Tag: Testimony

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thoughts

Repentance and Forgiveness

Last night Laura commented on how amazingly forgiving Heavenly Father is toward His children. I’ve been thinking about that ever since then. It is true that He is incredibly forgiving (because He loves His children so much) and yet He cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance. Hence if we are to emulate Him in our actions we must learn how to love sinners while abhoring sin.

As I was thinking about this I realized that one of the reasons that He can forgive so freely and love so unconditionally (to forgive all but the single sin which can only be committed with the full knowledge and unassisted choice of the sinner) is that due to the nature of Eternal law His forgiveness does the sinner absolutely no good unless they choose to repent. Regardless of how merciful He is, the sinner cannot receive any glory that is governed by a law which they do not choose to obey.

Those who focus on the need for grace can rightly point out that without forgiveness from our Savior our repentence would be worthless because even with repentance “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) While that doctrine is accurate it has no saving value because of how infinite our Father’s love is.

If we recognize that He already and unconditionally loves us enough to forgive anything except a conscious and fully informed rejection of Him and all that He offers us, we should find motivation in that knowledge to desire to repent. If we desire to repent we find, with that combination of faith and desire, the strength necessary to repent in order to receive the healing benefits of the atonement of Christ and the infinite love of our Father in Heaven.

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life

The Difference Between Explanation and Debate

I learned some very interesting things as a result of Michael Jackson’s death. I know, most people would look at me and say “David, you seem like the type of person who would not even be paying attention to that kind of news.” They would be right, but one article caught my attention. It really wasn’t about Michael Jackson’s death – it was really about Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW’s) and it was written because Michel Jackson was raised in an JW household so his death brought up the subject of what they believe.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) are familiar with being viewed as being outside the mainstream of Christianity – that’s one thing they share with JW’s. For this (and probably many other) LDS the JW’s seemed even more outside the mainstream of Christianity than we are. (They may well view us as being more on the outside than they are.) I’ve had interactions with JW’s at various times in my life and each time they seemed to be arguing their position and trying to put my beliefs down – the result was that I came away feeling that their beliefs were odd and inconsistent or full of logical holes. I was left wondering how anyone could accept such an obviously flawed belief system. Years ago I even took the time to read some of their official church publications. These were better than the debates (sometimes one-sided debates) that I had been subjected to, but their beliefs still seemed partially incoherent.

This article was written by someone who was raised in a JW jousehold, like Michael Jackson, who never did choose to become a JW. He understands their theology from an insider perspective but he is not trying to proselyte or convince, only explain. This time, although I believe differently than the JW’s on many issues their theology finally seemed coherent – I could understand how it would not feel weird to those who believed its teachings.

The result was that my respect for the JW’s has grown and I have a newfound appreciation of the power that accompanies someone telling about and explaining their beliefs from a personal perspective as opposed to official institutional explanations or individual argumentation. This is further proof of why the Savior said that “he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention.”

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life

The Test and the Key

Last November I was asked to speak in Sacrament meeting on President Packer’s talk from the October conference. I have long made it a standard practice to save my written talks for reference later if I get a similar topic in the future. (It’s interesting to go back and read some of them and gain new insight into the topic.) Today Connor wrote about that same talk and I thought that considering the importance of the topic I should share what I had presented when I was asked to speak about it in case it was of any use to anyone. What follows is essentially my written talk with two caveats – first, that my spoken talks are never exactly the same as what I had written; second, that I will be editing this as seems appropriate (removing references specific to that sacrament meeting for example).

I wonder how many people there were like me who were excited to hear the words of President Packer when he stated the purpose he hoped to accomplish through his talk as he opened by saying:

“It is my purpose to show that in troubled times the Lord has always prepared a safe way ahead. We live in those ‘perilous times’ which the Apostle Paul prophesied would come in the last days. If we are to be safe individually, as families, and secure as a church, it will be through ‘obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.’”(Boyd K. Packer, “The Test,” Ensign, Nov 2008, 88 emphasis added)

I don’t think any of us are surprised to learn that we live in perilous times and thus it is comforting to have the renewed assurance by one of the Lord’s servants that we can be safe and secure individually, as families, and as a church by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel.

President Packer told of the Independence Day celebration by the saints in Salt Lake City in 1849. He said that if we could understand why they would have that celebration and why they would choose patriotism as their theme after what they had endured we would have unlocked the key to what a Latter-Day Saint is. Brothers and sisters, while we are called Latter-Day Saints, that is a title not so much for who we are in most cases as it is for who we are striving to become. Unlocking that key, therefore, is very important if we are to grow to be worthy of that designation.

President Packer is kind enough to explicitly state the key which we should be seeking to unlock about saints. The key to what a latter-day saint is is they are anchored to revelation. Or I would say, they are anchored to revealed truth. President Packer noted three aspects of that 1849 celebration which he described as “both symbolic and prophetic”:

  1. that the young men carried the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence
  2. that each young woman carried the Bible and the Book of Mormon
  3. and that the Silver Greys were honored in the parade

Each of these three aspects helps us to understand the types or sources of revealed truth to which a latter-day saint will seek to anchor themselves.

Though we believe that the Constitution of our nation is an inspired document we rarely think of it as a source of truth. The awful experiences of the early saints would make it easy to forget that it is worth anchoring ourselves and our society to the truths it embodies.

The spokesman for the Silver Greys, Elder Phineas Richards, provided the necessary perspective when he declared that they had seen the United States in its glory and thus they knew by experience “that the outrageous cruelties we have suffered proceeded from a corrupted and degenerate administration, while the pure principles of our boasted Constitution remain unchanged.”

We too have lived in a day when we have seen actions from our government that didn’t live up to the “pure principles of our boasted Constitution.” That may serve as a reminder to us that we cannot let go of true principles when we see those principles implemented imperfectly.

We know that the Book of Mormon and the Bible are sources for revealed truth in our day to which we must cling. They represent the iron rod from Lehi’s dream which will lead us to the tree of life and the eternal happiness that is promised to those who press forward to reach it.

The honoring of the Silver Greys is symbolic of the value that we should place on the life experience of our elders. The Silver Greys of our day would be the senior leaders of the church – men who have likewise been “seasoned by decades of [experience].” When those leaders speak we should give special weight to their counsel in our efforts to determine the proper course of action on the issues of the day.

If we are to be saints in these latter days – anchored to revelation – we must work to build a personal foundation of knowledge of revealed truths. In Doctrine and Covenants Section 88 the Lord admonishes us to “seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.” (D&C 88:118) In that section He describes the order of the School of the Prophets which was to be a place for the instruction of all the officers of the church “in all things that are expedient for them.” (D&C 88:127) Joseph Smith established that school and I find it instructive that while they primarily studied topics of a spiritual nature in that school they also studied languages and were instructed “of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land; and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms,” as they had been promised in verse 79 of section 118. (emphasis added) We too, as we increase our knowledge of revealed truth, will find ourselves learning of things which we had not previously viewed as spiritually significant.

If we are reaching to expand our understanding with the goal to be “anchored to revelation” we must learn to recognize what constitutes revelation of a sufficiently solid foundation for us to sink an anchor. Imagine a mountain climber attaching an anchor to which he will connect his rope to ensure a safe climb. He must place that anchor not in any piece of rock on the mountain, but to a part which will not come loose as he pulls at it during his climb. Alma tells us what is strong enough to support an anchor – it is those truths which are kept, or written down, and preserved so that they might “retain their brightness.” (See Alma 37:5) In other words, it is the standard works, our conference talks and documents such as Proclamation on the Family – as opposed to a quote from one of our past prophets that has been transmitted by memory and word of mouth. While those quotes may have value as a handhold, they may not hold an anchor against the pressures that we will face in our personal climbs.

Notice that the first two things that President Packer cited as symbolic and prophetic are all written down so that we may remember them clearly – the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence as one aspect and the Bible and the Book of Mormon as another. These retain their brightness and serve as a foundation in their respective spheres of influence. When coupled with the experience and perspective of the Silver Greys of our day, being anchored to these written foundations can ensure that we safely navigate the challenges that we face in our lives.

Not only can the breadth of topics which the brethren learned about in the school of the prophets serve as an example of what we should learn about, they counsel of how to learn – “by study and also by faith” is important. The educational institutions of the world have much to say about seeking learning by study, but what does it mean to seek learning by faith? What is the process to learn in this way?

Alma taught the Zoramites very clearly the process of learning by faith. First, “exercise a particle of faith, . . . even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of [the knowledge you are trying to learn].” (Alma 32:27) Second, test the truth or goodness of the seed you have planted by observing whether it [enlarges your soul], [enlightens your mind], and even [begins to be delicious to you]. (Alma 32:28) Third, if the seed has proven to be good or true, nourish that seed of knowledge until you are able to partake of the fruit of that knowledge. (Alma 32:41) A shorter and simpler description was given by the Savior during His mortal ministry: If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. (John 7:17) To learn by faith means that we must put into practice those truths which we have not come to fully understand.

That might include paying tithing in order to see the promised blessings to know if the seed is good or it might be keeping the covenants that we have made through priesthood ordinances where we know that the seed is good, but we have not come to partake of the fruit of those covenants, which fruit includes the peace, safety, and security that President Packer is reassuring us about. If we have doubts concerning the counsel given to us by our priesthood leaders we should be seeking to learn concerning that counsel by following the path of learning by faith – we should be obedient to the counsel they have given in order that we may come to understand that counsel so that it may become part of the rock of revelation to which we are anchored. That is how we “give place for a portion of [their]words” and come to know “whether it be of God.”

As we seek learning by study and also by faith we will have a solid rock of revealed truth to which we can anchor ourselves and our families – and it will be the same rock to which this church has been anchored since it was restored upon the earth. Then we will come to know by our own experience the truth of the counsel that Alma gave to Helaman that “it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to [the Liahona].” (Alma 37:44) As we give heed to the word of Christ we will find our safety and security being preserved in miraculous ways.

Categories
life

Too Busy to Hear

It constantly amazes me how human and approachable President Eyring is. We were blessed to have him speak to our Elder’s quorum today. His son, Stewart, was there as well. At the end, everyone allowed President Eyring to leave first. I was not far behind him, but he stopped in the hallway to wait for his son. As I got to where he was he said, “I guess Stewart isn’t coming yet.” I’m not sure that he was really saying it to me, but I responded that it looked like Stewart was stuck behind a lot of other people in the room. Just then I heard Savannah’s voice in the hallway calling to Alyssa and Mariah – trying to direct them. As they came in sight I called out to them to calm them down and get them out of the way. President Eyring said to me “Savannah?” (I had called her by name) and I said, “Yes, Savannah.” He then called out to her. Unfortunately for Savannah, she was too busy with whatever she was thinking about to notice that a prophet had tried to speak to her. She rushed off the other way to find Laura.

As that happened Mariah came to me and asked me to pick her up. I stood up with her in my arms as Savannah was leaving and turned to President Eyring and, referring back to the lesson he had just given said “this is my little celestial kingdom.” He looked at Mariah and said, “Yes, and we all have to become like her to return home.”

I think that is the identifying feature of the society of apostles and prophets – it’s not about titles or position, but that society is where the eternal can be recognized even among the most mundane parts of life. Being in their presence is no guarantee that we will be able to recognize what they have to offer us. To truly have the society of apostles and prophets we have to prepare ourselves to listen when they speak and to feast on what they have to offer us – whether they have a title that the world would recognize, or whether they are simply people filled with the spirit of prophecy and a testimony of the Savior.

Categories
life

Elder’s Quorum with President Eyring

I had not known what I would ask an apostle if given the opportunity and today I had the opportunity. I really like the way the President Eyring conducted the class – he invited us to ask questions and suggest topics. He then wrote down our requests so that he could group them as appropriate and answer them in the order than seemed most fitting. One person asked about the apostolic calling and President Eyring said that he would answer that by talking about the Quorum of the Twelve and not about the personal apostolic witness – there I suddenly had my question. I asked if he would please say something about the nature of an apostolic witness (of course I stumbled over my words and phrased it quite clumsily but he understood my question and rephrased it in that way).

President Eyring started by grouping the suggestions of our pre-mortal existence, the celestial kingdom, and the Atonement together as elements of the plan of salvation. He said that we didn’t know very much about any of them. We know a few things about the pre-mortal existence and the celestial kingdom from the scriptures but nobody truly comprehends the magnitude of the Atonement despite all that has been said about it. He described the celestial kingdom as the life that Heavenly Father lives and said that it is a very challenging life. He told us to imagine what it would be like to look down on earth at all your children and see the terrible things that they are doing to each other. On the other hand He also sees the wonderful things that are done and gets great joy out of those. He also told us that regardless of how hard it was it was something that we should all desire. I realized as he was talking about the challenges of a celestial life that it makes sense that there are some people who really do not desire to make the effort necessary to receive or live such a life.

I have, at times, been tempted to ascribe more of short-sightedness than malice to the intentions of Lucifer in proposing his impossible alternative of a plan. President Eyring said forcefully that it was an outright rebellion that was based on a lie. The lie was that people need not walk by faith – that Satan could give them the assurance of salvation by abandoning their agency. The truth is that even in the presence of the Father all the spirits were under the necessity of walking by faith.

Speaking of the calling of the Twelve Apostles, President Eyring said that the apostasy was not the absence of the priesthood on the earth. He cited the presence of John the revelator as well as the Three Nephites as evidence that there have been priesthood holders on the earth throughout that period, even apostles. What was missing from the earth was the foundation upon which a true church organization is built – namely a quorum of apostles.

Speaking of the nature of an apostolic witness he said that an apostolic witness has nothing to do with what you have seen – it is about what you KNOW. In other words, it is about having the knowledge that Christ is our Savior in your heart as a part of your being. He said that last night he learned (again) what it means to have an eye single to God as Christ did. It means that the first thought in all things is “Father, what would you have me do?” And that thought must be coupled with an absolute determination to do whatever the Lord directs regardless of the outcome, the cost, or the perceptions of others.

It was very interesting to hear President Eyring talk about President Hinckley and President Monson. Some people view them very differently and, like any other calling in the church, they recognize that each person holding the calling need not follow the footsteps of the person before them. While that is true in one sense I caught a very different perspective on it today as he spoke. President Hinckley did things based exactly on what the Lord told him as he asked “Father, what would you have me do?” For this very frugal man that included some very grand and expensive undertakings (the Conference Center – which might be viewed as unnecessary considering the technology that we already have; the expansion of temple building; the rebuilding of downtown Salt Lake City) and President Eyring assures us that President Hinckley did all this while knowing that we would face the economic downturn that is now upon us. The Lord was using the particular gifts of President Hinckley to do His work. President Monson does different things than President Hinckley, but he does them based on the very same question, “Father, what would you have me do?”

I have always felt more connection with President Hinckley than I did with President Monson. I believe that is because I am more tuned in to those organizational types of things than I am into the human things that are such a hallmark of President Monson as he is prompted to give a blessing, to make a visit, and to lift up the broken-hearted.

The key for me, in my quest to gain an apostolic witness for myself is to build my knowledge of the Savior until it is at the core of my being and practice asking the question “Father, what would you have me do?” and having the determination that my response will be to follow the answers regardless of the cost or consequence. I do know that Christ is the Savior and I do wish to do as He requires. I am willing to face challenges for His Name’s sake – I simply need to grow more perfect in those things. As I do so the Lord will use me in ways that are uniquely suited to my gifts to accomplish His work.

Categories
life

Opportunities for Blessings

I remember a quote by Joseph Smith saying:

A man filled with the love of God, is not content with blessing his family alone but ranges through the world, anxious to bless the whole of the human family.

I have always liked that quote because I have felt that yearning at times to be able to bless the more of the human family than just my own family. I have known intellectually that priesthood service is an opportunity to fulfill that yearning to bless a wider reange of people, but this weekend I had an experience that brought a new level of understanding to that opportunity as well as to the need to be ever ready to administer in priesthood functions.

A devastating crash on Friday night left a father and mother dead along with a young family friend. It also left a young girl in critical condition in the hospital who, along with a nearly two-year-old brother (who was minorly injured) is now without parents. I knew none of these people, but the father who died is a brother to the wife of the family that I home teach and because of the daughter being in Primary Children’s Hospital, many of the family members came to stay with the family I home teach. On Saturday night, after they left the hospital to get some rest, I went to their home with the Bishop and Elder’s Quorum President to visit with this grieving family and offer whatever assistance we could.

I have known this family for less than six months, and I have never before met any of the relatives who were staying there, and yet upon entering the house in the capacity of a priesthood holder they were not “strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.” (Ephesians 2:19)

It was a marvelous blessing for me to be able to feel that Christian love for others in need and offer to help in any way that they needed. As we offered comfort and blessings as requested I came to see how priesthood service offers the opportunity in a very real way to range throughthe world blessing the whole human family.

Categories
life

More Than Enough

In 2006 I wrote a post asking What kind of God do you worship? I was reminded of that post as I thought of my personal answer to the question this evening. I was watching The Testaments: Of One Fold and One Shepherd with my kids and it really hit home in the final scene.

In the scene we have a father, Helam, and son, Jacob, talking as they observe Christ among the Nephite people. Jacob is describing the Savior to Helam who has been blinded because of an accident while helping Jacob.

Jacob: You have looked for the Messiah all your life and now He is here and because of me you cannot leap for joy. You cannot even see Him.

Helam: But you can see Him. And that is enough.

At this moment the hand of Christ reaches to Jacob’s shoulder and Jacob moves so that Christ can heal Helam’s eyes.

Helam had been satisfied that his son could see the Savior, but the Savior allowed him to see as well. That is the kind of God I worship – the kind who is willing to give us more than enough of our heart’s desire if we will persist in seeking Him even more than we seek the things of the world.

Categories
life

More Than a Hero

As I have continued to think about the heroes after my post yesterday I have tried in my own mind to clarify the definition of hero more fully. One thought that I had was that a hero was someone you could emulate – someone you could hope to follow or who you could hope to become. Another thought was that the ultimate hero in my life is my Savior.

The moment that I tried to add Christ mentally into my list of heroes I encountered a problem. While a hero is someone that I would wish to emulate – and Jesus certainly qualifies there – Christ presents a problem in that all of the people who I might classify as heroes I have hope that I could do the things that they have done to be heroes to me. With Christ that is only partially true. I can hope to care for others as He did and strive to obey the commandments of God as He did, but His heroism goes well beyond anything that I could ever hope to do. He gave a gift to me and the world that I could never hope to give – the opportunity to return to our heavenly home. All the good that I could ever do would pale in comparison. More importantly, all the good I could ever do would be worthless if He did not also give the gift that He gave to the world.

He has thus separated Himself from all others who I might call heroes because whatever is good and worthy of emulation in them I could hope to duplicate in my life. My conclusion is that there must be a separate category for Christ. Either He is the Hero and all others could be classified as models, or else they are heroes and He has a designation all His own – perhaps LORD.