This is my Capstone Practicum Project on Prophets and Apostles
and modern day revelation. Most Christians acknowledge the existence of
Prophets: Adam, Noah, Isaiah are some from the Old Testament. John the Baptist,
Jesus, and the apostles: Matthew, Mark, Luke, etc. from the New Testament. God
does not leave us in these modern days without the same guidance and gifts that
Prophets and Apostles bring. Because the Gospel was restored to earth, as it
was in Jesus day, through Joseph Smith and consequently, the Priesthood, which
is the power/authority to act in God's name, we have a current day prophet,
Thomas S. Monson, and 12 Apostles and others who help bear world wide witnesses
to the divinity of our Savior, Jesus Christ and spread His gospel of peace
throughout the world.
My project was to research 10 topics that are on our minds, in the news, in our hearts that affect us deeply, affect our society and require everyone's attention in order to fight evil and save good; to bring light where there is darkness. How grateful I am to turn to modern day Prophets, Seers and Revelators who in turn communicate directly with the Lord and receive divine guidance for us. To be able to know with surety what to do to save myself, my family, those I love as well as my community from the dangers of today that would destroy family and homes, destroy good communities, remove our freedoms and return us to the dark ages of oppression.
So here, I share with all who choose to read and ponder and pray, I share the light I have found in my research on ten topics: Family, Agency, Atonement, Pornography, Grief, Service, Wayward Children, and Faith.
Each topic has at least ten quotes from talks given by the Apostles and Prophets over the last 43 years (I did not go past 1971). It is interesting to note that the older decades still are as pertinent today and ever more important to learn and follow.
I hope and pray all who read this find the answers to problems, comfort if you are grieving, knowledge to empower you to act to save yourself or someone else, and if nothing else, a sure witness that there is a God and a Savior who love you. You are loved, you come from Divine Royalty, as a Child of God. You will be blessed in reading, pondering and praying over the things you read here.
It is my personal witness that God lives. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and He lives. He bled and suffered and died for us so we could all live again. He took upon Himself our sins, our pains, our sorrows, our ailments, our burdens so that He would know how we truly feel and then in that knowing he can lift us, comfort us, lighten our burdens. I know this, because I sincerely desired to know for myself and so I asked. I went to the source: God, Himself, and asked. We are promised if you come with a sincere heart and contrite spirit He WILL answer you. I testify that is true because I experimented upon His word, as he invites us to do. I share this in His Holy Name.
FAMILY
My Position
Statement
In our day, more than ever, the family is
under fire from all sides: media, government, society, schools. The stats given
in these talks were from decades ago; things looked bleak then, they are way
worse now. The family is the foundation of society, it should be protected by
all sides: media, government, society, schools. Like the last quote from Elder
Ballard that says "the rest of society, all larger units are dependent on
the smallest, the family." How grateful we should be that the Family Proclamation was
divinely given in 1995, nearly twenty years ago. We are given divine counsel
how to strengthen the family and it continues to go back to what was effective
decades ago - the simple basics: prayer, scriptures, family home evening,
family activities and bonding time, church attendance, priesthood and
ordinances. When we live by these values and teach these values consistently in
our homes, we are strengthening and protecting, not just our family, but our
community, our state, our civilization. I'm grateful for the gospel and living
prophets that convey to us the course of safety in dangerous times and
administer the ordinances that bind and save us and our families.
Elder L. Tom Perry, April 1994
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1994/04/therefore-i-was-taught?lang=eng
One of the great messages of the gospel is the
doctrine of the eternal nature of the family unit. We declare
to the world the value and importance of family life, but much of the
confusion and difficulty we find existing in the world today is being traced to
the deterioration of the family. Home experiences where children are taught and
trained by loving parents are diminishing.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell, April 1994
Reflect, for instance, on how inoperative
the Ten Commandments are in many lives. Today, killing, stealing, and
bearing false witness still carry some social stigma and legal
sanction, but sanction is effectively gone regarding sexual immorality, the
Sabbath day, honoring fathers and mothers, and the taking of the name of the
Lord in vain. Some of this decline represents the bitter harvest of ethical
relativism, the philosophy of choice of many, reflecting no fixed, divine
truths but merely the mores of the moment.
Note several terrible trends which, if
uncorrected, will produce an even worse coalition of consequences.
·
•
In ten years, one-half
of all children born in America will be illegitimate.
·
•
More and more children
have no functioning fathers. Already 70 percent of our juvenile criminals come
from fatherless homes.
·
•
Less than half of all
children born today will live continuously with their own mother and father
throughout childhood.
·
•
One-fourth of all
adolescents … contract a sexually transmitted disease before they graduate from
high school.
·
•
Fifty-five percent of
American children under the age of six … have both parents or their only parent
working in the labor force.
Elder Loren C. Dunn, October 1974
I would like to use as the key to my remarks a
quote that President Kimball made on a previous occasion and a theme that he
returned to this morning. He said, “The nation is built upon the foundation of
its homes and the home upon its families.”
The family—mother and father and the
children—is the oldest of all our institutions and stands at the very
foundation of our civilization. There can be nothing more precious or enduring
than the family. It is obvious that the need exists, however, for the upgrading
of the role of parents in the family setting.
Elder Boyd K. Packer, October 1998
There are things vital to the well-being of a
family which can be found only by going to Church. There is the priesthood,
which empowers a man to lead and bless his wife and children, and covenants
which bind them together forever.
President Gordon B. Hinckley, October 1995
We, the First Presidency and the Council of
the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained
of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the
eternal destiny of His children.
Elder Dallin H. Oaks, October 2007
In choosing how we spend time as a family, we
should be careful not to exhaust our available time on things that are merely
good and leave little time for that which is better or best.
President Spencer W. Kimball, October 1974
Out of our view, under the ocean waves, there are forces of
tremendous power with which we must reckon, and there are such powerful forces
in our own lives.
Accordingly, if we can create in our families
a strong, steady current flowing toward our goal of righteous life, we and our
children may be carried forward in spite of the contrary winds of hardship,
disappointment, temptations, and fashion.
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, April 1993
A recent report titled “Children in Crisis”
reflected an aspect of this evil. The editors of a national magazine considered
at length what is happening to our children:
“Of the 65 million Americans under 18, [many]
live in poverty, 22% live in single-parent homes, and almost 3% live with no
parent at all. Violence among the young is … rampant. … Playground fights that
used to end in bloody noses now end in [some fatalities]. Schools that once
considered talking in class a capital offense are routinely [checking children]
for weapons, questioning them about drugs. … A good public education, safe
streets, and family dinners—with both father and mother present—seem like
quaint memories of a far distant past. … The parents of nearly 2,750 children
separate or divorce each day. … Every day over 500 children ages 10 to 14 begin
using illegal drugs, and over 1,000 start drinking alcohol. Nearly half of all
middle-schoolers abuse drugs or alcohol or [become involved in immorality].” Data from other nations are equally alarming.
These and many other ills of our society today
have their source in the breakdown of the family. If Satan can weaken or
destroy the loving relationships among members of families, he can cause more
misery and more unhappiness for more people than he could in any other way.
Elder Rex D. Pinegar, October 1994
Focusing our attention on teaching and living
the simple messages of the Savior in our homes will strengthen our families,
perfect the society in which we live, and improve ourselves. It will enable us
to successfully combat the erosion of the family,
which President Hunter has said is the greatest challenge in the world
today. Our first line of defense in a world of spiritual and moral
decay is and will continue to be the family.
Elder M. Russell Ballard, October 2005
In today’s world, where Satan’s aggression
against the family is so prevalent, parents must do all they can to fortify and
defend their families. But their efforts may not be enough. Our most basic
institution of family desperately needs help and support from the extended
family and the public institutions that surround us. Brothers and sisters,
aunts and uncles, grandparents and cousins can make a powerful difference in
the lives of children. Remember that the expression of love and encouragement
from an extended family member will often provide the right influence and help
a child at a critical time.
It is important to remember that all larger
units of society depend on the smallest and most fundamental unit, the family.
No matter who or what we are, we help ourselves when we help families.
ATONEMENT
MY POSITION STATEMENT
I, like Elder Scott says, can not comprehend the Atonement: how someone could love the whole world that much, how it was accomplished, how extreme the pain was and how the Lord handled it and there are elements I can't even name because I don't understand it well enough. However, I know how needed the gift of the Atonement is to make it through this life and back to our Father. I know I especially need the atonement for the Natural Woman I am and the uncountable sins, mistakes, even evil that I have been. I also know the Atonement offers us power that enables us to accomplish many things we need to in this life including but not limited to: forgiving, handling pain of all kinds, stress, illness, sadness, grieving, fear, and more. I say and more because I know there is so much more that is there for us to access, IF we know. I don't know it all, but I sense there is so much more to the Atonement. Even after this assignment, I know more than ever the Atonement is real and that we are so blessed to be so loved, and I also more than ever know there is so much more to the Atonement. We will be blessed to know more as we go through life and desire and have the needs and ask for the help we need. How grateful I am to know we can be forgiven and how grateful I am to have used it over and over. I am also grateful for the divine strength I've gained through the Atonement to forgive those who have hurt me. I know the Savior loves us and did die and does live again for us. I know, as the prophets have told us, and because I feel this was planned from the foundation of the world. And I am ever grateful.
Elder Boyd K. Packer, October 2012
Concerning the importance of the
Atonement, in Alma we learn, “For it is expedient that an atonement should be
made; … or else all mankind must unavoidably perish.” (Alma 34:9)
If you have made no mistakes, then you do not
need the Atonement. If you have made mistakes, and all of us have, whether
minor or serious, then you have an enormous need to find out how they can be
erased so that you are no longer in darkness.
Elder Richard G. Scott, October 2013
Learn to recognize the power of the Atonement
of Jesus
Christ in their lives. Today I expound on one aspect of that
power, which is the personal strength we can receive through the Atonement of
Jesus Christ.
Elder Robert D. Hales, October 1985
In the gospel of Jesus Christ, there comes a point in time when we must
stand accountable for who we are and what we are going to be. In the atonement
of Jesus Christ, we have been given an example to follow—that of the eldest son
of God the Father.
Elder James E. Faust, October 2001
Our Redeemer took upon Himself all the sins,
pains, infirmities, and sicknesses of all who have ever lived and will ever
live. No one has ever suffered in any degree what He
did. He knows our mortal trials by firsthand experience. It is a bit like us
trying to climb Mount Everest and only getting up the first few feet. But He
has climbed all 29,000 feet to the top of the mountain. He suffered more than
any other mortal could.
The Atonement not only benefits the sinner but
also benefits those sinned against—that is, the victims. By forgiving “those
who trespass against us” (JST, Matt. 6:13) the Atonement brings a measure of
peace and comfort to those who have been innocently victimized by the sins of
others. The basic source for the healing of the soul is the Atonement of Jesus
Christ. This is true whether it be from the pain of a personal tragedy or a
terrible national calamity such as we have recently experienced in New York and
Washington, D.C., and near Pittsburgh.
Elder Richard G. Scott, October, 2006
I believe that no matter how diligently you
try, you cannot with your human mind fully comprehend the eternal significance
of the Atonement nor fully understand how it was accomplished. We can only
appreciate in the smallest measure what it cost the Savior in pain, anguish,
and suffering or how difficult it was for our Father in Heaven to see His Son
experience the incomparable challenge of His Atonement. Even so, you should
conscientiously study the Atonement to understand it as well as you can. You
can learn what is needful to live His commandments, to enjoy peace and
happiness in mortal life. You can qualify, with obedient family members,
to live with Him and your Father in Heaven forever.
Elder Russell M. Nelson, October 1996
Before we can comprehend
the Atonement of Christ, however, we must first understand the Fall
of Adam. And before we can understand the Fall of Adam, we must first
understand the Creation. These three crucial components of the plan of
salvation relate to each other.
Elder Boyd K. Packer, April, 1988
But this we know! It was all planned before
the world was. Events from the Creation to the final, winding-up scene are not
based on chance; they are based on choice! It
was planned that way.
This we know! This simple truth! Had there
been no Creation, no Fall, there should have been no need for
any Atonement, neither a Redeemer to mediate for us. Then Christ need not
have been.
Elder M. Russell Ballard, April, 2004
There is no greater expression of love than
the heroic Atonement performed by the Son of God. Were it not
for the plan of our Heavenly Father, established before the world began, in a
very real sense, all mankind—past, present, and future—would have been left without
the hope of eternal progression. As a result of Adam’s transgression, mortals
were separated from God (see Rom. 6:23) and would be forever unless a way was
found to break the bands of death. This would not be easy, for it required the
vicarious sacrifice of one who was sinless and who could therefore take upon
Himself the sins of all mankind.
Thankfully, Jesus Christ courageously
fulfilled this sacrifice in ancient Jerusalem. There in the quiet isolation of
the Garden of Gethsemane, He knelt among the gnarled olive trees, and in some
incredible way that none of us can fully comprehend, the Savior took upon
Himself the sins of the world. Even though His life was pure and free of sin,
He paid the ultimate penalty for sin—yours, mine, and everyone who has ever
lived. His mental, emotional, and spiritual anguish were so great they caused
Him to bleed from every pore (see Luke 22:44;D&C 19:18). And yet Jesus
suffered willingly so that we might all have the opportunity to be washed
clean—through having faith in Him, repenting of our sins, being baptized by
proper priesthood authority, receiving the purifying gift of the Holy
Ghost by confirmation, and accepting all other essential ordinances.
Without theAtonement of the Lord, none of these blessings would be
available to us, and we could not become worthy and prepared to return to dwell
in the presence of God.
The Savior later endured the agony of
inquisition, cruel beatings, and death by crucifixion on the cross at Calvary.
Recently, there has been a great deal of commentary about this, none of which
has made clear the singular point that no one had the power to take the
Savior’s life from Him. He gave it as a ransom for us all. As the Son of God,
He had the power to alter the situation. Yet the scriptures clearly state that
He yielded Himself to scourging, humiliation, suffering, and finally
crucifixion because of His great love towards the children of men (see 1
Neph-9:9-10).
Elder Bednar, April, 2014
His Atonement also
enables us to do good and become better in ways that stretch far beyond our
mortal capacities.
Thus, the Savior has suffered not just for our sins and iniquities—but also for our physical pains and anguish, our weaknesses and shortcomings, our fears and frustrations, our disappointments and discouragement, our regrets and remorse, our despair and desperation, the injustices and inequities we experience, and the emotional distresses that beset us.
Thus, the Savior has suffered not just for our sins and iniquities—but also for our physical pains and anguish, our weaknesses and shortcomings, our fears and frustrations, our disappointments and discouragement, our regrets and remorse, our despair and desperation, the injustices and inequities we experience, and the emotional distresses that beset us.
Elder Boyd K. Packer, April, 2001
The Prophet Joseph Smith said: “A man is
his own tormentor and his own condemner. … The torment of disappointment in the
mind of man [or woman] is as exquisite as a lake burning with fire and
brimstone.”
That lake of fire and brimstone, ever burning
but never consumed, is the description in the scriptures for hell.
Suppose there was no cure, no way to ease
spiritual pain or to erase the agony of guilt. Suppose each mistake, each sin,
was added to the others with the racking, the harrowing up, the torment going
on forever. Too many of us needlessly carry burdens of guilt and shame.
AGENCY
POSITION
STATEMENT
i
consider agency the supreme gift after the gift of the Atonement and eternal
life. The War in Heaven was fought for the express purpose of agency. We all
here voted for it. It is the reason we came to earth, to learn how to use that
great gift. And with that came the need for the gift of the Atonement and the
gift of eternal life. Agency, Atonement, Eternal Life: all three are gifts that
are tied together. Many people mistake God being an uncaring God or there to be
no God at all when the evil people of the world use their agency to impose
atrocities on each other. They don't understand the Plan and how the Lord
absolutely will not take away anyone's agency, even when it means saving
someone else. I know that through the Atonement, we are given power and
resources to overcome the consequences of our own bad choices or other's bad
choices. I know that through agency we learn to go towards our Father and
fulfill our divine potential or we go away from the Father towards the evil one
and will waste the great gifts bestowed upon us!
Elder L. Tom Perry, April, 2013
Victory in the War in Heaven was a victory for
man’s agency. Satan, however, was not done. His backup plan—the plan
he has been executing since the time of Adam and Eve—was to tempt men and
women, essentially to prove we are undeserving of the God-given gift
of agency.
Elder Richard G. Scott, October 1992
Have you noticed that no matter how worthy
your intent and how many procedures you follow precisely, if you make the
tiniest mistake with a computer, it will not respond? All of your effort is
futile. That is not the way the Lord works. There is nothing
tricky about His commandments. He wants you to succeed. Where there is purity
of heart and real intent, it is known to the Lord. Your obedience to truth and
proper use of agency open the door to His divine help. At first,
perhaps only you and He will believe your sincerity. But you will be rewarded
by the joy that comes from positive personal progress. In time, others will
recognize your consistent righteous acts and support you.
President Howard W. Hunter, October, 1989
To fully understand this gift of agency and
its inestimable worth, it is imperative that we understand that God’s chief way
of acting is by persuasion and patience and long-suffering, not by coercion and
stark confrontation. He acts by gentle solicitation and by sweet enticement. He
always acts with unfailing respect for the freedom and independence that we
possess. He wants to help us and pleads for the chance to assist us, but he
will not do so in violation of our agency. He loves us too much to do
that, and doing so would run counter to his divine character.
Elder Boyd K. Packer, April, 1983
Some who do not understand the doctrinal part
do not readily see the relationship between obedience and agency. And they
miss one vital connection and see obedience only as restraint. They then resist
the very thing that will give them true freedom. There is no true freedom
without responsibility, and there is no enduring freedom without a knowledge of
the truth. The Lord said, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples
indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John
8:31-32.)
Elder Robert D. Hales, October 2010
Agency is to act with accountability and
responsibility for our actions. Our agency is essential to the plan
of salvation. With it we are “free to choose liberty and eternal life, through
the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to
the captivity and power of the devil.
Elder Robert D. Hales, April, 2006
I testify that agency is
strengthened by our faith and obedience. Agency leads us to act: to
seek that we may find, to ask that we may receive guidance from the Spirit, to
knock on that door that leads to spiritual light and ultimately salvation.
Elder Boyd K.Packer, April, 1988
He, by choice, accepted the penalty for all
mankind for the sum total of all wickedness and depravity; for brutality,
immorality, perversion, and corruption; for addiction; for the killings and
torture and terror—for all of it that ever had been or all that ever would be
enacted upon this earth.
In choosing, He faced the awesome power of the
evil one who was not confined to flesh nor subject to mortal pain. That was
Gethsemane.
Elder D. Todd Christopherson, October, 2009
Moral discipline is the consistent exercise
of agency to choose the right because it is right, even when it is
hard.
Elder M. Russell Ballard, April, 1995
We tend to think of agency as a
personal matter. If we ask someone to define “moral agency,” the answer
will probably be something like this: “Moral agency means I am free
to make choices for myself.” Often overlooked is the fact that choices have
consequences; we forget also that agency offers the same privilege of
choice to others. At times we will be affected adversely by the way other
people choose to exercise their agency. Our Heavenly Father feels so strongly
about protecting our agency that he allows his children to exercise
it, either for good or for evil.
Elder Russell M. Nelson, April, 1990
Why are you here on planet earth?
One of the most important reasons is to
receive a mortal body. Another is to be tested—to experience mortality—to
determine what you will do with life’s challenging opportunities. Those
opportunities require you to make choices, and choices depend on agency. A
major reason for your mortal existence, therefore, is to test how you will
exercise your agency. (See 2 Nephi: 2: 15, 25)
Agency is a divine gift to you. You are free
to choose what you will be and what you will do. And you are not without help.
Counsel with your parents is a privilege at any age. Prayer provides
communication with your Heavenly Father and invites the promptings of personal
revelation. And in certain circumstances, consultation with professional
advisers and with your local leaders in the Church may be highly advisable,
especially when very difficult decisions must be made.
Pornography
My Position Statement
Pornography is dangerous, addictive,
contagious, degrading, tempting, polluting, harmful, destructive, corroding,
poisonous, heartbreaking. Sadly, it is big business that pours good money into
evil, money that could be used for good in so many ways. Coupled with
technology of our day, pornography is now rampant and seeps in like a leak
behind walls, into our homes. Our very refuge from evil is now being attacked
by this darkness. Extreme vigilance is now required to protect what is most
precious to us. Pornography degrades not only the viewer/user, but degrades the
subjects they view; degrades the women/children/men in their lives due to the
thoughts now permanently in their brains and how they now view them and others.
Pornography is a powerful tool, maybe fast becoming the most powerful tool
Satan employs today. It re-wires the brain just like the drugs and alcohol of
addicts. Pornography is no longer a male issue. Women are being lured almost as
much as men now. Souls are destroyed, homes and families are destroyed,
self-worth is destroyed. Pornography is the vilest vice with tentacles that
employ great power and hold on the user. It is safer to never play around or
near it. It will snatch even the most innocent and make them a prisoner in an
instant. The best protection is to listen to the words of the prophets: steer
clear, gird yourself with the righteous habits that protect against Satan's
tactics, use the basics-prayer, obedience, temple, scriptures. Realize there
are many victims when one person decides to partake of porn: the user, the
portrayed, those actually victimized by those turned on: that may result in
illegal activity to satisfy what has been turned on, or it may result in
self-abuse, or it may result in a spouse or partner being used to satisfy. All
are victims. One of Satan's favorite lies is, "It's a victimless
crime." Go talk to those whose homes have been destroyed by this crime, or
those molested because of this crime, or those who hate themselves because they
can't stop. The victims are countless. Here are words of God through our modern
day prophets who began warning of this decades ago. If only the world would
have heeded then, it would not be so bad now. But listening now will help
protect the innocent of today and heal those who are caught in the snares.
President Thomas S. Monson, October 1979
Pornography, the carrier, is big business. It
is Mafia-spawned. It is contagious. It is addicting. In a study last year, the
FBI estimated that Americans spent 2.4 billion dollars on
hard-core pornography. Other estimates reach as high as 4 billion—a fortune
siphoned away from noble use and diverted to a devilish purpose!
Apathy toward pornography stems
mostly from a widespread public attitude that it is a victimless crime and that
police resources are better used in other areas. Many state and local ordinances
are ineffective, sentences are light, and the huge financial rewards far
outweigh the risks.
The FBI points out
that pornography may have a direct relationship to sex crimes. “In
one large western city,” an agency report states, “the vice squad advised that
72 percent of the individuals arrested for rape and child-related sexual
offenses had in their possession some type of pornographic material.”
Elder Oaks-April 2005
“Pornographic or erotic stories and pictures
are worse than filthy or polluted food. The body has defenses to rid itself of
unwholesome food. With a few fatal exceptions, bad food will only make you sick
but do no permanent harm. In contrast, a person who feasts upon filthy stories
or pornographic or erotic pictures and literature records them in this
marvelous retrieval system we call a brain. The brain won’t vomit back filth.
Once recorded, it will always remain subject to recall, flashing its perverted
images across your mind and drawing you away from the wholesome things in
life.”
Elder M. Russell Ballard CES Broadcast, May 4, 2014
"Finally, the people of earlier times
experienced solitude in ways we cannot imagine in our crowded and busy world.
Even when we are alone today, we can be tuned in with our handheld devices,
laptops, and TVs to keep us entertained and occupied.
As an Apostle, I now ask you a question: Do
you have any personal quiet time? I have wondered if those who lived in the
past had more opportunity than we do now to see, feel, and experience the
presence of the Spirit in their lives.
"Handheld devices, such as smartphones,
are a blessing, but they can also distract us from hearing the “still, small voice.”
They need to be our servants, not our masters. For example, if later tonight
you share inspiring thoughts from this devotional on social media, your
smartphone is a servant. If you randomly surf the Internet, your smartphone is
a master."
Elder Russell M. Nelson, Broadcast, No Date Given (though
in the link below says 2012)
"Our task to defend the family is not an
easy one. Trends in the world diminish the significance of the family. Sadly,
the sacred powers of procreation are desecrated by many people. And the
divinely designed nature of marital intimacy is tarnished by the addictive,
pernicious, and poisonous plague of pornography."
Elder Richard G. Scott, October 2009
Satan has become a master at using the
addictive power of pornography to limit individual capacity to be led by the
Spirit. The onslaught of pornography in all of its vicious,
corroding, destructive forms has caused great grief, suffering, heartache, and
destroyed marriages. It is one of the most damning influences on earth.
President James E. Faust, October, 2000
Another false philosophy that appeals to the
Mr. Hyde side of our natures is that peeking into pornography is harmless. This
is a terrible deception. Pornography is as addictive as cocaine or
any illegal drug.
President Monson, April 2010
Pornography is especially dangerous and
addictive. Curious exploration of pornography can become a
controlling habit, leading to coarser material and to sexual transgression.
Avoid pornography at all costs.
Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone, October 1999
Pornography is evil. I love the story told at
the funeral of Henry Eyring’s father. When he was a young man coming across the
border from the Mexican colonies to the United States, the customs man said,
“Son, do you have any pornography in your suitcase or trunks?” He
responded, “No sir, we don’t even own a pornograph.” It’s wonderful to be that
pure and naive.
Elder Marvin J. Ashton, October, 1977
How does the adversary wage this battle? What
are his tactics? Those who are fighting pornography and obscenity have
helped us recognize some of his battle plans. They tell us that a person who
becomes involved in obscenity soon acquires distorted views of personal
conduct. He becomes unable to relate to others in a normal, healthy way. Like
most other habits, an addictive effect begins to take hold of him. A diet of
violence or pornography dulls the senses, and future exposures need
to be rougher and more extreme. Soon the person is desensitized and is unable
to react in a sensitive, caring, responsible manner, especially to those in his
own home and family. Good people can become infested with this material and it
can have terrifying, destructive consequences.
Elder Quentin L. Cook, October, 2012
President
Dieter F. Uchtdorf and I were recently in an Amazon jungle village and
observed satellite dishes even on some of the small, simply built huts. We
rejoiced at the wonderful information available in this remote area. We also
recognized there is virtually no place on earth that cannot be impacted by
salacious, immoral, and titillating images. This is one reason why
pornography has become such a plague in our day.
Grief
My Position Statement
Grief is a part of
life. It is part of what we signed up for....to be tested and tried in all
things. Being tested and tried usually brings some level of grief. We grieve
when we experience any kind of loss: through death, divorce, employment,
health, freedom, normalcy, etc. Some folks grieve gracefully, using faith to
work through it. Some grieve in ways that they never allow themselves to heal
and then become dysfunctional. I really liked what Elder Wickman said in his
talk: that "grief is the natural by-product of love....the only way to
avoid grief is to avoid love." We have knowledge of the process of grief
which helps us know we are normal and the landmarks to look for to know where
we are in the process of grieving. We have tools like music that is
therapeutic. We have those who have suffered before us to be able to watch and
follow. We have the scriptures, leaders, friends and family who give
encouragement. I am grateful that the gospel of Jesus Christ provides us
the tools and resources to help us deal with grief. And we have the Savior
whom we know asked to know what we would feel and suffer so he would know how
to succor (give aid and assistance during distress) us. See Alma 7:11-13. The
best gift and tool of all is the gift of the Atonement and knowing not only did
our Savior suffer for us and more than anyone else, and didn't need to, but
that he also took on all our pains so he could absolutely know what we feel in
any situation. As hard as life gets, and as many pains and grief we pass
through we can always know that Someone suffered more than us, longer than us,
harder than us. We can also reach for the comfort and solace that knowledge and
that love brings. Here from our leaders are words to guide us through our
sorrows and grief.
Elder Packer, October, 1977
All of us carry excess baggage around from
time to time, but the wisest ones among us don’t carry it for very long. They
get rid of it.
Some
of it you have to get rid of without really solving the problem. Some things
that ought to be put in order are not put in order because you can’t control
them.
Elder Marvin J. Ashton, April 1979
Victories
in life come through our ability to work around and over the obstacles that
cross our path. We grow stronger as we climb our own mountains.
President Thomas S. Monson,
October, 1993
It is easy enough to be pleasant,
When life flows by like a song,
But the man worth while is one who will smile,
When everything goes dead wrong.
For the test of the heart is trouble,
And it always comes with the years,
And the smile that is worth the praises of earth
Is the smile that shines through tears.
Elder Quentin Cook, October,
2008
Sister
Bathsheba Smith’s recorded feelings are also full of faith but evidence some
trepidation. She had seen the mobs arrayed against the Saints in Missouri and
was present at the death of the Apostle David W. Patten.
Recalling
the evacuation of Nauvoo, she wrote: “My last act in that precious spot was to
tidy the rooms, sweep up the floor and set the broom in its accustomed place
behind the door. Then with emotions in my heart I gently closed the door and
faced an unknown future, faced it with faith in God and with no less assurance
of the ultimate establishment of the Gospel in the West and of its true
enduring principles, than I had felt in those trying scenes in Missouri.”
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin,
October, 2006
Each
of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems
shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all
will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together
again. We will all have our Fridays.
But I
testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In
the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.
No
matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come.
In this life or the next, Sunday will come.
Hugh W. Pinnock, April, 1982
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1982/04/beginning-again?lang=eng
Remember,
all problems do not keel over as Goliath did before David. All battles do not
end as dramatically as the one fought at Cumorah. All miracles are not as
immediate as when Joseph Smith blessed
the sick on the banks of the Missouri River. But problems do go away, battles
are won, and miracles do occur in the lives of us all. In Deuteronomy 7:22 [Deut. 7:22]
the Lord described his battle plan for purifying Israel in this way: “And the
Lord thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little.”
Victory often does come little by little.
Face
reality. Sometimes we wish we could fly from our troubles. King David did. He
had been a good man, but he engulfed himself in great difficulties. It seemed
to be more than he could bear. One day he cried, “Oh that I had wings like a
dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.” (Ps. 55:6.) His
guilt-fired emotions had gained the upper hand. He wanted to get away from
everything. Some try to fly away physically, and others try to do so
emotionally. That does not solve problems. The only true escape route is marked
with the sign “personal responsibility.”
Elder Donald L. Hallstrom,
April 2010
Throughout
the world and among the membership of the Church, there is great joy and great
pain. Both are part of the plan. Without one, we cannot know the other. “Men
are, that they might have joy” (2 Nephi 2:25)
and “for it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things” (2 Nephi 2:11)
are not contradictory; they are complementary. In describing how he felt when
he turned to the Lord, Alma the Younger said, “My soul was filled with joy as
exceeding as was my pain” (Alma 36:20).
Elder Merrill J. Bateman, Ensign, January, 2014
Just
as the lame man at the pool of Bethesda needed someone stronger than himself to
be healed (see John 5:1–9), so we are dependent on the
miracles of Christ’s atonement if our souls are to be made whole from grief, sorrow, and sin.
Eldler Merrill J. Bateman, April, 1995
As I listened, the Spirit bore witness of the great miracles of the Atonement and the Savior’s power to mend broken hearts, to heal from within. The Savior’s parable of the ten lepers took on new meaning. Luke describes Jesus meeting ten lepers. Upon seeing the Savior, they cried, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” Jesus responded: “Go shew yourselves unto the priests.” As they went their way, they were cleansed. One returned, fell on his face at the Master’s feet, and gave thanks. Jesus said, “Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?” And then the Lord said to the one who returned, “Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole” (see Luke 17:12–19). In becoming a whole person, the grateful leper was healed inside as well as on the outside. That day nine lepers were healed skin deep, but only one had the faith to be made whole. The tenth leper and Sister Hee were changed eternally by their faith in the Savior and the healing power of his atonement.
Elder Lance B. Wickman October, 2002
And
so today I wish to speak to all who are struggling in this laboratory of
applied faith that is called mortality—and in particular to those bereaved,
burdened, and grieving parents who beseechingly ask, “Why?”
First,
please know that grief is the natural by-product of
love. One cannot selflessly love another person and not grieve at his suffering
or eventual death. The only way to avoid the grief would be to
not experience the love; and it is love that gives life its richness and
meaning. Hence, what a grieving parent can expect to receive from the Lord in
response to earnest supplication may not necessarily be an elimination of grief so much as a sweet reassurance that, whatever
his or her circumstances, one’s child is in the tender care of a loving Heavenly
Father.
Next,
do not ever doubt the goodness of God, even if you do not know “why.” The
overarching question asked by the bereaved and the burdened is simply this:Why? Why did our daughter die, when we prayed so
hard that she would live and when she received priesthood
blessings? Why are we struggling with
this misfortune, when others relate miraculous healing experiences for their
loved ones? These are natural questions, understandable questions. But they are
also questions that usually go begging in mortality. The Lord has said simply,
“My ways [are] higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:9). As
the Son’s will was “swallowed up in the will of the Father” (Mosiah 15:7),
so must ours be.
President Thomas S. Monson,
April 1992
We
can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm
of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude.
If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its
place among the noblest of virtues.
A
favorite hymn always lifts our spirits, kindles our faith, and inspires our
thoughts:
When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings; name them one by one,
And it will
surprise you what the Lord has done. …
So amid the conflict, whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged; God is over all.
Count your many blessings; angels will attend,
Help and
comfort give you to your journey’s end.
Well
could we reflect upon our lives as individuals. We will soon discover much to
prompt our personal gratitude.
SERVICE
MY POSITION STATEMENT
Service is a hallmark of a disciple of Christ. Service is a great tool that accomplishes several goals. One goal is it brings us closer to the Savior. Another is that it allows us to become more like the Savior. Another result of giving service is it gets us out of ourselves. Service is the best anecdote to the blues and feeling sorry for yourself. It also gives the Lord hands here on earth to help take care of those in need. To render Christ like service, we truly serve to give help for no other reason than because we love the Savior and want to do as He would do. Many times we serve because we love those we are serving, but there are times we are all called to serve those whom we do not love. It is in those moments, when we take the opportunity, we find the door opening directly to the Savior and we are blessed with His love and spirit like never before. The story of how the poor man/woman was told one evening as they ate their scant meal, that the Savior would come visit them the next day. They set about to prepare for this great day and for such an honored guest. With barely enough for themselves, they prepared a meal, got out their best coat to wear. When the next day arrived, the dressed, laid out the meal, and waited. Before long a knock came and in great anticipation, they slung the door open, only to find a beggar asking for food. With a loving heart, the beggar was given the meal set aside for the Savior. And later the coat given to the poor cold man standing outside. And lastly, their water given to the stranger who was thirsty. Later in the evening, as the man/woman realized they had given all their best away, they had nothing left for the Savior but He hadn't even come and they wept. Then the Savior appeared and said, "But I was here, you fed me, clothed me and gave me water. In as you have done it to the least of these, you have done it unto me." This is based on the scripture in Matthew 25:40. And so it is, when we serve each other, we are actually serving the Savior, as though He himself were right here.
Elder Dallin H. Oaks, April 2009
“Years
ago, I changed my attitude about going to church. No longer do I go to church
for my sake, but to think of others. I make a point of saying hello to people
who sit alone, to welcome visitors, … to volunteer for an assignment. …
“In
short, I go to church each week with the intent of being active, not passive,
and making a positive difference in people’s lives. Consequently, my attendance
at Church meetings is so much more enjoyable and fulfilling.”
Elder Derek A. Cuthbert,
April 1990
Service changes
people. It refines, purifies, gives a finer perspective, and brings out the
best in each one of us. It gets us looking outward instead of inward. It
prompts us to consider others’ needs ahead of our own. Righteous service is the expression of true charity, such as the
Savior showed.
Elder Carlos E. Amado, April,
2008
His third purpose was to build the kingdom by serving others. This was a different type of leadership. Service is a characteristic of His followers—a divine quality.
Elder Robert D. Hales, April,
2005
If you are or will soon be the age of a senior missionary, I come to you this afternoon to witness of the blessings that can change your life forever. Your Heavenly Father needs you. His work, under the direction of our Savior Jesus Christ, needs what you are uniquely prepared to give. Every missionary experience requires faith, sacrifice, and service, and these are always followed by an outpouring of blessings.
Elder Dallin H. Oaks, October, 1984
Service is an imperative for those who worship Jesus Christ. To followers who were vying for prominent positions in his kingdom, the Savior taught, “Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.” (Matt. 20:27.) On a later occasion, he spoke of ministering to the needs of the hungry, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned. He concluded that teaching with these words: “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matt. 25:40.)
Elder Dallin H. Oaks, April,
2012
Today the most visible strength of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the unselfish service and sacrifice of its members. Prior to the rededication of one of our temples, a Christian minister asked President Gordon B. Hinckley why it did not contain any representation of the cross, the most common symbol of the Christian faith. President Hinckley replied that the symbols of our Christian faith are “the lives of our people.”5 Truly, our lives of service and sacrifice are the most appropriate expressions of our commitment to serve the Master and our fellowmen.
Elder A. Theodore Tuttle,
April, 1984
There
are three words which must be kept in mind: covenants, ordinances, and service.
The
training for covenants, for ordinances, and for service belongs in the home. If these are paramount in the
minds of the parents, the youth will be prepared. And they will not, because of
this, miss any essential training for their careers.
Elder N. Eldon Tanner,
October, 1971
Your study and your devotion and experience have prepared you for real service in the work of the Lord. Thank the Lord for the privilege you have had of testing in your lives and improving your testimony. Never feel that you have finished or completed your tour of duty in church service. You have only prepared yourself to be of further service in the work of the Lord. Seek and accept opportunities to serve.
President Monson, April, 2005
Your study and your devotion and experience have prepared you for real service in the work of the Lord. Thank the Lord for the privilege you have had of testing in your lives and improving your testimony. Never feel that you have finished or completed your tour of duty in church service. You have only prepared yourself to be of further service in the work of the Lord. Seek and accept opportunities to serve.
Elder William F. Bradford, October, 1987
Sometimes,
because of the pressures of the world around us, our service projects become self service projects
rather than selfless service projects.
Selfless service projects are the projects of the gospel. They
have continuity. They are not one-time special events based on entertainment
and fun and games. They need not be regimented nor regulated. Selfless service projects are people-to-people projects. They
are face-to-face, eye-to-eye, voice-to-ear, heart-to-heart, spirit-to-spirit,
and hand-in-hand, people-to-people projects.
President Henry B. Eyring,
October, 2008
It is
like building muscle strength. You must break down your muscles to build them
up. You push muscles to the point of exhaustion. Then they repair themselves,
and they develop greater strength. Increased spiritual strength is a gift from
God which He can give when we push in His service to our
limits. Through the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, our natures can be
changed. Then our power to carry burdens can be increased more than enough to
compensate for the increased service we will be
asked to give.
WAYWARD CHILDREN
For those who diligently taught their children the gospel of Jesus Christ and did their best in living a good example, yet they have one or more children who have strayed from the path that aligns them with The Plan of Happiness, the pathway to happiness and joy, there is hope. Even in the darkest hours that parents can experience, as we grieve and weep and pray over those lost from our famillies, hope comes through removing fear and replacing it with faith. Hope comes in listening to the prophets, and the Lord Himself. Hope comes in the promises that the Lord has given to parents who did their best they knew how. Hope comes in love. Loving the children no matter what they do; practicing tough love in instances of addictions and behavioral issues; and loving yourself enough to practice good self-care during the highly stressful times of working through the issues that wayward children cause. Hope comes through both the miracles and tender mercies that the Lord sends our way to let us know He is there and aware and ever mindful of our breaking hearts and grief. Hope comes through using all of these gifts to get up each day and find joy in the sunshine or the rain; find comfort in good music; solace in those friendships and relationships we have as they offer love and understanding; and peace through the Savior.
Elder James E Faust, April, 2003
A
principle in this statement that is often overlooked is that they must fully
repent and “suffer for their sins” and “pay their debt to justice.” I recognize
that now is the time “to prepare to meet God.” If the repentance of
the wayward children does not happen in this life,
is it still possible for the cords of the sealing to be strong enough for them
yet to work out their repentance? In the Doctrine and Covenants we are told,
“The dead who repent will be redeemed, through obedience to the ordinances of
the house of God.
Elder N. Eldon Tanner, April, 1978
“God is … deploring now the inevitable result of the follies, the transgressions and the sins of His wayward children, but we cannot blame Him for these any more than we can blame a father who might say to his son, ‘There are two roads, my son, one leading to the right, one leading to the left. If you take the one to the left it will bring upon you misery and unhappiness and perhaps death. If you take the one to the right it will lead you to success and to happiness, but you choose which you will. You must choose; I will not force either upon you.’
Elder Russell M. Nelson, April, 2002
Though we don’t know all things, we know that God lives and that He loves us.Standing on that firm foundation, we can reach up and find strength to endure the heavy burdens of life.
Elder Boyd K. Packer, October, 1995
This knowledge should be as comforting to the innocent as it is to the guilty. I am thinking of parents who suffer unbearably for the mistakes of their wayward children and are losing hope.
And so we pray, and we fast, and we plead, and we implore. We love those who wander, and we never give up hope.
Elder Richard G. Scott, October, 1995
It is so hard when sincere prayer about something we desire very much is not answered the way we want. It is especially difficult when the Lord answers no to that which is worthy and would give us great joy and happiness. Whether it be overcoming illness or loneliness, recovery of a wayward child, coping with a handicap, or seeking continuing life for a dear one who is slipping away, it seems so reasonable and so consistent with our happiness to have a favorable answer. It is hard to understand why our exercise of deep and sincere faith from an obedient life does not bring the desired result.
Elder M. Russell Ballard, April, 2004
I
believe that if we could truly understand the Atonement of the Lord Jesus
Christ, we would realize how precious is one son or
daughter of God. I believe our Heavenly Father’s everlasting purpose for His
children is generally achieved by the small and simple things we do for one
another. At the heart of the English word atonement is
the word one. If all mankind understood this, there would
never be anyone with whom we would not be concerned, regardless of age, race,
gender, religion, or social or economic standing. We would strive to emulate
the Savior and would never be unkind, indifferent, disrespectful, or
insensitive to others.
If we
truly understood the Atonement and the eternal value of each soul, we would
seek out the wayward boy and girl and every other wayward child of God. We
would help them to know of the love Christ has for them. We would do all that
we can to help prepare them to receive the saving ordinances of the gospel.
Elder Dallin H. Oaks,
October, 2009
As
parents grapple with these problems, they should remember the Lord’s teaching
that we leave the ninety and nine and go out into the wilderness to rescue the
lost sheep. President
Thomas S. Monson has called for a loving crusade to rescue our brothers and
sisters who are wandering in the wilderness of apathy or ignorance. These
teachings require continued loving concern, which surely requires continued
loving associations.
Elder Marvin J. Ashton,
October, 1984
The
ingredient that is essential in learning to endure is consistent effort. In our
race for eternal life, pain and obstacles will confront all of us. We may
experience heartaches, sorrow, death, sins, weakness, disasters, physical
illness, pain, mental anguish, unjust criticism, loneliness, or rejection. How
we handle these challenges determines whether they become stumbling stones or
building blocks. To the valiant these challenges make progress and development
possible.
Elder Jeffery R. Holland,
April, 2002
Among
the most memorable parables the Savior ever told is the story of a foolish
younger brother who went to his father, asked for his portion of the estate,
and left home to squander his inheritance, the scripture says, in “riotous
living.” His
money and his friends disappeared sooner than he thought possible—they always
do—and a day of terrible reckoning came thereafter—it always does. In the
downward course of all this he became a keeper of pigs, one so hungry, so
stripped of sustenance and dignity that he “would fain have filled his belly
with the husks that the swine did eat.” But even that consolation was not
available to him.
Then
the scripture says encouragingly, “He came to himself.” He determined to find
his way home, hoping to be accepted at least as a servant in his father’s
household. The tender image of this boy’s anxious, faithful father running to
meet him and showering him with kisses is one of the most moving and
compassionate scenes in all of holy writ. It tells every child of God, wayward
or otherwise, how much God wants us back in the protection of His arms.
Elder Paul H. Dunn, April,
1979
Well,
our frustrations and disappointments may be just pinpricks in the eternal
scheme of things, but since they do not seem that way to us, they do not seem
that way to the Lord. Quit thinking that tomorrow your problems will go away
and life will begin in earnest. The Lord is waiting to help you cope today if
you will lay your human-size needs at his divine feet. Pray in specifics about
the problems, little or big, that impede your progress and dull your best dreams.
Knock, seek, and you shall find the answer to your prayers. That I promise you
because you really are his child. He will give you the comfort and the counsel
that you need, the courage to lift up your head and face your todays with faith
and hope.
Elder Jeffery R. Holland,
October, 1999
Every
one of us has times when we need to know things will get better. Moroni spoke
of it in the Book
of Mormon as “hope for a better world.” For
emotional health and spiritual stamina, everyone needs to be able to look
forward to some respite, to something pleasant and renewing and hopeful,
whether that blessing be near at hand or still some distance ahead. It is
enough just to know we can get there, that however measured or far away, there
is the promise of “good things to come.”
President Thomas S. Monson,
October, 2006
We
can rely on the faith and testimony of others only so long. Eventually we must
have our own strong and deeply placed foundation, or we will be unable to
withstand the storms of life, which will come. Such
storms come in a variety of forms. We may be faced with the sorrow and
heartbreak of a wayward child who chooses to turn from the pathway leading to
eternal truth and rather travel the slippery slopes of error and disillusionment.
FAITH
My Position Statement
Faith is a basic characteristic of those who follow Jesus Christ. Through faith we come to know and grow in increments. As we grow we gain strength and increased faith. Besides growth, faith brings us not only the miracles we seek, but the means: strength and increased faith to open the door for miracles. Faith is the light in the dark, that allows us to keep putting one foot in front of the other when fear would have us stop. Faith is born of those who have gone before and passed down through their examples and testimonies. I have counted on faith from the time I was a young girl. As an army brat, moving constantly, having no real friends, I had a seed of faith even though I had no idea I did. That seed allowed me to turn to the Lord. I would recite the Lord's Prayer each night. Over time as my faith grew, I saw the blessings I needed and some of the desires I asked for. Faith has gotten me through the hard times and blessed me over and over and most importantly not only brought me closer to the Savior, but I've come to know the Savior. Faith brings the miracles I need, and opens my eyes to see the many tender mercies that are sent just to me daily, like little love notes from my Heavenly Father and Savior. It is through faith we endure to the end and make it back to our Heavenly Home.
President Gordon B.
Hinckley April, 2001
Faith is
the basis of testimony. Faith underlies
loyalty to the Church. Faithrepresents
sacrifice, gladly given in moving forward the work of the Lord.
The
Lord has commanded us to take upon ourselves “the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the
fiery darts of the wicked” (D&C 27:17).
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, October 2002
Only
when our faith is aligned with the will of our Heavenly Father
will we be empowered to receive the blessings we seek.
Truly
understood and properly practiced, faith is one of the
grand and glorious powers of eternity. It is a force powerful beyond our
comprehension. “Through faith … the worlds
were framed by the word of God.” Through faith, waters are parted, the sick healed, the wicked
silenced, and salvation made possible.
Our faith is the foundation upon which all our spiritual
lives rest. It should be the most important resource of our lives. Faith is not so much something we believe;faith is something we live.
Elder Dallin H. Oaks, April 1994
Here the Savior reminds us
that faith, no matter how strong it is, cannot produce a result
contrary to the will of him whose power it is. The exercise of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is always subject to
the order of heaven, to the goodness and will and wisdom and timing of the
Lord. That is why we cannot have true faith in the Lord
without also having complete trust in the Lord’s will and in the Lord’s timing.
When we have that kind of faith and trust in
the Lord, we have true security in our lives. President Spencer W. Kimball
said, “Security is not born of inexhaustible wealth but of unquenchable faith” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball,
Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1982, pp. 72–73).
Elder Richard G. Scott, April 2003
Even
if you exercise your strongest faith, God will not
always reward you immediately according to your desires. Rather, God will
respond with what in His eternal plan is best for you. He loves you to a depth
and completeness you cannot conceive of in your mortal state. Indeed, were you
to know His entire plan, you would never ask for that which is contrary to it
even though your feelings tempt you to do so. Sincere faith gives understanding and strength to accept the
will of our Heavenly Father when it differs from our own. We can accept His
will with peace and assurance, confident that His infinite wisdom surpasses our
own ability to comprehend fully His plan as it unfolds a piece at a time.
Faith is
not just push a button and you get the answer. The Lord declared, “As many as I
love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” Brigham
Young observed, “God never bestows upon his people, or upon an individual,
superior blessings without a severe trial to prove them.” Personally,
for some vital decisions I have experienced the grueling, anguishing struggle
that precedes a confirming answer. Yet those trying experiences have been
edifying. It is comforting to know that God will never try you more than you
can manage with His help.
Elder Russell C. Nelson,
April 2014
Problems abound in this world because it is populated by imperfect people. Their objectives and desires are heavily influenced by their faith or lack of it. Many put other priorities ahead of God. Some challenge the relevance of religion in modern life. As in every age, so today there are those who mock or decry the free exercise of religion. Some even blame religion for any number of the world’s ills. Admittedly, there have been times when atrocities have been committed in the name of religion. But living the Lord’s pure religion, which means striving to become a true disciple of Jesus Christ, is a way of life and a daily commitment that will provide divine guidance. As you practice your religion, you are exercising your faith. You are letting your faith show.
President Gordon B. Hinckley,
October, 2006
But faith is not demonstrated only in big heroic events, such as the coming of the handcart pioneers. It is also demonstrated in small but significant events.
President Gordon B. Hinckley, April, 2002
Long
ago I worked for one of our railroads whose tracks threaded the passes through
these western mountains. I frequently rode the trains. It was in the days when
there were steam locomotives. Those great monsters of the rails were huge and
fast and dangerous. I often wondered how the engineer dared the long journey
through the night. Then I came to realize that it was not one long journey, but
rather a constant continuation of a short journey. The engine had a powerful
headlight that made bright the way for a distance of 400 or 500 yards. The
engineer saw only that distance, and that was enough, because it was constantly
before him all through the night into the dawn of the new day.
The
Lord has spoken of this process. He said: “That which doth not edify is not of
God, and is darkness.
“That
which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God,
receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the
perfect day” (D&C 50:23–24).
And
so it is with our eternal journey. We take one step at a time. In doing so we
reach toward the unknown, but faith lights the
way. If we will cultivate that faith, we shall never
walk in darkness.
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, April, 2008
Our
Heavenly Father loves His children. He hears the prayers of the humble and
sincere of every nation, tongue, and people. He grants light to those who seek
and honor Him and are willing to obey His commandments. We joyously proclaim
that the faith of our Father is on the earth today.
We
invite everyone on this beautiful planet to taste of His doctrine and see if it
is not sweet and good and precious. We ask those of sincere heart to learn of
this doctrine and ask their Father in Heaven if it is not true. And by doing
so, all can discover, embrace, and walk in the true faith of their Father, which faith will make them whole.
President Gordon B.Hinckley,
October, 1983
There is no obstacle too great, no challenge too difficult, that we cannot meet with faith. We live in a world where the standards of the gospel are challenged, where they are ridiculed, where sacred things are mocked. Shall we compromise? Shall we revile those who speak ungraciously of us?
In a
more troubled day, the Lord said to Thomas B. Marsh:
“Be
patient in afflictions, revile not against those that revile. Govern your house
in meekness, and be steadfast. Go your way whithersoever I will, and it shall
be given you by the Comforter what you shall do and whither you shall go. …
“Be
faithful unto the end, and lo, I am with you. These words are not of man nor of
men, but of me, even Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, by the will of the Father.” (D&C 31:9, 11, 13.)
Elder Loren C. Dunn, April, 1981
My faith is both a beacon and a foundation stone. It is
born of the Spirit and enriched by a multitude of prayers and promptings. It
lifts my soul upwards. It opens my heart to peace and joy. It nourishes and
reaffirms those things that I fully know. My faith is such that
I know God lives. I know he lives and Jesus is the Christ and Joseph Smith was
a true prophet and we sit in the midst of apostles and prophets today.
Closing Statement
This project was a privilege and a blessing. It has given me great peace and hope I needed as I have been going through some trying times. I hope those who read find knowledge, peace, direction, and find a path to joy, happiness and peace you perhaps previously did not know. And that you have come ti know some of the modern day Prophets and Apostles!
