomb directly in the ammunition hold and exploded, instantly dooming over 1,200 sailors to death.

Following the first intensive wave, Captain Bennion left the conning tower on the flag bridge to get a better look at the damage and to give orders to his men. Just as he stepped out of the doorway he was viciously hit with a splinter from an exploding bomb. The splinter ripped into his abdomen and through to his spine and hip. Collapsing on the bridge he courageously held his hands to his gaping wound while a pharmacist mate attempted to ease his pain. It was immediately and undoubtedly clear to Captain Bennion that he had no hope of surviving this mortal wound. But he never once indicated this to the pharmacist mate and quickly sent him to attend to the other wounded men of the West Virginia. He continued to give orders to his well-trained crew reminding them of their duties. Courageous until his last moment of consciousness, Captain Bennion was diligent to the very end of his life.

The USS West Virginia under attack at Pearl Harbor

December 7, 1941

The official report of the Secretary of the Navy honored Mervyn Bennion with these words:

“The dying captain of a battleship displayed the outstanding individual heroism of the day. As he emerged from the conning tower to the bridge, the better to fight his ship, his stomach was laid completely open by a shrapnel burst. He fell to the deck. Refusing to be carried to safety he continued to fight his ship.”

President Franklin D. Roosevelt posthumously awarded Captain Bennion the highest military honor possible. The Medal of Honor. The citation read:

For conspicuous devotion to duty, extraordinary courage, and complete disregard of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor, by Japanese forces on 7 December 1941. As Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. West Virginia, after being mortally wounded, Capt. Bennion evidenced apparent concern only in fighting and saving his ship, and strongly protested against being carried from the bridge.

Captain Mervyn Sharp Bennion was laid to rest in Honolulu with many other brave men who were killed at Pearl Harbor that morning. His funeral services were conducted by his friend, President Ralph E. Woolley of the Oahu Stake.

Despite the opportunity to be in a safer place, Mervyn Bennion filled his duty to be with his men. It was that duty and diligence that put him in command of his ship when it was needed most. Despite the severe damage to the USS West Virginia, only Captain Bennion and one other shipmate were killed on board the battleship that day. Under the direction of Captain Bennion, even while mortally wounded, the West Virginia shot down between 20 and 30 Japanese planes during the attack.

I pray that when the most important times come in our lives that we will be ready to go forth. It may be a time when you are thinking about a friend and feel impressed to check in on them. It may be obeying your parents. It may be following the teachings of the Prophet to prepare for a mission or stay away from pornography. It may be not dating until you're 16 or not going to inappropriate movies no matter what they are rated. It may be as simple as getting up and going to Church on Sunday. Whatever it may be, I pray that we will have the courage shown by Captain Mervyn Bennion and that we will follow the example of Nephi, who didn’t shrink from his duty, but diligently, obediently, fearlessly and truthfully, “went forth.”

I NEPHI 18:2 - THE BROTHERS WERE SUPPORTIVE WHILE WORKING.

2011-04-20T16:13:00.001-06:00

Here’s a very little talked about scripture in First Nephi, but one that I think tells a very interesting story.

“And it came to pass that they did worship the Lord, and did go forth with me; and we did work timers of curious workmanship … “ ( I Nephi 18:1)

And later it reads;

“And it came to pass that after I had finished the ship, according to the word of the Lord, my brethren beheld that it was good, and that the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine; wherefore, they did humble themselves again before the Lord.” (I Nephi 18:4)

Do you notice anything unusual here? Here’s what struck me. Laman and Lemuel were supportive and helpful to Nephi in these verses. That’s something you seldom read about in their relationship. Most of the time we read that Laman and Lemuel are sitting around complaining and figuring out ways to get rid of Nephi. But that’s just it … in the times they are complaining they are usually not working. Isn’t it interesting that when they are working together for a cause they are not only supportive of Nephi but humble before the Lord.

I think this is a great lesson for our lives. You’ve heard the phrase “busy hands are happy hands.” I also believe busy hands are righteous hands because when we’re “doing” we’re usually “doing good.”

This great lesson also appears later in the Book of Mormon in Alma chapter 50. At this time Captain Moroni is leading the people in fortifying their cities against the Lamanite armies. The people are busy working to protect their cities. While doing this there are others among the Nephites who are building new cities to the north. They are a very busy people working together for the good of everyone. This is how they are described:

“And they did prosper exceedingly, and they became exceedingly rich; yea, and they did multiply and wax strong in the land.” (Alma 50:18)

But I believe the best description of their state of mind while working to build their cities is found in verse 23:

“But behold there never was a happier time among the people of Nephi, since the days of Nephi, than in the days of Moroni.” (Alma 50:23)

“Never was a happier time.” Can you imagine saying that about your life today? I think the secret is asking yourself; “Am I working hard today?”

In my own life I learned this lesson when I was 19 years-old. On August 28, 1974 I was standing in the Salt Lake International Airport waiting to board my very first airline flight. I was going to England to serve my mission. To say I was “scared” would be putting it mildly. I wasn’t scared of the flight, I was scared because I had no idea what the next two years of my life would bring. I stood in the “A” concourse surrounded by a supportive family and girlfriend, but still I was more nervous than I had ever been in my life. As I was giving my good-bye hugs I came to my dad and he said something to me at that moment that I’ve never forgotten. These were his words:

“Son, give it a hundred and ten percent.”

I suspect that because my nickname around the house was “Mr. Play” he was concerned that I might not take my responsibilities as a missionary as seriously as I should. (Given my past history, it was probably a valid concern.) But his words have rung in my mind many times since then and they were a constant reminder on my mission that I needed to work hard to be happy. (My dad was so wise and I miss being able to call him on the phone for advice, even today.) President Ezra Taft Benson also knew work brings happiness when he said:

“If a missionary works he will get the Spirit; if he gets the Spirit, he will teach by the Spirit; and if he teaches by the Spirit, he will touch the hearts of the people and he will be happy. Work, work, work: there is no satisfactory substitute, especially in missionary work.”

When I arrived in England the next day I was determined that I was going to work hard. So I did work hard. Now I have to say my first companion, and he was a great guy, but he wasn’t the hardest worker. Being the junior companion I felt the best way to encourage hard work was to show I was always ready. There were many mornings when I would sit on my bed at 9:30 am (the time we were supposed to leave the “flat” or apartment) fully-dressed and reading my scriptures or studying the discussions. Often times he wouldn’t be ready until after ten o’clock. But I never wanted to be the cause for us not working hard or giving it a hundred and ten percent. ( After the first six weeks of my mission I was made a trainer and we made it a point to be out by at least 9:30 every morning.)

My first day of tracting as a missionary in England

One thing I remember about working hard on my mission was how tired I would be at the end of the day. One October night after an appointment we were waiting at a bus stop as a fine mist fell from the sky. I leaned up against the light pole to rest and closed my eyes. The next thing I remember finding myself in a heap at the base of the pole. I had fallen asleep standing up and my legs had collapsed beneath me. Another time later in my mission I was kneeling by my bed to say my nightly prayer. I was fully dressed in my suit and tie. The next thing I remembered was waking up to my alarm at 6:30 am – the next morning - lying on my bed – still fully dressed in my suit and tie. I had fallen asleep during my prayer and had not woken up all night. (I know it doesn’t say much about the effectiveness of my prayer that evening.)

But back to my dad’s parting words to me. The best part of this story didn’t happen until two-years later when my Mom and Dad came to England to pick me up from my mission. I met them at Heathrow Airport in London. Like most travelers who arrive in England after an all night flight from the United States, they were pretty tired. But I met my dad with great big hug and the first thing I said to him was;

“Do you remember what you last told me before I left for my mission?”

I think it caught him by surprise because he told me he couldn’t recall what that was. I reminded him of his last words to me two years earlier and then I was able to give him a report of the previous two years.

“Dad, I have given it a hundred and ten percent.”

Me, my Mom and Dad in London 1976

I want each of you to know how happy I was to be able to give that report to my dad. I believe at that time I learned for myself that when you’re working hard for something you believe in, you will never be happier.

I promise each of you that same happiness as you work as hard as you can for the things you believe in. Please put this promise to the test. Now get out there and work!

I NEPHI 16:29 By Small things the Lord Brings about Great Things.

2011-04-11T16:44:00.000-06:00

The most famous sculpture I have personally seen and one of my favorite pieces of art is called “The Pieta” by Michelangelo. This famous sculpture sits in the Vatican’s massive St. Peter’s Basilica in the Rome. It’s a larger than life rendition of the crucified Savior in the arms of His mother, Mary. If you were to look closely at the sculpture you may think it impossible for such an beautiful work of art to be created with only a chisel and a mallet … but it was, over 600 years ago, in 1499.

I appreciate great art, but I certainly have to talent in sculpture. I can’t even imagine where I would begin if all I were standing in front of a huge piece of marble holding only a chisel and mallet. But Michelangelo obviously had a vision for this slab of marble and could see what he wanted the final product to be … and then he began - one mallet stroke at a time - over and over and over again. Out of each of those small mallet strokes slowly came one of the greatest works of art known to mankind.

I believe that’s the secret behind “small things becoming great;” those small things need to have a larger vision behind them. For Michaelangelo it was being able to see the beauty and emotion of the “Pieta.” For Nephi and his family the goal was to journey to a land promised them by the Lord.

This same sentiment was expressed anciently by Lao Tzu a Chinese philosopher and founder of Taoism when he said:

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

I think this is a great lesson in life. We can only reach our most important goals by doing the small details along the way.

In I Nephi Chapter 16 Nephi and his family were in the wilderness striving to reach the Promised Land. In order to reach this goal the Lord provided for them a small "compass" or "ball" which Lehi found outside his tent one morning. Later in the Book of Mormon it's referred to as the "Lihona." I can imagine Nephi's brothers looking at this small ball "of curious workmanship" and wondering how in the world this little thing could lead them across all of their known world and on to a new one.

Much like Nephi, we too are striving to reach the “promised land.” The ultimate Promised Land we’re hoping to attain is a return to the presence of our Heavenly Father. An important immediate goal we need along the way is the guidance of the Holy Ghost. These lofty spiritual desires, like Nephi's journey, are also accomplished by many small steps along the way.

I’d like to share with you some of those “small” things I believe we need to include in our lives in order to be successful in our spiritual journey.

1) Read the Scriptures. I know you’ve heard this over and over and over again, but it’s so true. Just as water will always freeze at 32 degrees and boil at 212 degrees … Just like bread needs yeast to rise and we need air to survive … our spirit needs continual doses of the scriptures to keep it strong and vibrant.

2) Prayer. Prayer is another small thing that needs to be done constantly. The scriptures don’t say “Pray every once in a while when you feel like it.” The scriptures are filled with the admonition to “Pray always.”

3) Attend your Church meetings. Even though this is just once a week, the strength we can receive from partaking the Sacrament each week and promising to be disciples of the Savior by taking upon us His name will carry us through our trials and temptations.

The secret of the success of these “small things” is consistency. As many of you know, I was recently in New Zealand. While I was there I met an amazing church member by the name of Paora Winitana. Let me tell you a little about Paora. (You can also "Google" him to learn more about his career.)

Paora didn’t start playing basketball until he was in High School. In his first game he scored 96 points … all by himself!! As you might imagine, there were many colleges who wanted him to play basketball for them – both in New Zealand and the United States. He turned down a full-ride scholarship at a University in the U.S. so he could serve a mission in Brisbane, Australia. When he returned from his mission quickly earned a position as a shooting guard in the New Zealand NBL (National Basketball League) where he was rookie of the year. He later became a starter for the “Tall-Blacks,” the New Zealand National Team. He’s played in Olympic competition against LeBron James and Dwayne Wade. He’s been the New Zealand MVP and 5-time All-Star. You can probably tell, he’s very good.

I had the privilege of spending a couple of days with him and his family. The nickname the announcer’s have for him when he is on the basketball court is, “The Bishop,” because until recently he served as Bishop. He’s only 34 years-old and has a lovely wife and three athletic boys. We filmed him working out on the court and going through his weight training. It was impressive. While he was training he told me he feels very strongly that “it’s more important to do little things consistently than bigger things occasionally.” He felt that’s where he found success in all aspects of his life … professionally as a basketball player, spiritually, emotionally, and perhaps most importantly as a husband and father in his family.

I believe both Michaelanglo and Paorda Winitana learned what Nephi taught us all those years ago … that by small things great things are made.

I promise as you do the small things spiritually, educationally, physically and in your family you will see great things happen. I promise that as you read the scriptures, pray, and attend your church meetings constantly and consistently you will be creating a “great soul” in the sight of our Heavenly Father … and best yet, that you will find yourself heading towards the promised blessing the Lord has for you.

I NEPHI 19:23 - LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES UNTO OURSELVES

2011-04-06T14:32:00.000-06:00

“ … I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning.”

I Nephi – 19:23

I’m sure there have been many scriptures you’ve read that you’ve felt were written just for you. I believe Sister Elaine Dalton, General President of the Young Women, said it well:

“Everything in the scriptures is applicable to our lives. The scriptures answer our questions, they provide role models and heroes, and they help us understand how to handle challenges and trials. Many times the scriptures you read will be the answer to your prayers."
("Believe!" Ensign, May 2004, 111)

I’m sure that many of you can select your favorite scripture stories and apply them to your life today. I’d like to share one with you that has always helped me “press on.” It’s the Story of Joseph in Egypt found in the Old Testament in Genesis, chapters 37-46. I love this story. Here’s Joseph, a young man who was sold by his brothers as a slave because of their jealousy of him (I’m sure there are many of you who would like to give their siblings away, but you have to admit this was pretty mean of his brothers). So, Joseph is forced to start a new life in Egypt as a slave; the lowest of situations. But here’s where we learn about the character of Joseph. We can tell from the story that he didn’t sit around feeling sorry for himself. I imagine he decided to make the best of the situation – he would make something of himself no matter what. Well, in time Joseph worked his way to the prestigious title of “Ruler” in the house of Potipher, one of Egypt’s most influential men. Can you imagine the work and energy it would take to go from a lowly slave to “ruler” in an influential household? It sounds like the ultimate “rags to riches” story.

Joseph's example of persistence was very helpful to me when I was in High School. When I was that age I loved basketball. (I still do, although now I like playing tennis better.) In all my spare time you could find me playing basketball. In Junior High I started for our school's team. As a sophomore I worked back from a knee operation and into the starting line-up at the end of the season. My great dream and expectation was to make the Varsity team the next year. I worked hard and played a lot of basketball. The tryouts came and went into them with confidence. Just as I expected, I made the first several cuts and was feeling good about my chances of making the team. On the day of the last cut I hurried to the gym to look for my name on the list of the final team. I scanned down the list and didn't see my name. I thought "There must be a mistake" so I checked again ... no mistake … I had been cut. I was devastated. It was as if my whole world had fallen in on me. Now what was I going to do?

Well, as a sophomore I had started to High Jump a little on the track team and discovered I was pretty good (not real good, just pretty good). I noticed that the school record was not all that high at 6’ 1”. It was the very day I was cut from the school basketball team when I determined that before I graduated I would break our school record in the high jump. It took a lot of work and persistence. During the winter months instead of practicing basketball after school I went down into the school basement and worked alone trying to get better at the high jump.

My senior year came and I was determined to make my goal a reality. Several meets went by when I would clear 6 feet. Many others came where I would actually clear 6’1”, but that only tied the record. My goal was to beat the record. The last meet of my high school career was our regional meet held at Hillcrest High School. I knew this meet would be my last shot at reaching my goal. While at this meet I did something I probably should have been doing all along … I focused. Between jumps I stretched my leg muscles and watched the other jumpers, but mostly I visualized clearing the next height. Well, the bar kept going up and the number of jumpers kept going down. The bar was placed at 6”1’ and I realized I would need to tie my personal best to continue. On my first jump at that height I cleared it easily. There were several jumpers who failed at that height. That left only six jumpers. The bar was raised to 6’2” … a height that would break the school record and a height I had never cleared, even in practice. On my first attempt I did something that probably wasn’t too bright … I walked up to the landing pit and under the bar. It was higher than my head. But based on my clearing the previous height I looked up at the bar and felt good about my chances.

On my first attempt at 6’2” I felt really good about the approach and the jump. I went up, turned backwards in the air, arched my back and then barely caught the bar with my hips. The bar wiggled enough to fall into the landing pit. I knew I had only two more chances. I went back to where I was warming up and started to focus even more on my goal. My name was again called and I was ready for my second attempt. I approached the bar with great energy and again thrust myself up and backwards across the bar. This time my shoulder’s cleared the bar, followed by my hips and finally I kicked my legs upward … all without touching the bar at all. As I lay in the landing pit I stare up at the bar. It was not moving … I had done it. I had reached my goal. Now, I wasn’t the best in the region that day … in fact I placed 6^th. The winner jumped 6’8”. But I seldom think of that. What I think about is that I set a personal goal and worked long and hard to reach it. I had succeeded because I hadn’t let the failure of being cut from the basketball team define my high school experience.

So … back to the story of Joseph. Starting out as a mere slave, he didn’t let being sold by his brothers define what his life would be. And his life wasn’t easy. In time, Joseph was elevated to become the master of the house of Potipher, a powerful man in Egyptian society. This was wonderful until a bit later when he courageously refused the advances of Potipher’s wife. After refusing to compromise his morals she falsely accused him of taking advantage of her. Potipher sided with his wife and had Joseph thrown into prison. But rather than sulking because “the world was against him” Joseph again showed persistence. Soon he worked to gain the trust of the prison keeper and in time was given responsibility over all the prisoners. We all know the “rest of the story.” Joseph was called from the prison to interpret Pharaoh’s dream about the seven years of plenty followed by the seven years of famine. He worked hard and gained the Pharoah’s trust and confidence. During this time Joseph rose to the Number Two man in all of Egypt. In today’s society he would have been the Prime Minster of his country. This persistence and dedication brought Joseph from the life of a slave to become the Prime Minster of all Egypt.

As I have gone through difficult times in my life and felt like the world was against me, I’ve recalled Joseph’s incredible story pondered his character and persistence. As I have “likened this scripture unto myself” it’s given me greater strength to press forward and not give up.

I hope after reading this you’ll recall and ponder one of your favorite scripture stories or verses and ask the Lord how you can “liken it unto yourself.” I promise as you do so the answers will give you greater strength, courage, and confidence to face your challenges, no matter what they may be. My prayers are with you, too.

Shearing Sheep in New Zealand

2011-03-29T17:17:00.000-06:00

Mosiah 14:7 (also Isaiah 53:7)

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb so he opened not his mouth.”

After reading the title to this post you may say to yourself, “No, not Isaiah! I can’t understand Isaiah.” But I promise you can understand Isaiah if you take it a little at a time … a verse here and a verse there. Just like I will explain.

Isaiah and many of the other prophets have used sheep to describe the Savior. (After all, He is the “Lamb of God.”) Well, what better place to learn something about sheep than in New Zealand. They say there are 4 million people in New Zealand and 16 million sheep. That’s right – the sheep greatly outnumber the people in this beautiful country. This is also where the story behind this scripture comes into focus for me.

I just returned from New Zealand where we were filming some profiles of Church members for the “I’m a Mormon” campaign on the mormon.org website. One of the members we selected to highlight was the Stake President of the Kaikohe Stake, Pres. Butch Horsford. President Horsford is a dairy farmer and a sheep rancher in the northern part of New Zealand’s north island. We got up long before sunrise one morning to begin filming him milking his herd of dairy cows. Later in the afternoon he volunteered to shear two sheep for us so we could film that interesting activity.

President Horsford is a pro at shearing sheep. As a teenager he began shearing sheep to earn money for his mission. He continued after his mission and still shears occasionally today. He can shear an entire sheep in less than a minute. He told us it wasn’t unusual for him to shear nearly 300 sheep in a day during the shearing season when he was younger. (I can’t believe how much work that must be.)

I always imagined that as a sheep was being sheared it would be making all kinds of noise as it was tossed back and forth. In fact, I asked President Horsford, “Do the sheep make a lot of noise while being sheared?” I’m sure that sounded like a city boy question to ask a rancher, but he patiently answered, “No. Not much.” Still, I thought they must make some noise.

Then President Horsford brought the first sheep in for shearing. He expertly grabbed the front legs and began lopping off the wool. Each sheep is shorn in the exact same way and the shearers move with no wasted motion. As President Horsford started going back and forth with the clippers I still expected to hear the sheep start to bellow and fight. To my surprise the sheep willfully submitted to the motion of President Horsford’s shears. Not once did it make a sound. The sheep was perfectly quiet.

I didn’t think too much about this until the very next day when I was reading the Book of Mormon in my hotel room during a rare break in our schedule. It was then I read Mosiah 14:7

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb so he opened not his mouth.”

I have read that scripture each time I’ve read the Book of Mormon, but it has never hit me like it did at that moment. There it was, recorded by Isaiah 700 years before the birth of Christ that when the Savior was taken to the “slaughter” that he “opened not his mouth.” That prophesy was filled when Christ was brought before Pilate to be charged by the Pharisee’s – Pilate “questioned him with many words; but he answered him nothing (Luke 23:9) - just like the sheep I had seen was “dumb before her shearers.”

I’m grateful for the tender mercy of being able to read that scripture just a day after witnessing this phenomenon myself. It truly impressed upon my mind the sacredness of the writing of the Prophet Isaiah and why Nephi quoted them so often. (Remember in II Nephi 25:5 where Nephi writes, “Yea, and my soul delighteth in the words of Isaiah.”)

I hope this has given you a small insight to the deep meaning that can be found in the scriptures. I just love reading the Book of Mormon. I hope you do too!

I Nephi 18:9 - Rudeness Drives Away the Spirit

2011-03-20T03:49:00.000-06:00

“ … They began to dance, and to sing, and to speak with much rudeness, yea, even that they did forget by what power they had been brought thither; yea, they were lifted up unto exceeding rudeness.”

Although I’ll never know exactly what happened when Nephi’s brethren began to be “rude,” I believe they probably started using words and language that drove away the spirit. I don’t think any of us believe this type of behavior was limited to Nephi’s time. It certainly happens around us all the time. I’m sure that many of you have felt like Nephi did as you walk down the halls of your school and hear the “crude and rude” talk all around you. I think the worst part of this behavior is that it drives the spirit away. Often, those using the language, don’t care, or even worse, feel proud that they use such words.

I think that the “For the Strength of Youth” sums it up very well when it refers to “Language.”

How you speak says much about who you are. Clean and intelligent language is evidence of a bright and wholesome mind. Use language that uplifts, encourages, and compliments others. Do not insult others or put them down, even in joking. Speak kindly and positively about others so you can fulfill the Lord’s commandment to love one another. When you use good language, you invite the Spirit to be with you.

Always use the names of God and Jesus Christ with reverence and respect. Misusing their names is a sin. Profane, vulgar, or crude language or gestures, as well as jokes about immoral actions, are offensive to the Lord and to others. Foul language harms your spirit and degrades you. Do not let others influence you to use it.

Choose friends who use good language. Help others around you use clean language by your example and by good-naturedly encouraging them to choose other words. Politely walk away or change the subject when others around you use bad language.

If you have developed the habit of swearing, you can break it. Begin by making a decision to change. Pray for help. If you start to use words you know are wrong, keep quiet or say what you have to say in a different way.

While I was on my mission I read a short list titled, “Ten Reasons Why I Swear.” I thought it was so profound that I copied it, put it in my scriptures, and carried it with me for years. I still have that very copy in the Bible I used on my mission. Here’s the list:

TEN REASONS WHY I SWEAR

It pleases mom so much.
It is a fine mark of manliness (or womanhood).
It proves I have self-control.
It indicates how clearly my mind operates.
It makes my conversation so pleasing to everybody.
It leaves no doubt in anyone’s mind as to my good upbringing.
It impresses people that I have more than ordinary education.
It is an unmistakable sign of culture and refinement.
It makes me a very desirable personality among women and children and in respectable society.
It is my way of honoring God, who said, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”
I love how James feels about the use of our language, as recorded in the New Testament. (By the way, the book of James is filled with great advice on how to live each day. After all, it was James 1:5 that prompted Joseph Smith to go to the grove and ask Heavenly Father which was the true church.) This is found in James 3:2-5

2For in many things we aoffend all. If any man boffend not in cword, the same is a dperfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

3Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

4Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the agovernor listeth.

5Even so the tongue is a little member, and aboasteth great things. Behold, how great a bmatter a little fire kindleth!

I know the temptation to use foul and vulgar language is one of the greatest temptations the youth of our stake may face. Unfortunately, it can be easy to hide at home. It may be easy to put away and not use in front of your church leaders. It might be something you can “turn-on and turn-off” depending on the situation you’re in … but I know one thing for sure if you use it, you know.

Just today, I, like every other employee where I work, was required be aware of conduct in the work place. The company policy reminded everyone that our conduct should measured by the following questions:

Would I engage in that conduct if my boss were present?
Would I engage in that conduct if someone with whom I have a close relationship (e.g., spouse, daughter, son, mother, father, sister, brother) were present?
Would I engage in that conduct if an audio or video recording were being made of me?
What would my reaction be if someone else acted this way toward my daughter, son, spouse, mother, father, sister or brother?
Would I want my conduct to be described in detail in the newspaper?

But I believe even more important than those questions is this: Can you ever afford to be without the spirit?

If you use rude or vulgar language it will drive the spirit away and we all need the spirit to help us make decisions. It would be so sad if the spirit couldn’t give you really important guidance just because you weren’t able to control your language. I hope you can always be worthy of having the spirit give you guidance and direction in your life by using clean and appropriate language.

I Nephi 4:6 – NOT KNOWING BEFOREHAND THE THINGS WHICH I SHOULD DO

2011-03-11T11:53:00.000-07:00

“And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.”

I think this is one of the great lessons in the Book of Mormon because it applies to so much that we each do every single day.

How many times in your life have you been going along, not knowing what to do next, but trusting in the Lord that he wouldn’t let you fail? For me, that’s happened many, many times. I think the secret here is to continue moving forward, just like Nephi did. It would have been easy for Nephi to sit outside the walls of Jerusalem and ponder what he should do … to “wait” until he had a solid answer. But what if he had waited? Perhaps Laban wouldn’t have still been there. Maybe there would have been others around if he had waited. But the key is that Nephi kept moving forward and trusted in the Lord. (Do you ever get the feeling that Nephi was a doer? He didn’t sit around and murmur. He didn’t give up when he was asked to build a boat strong enough to sail half-way around the world. He didn’t go back before he got the brass plates.) Nephi lived righteously, pressed forward, and then trusted the in the Spirit to guide him.

I’d like to share with you a time I felt this applied to my life when I was much younger. I know you’ve heard about several of my missionary experiences in England years ago, but I’d like to share one with you where I felt this scripture was written for me.

It was a day in February or March (about this time of year) in 1976. My companion and I were visiting a small branch in Eastbourne, East Sussex, which is on the English Channel on the South coast of England. The branch was so small that a missionary was serving as the Branch President. We were there to offer our support to the missionary companionship. After early morning priesthood meeting (this was back in the day before the three-hour block) my companion and I decided we would go do some “tracting.” (In other words, go and knock on doors.) We weren’t very familiar with the area and we didn’t have an area book. We just drove. Well, there came a point when I asked myself, “Am I just driving so I don’t have to get out and work, or is there a reason we are driving to the outer parts of the town?” But I knew we were doing the Lord’s work and I knew we were entitled to his guidance. Finally, we came to what seemed to be the last street before the countryside took over. We got out of our car and started knocking on the doors of this street.

Door after door we were rejected. I remember it was cold and there was a wind coming off the English Channel that felt like it went right through you. Needless to say, it would have been very easy to give up. But for some reason we continued. One man told us, in not too kind of language, that the “Jehovah’s Witnesses” had just been on the street 15 minutes before. Now that really gave us a reason to go somewhere else … but we didn’t. We didn’t feel we needed to. We didn’t have any idea why, but we continued.

After many homes we knocked on the door of a home and a single woman, Mrs. Fergusson, answered. We explained to her very briefly about the Lord having prophets on the earth today. She was interested and invited us in. As we sat down she introduced us to her 9 year-old daughter. We continued to teach her about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. She gently took the Book of Mormon and told us she would read it. She then shared with us a somber experience. She told us that she and her daughter were facing so much sadness and so many challenges that it she felt it would be best to turn on the gas in their kitchen oven and end their lives.

We were able to tell her that we knew the Lord had sent us to her with this message of hope. We told her we came because Heavenly Father loved her and her daughter. We prayed with them. We invited her to read the Book of Mormon and left, promising that our missionary friends in Eastbourne would visit her during the week.

Our friends reported to us later that week that when they visited the Fergusson’s she said, “You’re here to collect (take) the book back, aren’t you?” The missionaries assured her that she could keep the book. Mrs. Fergusson was so relieved because, she told them, “I’m only about half-way through and I want to finish it. I know it’s the word of God.”

Within two weeks the Fergusson’s were baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I promise that we were “led by the spirit” to Mrs. Fergusson “not knowing beforehand the things which “we” should do.” The Lord knew Mrs. Fergusson and her daughter needed the message of the restored gospel at that very moment. He knew it would save their lives, both physically and spiritually. He made it possible at that very moment, through two of his missionaries, to bring about a modern-day miracle and fulfillment of ancient scripture.

I Nephi 16:23 – GETTING TO WORK

2011-03-07T10:34:00.000-07:00

Most of us are familiar with the story in the 16^th Chapter of First Nephi. It’s the part of Nephi’s journey where he breaks his bow. Here’s the background of the story: Lehi and his family followed the pointers on the Liahona (did you know that it’s only called a “compass,” “director,” or “ball,” until the 37^th Chapter of Alma where its referred to as the “Liahona.” Just some Book of Mormon trivia for you) and found a place to pitch their tents long enough for them to rest and find more food for their families before continuing on their journey. It was then that Nephi and his brothers went out to hunt for some food. While hunting Nephi broke his steel bow. The account in the Book of Mormon says when they returned to camp they were very tired and hungry. Imagine how they felt … walking and stalking prey and returning with nothing. (I suppose it was like the worst possible Fast Sunday.) We next read that Laman and Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael start to murmur, or complain, about their lack of food and the sufferings they were experiencing. (It also records that Laman and Lemuel’s bows had lost their spring and were unable to be used in hunting.) Even Lehi, at this point, murmured against the Lord for the lack of food. It must have been a terrible situation for all of them to complain about their circumstances. But you’ll notice that Nephi didn’t murmur. Instead, he went to work.

“And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make out of wood a bow, and out of a straight stick, an arrow.”

I believe this says so much about Nephi’s character. He had such great faith in the Lord that he didn’t complain like everyone else, he just knew he would have to work harder than ever … and that’s just what he did. He “did make out of wood a bow, and out of a straight stick, an arrow.” Can you imagine how difficult it would have been to make a bow and find a stick straight enough to make an arrow? But even though the odds were against Nephi he wouldn’t quit and he didn’t lose faith. He knew the Lord would provide if he did his part. After he crafted his new bow he went to the Liahona for direction and then headed into the wilderness to hunt. While hunting “It came to pass that I did slay wild beasts, insomuch that I did obtain food for our families.”

How often have you had something go wrong and all you want to do is to sit down and cry or complain about it? I know I’ve had many experiences like that. I believe this story is in the Book of Mormon because the Lord want us to learn an important lesson … hard work will allow the Lord to bless us. I find it interesting that in Chapter 18 when Nephi and his brothers are building the boat that there is no murmuring mentioned. I guess it’s always been true that “busy hands are happy hands.” So next time you feel the world is against you and you want to quit, remember that Nephi could have felt this way, too. But, instead he went to work and was able to provide for his entire family. I hope that’s a lesson we can all learn from.

I Nephi 15:34 – The Recipe to Enter God’s Kingdom

2011-03-01T12:24:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what the requirements are to get into the Kingdom of God? Well, this is one place where it’s laid out for us.

“ … The kingdom of God is not filthy, and there cannot any unclean thing enter into the kingdom of God.” (I Nephi 15:34)

That’s pretty clear, isn’t it? No unclean thing can enter into the kingdom of God. That also sounds like terrible news, doesn’t it? I don’t know of any person in the world who can say they are perfectly clean. In fact, in the Bible (I John 1:8) the Apostle John says;

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

Again, this is not very good news if the requirement for living with God is to be perfectly clean and without sin … and then to know that we have all sinned L Where is our hope in this life?

Well, I want to assure you that our hope is in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Because He loves us more than we can imagine He has promised to take our sins and uncleanness away through his atonement. Amulek was very clear about the Savior’s mission when he taught this great principle in Alma 11:40

“And he shall come into the world to redeem his people; and he shall take upon him the transgressions of those who believe on his name; and these are they that shall have eternal life, and salvation cometh to none else.”

I believe and have a spiritual witness that Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to live with Heavenly Father and with our families because of his mission and atonement. All he asks of us, in return, is that we repent, follow him, and endure to the end. Now that sounds like a pretty good trade, doesn’t it?

I’m sure there may be times when you might say to yourself, “But I can’t overcome all the temptations I’m faced with.” It’s true that we live in a world that is relentless. It never ceases to cast temptations our way and to make matters worse; Satan knows our weaknesses and is constantly trying to get us to follow him. So, is there anything the Savior can do besides taking away our sins after we’ve faltered? The answer there is a resounding, “Yes!” Alma teaches in Alma 37:33;

“Teach them to withstand every temptation of the devil, with their faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.”

There it is, right there in the scriptures … not only does our loving Savior take upon Him our sins and mistakes, but if we strengthen our faith in Him, he will help us withstand every temptation of the devil. So for my hint for the day, I’d like to leave with you a simple recipe for returning to live in the presence of our Heavenly Father:

1) To be cleansed from our sins call upon the name of JESUS CHRIST.

2) To be strengthened against temptation against sin increase your faith in JESUS CHRIST.

3) To endure to the end and live with Heavenly Father as families follow JESUS CHRIST.

I promise you great happiness as you put this simple recipe to work in your life.

I Nephi 15:8 - HAVE YE INQUIRED OF THE LORD?

2011-02-24T10:21:00.004-07:00

It’s so simple. “Have ye inquired of the Lord?” These are the words Nephi used when his brothers told him they couldn’t understand the words things he taught them. I believe they are also the words the Lord would use with us when we have questions about guidance and direction in our lives. Think about all the great questions you may have at this moment in your lives.

“Is the Church true?”
“Is the Book of Mormon the word of God?”
“Does God know me?”
“Does God have a purpose for my life?”
“Should I serve a full-time mission?”
“What do I need to do to find peace and happiness?”
“Should I see this PG-13 movie, or should I see something else, instead?”
“Should I be listening to this music?”
“How can I help my friend through their trial?”
“How can I have a better relationship with my parents?”
“Will Heavenly Father forgive me for a mistake I’ve made?”
“How can I be a better example to my friends and family?”
“What should I do to strengthen my testimony?”
The list can go on and on. We all have so many questions about how we should best live our lives each day. Perhaps Nephi wasn’t just talking to his brothers, maybe he was really talking to each of us, today. “Have ye inquired of the Lord?”
I’ve actually heard some people say that they didn’t think the Lord cared about asking him certain things. I fully believe that he cares about everything about us. Some may ask, “Where should we pray and what should we pray for?” I believe Amulek teaches us a great example when he teaches the Zoramites in Alma 34 He says, starting with verse 17:

   17 Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you;
   18 Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save.
   19 Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him.
   20 Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks.
   21 Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening.
   22 Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies.
   23 Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness.
   24 Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them.
   25 Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase.
   26 But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness.
   27 Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.

I just love that our Heavenly Father allows us to speak with him through prayer, no matter where we are. He is always available. There is never a busy signal. We are never out of range and we never have to say, “Can you hear me now?” One of the greatest blessings we have is the understanding that God loves us; He listens to us; and He answers our prayers. So, if you have questions about your life, I would ask you like Nephi asked his brothers, “Have ye inquired of the Lord?"

I Nephi 13:37 – BLESSED ARE THEY WHO SHALL SEEK TO BRING FORTH MY ZION

2011-02-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

“And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day.”

I’ve always loved this scripture because it was a vision Nephi saw of our day 2,600 years ago. Think about that … Nephi saw the great work of the restoration of the gospel all those years ago and recorded it so we could know it’s part of the Lord’s great plan.

When I was a missionary in England in the mid-1970’s I thought this scripture applied just to missionaries. But since then I have come to understand that it applies to each of us if we are working on building up the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, today. So, how do we “seek to bring forth Zion?” We do it by inviting others to learn of the gospel and be baptized into the Church. We do it by inviting the less-active in our wards and stake to join with us as we worship, partake of the sacrament, and attend church together. We do it by serving faithfully in our callings, no matter how large or small. We do it by sharing our testimonies of how the gospel blesses our lives. We do it by setting examples for our friends and families of righteous living. We do it by following the prophet. We do it by becoming of “one heart and one mind” while we knit our hearts to the Savior. Those who do these things are the ones Nephi saw in his vision seeking “to bring forth my Zion at that day.”

What a great responsibility we have to share the gospel and build the kingdom. Now some of you may have had, are having, or will have the opportunity to serve in a class or quorum presidency … Nephi saw those of you who strived to magnify your callings and to bless the members of your class or quorum. You are the ones he gave the promise and blessing … “For they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost.”

Is there a better reward than having both “the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost?” You’ve received the gift of the Holy Ghost at your confirmation, but notice Nephi also promised the “power” of the Holy Ghost in your life. I believe the power of the Holy Ghost is to be impressed to know who to help and when. I believe the power of the Holy Ghost gives you inspiration to seek out certain individuals at times when they need your influence. I believe the power of the Holy Ghost allows you to be an instrument in the Lord’s hands in blessing others. Can you imagine the good you will do with this power in building the Lord’s kingdom? I pray we will all strive to be a part of Nephi’s prophesy and “bring forth Zion.” I promise, like Nephi of old, that as we do so we’ll be blessed with the “power of the Holy Ghost.”

I Nephi 10:19 – DILIGENTLY SEEK

2011-02-11T19:39:00.000-07:00

I want to let you in on a little secret about life. Think about your life for a moment. Whether you’re 12, or 16, or 19, or 25, or 55 (like I am), you’re always going to face situations where you need the guidance of the Lord. Think about the ages of about 18-26 for example. Most young people of that age will decide if they’re going to serve a mission, who they’ll date, who they’ll marry, where they’ll continue their education, what they’ll do for a profession, where they’ll live and how they’ll live their lives. WOW! Now that’s a lot of important decisions. And those are not decisions you want to get wrong. So here’s my little secret for you … actually, it’s the Lord’s, and, truth be told, it isn’t even a secret.

“For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost.”

Now you may ask, “What are the mysteries?” Well, I believe in many cases it’s the answers to those questions and decisions I’ve mentioned. I believe the answer to finding the deepest and most meaningful happiness is to seek the Lord with all your heart. I can tell you from personal experience that when I’m searching for direction or guidance I can feel confident that he will help me know the answer by the power of the Holy Ghost.

I’ve had a lot of young people ask me, “How do you know if it’s the Lord answering your prayers, or if it’s just your own thoughts. I have a one word answer, … practice! That’s right, I believe it takes practice to know if it’s the Lord giving you answers through the Holy Ghost. That’s why it’s so important to learn to pray and listen when you are young. That’s why I believe it’s so important to read the Book of Mormon and ask the Lord if you can know through the Holy Ghost if it’s true and why it’s important to ask Heavenly Father if His son, Jesus Christ, is the Savior of the world and our redeemer. That’s why I believe it’s important to pray to know if the Church is true and praying to know if Joseph Smith and Thomas S. Monson are true prophets. As you receive your answers to these basic truths in your younger years you will begin to feel how the spirit works in your life. You’ll begin to know and understand the promptings the Spirit is giving you. As you come to understand and recognize these feelings you will have the assurance that they are from the Lord. I believe the more you feel the Spirit’s guidance the more you recognize it. This will be a key ingredient to a successful and happy life. I know the Lord loves us enough to send the Holy Ghost to give us guidance. It’s one of the greatest blessings of being a member of the Church … to have the gift of the Holy Ghost in your life. I want you to know that every time I read the Book of Mormon with a sincere and humble heart I feel the promptings of the Spirit reminding me of the great truth it contains. I have the witness of the Holy Ghost that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and my personal redeemer. Please, please, ponder and pray as you read the Book of Mormon. As you do, I promise you’ll have spiritual feelings you’ll soon recognize as the promptings and guidance of the Holy Ghost in your life. When you know, through practice and experience, those promptings are from the Holy Ghost you can be assured that you are being guided by the Lord, Himself … and that’s very cool. So, now you know the secret.

I NEPHI 7:17-18 - HOW THE LORD ANSWERS OUR PRAYERS

2011-02-08T13:57:00.000-07:00

This scripture always reminds me that the Lord will answer our prayers – not always in the way we ask, but in the way that will be best for us. Think about the situation Nephi found himself in at this moment. He was in the wilderness with his brothers when the Lord impressed upon him the need to tell his brothers that if they were to return to Jerusalem they would perish just like those who were there. Now, because their hearts were hard, his brothers were angry with Nephi and bound him with “cords” so tightly that he couldn’t escape. Their plan was to leave him in the wilderness so the beasts could kill him. What a helpless feeling he must have had. He did what I believe any of us would do in this situation – he prayed to the Lord for help. It’s recorded like this:

“But it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord, saying; O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound.”

Then comes the part that I think can teach us all a great lesson. Nephi records:

“And it came to pass that when I had said these words, behold, the bands were loosed from off my hands and feet and I stood before my brethren, and I spake unto them again.”

Nephi prayed that he would have the strength to burst the bands from his hands and feet. But the Lord didn’t answer Nephi in the exact manner that he asked. Instead, the Lord loosened the bands so Nephi could gain his freedom. I think the great lesson here is that the Lord doesn’t always answer our prayers in the exact way in which we ask, but he will answer them in the way that will be the greatest blessing to us in our situation.

I remember years ago when we were on a film shoot for the Church. It was overcast and not a pretty day for filming. I prayed and prayed that the sun would come out so we could have the “perfect” shot. But guess what? The day never cleared up. It remained overcast the entire time. I was disappointed, thinking our shoot wouldn’t be as good as it should have been if the Lord had “really answered my prayers.” The next day we looked at the scenes we had shot the day before. To my surprise the shot was gorgeous. Not that there was sun shining ... because there wasn’t. But because of the overcast sky the colors in the shot were muted and softened and it made the scene more beautiful than I had imagined it could be. In other words, the Lord answered my prayers in the way that was best, not in the way I asked. I’ve found that to be the case in so many events in my life. The Lord always knows best and He knows how we will be best blessed by His love. So next time you feel that the Lord isn’t answering your prayers take a moment and ask yourself if He’s really just answering them in a different, but better way. I promise, if you will, you’ll notice His influence even more in your life.

ROYAL DESCENT – I Nephi 5:14

2011-02-04T09:45:00.002-07:00

Today I’d like to highlight a scripture I believe most of you probably didn’t pay too much attention to as you read it. But as I have thought about this verse, I believe it applies to everything we do. It reads:

“ And it came to pass that my father, Lehi, also found upon the plates of brass … that he was a descendant of Joseph who was the son of Jacob, who was sold into Egypt and who was preserved by the hand of the Lord, that he might preserve his father, Jacob, and all his household from perishing with famine.”

The thing about this scripture that I believe is so important is that Lehi found he was related to “Royalty.” His lineage came from Joseph of Egypt. Can you imagine how you would feel to know that you were related directly to a man of such stature? Joseph – who was sold into Egypt by his rebellious brothers – who worked his way up to become a trusted and valuable aide to Potipher, one of the most wealthy and powerful men of his day, only to be cast falsely into prison – who interpreted Pharaoh’s dream – who became the #2 leader in all of Egypt – who became an honored prophet - and who never lost his love for the Lord or for his family. What an honor to be related to such a man. How would that knowledge impact the way you acted in your life? I believe it would be a great motivator to strive to be just like he was … to live your life as he lived his life. By doing so you would honor him.

Well, I also believe the message of the Book of Mormon helps us to understand that we, too, have royal ancestry. We are the spirit daughters and sons of our loving Heavenly Father. I love repeating with the young women when they stand and recite their theme. The very first words are; “We are daughters of our Heavenly Father who loves us and we love him.” The Book of Mormon also teaches us that because of the Savior’s atonement we are “spiritually begotten” of Him and “have become his sons and his daughters.” (Mosiah 5:7) Can you imagine what kind of heritage you have? Because of this divine heritage it becomes our responsibility to honor the Heavenly Father and His Son. We do this by way we live our lives each day. Do we treat others as they would want us to? Do we keep our thoughts clean as they have asked? Do we strive to know and follow them? I believe if we truly understand what it means to come from such divine and royal heritage we will do everything in our power to honor that heritage by living as our Heavenly Father and the Savior ask. This scripture reminds me to try harder to honor my spiritual heritage. I hope you will, too.

I WILL STAY UNTIL THE JOB IS DONE – I Nephi 3:15

2011-01-31T15:19:00.000-07:00

As you read I Nephi Chapter Three you probably noticed the most recognizable scripture in this chapter. Verse 7 reads:

“ … I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know 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.”

But I want to focus today on a verse that comes just a bit later in the chapter. It’s verse 15, which reads:

“ … we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us.”

I believe it’s easy to say “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded,” but it’s much more difficult to have the faith to say, “I will not quit until it’s finished.” It takes courage to be a finisher. Just imagine how easy it would have been for Nephi to say at that time, “You know, we really tried to get the plates from Laban, but he tried to kill us and surely if the Lord wants us to do this thing he would have made it easier for us.” But Nephi had GREAT faith. He said, in essence, “We’re not leaving until we do what we’ve been asked to do.” He had faith the Lord would prepare a way that neither he nor his brothers had yet thought of. The interesting thing is, that they went back one more time and Laban threatened to kill them again … yet Nephi still refused to give up, knowing the Lord would help him accomplish his mission.

I believe that is a great lesson for each of us to learn … don’t finish until the job is done. The greatest example of this important principle is of course, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus knew how painful the atonement would be. He asked Heavenly Father, if possible, for “this cup to be lifted” from him. But the atonement was required. It was his mission. And he didn’t quit until EVERY sin, pain, and wrong was paid for. He didn’t quit. He finished his mission and paid the price for all of mankind … including you and me.

So next time you think about giving up on something very important, I’d ask that you remember the courage, commitment, and example of Nephi who refused to “go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us.”

I have faith that each of you will remember this.

NEPHI’S SOFT HEART BELIEVES – I Nephi 2:16

2011-01-28T09:29:00.000-07:00

Can you imagine how difficult it must have been for Nephi to follow his parent’s and leave Jerusalem? Just think for a moment how you would feel if your father came home tonight and said, “We’re moving. I don’t know exactly where we’re going, but the Lord has told us to go.” I’ve often wondered if I would have acted more like Laman and Lemuel than like Nephi. How difficult would it be to give up everything you know; your home, your comforts and all your friends to go somewhere not even your parents know anything about? I believe that would test even the most obedient young person.

But Nephi sets an example for all of us by what he did … He prayed and asked the Lord for help in understanding his Father. In I Nephi 2:16 Nephi records,

“… I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father.”

Nephi says the Lord softened his heart, but I believe Nephi already had a humble heart - a heart that would allow the Lord to touch it and communicate with him.

Do you have a soft heart? Think about it for a moment. When you are asked to do something around the house for your parents, do you ever “dig in your heels” and complain? I have certainly had plenty of moments like that in my life. But I believe a “soft heart” hears and desires to understand. Then the soft-hearted person follows the spirit. This is what Nephi did. As difficult as it was for him to leave everything he knew, he softened his heart and was able to receive understanding from the Lord. I hope each of us will take the opportunity to soften our hearts and listen to our parents, Church leaders, and especially the Spirit. If we do, I promise, we too, can reach the Promised Land the Lord wants us to find.

Tender Mercies

2011-01-25T17:10:00.002-07:00

“TENDER MERCIES” I Nephi 1:20

My first blog entry dealt with the first verse in the first chapter of I Nephi. This one deals with the last verse of chapter one of I Nephi. (I Nephi 1:20) I’d like to focus on the part of that verse which reads:

“… I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith …”

I’m sure most of you have felt the “tender mercies” of the Lord in your life. I’d like to share with you a “tender mercy” that was given to me recently.
I have a neighbor family that I had been thinking and praying about. As the Stake President, there was something I felt I needed to talk with them about. Well, one cold morning last month we had a very heavy snowfall. I got up a few minutes before 6am, put on my snow-blowing clothes and went out to clear the walks. Once you’re out in that weather, it’s not a big deal to go up and down the street to do the sidewalks. So I started around the corner and to my surprise this dear Sister, who I needed to speak with, was out shoveling her walks at that very moment. Now what are the chances that I would just “run into” this Sister, whose family I had been praying about, at 6am in the morning shoveling snow from the sidewalk? I know it was a tender mercy that the Lord let me experience. He knew I needed to talk with her for just a few moments and he knew it needed to happen quickly. I was able to convey to her the impressions I had been feeling. I was even able to help her finish clearing her driveway.
I believe that there are no “coincidences” with the Lord. “Coincidence” is His way of remaining anonymous. I am grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord in my life and I pray you will have them “…because of your faith” as you continue to read the Book of Mormon. On your next Family Home Evening I challenge you to share with your family a tender mercy you have. It will be a spiritual experience for all of you ... I promise.

2011-01-15T13:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, here it goes. My first blog entry.

I want each of you to know that I love sharing my thoughts about the Book of Mormon. It has changed my life … for the good. For the past four years I’ve read and studied the Book of Mormon more than at any other time in my life. I can honestly tell you it has been the time I have felt closest to my Heavenly Father and I have felt his guidance and revelation in my life on a daily basis. I hope you feel the same way as you make it part of your life.
As I’ll try to do throughout this blog, I want to give you some thoughts and insights I have on specific scriptures. I hope they will be enlightening to you, too. For the my first entry I want to take just the first eight words of the Book of Mormon and give some thoughts about them.
“I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents.”
You’ll notice that Nephi didn’t say “Perfect Parents,” he said “goodly.” I believe you all have good parents. None of them are perfect, but they love you and want the best for you, just as Nephi’s parents wanted for him. They are good because they provide for you and want you to be taught in ways that will allow you to be successful in your life. There may be times when you roll your eyes and wonder why they do certain things, but remember, they love you and often times know a little more about life than you do. They are doing their best to help you along the way. I hope that tonight, before you go to bed you will tell your Mom and Dad, “I love you,” and thank them for being goodly parents like Nephi had. If you do this, I promise you’ll feel the spirit touch your life.
Good luck.