Compasses, Rocks and Goal Posts

As a missionary in Guatemala, every day I woke up with the goal of "bringing souls unto Christ."  That was the big goal.  From there, as an LDS missionary, I further believed that really the only way a soul could "come unto Christ" was through repentance, baptism by immersion at the hand of someone with authorized priesthood authority, confirmation by the same priesthood and then ultimately making covenants in a Mormon temple.  Sometimes we were able to bring people to the waters of baptism, sometimes all we could do was bear testimony.  And in rare cases, we saw some who would enter the temple.

But none of that can happen unless we, and the people who agreed with us, accept one crucial premise: that there is only one true, authorized-and-endorsed-by-God religion on the earth.  And by virtue of that premise, all other religions and philosophies are false.

From a religious and philosophical belief, everything hinges on that premise for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Time and time again, leaders of the church, from the beginning, to today, have maintained that there is no middle ground.  Either it's Christ's restored church and kingdom on the earth today, or it is a fraud.  I will never forget the words of the Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley when he said in 2003, "Each of us has to face the matter—either the Church is true, or it is a fraud. There is no middle ground. It is the Church and kingdom of God, or it is nothing."

As a missionary, I asked people to always re-evaluate their beliefs and in that process, they should consider reading the Book of Mormon and ask God if it was true or not.  At that time I sincerely believed in truth and that we are all on a life-long journey to find un-alterable and un-changing truths.  Today, I still believe this.  I think we all ought to be open to feedback and checking our compasses to see if we are still heading in the direction of truth.  We all ought to be on the lookout for lies and half-truths in our quest.  We all ought to be mindful of where we build our homes.  We may think we have built on rock, but when torments and rains and winds come and our house sways, cracks and tumbles, we may need to re-consider where we rebuild our home.  And when we play a sport, such as football or soccer, we ought to expect that the posts or goal won't move for the duration of the game, otherwise the game may be pointless.

And as I asked others to re-evaluate their life decisions, religious beliefs and philosophy, I too should be willing to do the same.  After all, when the stakes are this high (a religion is either endorsed by God or not), I ought to take this seriously!

My "testimony" for the first 30 or so years of my life was roughly built on this framework:

The Book of Mormon is true (historically and philosophically), because I read it, agreed with most of its teachings and when I prayed about it, God caused me to feel good, peaceful and reassured.

Since the Book of Mormon is true, I now know Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, since he was called of God to translate the golden plates using the Urim and Thummim and breastplate into English.

And everything else that stems from Joseph Smith (teachings, actions, doctrine) is from God since he was called by God.

Anything else that didn't "feel right" or caused a "stupor of thought" was of Satan.  A lot of "anti-Mormon" rumors were spread by Satan, including Joseph using a peep-stone in a hat to translate the Book of Mormon or marrying other mens' wives.  Anything Gerald or Sandra Tanner said, was also false and "anti-Mormon."

So, you might be able to imagine my predicament when I began to read Rough Stone Rolling in 2008 and 2009 and learned that "anti-Mormon" rumors and lies were indeed accurate!  And not only did Rough Stone Rolling confirm these things as fact, but the Church also produced essays admitting that many doctrines were now "theories advanced by men." What would you do the moment you suspect the compass you have been using is inaccurate?  How would you feel when the news is delivered to you that your home, which you thought was built on rock, is actually not?  That is how I began to feel.  I was at a cross-road and had a couple of choices: 1) ignore it all or 2) confront it and find the truth.  I chose to confront it.

I finished reading Rough Stone Rolling and proceeded to investigate more.  I entered the world of accusations and apologetics.  Gone were the days of trusting my feelings.  Now I was trying to de-tangle fact from fiction; truth from half-truth, both from leaders and apologists of the church and from its critics.

I won't review all the aspects of the Church doctrine I disagree with now, in this blog post - there are plenty of resources on-line that get into all that.  However, I will say that if there were just one or two issues, and that were all, then maybe I could keep them on a "mental shelf" and still maintain a strong belief in the dogma of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  But that is simply not the case.  Time and time again, I've concluded that what is unique about the Church is not good, and what is good about the Church is not unique.

As I begin to wrap up this blog post, I'll note some of the unique things about the Church, which I think are not good.  I'll phrase them in such a way using Christ as a spiritual north on a spiritual compass.

Would Christ use a scrying or peep stone (different from the Urim and Thummim) to translate ancient Egyptian scripture?

Would he be less than truthful about his abilities to translate ancient Egyptian text?

Would he call one of his apostles to use a scrying stone and be less than truthful about his abilities to translate ancient Egyptian text?

Would Christ marry another man's wife, especially after establishing commandments to not commit adultery and coveting?

Would He command his followers to do the same?

Would He deny eternal blessings to some children of God based on the color of their skin or some other God-given genetic factor?

Would He command or encourage his apostles to lie or deceive others or use carefully worded denials?

Would He prioritize building worldly assets over feeding the hungry?

Would He change his doctrine based on political or social pressure?

Would He excommunicate His followers for trying to make His religion a better and more safe place for its members and children while ignoring and not excommunicating physical and sexual abusers?

And would He accuse you or anyone of being ignorant, wanting to sin or being offended if you did discover any of the above?

Obviously, that is a lot to unpack.  If any of that causes you to scratch your head or cause you concern, I know exactly how you feel.  It is not a good feeling.  But you have to ask yourself, if The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were not true, would you want to know?  We asked this question, in the positive format, all the time during our missionary service.  I think the negative version of the question is just as valid and important.

Also, time and time again, in Sunday School, seminary and priesthood classes and in private conversations, we would often point to other religions who would do some or all of the above and consider this as evidence that that religion is not of God ("by their fruits ye shall know them").  Why would we not apply this same standard to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

I want to conclude with one more thought for you to consider.  I have not lost my faith.  In all this journey of re-evaluating my religion and philosophy for the past ten years, I learned what it means to "walk through the valley of the shadow of death" (Psalms 23:4).  The torch of certainty was taken from me and I was no longer spoon-fed what I must believe.  Now, I have to truly trust in God that things will work out fine; that He is still leading my life and that He has a purpose for me.  I often wonder if this is what Adam and Eve felt like after leaving the Garden of Eden.  I have concluded, this ten year re-evaluation has greatly increased my faith and trust in God.

April Week 4 - Recognizing Truth

The Importance of Compasses and Reliable Instruments

Play a couple of guessing games with a "standard" and then the right "standard":
1. How much does it weigh?
2. How long is it?


Is it important to have reliable instruments when building a house? cooking?  flying?

Then what about living your life and people telling you how to live it?

You are ultimately responsible for how you live your life

While you may receive guidance from your parents, your teachers, your friends, the prophets and any number of people and voices in the world today, at the end of it all, it is up to you to decide.

My goal today, is drive this single point home: You (each of us) wholly own our thoughts and actions.  As such, each of us has to take that responsibility seriously.  At the end of the day (or this life) we can't say, "my parents made me do it" or "I was just trying to follow my leaders."

Nuremburg Trials
After WWII, the Allies put many of the Nazi leaders and industrialists on trial for their war crimes.  Many tried to use the defense, "I was only following orders."  But in many cases, that defense was not successful, because the crimes they committed were so egregious - essentially the Allies were saying "you should have known better as a human being."  The Wikipedia page on "Superior orders" does a good job explaining this.

Mark Hofmann, the Prophet and Forgeries
Everyone can be deceived; which is why it is so important for each of us to really check our assumptions and underlying philosophy.  We simply cannot outsource our personal philosophy or religion.

As primary kids, we sang the song "Follow The Prophet"; the chorus goes:
Follow the prophet, follow the prophet,
Follow the prophet; don’t go astray.
Follow the prophet, follow the prophet,
Follow the prophet; he knows the way.

Each of the verses talks about how people regretted not following the prophet.  Unfortunately, "the knife cuts both ways."  There have been times when people did follow the prophet and regretted it.

It is wise to remember we all, including prophets, are fallible and subject to deception.  Again, this underscores the fact that we need to be responsible for our own beliefs and philosophy - we can't just delegate this responsibility to others.

Case in point is a man by the name of Mark Hofmann and how he deceived many of the leaders of the LDS church.  It all started, if you recall, when Joseph Smith and Martin Harris attempted to get a professor to vouch for the reformed Egyptian characters.  The professor's name was Charles Anthon.  Martin Harris took a paper with some of the Egyptian characters on it and asked Anthon if they were legitimate.  Supposedly Anthon said they were, and he signed a document stating as such.  But upon further inquiry, Harris told him all about how Joseph found and translated the Gold Plates, at which point, Anthon asked back for the paper and ripped it up.  What became of the paper that had the Egyptian characters is up for debate.  No one really knows if it still exists today or not; it is called the Anthon Transcript.  Under this cover, Mark Hofmann created a forgery and claimed it was the real transcript.  He took it to Church leaders, who evaluated it, were deceived by the excellent forgery, and then proceeded to purchase the forgery for $20,000.  Thus began Mark Hoffman's career in forging Church History artifacts.

He continued to create forgeries and the Church continued to collaborate with him and purchase them.  Hofmann was secretly trying to make the leaders look bad.  He created what was called the Salamander Letter, which basically tried to make it sound like the angel Moroni did not visit Joseph Smith, but instead a spirit in the form of a white salamander, appeared to Joseph at the time of him obtaining the gold plates.  The Church bought this letter, which caused many members to stop believing in Joseph as a prophet.  Many top Church leaders, including President Oaks, defended the forgery.  What is even more fascinating is that two avid critics of the Church (Jerald and Sandra Tanner) readily criticized the forged letter, saying it was fake, despite the Church saying it was real.  At this point in the story, you may begin to feel a bit of vertigo yourself.  Who can you trust?  Who is right?  Who is telling the truth?  And you'd be right and justified in asking those questions.

Eventually Hofmann was caught in his lies and, sadly, killed people who were catching on to his lies.  To this day, he sits in a Utah prison.

Who can you trust?  What measuring stick or instrument can you rely on?  What is constant and unchangeable and undeviating?  That is the real question we must all try to find.

What is the 'measuring stick' for life?

Again, each of you will need to decide what your moral compass is.  You may find that what you think is right, is actually not.  You may find that after going down a path - a way of life - you conclude it was not right for you.  Many claim to know what the correct philosophy is, but it is interesting that on some points they agree and on some points they disagree.

For me, personally, I think it all boils down to the two great commandments:
1. Love God with your whole heart
2. Love others

If we do well in those two commandments, we can comfortably stand before God at judgement day, and honestly say we've lived those two commandments, then that is the best we can do.

Focus on finding contentment and happiness in things you can control.  Accept the things that are not in your control.  After repeated practice, you will begin to find that virtues such as self-discipline, courage, justice and wisdom are indeed in your control and are also the attributes, which if you develop, will bring you contentment in your life.  Other things that may worry you, such as pursuing money or lucrative career, seeking a life of ease and pleasure, indulging in excess, selfishness, dishonesty, fear, anxiety or general worry - these things are not important and are generally out of your control - so why set your heart on them?

Heart Failure

Why would our hearts fail us?  Read this post to find out.

quotes and misc items from the back of my missionary scripture set

i've recently decided to focus on transferring my "highlights" from my missionary scripture set to my lds 'notes and journal' which is on-line.  i've already completed my 'book of mormon inspection' via blog, but now i'm going back and transferring all my highlights and sidebar comments from my physical set of scriptures to my digital set.

as i've been doing this, i've found lots of little inserts and other quotes either sitting in the set or written in.  i figured i could transfer these to a single post and have them placed here on this blog.  each "item" is detailed below between the asterisks.

***
taken from elder loren c dunn's article in the june 1995 ensign: elder marion g romney said, "a testimony comes when the holy ghost gives the earnest seek a witness of the truth.  a moving testimony vitalizes faith; that is, it induces repentance and obedience to the commandments.  conversion, on the other hand, is the fruit of, or the reward for, repentance and obedience.  (of course ones testimony continues to increase as he is converted)“Conversion is effected by divine forgiveness, which remits sins. The sequence is something like this. An honest seeker hears the message. He asks the Lord in prayer if it is true. The Holy Spirit gives him a witness. This is a testimony. If one’s testimony is strong enough, he repents and obeys the commandments. By such obedience he receives divine forgiveness which remits sin. Thus he is converted to a newness of life. His spirit is healed.” (see conference report october 1963)

***

 i did have one non-quote item in my scriptures that i kept from december 1996 ... back then, we had to actually use pens and pencils and paper to write letters.  we then had to fold the paper and put it in an envelop and mail it off which required postage.  from guatemala, we would send our letters to the mission office who would put all the letters in a pouch which got delivered to salt lake city.  the contents of the pouch were then dumped in the u.s. postal service system.  so my letters to my family in the u.s. only cost me $.32 (compared to $.49 today).  my family would send me books of stamps so i could write them back.  i kept one stamp from december 1996.  why did i keep it?  not exactly sure, but whenever i look at this stamp, i get these warm nostalgic feelings - a reminder of home, i guess.

***
one quote is in spanish and is attributed to "dr. cristian barnard", but when i found the quote on-line, it is actually attributed to walter wintle.  regardless, i like the quote.
If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don’t.
If you like to win, but you think you can’t,
It is almost certain you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost,
For out in the world we find,
Success begins with a fellow’s will.
It’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are,
You’ve got to think high to rise,
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man.
But soon or late the man who wins,
Is the man who thinks he can.

***
i had a clipping from a church news article (August 31, 1996) that summarized the various reasons people serve.  this was from a talk given by elder dallin h oaks from the october 1984 general conference.  here is the link to the whole talk: why do we serve?

***
some hand-written notes ... not sure where they came from ... maybe from a talk given at a zone conference.
at the top is the thought: there must be law or government from a supreme being for happiness to exist.

below that thought i have the word LAW circled.  below is a line to two columns:
disobey - action - obey
punishment - consequence - blessing
misery - feelings - happiness

other notes
through diligent study, faith & prayer we gain knowledge.
knowledge allows us to decide wisely - to choose consequences.
we must decide what we want to receive.
who or what makes us act?  we must be given choices and then choose
satan - enticement/agency - god

***
another couple of quotes; i got these from the church news as well.
the english writer william thackeray put it this way: to endure is greater than to dare; to tire out hostile fortune; to be daunted by no difficulty, to keep heart when all have lost it; to go through intrigue spotless, to forego even ambition when the end is gained - who can say this is not greatness? (the virginians)

henry wadsworth longfellow wrote a few lines that are frequently quoted:
the heights by great men reached and kept
were not attained by sudden flight,
but they, while their companions slept
were toiling upward in the night
(the ladder of st. augustine)

***

another non-quote item ... this is from my parents who were serving in the prague czech republic mission at the same time.  they were on a church education mission, helping set up institutes and seminaries in central europe.  my mom wanted to show me they were trying to memorize section 4 in the czech language.

Recap of April 2012 Conference

Here is the re-cap of the April 2012 General Conference.  The technology of the Church is pretty incredible.  Those Church IT guys have done a tremendous job making GC available so quickly after it's over.  I remember several years ago when they first started steaming GC on-line.  Then it would take about 3 weeks for the videos or text to be available.  Now it's practically instantaneous.  The videos and mp3s are up the next day and the text is up by the Thursday after GC.

My wife and I were talking about whether we should force the kids to watch GC all day Saturday or not.  My point is that if you watch everything at once, you just don't get everything.  So we decided not to sit through all 10 hours at once.  Rather, we are going to watch one or two talks each Sunday as a family and then discuss the talk.  We did watch conference on Sunday though.

One other thought - I think I've successfully stayed awake through an entire GC once or twice in my life.  It is nearly impossible for me to sit in my living room and listen to talk after talk after talk and stay awake and alert.  I love that I can listen to or watch and read along the weeks after GC is over.  I get so much more out of the talks this way.

So BIG KUDOS to the Church IT guys!!  If tithing money is spent on this technology, then I think it is very well-spent!

President Thomas S. Monson - As We Gather Once Again
why we meet: strengthen, encouragement, comfort, build faith, to learn
if changes need to be made in your life, may you find the courage to do so
oppose evil whereever it is found
be instructed and be inspired
be filled with the Lord's spirit

President Boyd K. Packer - And a Little Child Shall Lead Them
the ultimate end of all activity in the Church is to see husband and wife with their family happy at home.
too often, someone comes to me and says, "President Packer, wouldn't it be nice if ..." I usually stop them and say, "No" because I suspect what follows will be a new activity or program that is going to add the burden of time or financial means on the family."
personal application: what can i do, as scout leader, to promote family time?
the goal of scouts, according to this talk, would be to help fathers spend meaningful time with their sons - to provide opportunities to let fathers and sons learn and grow together.
if scouting becomes a burden, then it would seems it has failed the mission of "supporting the family"
if we get all the eagles scouts in the world, but no real fathers, we've accomplished nothing.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks - Sacrifice
Mormon Pioneers example of sacrifices
Husband left wife and family to serve a mission
Symbols of our Christian faith (Mormons) is our daily sacrifice
Home teaching and visiting teaching
full-time missionaries (time spent to save money, actual time serving, family sacrifices time they are not with their child)
converts' sacrifices: loss of family temple service: time spent to save money to be sealed with family in temple

President Henry B. Eyring - Mountains to Climb
there are giant opportunies (challenges) to be met.
give me this mountain; give me these challenges and adversities he prayed for a challenge
1) god heard his prayer and answered it
2) he learned that a great blessing could come from adversity
repent have faith that the way through trials is the balm of gilead
foundation for faith = personal integrity (consistently choosing the right) curing that faith takes time and patience and experience

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland - The Laborers in the Vineyard
do not covet, do not pout or tear others down; do not demean others to improve yourself
do not throw away your good fortune in protest of the perceived injustice - accept the good fortune (mercy from God) and rejoice in the mercy He gives to "late" repenters.
don't dwell on old issues or grievences (of self, of neighbor or even the Church)
simply accept the Atonement of Christ, don't dwell on anything else, enjoy the fellowship of the labor

accept mercy and be merciful

personal thoughts: the key premise in this parable, in my mind, is that there is a shortage of work for the laborers.  Laborers are standing around, waiting for work. The need the work or else they don't feed their families.  Anything to do for work would be great - and it doesn't matter when they get the work - they will take it first thing in the morning and work all day or take the job in the late afternoon and get something rather than nothing.  so how does this apply to our life today?  perhaps it can be said there is a shortage of "good fortune" in the world - just like there was a shortage of jobs to be done in the parable.  so, if someone is blessed with abundance from the time they were born until the time they die, that person should be grateful and thank God for what they've been blessed with.  That person should also learn not to be envious when good fortune comes to those who receive it later in life.  If they are envious of another's good fortune, despite having good fortune their entire life, they choose to experience ill feelings toward another person who has received good fortune!  As Elder Holland puts it, they drink a quart of pickle juice every time someone else receives good fortune, rather than pondering their own good fortune.

another thought: similarly to what I stated above, we can envision a person who was "born in the Church", who was faithful all his life - who went to Church, Boy Scouts, service projects, received the Priesthood - was a Deacon, Teacher, Priest, became an Elder; served a difficult mission - maybe not even baptizing a single convert; returned honorably, married in the temple; started family and continued serving faithfully day after day - week after week for his whole life.

Meanwhile, his younger brother chose the opposite all his days, indulged in all his desires rather than being obedient and serving others.  He ate, drank and was merry all the days of his life.  Then, when he reached the end of his rope, he found he was not happy.  He decided to clean up his life - it was a difficult process back into the fold.

Now they both die and are both granted eternal life - the reward of living in the presence of God for eternity.  Does the faithful brother act like the other son who is not the prodigal son?  Does he refuse eternal life because his "unfaithful" brother receives it?  Or does he act like the father and rejoice in the mercy of Christ?

Elder Robert D. Hales - Coming to Ourselves: The Sacrament, the Temple, and the Sacrifice in Service
prepare to worthily take the sacrament before coming to sacrament meeting; leave the daily work and recreation behind; do not think of worldly thoughts or concerns.  then ponder the Atonement; ponder the sacrifice of Christ
sing the sacrament hymn; listen to the sacrament prayers; partake of the emblems
seek forgiveness of sins and shortcomings of previous week; make specific commitments for the coming week.
search from the scriptures
live the gospel standards
obtain a temple recommend
gain a testimony of God, Christ, the Holy Ghost, the Atonement, Joseph Smith, the Restoration
sustain leaders; be kind, stand as a witness of Christ, attend Church meetings, honor covenants, be a good parent, be virtuous
assist the youth to prepare for lifelong service
learn to work; live within your means; avoid debt, save money now so that we can give full-time service later in our lives; to be able to lift others.

Elder Quentin L. Cook - In Tune with the Music of Faith
a great divide between those who love, worship and feel accountable to God and those who do not
destroyers of faith: pride, vanity & foolishness
love the Lord; love His gospel; continually try to live and share His message - especially with your families.
be in harmony with the promptings of the Spirit
observe religion in your home
strive to be a disciple of Christ
with regard to his paragraph that starts out "We recognize how busy you are"  From that paragraph, I hear "if you are serving; don't feel guilty for not serving enough"
don't judge others
rescue those who have "fallen away"
avoid being judgemental about conduct that is foolish or unwise, but is not sinful
be an example in action, not just words (as a parent to your children)
read and gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon

Elder Richard G. Scott - How to Obtain Revelation and Inspiration for Your Personal Life
revelation = crisp, clear and essential communication from the Holy Ghost
inspiration = series of promptings that guide us step by step toward a worthy goal
we are supposed to ask the Lord to receive revelation
fast, pray for finding scriptures that will be helpful with the answer for the question, read those scriptures, ponder, pray, write down what the Lord would have you do, pray again
don't let daily activities distract us from the spirit

Elder David A. Bednar - The Powers of Heaven
distinguishing feature of the church is priesthood (the authority of god delegated to man on earth to act in all things for the salvation of mankind)
be active in priesthood service - promote the cause of righteousness in the earth
by not doing your duties, you break your priesthood covenant
be righteous; faithful; obedient; diligent; worthy; willing to serve
lift souls, teach, testify, bless, council, advance the work of salvation
take the lead in scripture study, family prayer, fhe - be a strong leader - preside - protect

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf - The Why of Priesthood Service
the why of priesthood service is to motivate others; to awaken their spirit; to inspire action
be enthusiastic about the gospel as you teach others.
let the fire of your testimony bring light and warmth and joy to the hearts of those you teach
priesthood service is to provide a vision of what it means to establish the kingdom of god on earth
building the kingdom of god on earth means building personal testimonies and strengthening families
priesthood service helps us prioritize between good, better, best - it helps us stay focused on the most important things
the most important things are: increase our love for god and our fellowmen, invigorate marriages, strengthen families and build the kingdom of god on earth
how we specifically decide on our priorities: study the scriptures, heed the prophets, hold serious and dedicated prayer
act before being acted upon; the value of an idea is in using it

President Henry B. Eyring - Families Under Covenant
four things you can do as a priesthood father to lift and lead your family home again to heaven
1. gain & keep a sure witness that the keys of the priesthood are with us & held by the president of the church - pray for that every day.
2. love your wife
3. enlist the entire family to love each other
4. discipline when needed - d&c 121:41-44

President Thomas S. Monson - Willing and Worthy to Serve
various definitions of priesthood ...
1. joseph smith - priesthood is an everlasting principle, and existed with god from eternity, and will to eternity, without beginning of days or end of years.
2. wilford woodruff -  the holy priesthood is the channel through which god communicates and deals with man upon the earth; and the heavenly messengers that have visited the earth to communicate with man are men who held and honored the priesthood while in the flesh; and everythign that god has caused to be done for the salvation of man, from the coming of man upon the earth to the redemption of the world, has been and will be by virtue of the everlasting priesthood.
3. joseph f. smith -  the priesthood is the power of god delegated to man by which man can act in the earth for the salvation of the human family, in the name of the father and the son and the holy ghost, and act legitimately; not assuming that authority, nor borrowing it from generations that are dead and gone, but authority that has been given in this day in which we live by ministering angels and spirits from above, direct from the presense of almighty god.
4. john taylor - it is the governmant of god, whether on the earth or in the heavens, for it is by that power, agency, or principle that all things are governed on the earth and in the heavens, and by that power that all things are upheald and sustained.  it governs all things - it directs all things - it sustains all things - and has to do with all things that god and truth are associated with.
stories of examples of priesthood service - soldier blessing injured soldier on beach; saving his life.  writing letters of encouragement to servicemen
there are feet to steady, hands to grasp, minds to encourage, hearts to inspirt and souls to save

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf - The Merciful Obtain Mercy
required to forgive all men - including ourselves
stop hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges or wanting to cause harm
love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.
be kind
forgive
talk peacefully with others
do good unto all men
people will be people; learn to rise above the fray, forgive and forget.  this talk had a very similar feel as elder holland's talk

Elder Russell M. Nelson - Thanks Be to God
gives thanks to god
be mindful of the various gifts from god ...
the world, the universe, his son jesus christ, our bodies, the resurrection, spiritual gifts, gospel gifts

Elder D. Todd Christofferson - The Doctrine of Christ
believe in christ; be baptized

President Thomas S. Monson - The Race of Life
personal thoughts: how often do you ask yourself: if you know you are going to die tomorrow ... in a week ... in a month ... in a year; how does that change your current priorities?
endure to the end
we have the power to (and must) think, reason and achieve
pray; listen to the holy ghost, search the scriptures; heed the prophets

Elder L. Tom Perry - The Power of Deliverance
both the people of limhi and the people of alma were delivered
both suffered
limhi's people chose to fight; alma's people chose to pray
what do you need to be delivered from?
which way is your "door" facing? to the world or to the alter of god?

Elder M. Russell Ballard - That the Lost May be Found
our liahona/gps is the holy ghost - the promptings of the holy ghost
new york times: "the share of children born to unmarried women has crossed a threshold: more than half of births to american women under 30 occur outside of marriage"
the most important cause in our lifetime is our family
prioritize - put everything you do outside the home in subjection to and in support of what happens inside your home.
organize - your personal life to provide time for prayer, scripture study and family activities
teach your childen to work and give them responsibilities
marriage first, then family
read family proclamation often, understand it, follow it.

Elder Neil L. Andersen - What Thinks Christ of Me?
pay attention to who and what christ labels in the scriptures ... see 3rd paragraph in this talk
love christ, trust christ, believe christ, follow christ and you will feel his love and approval

President Thomas S. Monson - As We Close This Conference
pray always
fill your homes with love and the spirit of the lord
love your family
settle disagreements
do god's will, serve him, serve others
ponder the words you've heard from this conference

Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling by Richard Bushman

I read Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling in the summer 2007.  I, like many other members who read this book, found and learned things, for the first time, about the history of the Church and that they were very different that the stories I had been taught in Primary, Sunday School, at BYU, at the MTC and on my mission.  It was a real eye-opener.  Generally speaking, I was taught (or at the very least, I was impressed upon) to avoid the controversial issues of Church History - rather I should stick to the the narrative the Church lesson books offered.  The authors of those "other" controversial Church History books would just fill my head with apostasy.  That was my reality until the Bushman book came along - then all of a sudden, it was OK to read about these issues.

I have to admit, my testimony has gone through several phases since that first reading of the book.  I started reading it for a second time in January of 2012 - this time reading it more in depth and considering the words of Bushman.

Below, I've written about a few things that have stuck out to me, that I consider significant for my own testimony.  In some cases, I expound a bit more.  For other parts, I just state things as they are.

The First Vision
Joseph received the "First Vision" in the early part of 1820.  There are many accounts of the vision.  Bushman talks of two main accounts; the one in 1832 and the one in 1838.

It is interesting to note, that we never really know if Joseph told his parents and family of the "First Vision".  As Bushman notes in the book, many of the early converts were drawn to the religion because of the restoration gifts of God and the idea of gathering Zion before the coming of Christ.  The "First Vision" did not play into their conversion, unlike today's introduction of the Church to investigators.

In the 1832 account, the emphasis was on receiving forgiveness of sins.  The "pillar of light" was present and it was "the Lord" who he saw and spoke with.

In 1835 and subsequent versions, more details emerged - the dark power that kept him from speaking; that he heard sounds of walking.  In these other versions, he saw two personages and they both spoke to him.  In the 1838 version, he made it clear the two personages were God the Father and his son Jesus Christ.  In 1835 and 1838 versions, emphasis was placed on the lack of truth in other churches.

Another thing that Bushman notes about the First Vision as well as other visions, is that Joseph was very slow to say anything about them to other people.  In fact, Moroni had to command him to tell his father about his visit from Moroni.  The vision in the Kirtland temple is another example ... see below for more info on this.  In a podcast, Bushman thinks that perhaps the reason Joseph was slow to share these experiences was because of the culture.  There were many people proclaiming visions, but that they may have been seen as "kooks" and Joseph did not want to be seen as in the same vein as these people.

I've often thought about this.  We are taught that "sacred experiences" are indeed sacred and should usually not be shared with others.  It's the whole "pearls before the swine" idea.  But we, as a Church today, are OK with sharing the First Vision and other visions of the prophet.  We are comfortable with Lehi's and Nephi's vision; with Alma's visitation from an angel; with Enos' experience; with Paul's conversion and on and on and on.  But why are we reluctant to speak of experiences that are happening today - right now?  Why are we taught not to share those experiences?  Would we quickly discount others' spiritual experiences?  Would we react the same way the Methodist minister did when Joseph told him?  Is that why we don't share them?  If that is the case, then it's the lack of faith on the hearer's part, while, perhaps, others who would hear it would be edified.

The Book of Mormon
The traditional story of how the Book of Mormon was translated is Joseph putting on the breastplate and Urim and Thummim, casting his gaze onto the plates and seeing the reformed Egyptian turn into English words.  Furthermore, it would seem that Joseph just knew to "put on" the breastplate and spectacles and begin the translation - but this was not so.  As Bushman states on page 63, "Developing a method took time."

The whole process is not really known.  But we do know that he copied characters; had them sent to scholars to translate and to verify.  There is also this passage from Bushman: "Neither Joseph nor Oliver explained how translation worked, but Joseph did not pretend to look at the 'reformed Egyptian' words, the language on the plates, according to the book's own description.  The plates lay covered on the table, while Joseph's head was in a hat looking at the seerstone which by this time had replaced the interpreters.  The varying explanations of the perplexing process fall roughly into two categories: composition and transcription.  The first holds that Joseph was the author of the book.  He composed it out of knowledge and imaginings collected in his own mind, perhaps aided by inspiration.  He had stuffed his head with ideas for sermons, Christian doctrine, biblical language, multiple characters, stories of adventure, social criticism, theories of Indian origins, ideas about Mesoamerican civilization, and many other matters.  During translation, he composed it all into a narrative dictated over the space of three months in Harmony and Fayette."

Bushman describes the 'composition' method, but I'm not going to quote that here.  I will quote what he wrote about 'transcription.'

"The transcription theory has Joseph Smith 'seeing' the Book of Mormon text in the seerstone or the Urim and Thummim.  He saw the words in the stone as he had seen lost objects or treasure and dictated them to his secretary.  The eyewitnesses who described translation, Joseph Knight, Martin Harris, Oliver Cowdery, and David Whitmer, who was in the house during the last weeks of translation, understood translation as transcription.  Referring to the seerstone as a Urim and Thummim, Knight said: 'Now the way he translated was he put the urim and thummim into his hat and Darkned his Eyes then he would take a sentance and it would apper in Brite Roman Letters.  Then he would tell the writer and he would write it.  Then that would go away the next sentance would Come and so on.'"

"Joseph himself said almost nothing about his method but implied transcription when he said that 'the Lord had prepared spectacles for to read the Book.'  Close scrutiny of the original manuscript (by a believing scholar) seems to support transcription.  Judging from the way Cowdery wrote down the words, Joseph saw twenty to thirty words at a time, dictated them, and then waited for the next twenty to appear.  Difficult names (Zenoch, Amalickiah) were spelled out.  By any measure, transcription was a miraculous process, calling for a huge leap of faith to believe, yet, paradoxically, it is more in harmony with the young Joseph of the historical record than is composition.  Transcription theory gives us a Joseph with a miraculous gift that evolved naturally out of his earlier treasure-seeking.  The boy who gazed into stones and saw treasure grew up to become a translator who looked into a stone and saw words."

A word about the seerstone (or seer stone as found on lds.org).  The image of Joseph putting his head into his hat to see his seerstone is not a common image in the Church.  I've never even seen an image of Joseph using the Urim & Thummim and breastplate.  Rather, the image that does come to mind is Joseph gazing on the plates (sans seerstone or U&T) while Oliver sits across the table writing.  But the fact that a stone Joseph found in 1822 was being used in the translation of the Book of Mormon is an interesting one.  Bushman talks about this in his book - the theory is that Joseph learned of the Gospel in the context of the treasure and magic culture that existed at that time.

Comparing my childhood/teenage view of the translation of the Book of Mormon with this new (to me), more accurate description of the translation is interesting. In my mind, the two views are vastly different.  My childhood view is simple and very clean.  The reality view is more enticing.  But my fundamental question is this: why, as a child, did I have to be taught the clean version of the story?  If anything, it would have been far easier to believe as a child, the story of Joseph finding a stone while digging a well and then using that stone to translate the Book of Mormon.  Perhaps the "clean" version is told so as not to distract the learner with the idea that there are seerstones just laying around the earth - rather the focus should be on the work of God.  That's just a thought.  But to finish that thought - why would the Church jump to that conclusion?  Is it because others found a seerstone too?  And to prevent others from from finding a using a seerstone (a true one or a false one)?  I don't know.  But the fact remains - the version I was taught was not the whole truth and this is not an isolated example - it's a pattern.

Kirtland Temple Dedication
D&C 110 is an important section in the scriptures and Church History.  As a seminary student, I was taught (or at least I viewed it as being taught) that during the dedication of the Kirtland temple, Joseph and Oliver saw Jesus Christ "standing on the breast work of the pulpit before them, and under his feet was a paved work of pure gold, in color like amber: his eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was like the pure snow, his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun, and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the Voice of Jehovah, saying I am the first and the last, I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain. I am your Advocate with the Father."  They also saw Moses, Elias and Elijah, who in turn delivered keys to Joseph and Oliver.  In my mind, I saw them stepping behind a veil, while the rest of the congregation waited for them. After being visited, they return to the congregation to tell them the marvelous experience ... but they don't.

Bushman informs us the "vision was not included in editions of the Doctrine and Covenants published during Joseph's lifetime, and no manuscript copies exist save Warren Cowdery's and the one Willard Richards copied into Joseph's history for the Church newspaper in 1843.  Joseph never mentioned the event in his other writings.  There is no evidence he told the Kirtland Saints."

"The episode behind the veil is mysteriously suspended at the end of the diary without comment or explanation, as if Joseph was stilled by the event."  Bushman goes on to say that the formal revelations the Saints were used to receiving from Joseph seem to stop and that he was receiving "incommunicable revelations" the Saints "could not bear."

This was something new to me.  Again, I viewed this revelation of Joseph and Oliver seeing Christ in the Kirtland temple as something grand - a bulwark of doctrine for the Saints.  But they never knew this vision happened until seven years later.  In fact, the sole purpose of building the temple was so that the Saints could receive their endowment - to see and know Christ personally.  Meetings occurred in the temple from January to April - many outpourings of the Spirit occurred, but not as many saw the face of God as was hoped.  Bushman writes, "Not many saw the face of God or the Savior, but enough had been given to say that the endowment was now theirs.  As one brother wrote later, 'Some brethren expressed themselves as being disappointed at not receiving more and greater manifestations of the power of God, but for our part, we had found the pearl of great price, and our soul was happy and contented, and we rejoiced in the Lord.'  Joseph told the quorums 'that I had now completed the organization of the church and we had passed through all the necessary ceremonies, that I had given them all the instruction they needed.'  Now they needed to 'build up the kingdom of God." (pp. 318-19).  And then, when Joseph and Oliver thought the endowment was essentially over, they see the greatest of all the visions - Jesus Christ ... and then they don't say a word.  Maybe, as Bushman alludes, more was revealed than the Saints were ready for and this is why they didn't say anything at the time.

Zion
I don't have anything specific to say about Zion.  I've always held the same belief and opinion about Zion and the book just reaffirmed my opinion.  Namely - that the Saints kept having to give up on it over and over again.  Almost from the start of the church, they had a dream of Zion.  And whenever they tried to establish it, they failed.  All the knowledge that was given to the Saints has stayed with us.  But perhaps the single most important thing to them was establishing Zion - and that was the one thing they could not get and keep.  Now, Zion is not so much a central place for the Saints to live in, rather it's a watered-down Region-Stake-Ward concept.  It's palatable, but not necessarily satisfying.

Word of Wisdom
Just some minor observations abot the WoW as I read the book.

The WoW was given in February 1833.  I've always been taught that the WoW at the time it was give was just that - a word for the wise, but not necessarily a commandment.  It was later codified by the Saints living in Utah, along with the interpretations of what "hot drinks" meant.

In first few months of 1838, Oliver was accused of "various infractions of the Word of Wisdom ... Cowdery admitted to drinking tea three times a day for his health, and the Whitmers contended tea and coffee were not covered by the revelation."  It would seem the WoW had some force back then.

Another passage from when Joseph was in Nauvoo: "Through the late fall and winter of 1843 and 1844, Joseph and Emma's relationship broke down only once.  During Sunday dinner on November 5, Joseph became ill, rushed to the door, and vomited so violently that he dislocated his jaw.  'Every symptom of poison,' Richards noted in Joseph's diary.  That night at the prayer meeting, Richards wrote in code that Joseph and Emma did not dress in the usual special clothing, a sign they were too much at odds to participate.  The next day, Richards wrote that Joseph was 'busy with domestic concerns.'  Years later, in the anti-Emma atmosphere of Utah, Brigham Young spoke of a meeting where Joseph accused his wife of slipping poison into his coffee.  Brigham interpreted Emma's refusal to answer as an admission of guilt."  Bushman later goes on to say the accusation was "unfounded" and that Joseph was prone to violent vomiting and that he had dislocated his jaw before.  But in all this, what caught my attention was Joseph drinking coffee in 1843.

At time of his leg operation, he would not drink a strong drink.  But later, there were numerous times when he drank wine.  In fact, during the Nauvoo chapters of the book, I was surprised at how many parties and social dinners they had at the mansion.  Wine seemed to be served often at these parties.  Perhaps there was a fundamental difference, in peoples' minds, between strong drink and mere wine.

Polygamy
This seems like such a burned-over topic in Church History.  But the key thing that I learned from Bushman's book was that the original teaching of "Celestial" marriage was marrying multiple "spiritual" wives and that in order to obtain the highest kingdom, a man must enter into this new and everlasting covenant.  This teaching has since shifted from polygamy to mean one man marrying one woman in the temple for time and eternity.

Other things to note on this topic ... Bushman alludes that this doctrine began around the time of the dedication of the Kirtland temple.  It was never openly taught.  This doctrine was always taught in secret.  Joseph denied it publicly.  Emma hated the doctrine and the thought of polygamy - Joseph was stuck between eternal damnation (for not practicing it) and his wrathful wife (who he loved dearly).

I see the practicality of most doctrines.  But I don't see it for polygamy.  Yeah, there's Jacob 2, but I don't think there was a great need to "raise seed" back in 1836-88.  Maybe it was for the point of "restoring all things", but if that was the case, wouldn't it have been sufficient to introduce it; perform it once and call it good until it was actually needed?

King Follet Discourse
Every missionary wanted a copy of the King Follett Sermon.  When I worked in the copy center at the MTC my freshman year at BYU, we had copies of it on standby to sell to missionaries.  I don't know if my memory is accurate or not, but I seem to remember we could not sell copies of the sermon anymore at one point.

As Bushman notes, it was the doctrine of polygamy and multiple gods that essentially got Joseph killed.  It was just too much for people in that day.  But the feeling I got from reading Bushman was that this was major, major doctrine for the 20,000 Saints assembled on April 7, 1844.  But to this day, the sermon remains absent from the D&C.

One of his last quotes
About a week after the King Follett discourse, Joseph gave his final public sermon on June 16, 1844.  From Bushman's book: "Joseph new his leaps would terrify less intrepid souls.  'I despise the idea of be scared to death,' he said upon completing his proof of God the Father having a father.  'When things that are great are passed over with[ou]t. even a thot I want to see all in all its bearings & hug it to my bosom.'  Then came a sentence that captured his spirit perfectly: 'I never hear[d] of a man being d[amne]d for bel[ievin]g too much but they are d[amne]d for unbel[ief].'  A few minutes later he stopped talking.  The sky was pouring rain."

And that seems to sum it up - Joseph brought a lot of ideas into the world.  The final few ideas cost him his life, but the fact remains that we have those ideas because of Joseph's desire to believe and gain knowledge from God.

Final Thoughts
Rough Stone Rolling is a fantastic book.  For someone who was raised in the Chruch and was taught all the wonderful things about Joseph Smith and Church History and never taught a thing about the "dark secrets" of the Church, reading this book was a bit like reading the journal of someone you look up to ... and when you read it, you realize they really aren't the person you perceived them to be.  You realize they are human - just like you - they have faults, sins and short-comings.  There is a bit of a let-down.  But then you realize no one is perfect except Christ.

If anything, you should feel confident that if the Lord approves of and loves Joseph, then he also loves us!  Joseph and the church were in debt.  They broke the law of the land.  They didn't always keep the commandments.  They were forced to make tough Adam/Eve/Fruit and Nephi/Laban/Thou-shalt-not-kill choices.  When all was said and done, Joseph just wanted to do what the Lord wanted him to do.  And if we can say that all we did was what the Lord wanted us to do, then despite all our faults and short-comings, we can feel confident in the Lord's love and approval for us.

Willing to Fight for Freedom

While reading Carnage and Culture, I came across a passage that reminded me of Moroni's epistle to Pahoran.

Here is the passage from the book: "The [Roman] legions had crumbled not because of organizational weaknesses, technological backwardness, or even problems of command and discipline, but because of the dearth of free citizens who were willing to fight for their own freedom and the values of their civilization." (emphasis added, Hanson, 157)

Moroni's epistle: "And except ye grant mine epistle, and come out and show unto me a true spirit of freedom, and strive to strengthen and fortify our armies, and grant unto them food for their support, behold I will leave a part of my freemen to maintain this part of our land, and I will leave the strength and the blessings of God upon them, that none other power can operate against them—

"And this because of their exceeding faith, and their patience in their tribulations—

"And I will come unto you, and if there be any among you that has a desire for freedom, yea, if there be even a spark of freedom remaining, behold I will stir up insurrections among you, even until those who have desires to usurp power and authority shall become extinct." (emphasis added, Alma 60:25-27)

Lehi: Minimalist

Continuing with the minimalist thread, while reading El Libro de Mormón today, I read this verse: "And it came to pass that he departed into the wilderness. And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and departed into the wilderness." (2 Nephi 2:4).

Lehi only took what was truly important.

We were asked on more than one occasion in Seminary, what we would take with us if we had to leave our home. You find out quickly what is essential. The rest becomes a list of things you can start minimizing today.

History Lesson

Yesterday, I read Elder Ballard's talk “Learning the Lessons of the Past,” Ensign, May 2009, 31–34.

This morning I read on Mormanity a topic that deals with the same idea ... learning from the past.

What I find interesting is that the pattern Elder Ballard describes (righteousness followed by prosperity, followed by material comforts, followed by greed, followed by pride, followed by wickedness and a collapse of morality until the people brought calamities upon themselves sufficient to stir them up to humility, repentance, and change) happened not only to the Nephites but other great civilizations we read about in history books. It seems that the Book of Mormon not only is "another testament of Jesus Christ" but it can also be another testament of the pattern of living righteously and wickedly followed by consequences.

Right now I'm reading a book about the 30 year Pelloponnesian War and what is shocking is learning that the sons who fought in this war (Sparta and her allies vs. Athens and her allies) are the grandsons of those men who fought together to defeat the Persians. How could two "countries" unite to defeat a common enemy and then in turn fight each other a few decades later? I think the answer is the same time and time again ... pride, wickedness, moral collapse, etc.

The Book of Mormon

In his talk, Elder Aidukaitis shared how his father joined the Church after he came to know the Book of Mormon was true.

He also cited a couple of quotes that I had not heard before. The first is in Preach My Gospel. It says, "the Book of Mormon, combined with the Spirit, is [the] most powerful resource in conversion." ([2004], 104)

I love the Book of Mormon. I love it because the Holy Ghost has testified the truthfulness of it to me. As I've said on my Book of Mormon Inspection blog, even if all the "evidence" in the world came out against the Book of Mormon, I'd still love the book and live the teachings found within. Reading it has changed my life and the life of many others.

The other quote was from President Hinckley. “Those who have read [the Book of Mormon] prayerfully, be they rich or poor, learned or unlearned, have grown under its power. . . .

“. . . Without reservation I promise you that if you will prayerfully read the Book of Mormon, regardless of how many times you previously have read it, there will come into your hearts . . . the Spirit of the Lord. There will come a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to his commandments, and there will come a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God” (“The Power of the Book of Mormon,” Ensign, June 1988, 6)

Will you read the Book of Mormon today?

Additional Reading:
Book of Mormon Inspection
Because My Father Read the Book of Mormon by Elder Marcos A. Aidukaitis

Oct 2008 General Conference Notes: Sat AM Session

*Personal commentary, thoughts and inspirations are underlined.

President Thomas S. Monson

128 temples in the world. Five more temples to be built:

Calgary, Canada; Cordoba, Argentina; Kansas City, United States; Philadelphia, United States; Rome, Italy (gasps from audience).

Pray for the opening of those areas in which the Church is not currently operating.

Elder L. Tom Perry

Patterns of life's tests; ups and downs ... we sometimes experience stress. Our challenge is to endure these tough times with optimism.

"We know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true and the best is yet to come."

Thoreau's Walden ... the simple life. There were only 4 things a man needs food clothing shelter fuel

Food

D&C 88:15 - spirit and body= soul of man. D&C 89 - word of wisdom. For the Strength of Youth - observe WoW, eat nutritious food, exercise, get enough sleep. Do not abuse drugs, prescription medication, household chemicals

Clothing

Simple and modest clothing. It sends a message to others, affects the way we act around others. Very casual dress is followed by casual manners. Some dress and get the "wrong kind of attention" Fashion-conscious mockers in great and spacious building ... others felt ashamed and were lost because of the mockers.

Shelter

The current housing crisis. DO NOT live beyond your means ... a message regularly given in General Conference. Do not run into debt. The majority of our troubles are because of lack of heed to this counsel. Live within income, stay out of debt, save for a rainy day. Well-managed families do not pay interest, they earn it.

Amen to this!! We have little debt, but we can do a lot better in our finances, food storage and savings.

Fuel

Walden discussed biological fuel. Perry discusses spiritual fuel. Acquire knowledge of god's eternal plan, surrender our will to Gods.

May we earnestly seek to simplify our lives.

I want to re-read "Walden" Does our life style need simplification?

Sister Allred

The Lord's church has the responsibility to teach the gospel in the world. The blessings of the gospel have touched 4 generations of her family. Each family has served missions who in turn have had a positive impact on many, many others.

How can I assist in missionary work? First have a clear understanding that God loves all his children. Second, learn that the message of the Christ and the Restoration is the most important message. Be a good example. Live a gospel-centered life. Be specific in your efforts. Prepare kids for missionary service. Invite friends to activities. Go with missionaries on visits. Invite people to family history centers. Share your beliefs. Send letters to full-time missionaries.

I need to pray for more missionary opportunities. Jill is such a good example of missionary work.

Elder Neil Anderson

"You don't know everything, but you know enough." Our spiritual journey is a process of a lifetime. Foundation of faith in Jesus Christ ... baptism, Holy Ghost, repentance, prayer, Book of Mormon ... we remain steady and patient. You don't know everything, but you know enough to keep the commandments.

Missionary about to leave. Talked about a life full of challenges. He didn't know if God even loved him. "You do know God loves you." He bowed his head and cried. "I do know it" That knowledge was enough to keep him on his mission.

We each have moments of strength and inspiration that sink deep. These times can be spiritual storage ... Jesus Christ: "settle this in your hearts" (Luke 21:14) So true ... do we stop and think to use this reservoir more often? Do we seek opportunities to replenish it as often as possible?

We have enormous spiritual reservoirs at our disposal. "Be not afraid, only believe"

"We come to know what we already knew."

Faith of Child

Story of Hadly the little girl who was born deaf. She saw a boy with no legs and asked her mom why. Heavenly Father makes everyone special. Hadly told boy that she is deaf and then testified to him that one day he will have legs and she will be able to hear.

Elder Marcos Aidukaitis

The faith of his father is a great example to Marcos. His father was able to go through difficult times because he read the Book of Mormon regularly. The Book of Mormon combined with the Spirit is the most powerful resource to conversion.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks

We live in the perilous times spoken of by Paul. How can we have the Spirit to guide our choices and keep us on the path? "Go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments ... " By participating in the sacrament, we will always have the Spirit with us.

Wilford Woodruff ... the Spirit is the greatest gift than can be bestowed on man.

Some in the rising generation have not yet come to understand the significance of this meeting and the important of individual reverence in this meeting.

How we should prepare to take the sacrament

Elder Nelson taught the priesthood leaders how to plan and conduct sac. meetings. We bring a broken heart and contrite spirit. It is the highlight of our Sabbath day. Prelude music is subdued. No communication ... prayerful meditation.

We should have a broken heart and contrite spirit.

How we dress is important. It is like going to the temple.

We should concentrate on worship and refrain from all other activities, especially if it interferes with others. Not a time to read books/magazines. Not a time for texting or whispering. We promise to ALWAYS remember him. How sad that some violate this during the sac.

Music - everyone should join in the singing. This music is for worship, not performance.

How can we get our kids to understand these principals? I need to get off this shift schedule so I can consistently help teach this to the kids.

To those who officiate the sacrament

Speak slowly and clearly when saying the sacred prayers. Those who officiate the sac should be clean. They should dress appropriately. All should be well-groomed and modestly dressed. Elder Holland: white shirt for deacons, teachers, priests who administer the sacrament.

Administered by those who hold/exercise the keys to this ordinance

This is why we don't hold sacrament meetings in homes and family reunions.

Choir is singing

the last 90 minutes have flown by. I've not been this attentive to Gen Conf since before we had kids! Ironically, I am working the day shift and it is a quiet day. Typing up my notes has helped me focus on the speakers' messages too.

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf

He is telling the story of how his family fled Czechoslovakia. On a train trip, she left her kids on the train to get some food. When she returned, the train was gone! I can't imagine the horror she felt. She prayed and ran from track to track and train to train and finally found her 4 children. He wondered how she overcame the fear and despair on that cold winter night.

The Infinite Power of Hope

Hope is one leg of a three-legged stool of faith, hope and charity. Hope is a principal of promise and a commandment.

Why is there despair? There must be opposition in all things.

What is hope? This hope of which is speaks transcends the trivial. Confidence if we live according to God's laws, we will receive the blessings. It is believe and expecting our prayers will be answered. Optimism, enthusiasm, patience perseverance. A hope glorifying God with goods works. Patience to bear our afflictions.

Things hoped for: future events. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we will live forever. We can be cleansed of our sins. The Savior is the author of our salvation.

Things we hope in: sustain us in our daily walk. They uphold us in our trails. We hope in Jesus Christ. In times of distress, we can hope that things will work together for our good as we keep the commandments.

We cultivate hope the same way we learn to walk ... one step at a time. Pray daily, pay tithes and live the gospel more perfectly. There will be times where everything around us is dark, but within us we find an invincible summer. The brighter our hope, the greater our faith.

This is what I feel whenever I contemplate my career or our kids growing up in this wicked world or when I think of the perilous times that are yet ahead. I know things will get much, much darker before they get brighter. But in my heart of hearts, I know that things will get brighter. We have so much to hope for. It is easy to despair. But we must always hope and have faith.

Willing Heart

After reading my cousin's wife's post about Helman 6:36, I wrote some additional commentary on my Book of Mormon Inspection blog ... you can read the whole entry here.

This is what I added:

Hardened vs. Willing Heart

This morning, I read a blog post by my cousin's wife about her thoughts on Helaman 6:36. She had some really good insight into this verse. So I read Helaman 6:36 as well as the preceding two verses.

Mormon contrasts the hardened Nephites with the willing Lamanites. Helaman 6:34-36 says, "And thus we see that the Nephites did begin to dwindle in unbelief, and grow in wickedness and abominations, while the Lamanites began to grow exceedingly in the knowledge of their God; yea, they did begin to keep his statutes and commandments, and to walk in truth and uprightness before him.

"And thus we see that the Spirit of the Lord began to withdraw from the Nephites, because of the wickedness and the hardness of their hearts.

"And thus we see that the Lord began to pour out his Spirit upon the Lamanites, because of their easiness and willingness to believe in his words."

She cross-referenced the word "willingness" to Exodus 25:2 and 2 Corinthians 8:12. Then she noted that "willingly" in Exodus 25:2 is cross-referenced to the Topical Guide entry of Initiative. She comments, "Do I take the initiative to ask and find out what the Lord wants, rather then wait till the last minute and decide to follow him when things get difficult, or complain and make excuses? I have experienced both scenarios and I can say that I have felt the blessings of taking the initiative and being willing. Not only do I experience great blessings but my faith is strengthened."

Regarding taking the initiative in keeping the commandment and following the will of God, there are two people who are great examples of keeping this counsel … President Henry B. Eyring and our current stake president Gary Riding.

When President Eyring was called to the Apostleship, there was an article in the September 1995 Ensign that talked about his life. There are two sentences I remember from this article. In talking about his father Matthew Eyring said, "My father has told us that there are two things that he prays for every night. The first is, ‘What blessings do I have that I am not aware of?’ and the second is, ‘Whom can I help?’ And,” Matthew adds, “Dad says there has never been a day that his prayers haven’t been answered.” (Gerald N. Lund, “Elder Henry B. Eyring: Molded by ‘Defining Influences’,” Ensign, Sep 1995, 10)

I am such a laid back person that I’m afraid I feel pretty content with what I have been blessed with. But after rereading part of that quote and also what my cousin's wife said, I wonder how many blessings the Lord has for my family and me that I have not asked for. In her post she says, "I think sometimes it is easy to say, "I don't want any more or I have all that I need." I have met many people who have said this. When we have a willing mind, then I believe our minds are enlightened and the power of the Spirit is able to expand our learning and knowledge."

The other person who I think takes the initiative is our stake president Gary Riding. I have heard him speak on more than one occasion of how he prays for guidance from the Lord. Like President Eyring, he specifically asks the Lord what he needs to do that day … who he can serve. Then he would proceed to give examples of how his prayers have been answered.

One example of his that I remember is when he was jogging through the park and came across a man who seemed to be in mental anguish. President Riding felt inspired to stop and talk to the man. I don't remember all the details, but I think the man was having some marital and other problems in his life. A missionary moment ensued and the man was later baptized. After President Riding finished his talk, the man stood up and testified how his life was changed because of President Riding's prayers and his willingness to listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

So I guess the personal application here is that I need to be more earnest in my prayers, have a willing heart … be willing to accept the Lord's will and then do it, and then be diligent in seeking the Lord's will through daily and constant prayer. Then I need to recognize and heed the promptings of the Holy Ghost through the course of the day. And in order to recognize those promptings, I need to listen. In the July 2008 Ensign in another article about President Eyring, he teaches, "The key to hearing those answers and knowing that God has an interest in our lives, he says, is to develop a listening ear. “We’ve got to be quiet and listen. In my life, when I have failed to receive a clear feeling or have missed the voice of the Spirit, it is because I was too busy, too noisy inside, and too full of my own world.” (Robert D. Hales, “President Henry B. Eyring: Called of God,” Ensign, Jul 2008, 8–15)