October Week 4: Learning Attributes of Christ by Studying the Scriptures

What is an "attribute"?
- a quality or feature regarded as a characteristic or inherent part of someone or something.

When someone asks, "what are the attributes of Christ?" how would you respond?  (in the classical, philosophical sense, "attributes" could simply mean "virtues" ... such as wisdom, courage, justice temperance.

- faith
- virtue
- knowledge
- temperence
- patience
- brotherly kindness
- charity
- humility
- diligence

This list above comes from D&C 4:6

What other attributes, or virtues of Christ can you think of?

Where can we find scriptures, that demonstrate these qualities of Christ?

Spend time as a class looking up definitions of each of the above virtues and write them on the board.  Then give the class time to work together to find examples of Christ either teaching about one of these virtues or an example of him living it.  If they can't find one, then they can try to find an example in any part of the scriptures.  They can use any book in the New Testament (leverage search engines, topical guide, guide to scriptures, etc.).  They can also use Missionary Prep student manual (this link).

Demonstrate one or two ways to go about finding an example by using search engines, topical guide, study helps, etc.

October Week 2: Parables

Describe a family home evening or other lesson, a sacrament meeting talk, or a conference talk you remember and explain why it was memorable.

What stories do you remember from a recent general conference talk?  What did you learn from the story? Why do they think the speaker chose to use a story to teach?

Stories and parables help us understand important concepts and principals.  Since the stories are unique or familiar, we can easily remember them.

I've told you before of the time my seminary teacher brought in a casket and put it in the front of the seminary room.  He asked us to imagine Christ was in the casket and that we were attending his funeral.  He helped us appreciate the sacrament more by making it more visible and in a sense the "shock-value" of seeing a casket in our seminary class helped us all to appreciate the sacrament a bit more.

The savior often taught his disciples with parables.  To understand parables and symbols in the scriptures, the we need to be able to recognize symbols, identify parts of the symbols, and interpret them. One way to recognize a symbol is to look for words such as like, likened, like unto, as, or as it were. Make a list of the parts of the symbol. Then to interpret the symbols, think about it and even refer to others how they have interpreted the parable. Do this whenever you find a parable or symbol in your personal gospel study.

What are the parables the Savior taught?  List them out and choose one or two to dissect.

About 25 Parables of the Savior (from Harmony of the Gospels)
- The Candle
- The Tares
- The Mustard Seed
- The Leaven
- The Treasure in a Field
- The Pearl of Great Price
- The Net
- The Householder
- The Unmerciful Servant (Matt 18:23-35)
- The Good Shepard (John 10:1-21)
- The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)
- The Rich Fool (Luke 12:13-21)
- The Barren Fig Tree (Luke 13:6-9)
- The Wedding Feast (Luke 14:7-11)
- The Lost Sheep (Luke 15:1-7)
- The Unjust Judge (Luke 18:1-8)
- The Laborers in the Vineyard (Matt 20:1-16)
- The Pounds (Luke 19:11-27)
- The Two Sons (Matt 21:28-32)
- The Wicked Husbandmen
- The Wedding of a King's Son
- The Ten Virgins
- The Talents
- The Sheep and Goats

August Week 2: Marriage

Pactical advice about marriage

This is one of those lessons to think about, put it in the back of your mind and return to it often.

Talk to your parents and get their opinions about marriage

Assumptions:
- You want to get married
- You want to stay married

If you don't agree with those assumptions, then you can tune out / not listen.

Why marriages end in divorce
1. Financial problems
2. Communication issues
3. Family problems (children, in-laws, siblings)
4. Intimacy
5. Friend problems - faithfulness, committed to marriage
6. Addiction
7. Abuse
8. Personality
9. Expectations
10. Time

Hallmarks of a successful marriage
- Remember the central importance of your marriage
- Pray for its success
- Listen, empathy
- Avoid “ceaseless pinpricking.”
- Keep your courtship alive
- Be quick to say, “I’m sorry.”
- Learn to live within your means.
- Be a true partner in home and family responsibilities

Crucial conversations before you get married (while there is still time to back out)
1. Kids
  a. Do you want them?
  b. How they should be raised / disciplined
2. Money & careers
  a. Who will earn the money?
  b. What is your standard of living?
3. Religion
  a. Morals, values
  b. What if one of you changes?
4. How will you handle fights?  You will have fights :-)
5. Deal breakers and bucket lists
  a. Hobbies, habits
  b. Dreams, life goals

Review the the five suggestions from Hanging Out, Hooking Up, and Celestial Marriage

1. for all Cinderellas and Prince Charmings to throw away their glass slippers

2. don’t wait for others to carry your glass slipper about the campus looking for a match

3. to exercise faith and to have courage in dating and marriage

4. to keep physical intimacy at an appropriate level so as to enjoy the presence of the Spirit and to be worthy to seal your commitment to each other in the temple

5. to not only pray for yourself in a dating relationship but also to pray for the young man or woman in whom you are interested

Other links
Of Souls, Symbols and Sacraments (also see Personal Purity)
Nurturing Marriage - the Carrs

August Week 1: Personal Journal

Read
- 1 Nephi 1:1-3 (Nephi starts his own journal)
- Alma 37:8-9 (journals help us remember)
- Moses 6:5, 45-46 (books of remembrances)

Why should you keep a journal?
- source of improvement
- better memory

What kinds of things can you write about in a journal?
- daily experiences
- major events
- feelings
- observations
- memorable stories
- important events
- goals
- specialized journals (scripture journal)
- picture journal
- videos
- letters from family and friends

Personal sharing
- my first journals (snowball fight w/ Christine)
- high school, BYU and mission journals, letters
(trip to San Diego, 1st day in Guatemala)
- Book of Mormon Inspection
- Instagram / Facebook
- FamilySearch (memory of Grandma Holladay)
- my Stoic journal on EverNote

Ask what they will do going forward.
How many keep journals now?
How can they improve journaling?

Counting Costs, Heart-settling and Plowing

The Good Samaritan

Good morning!  Here it is - today is Sunday April 30, 2017.  We are on the cusp of summer; the school year is beginning to wrap up and soon we will all be going different ways - some off to college, some off to missions, others about to get married, some off to visit grandchildren new and old.

During this time of the year when so much changes so quickly, I'm reminded of one of my favorite stories - that of the shared experience between Jean Valjean and Bishop Bienvenu in the masterpiece Les Miserables.  You may already be familiar with this story.  Jean Valjean was a convict of 19 years for stealing bread.  After many years of hard labor, he was released and he could find no place to live, no food to eat - no welcoming arms, except for one.  That one was Bishop Bienvenu.  Bienvenu means "welcome" ... Bishop Welcome, welcomed Jean Valjean to his home!

After giving Jean Valjean food and a place to rest, the bishop was repaid with theft.  The gendarms caught Jean Valjean, returned him to the good bishop.  The bishop turned the other cheek.  Instead of turning on him, the bishop gave him more silver - two silver candle sticks to be exact.  From the book, it reads;

"Jean Valjean was like a man on the point of fainting. 

"The Bishop drew near to him, and said in a low voice:-- 

'Do not forget, never forget, that you have promised to use this money in becoming an honest man.'

"Jean Valjean, who had no recollection of ever having promised anything, remained speechless. The Bishop had emphasized the words when he uttered them. He resumed with solemnity:-- 

'Jean Valjean, my brother, you no longer belong to evil, but to good. It is your soul that I buy from you; I withdraw it from black thoughts and the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God.'

Bishop Bienvenu was a true, committed disciple of Christ.

Shifting gears now, I want to spend some time in the New Testament; in particular Luke, chapter 14.  It is full of profound lessons.

To start off, Christ admonishes his disciples that when they make a feast, it's best to invite people who cannot possibly repay the kindness.  To which one of his disciples says in verse 15, "blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God" which I interpret that to be a bit of a joke or quip - similar to saying that a person is blessed when they get a free meal and don't have to repay!  Only in this case, the free gift is living in the kingdom God.

This causes Jesus to teach a few more parables.  In the first one, a man made a great supper, symbolizing God's gift of eternal life.  This man had invited many people to eat with him.  When the feast was ready, the man's servant tells the invitees the food is ready, but invariably, they decline the invitation - offering an excuse as to why they cannot join the meal - tending to a piece of recently purchased land, tending to livestock or even caring for a spouse.  All these excuses enraged the master and in his anger, he tells his servant to find those who would accept his meal - the poor, the maimed, the blind and then people on the street.  He vows that none of the original invitees will taste his meal.

Next, Jesus tells two more parables about counting the cost of discipleship.  He makes it absolutely clear the cost of discipleship is EVERYTHING.  He says that even a man will count the cost of building a tower or home and even a king would weigh the cost of going to war.  If a man and a king weigh the costs on such tiny matters, ((when compared to eternal salvation) should not the disciples who claim to follow Jesus also consider the steep cost of following Christ?

We too, need to count the cost of discipleship.  Are we truly willing to commit to Christ?  Are we willing to give our all - similar to Bishop Bienvenu?

And let's suppose someone weighs the cost of discipleship and views the challenge as acceptable - that the price to be paid (which is EVERYTHING) is worth entering the kingdom of God - this person then needs to settle this matter in their heart (see Luke 21:14).  This settling of the heart, is synonymous with commitment to God and his kingdom.

This settling is not easy and sometimes can take years.  I've observed that many people - normal people, Christians, followers, leaders - will settle or focus on the wrong thing.  My Sunday School class will recognize this next quote from Joseph Smith regarding on what we ought to settle our hearts.  He said, “The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it."  I then draw a stick figure on the chalkboard - a body, a head, two arms, two hands, two legs and two feet.  I ask them to show me the appendages.  They point to the hands, feet, arms and legs.  I then ask about the head and heart, if these are appendages - the answer is no, those are VITAL to the survival of the person.  And so to apply this concept to settling the gospel in our hearts, we ought to focus on the Gospel of Christ - namely the two great commandments.  And we ought to not focus on appendages such as controversial church history, claims to authority or church programs - all of which are subject to change.  What is vital and never subject to change, is our love of God and neighbor - if we don't fulfill our duties to God and neighbor, nothing else matters.

My favorite scripture from the Book of Mormon is Helaman 5:12.  It says, "it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."

To repeat, the foundation and rock upon what we ought to build our testimony and commitment is Jesus Christ and his core doctrine of loving God and loving neighbor.

Once you have settled in your heart; that you will love God and neighbor, you must do as Luke 9:57-62 instructs.  Some of the disciples of Christ say they would follow him wherever he goes.  To which Jesus responds, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath no where to lay his head."  Other disciples are willing to follow Jesus, but request of Jesus to let them go and bury their father or to say goodbye to their family.  Jesus laments that "no man, having put his hand to the plough, and looks back, is fit for the kingdom."  These disciples who "look back" are unfit for the kingdom of God - they are not focused on the task at hand - which is to plow the hardened soil of the souls of men, in an effort to prepare them to accept and live the word of God.  Jesus re-affirms his steep price of discipleship that once a man has settled in his heart to follow Jesus, and then put his hand on the plow, that they are not to look back.  Notice in this case, the disciples' hands are probably still on the plow and they are moving along with the oxen, but looking back often.  This indicates a lack of real commitment - their heart has not been fully given over to Jesus, and so he declares they are unfit for the kingdom of God!

Imagine if Bishop Bienvenu waffled or doubted the two great commandments, what state or condition Jean Valjean might have ended up in.

Instead, we are to count the costs of discipleship, settle the matter in our hearts and then put our hand to the plow and till the earth and not look back.  Be decided and committed in your love of God and service to our neighbors.

With our hand firmly on the plow, and only looking forward, how are we to live a committed life, by loving God and loving our neighbors as ourselves?

I have found a very useful thought exercise that has helped me to stay focused on loving God and neighbor.  This exercise begins with gratitude.  It is a prayer of thankfulness to God for creating me and allowing me to live in this wonderful world.  This is the first circle of compassion.

Having a heart full of gratitude and feeling assured of God's love of me, I circumscribe a second circle of compassion to those closest to me - my wife Jill and my children Emma, Ben, Erick and Camille.  These are my nearest and dearest and most important neighbors to me.  Much of my effort and time should be devoted to teaching and loving and serving them.

The next circle extends to my parents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents and all my relatives.  These have helped form me into who I am today.  I am grateful for them and do what I can to serve and help them.

The next circle extends out to my co-workers and next-door neighbors.  These are people who I see most often besides my immediate family.  These are the neighbors God has put in my path to love and serve.

The next circle extends out to other friends, neighbors and acquaintances who I see less often.  I do my best to think of their needs and how best to serve them.  Often these interactions are brief and usually involve talking, listening and offering words of encouragement or offering some way to serve.

The next circle extends to people who I do not know, but encounter in my daily course of events - the person who scans my groceries, the boy who bags my groceries, the people I see on the greenbelts when I go on walks.  I try to acknowledge them, say 'hello' to them and try to act socially and kindly to them, and if possible, help them if they are in need.

The next circle extends to people I may never see or encounter, but nonetheless, I see them as children of God.  I accept that there is divinity within them and I strive to have compassion and love for them regardless of their ideology, political leanings or life choices.  Each human being deserves respect and love.

There is no better sermon than the primary song, "Jesus said love everyone."  The simple, one-verse song says all that we need to know.

Jesus said love everyone
Treat them kindly too
When your heart is filled with love
Others will love you

Let's revisit the fruits of Bishop Bienvenu's love toward Jean Valjean.  Jean Valjean turns his life around, becomes mayor, cares for Fantine, rescues Cosette, saves the life of an innocent man who is accused of being the escaped convict Jean Valjean, saves the life of a sailor, saves another man's life while he is mayor, and lastly saves the life of Marius, who would become the husband of Cosette.  Jean Valjean, having put his hand to the plow, did not look back.

To conclude, I want to share what I call the perfect trifecta of scriptures.  Brother Rick Carruth shared these three scriptures a few years ago in a talk he gave and I think these scriptures perfectly sum up what commitment to Christ means.

First: Jesus taught, "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love they neighbour, and hate thine enemy.  But I say unto you, 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." (Matthew 5:43-44)

Second: concerning the two greatest commandments, he taught, "Thou shalt love the Lord they God with all they heart, and with all thy soul, and with all they mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love they neighbour as thyself."  (Matthew 22:37-39)

Third and lastly he taught, "This is my commandment, That ye love one another; as I have loved you.  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:12-13)

To summarize, we are to love our enemies like we love our neighbors.  We are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.  We are to love ourselves and our neighbors as Jesus loved his disciples and us.

It is my prayer, that we all commit our hearts to God and neighbor.  That we have greater compassion and love towards all of God's children.  That we give each other the benefit of the doubt.  That we try to show mercy and understanding, that we mourn with those that mourn, that we turn the other cheek, that we walk the extra mile.  This is my sincerest prayer and I offer it in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

how to maximize your meaning of the sacrament

Giampietrinio - The Last Supper (from wikimedia)

preparing for and participating in the sacrament is one of the best ways to find balance and harmony in our lives.

here are some ideas to maximize your meaning of the sacrament.

"examine yourself" - spend time reviewing the prior week; and how to improve in the coming week (see 1 corinthians 11:28)
find a quiet spot, either saturday evening or sunday morning; and spend a good thirty minutes to an hour in meditation.  review your actions and thoughts from the prior week.  do not be critical of yourself.  rather, simply note how you could have done better in your attitude about your circumstance in life, your interactions with others, and how you used your free will.  did you act with reason?  did you serve others?  how did you practice virtue?

next, coach yourself.  envision any circumstances that you will encounter in the coming week and how you can react to them.  think of ways to serve others, from small acts of kindness to truly going out of your way to help others.

consider journaling your meditations and review them each week.

think of the savior's sacrifice during the sacrament
pay attention to the words of the hymn.

listen to the words of the prayers.

while in silence, waiting for the bread and water to be passed, read or recite in your mind a chosen scripture or passage.  you can even work on memorizing a passage that has meaning for you.

over the years, i've focused on mosiah 14.

study the meaning of a 'broken heart and contrite spirit'
learn what a broken heart and contrite spirit are.  you can even start here.

men's hearts failing them for fear

this last week, a phrase from my patriarchal blessing has been rattling around in my head and i've been thinking about it a lot.

the phrase says, "you will also see wickedness run rampant and hearts that will fail."  the concept of failing hearts is what i've been so focused on this week.

i've tried to deconstruct it and wrap my head around this concept.

the concept of failing hearts stems from a verse in the new testament.  christ tells his disciples of the signs of his second coming.  luke 21:26 reads, "men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken."

there is also a video entitled "men's hearts shall fail them", in which russell nelson describes a harrowing flight he was on, where the plane briefly caught fire.  some passengers were in total panic, while he was perfectly calm and he was ready to "meet his maker."  he then reads luke 21:26 and discusses how many today live in fear "because they forget their identity and their purpose."  when he says "identity", i believe he is referring to our relationship with god - that we are his children. he then lists several life-challenging circumstances which causes fear or anxiety in people's hearts.

thinking a bit more about both luke 21:26 and the nelson video, i asked myself, "why do people's hearts fail them in those difficult circumstances?"  two answers came to my mind, because they put their trust and happiness in something that is out of their control; and, because, for guidance in this life, they relied on their heart rather than reason.

how many people have taken for granted their life's situation - and have thought that they are the author of their privileged circumstances.  in reality, we fail to truly appreciate how many things in life are out of our control.  and when something unwanted happens (i.e. it is out of our control), we feel fear and anxiety - and our hearts fail us.

examples of these types of circumstances out of our control would be:
- loss of a loved one (to death)
- financial ruin
- degrading health
- natural events
- accidents

truly, we cannot control these types of events.  so why do we let our fear and anxiety grip us?  why do we let our hearts fail us?

how do we combat this?  how can we prevent our hearts from failing us?

the answer lies in not allowing our lives to be lead by our hearts.  rather we should should use reason to constantly ask the question whether something is in our control or not.  if it is not in our control, then we need to accept our fate, as it were, and try to learn from what life has dealt us.

if we do this, our hearts will not fail us.  they will keep on beating.  and our minds will be content with what we can do and accomplish.  if anything is out of our control, we will accept and even love our fate and exercise our control to understand what it is we must learn from it.

ponderize selling the good news

on sunday september 27, a new domain was registered at godaddy.com.

the name of the domain: www.ponderize.us

a week later, on sunday october 4, 2015, david g. durrant, 1st counselor of the sunday school general presidency of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints gave a talk and discussed a curious term: ponderize.

shortly after the talk, people began to shop (at the aforementioned website) for t-shirts and wristbands with "ponderize" written on them as well as "what's your verse?"  originally, shirts were selling for $19.99 and wristbands were going for $2.99.  later in the day, prices were dropped to $17.99 and $1.99 and a caveat was added: "all profits will be going to the Missionary Fund of the Church."

i sincerely hope this (profitizing general conference talks) does not become a major trend.  i have a hunch that this was originally an idea for making money and then when the durrant family received some negative press, they quickly changed strategy from for-profit to all profits going to the missionary fund of the church.

what would jesus say of all this?

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (matthew 6:24)

OCTOBER 5 UPDATE
The site has been taken down.  More info at this news article.

and linked is an official apology from david g. durrant.

reasons to serve; reasons to keep commandments

taking a cue from elder oaks' talk "why do we serve?" i wanted to apply the same reasons for service to reasons to obey god's commandments.

the main principal behind this talk is found in proverbs 23:7; which states, as a man "thinketh in his heart, so is he."  god wants our actions and thoughts to be in harmony.  when we are duplicitous, in a sense, our souls are split and harmed.  other scriptures to consider are: d&c 64:34, d&c 16:6, mosiah 24:12, alma 18:32, moroni 7:6-7, alma 12:14.

therefore, one of the main challenges in life is to tune our hearts and actions to god's will and commandments.

with that concept in mind, we now can observe the many reasons why people serve and / or keep the commandments.

reason 1: earthly reward
some people will serve or keep the commandments if by so serving or obeying, it will enable them greater wealth in their business or social interactions.  a common example of this might be offering to help someone with the intention that that person will return a favor to them (i.e. buy a product or be a patron of the business).

reason 2: personal companionship
this example is often seen in missions.  people may join the church or come to church because of the missionaries.  but as soon as the missionaries leave, people may stop associating with the church.  people may be selective of when to serve or obey based on who their home teachers are or who is in the ward.  if the ward members are acceptable, they will serve and attend.  but if not, they will not engage.  take note, that if all members strive to be kind and loving to everyone, then people may expand their friendships and desire to worship with all members.  also note, that christ served with, associated with and loved all people.

reason 3: fear of punishment
the scriptures are full of examples of what happens to those who do not obey or serve.  fear certainly motivates, but it does not motivate for the right reasons.  fear should never be used to motivate others to do what is right.  when fear is used to move others to serve and obey, the person instilling the fear is simply using "unrighteous dominion".

reason 4: sense of duty or loyalty
elder oaks calls people who serve and obey out of a sense of duty or loyalty "good soldiers."  without question, they serve and obey.  they are all around us.  their commitment to their fellow-men is unwavering.  there are still higher reasons to serve and obey.

reason 5: eternal reward
those who are 'in it for the long-haul' are those who are keen on achieving eternal life.  they will ensure hardships and persecution.  they are not easily swayed by temptations or peer pressure.  they are committed to god and their fellow-men with the expectation that they will live with god forever.

reason 6: true charity
those who have developed a sense of a true love of god and all men have also developed true charity.  these people have developed a love for all; and have developed the ability to see people as god sees them.  truly charitable people have become fully committed to god's plan for his children, and they actively participate in helping that plan be realized.  as 1 cor 13:1-3 states, we can give our all to the poor, but if we don't do it for the right reasons (charity), "it profiteh ... nothing."

Silent Night in Kekchi

Lok'-laj k'oj - yin; re cha-bi-lal.
Jun li yaj aj isk quichal
Xco sa' jun tu-la-nil o-choch-nal
Qui-yo'-la jun lix ch'i-na c'u-lahal.
Yo chi-cuarc li Je-sus
Yo chi-cuarc li Je-sus

Lok'-laj k'oj - yin; re cha-bi-lal.
Que'-ra-bi laj il-ol xul
Nak qui-chal lix cuan-quil li Ka-cua'
Xa-bi-man li bi-chanc sa' cho-xa
Qui-yo'-la li Je-sus,
Qui-yo'-la li Je-sus.

Lok'-laj k'oj - yin; re cha-bi-lal.
Xtau xk'e-hil ka-col-bal
Nak li Dios quix-tak-la li ra-lal
Re tox-tzol ut tox-ra ch tz'a-kal.
A'an li Ka-cua' Je-sus,
A'an li Ka-cua' Je-sus.

El Valor

On December 14, I gave a talk to the Spanish branch.

Buenos dias hermanos y hermanas.  Estoy muy agradecido de estar aqui con ustedes esta manana.

Me llamo hermano Putnam.  Tengo una esposa que se llama Jill.  Nosotros tenemos cuartro hijos.  La major tiene 14 anos y se llama Emma.  El segundo tiene 12 anos y se llama Benjamin.  El tercero tiene 10 anos y se llama Erick and la menor tiene 8 anos y se llama Camille.

Hemos vivido in tejas casi 14 anos.  Vivimos en Dallas por 8 anos.  Nos movimos a houston en dos mil nueve.  Y nos gusta mucho vivir aqui en el area de kingwood y atascocita.

Hay que disculparme por no hablar muy bien el espanol.  Ha pasado casi 18 anos que he hablado el espanol diariamente.  Espero que el espiritu es lo que les ensene esta manana.

Quiero compartir algunas cosas de mi.  Hize una mision en guatemala en mil nove cientos noventa y cinco hasta noventa y siete.  Estuve en la capital, baja verapaz, alta verpaz y el peten.  Tambien estuve doce meses en un area que se llama polochic.  Alli, no hay muchos que hablan el espanol.  Muchos hablan kekchi; que es un dialecto maya.  Entonces, cuando vivia en polochic, tenia que aprender el idioma kekchi.

No solo tenia que aprender el kekchi, pero tambien tenia que aprender comer todos tipos de comida como cabeza de pavo or chompipe (turkey), lengua de vaca, y pie de pato!  Aunque pudo comer estas cosa, la unica comida que no pudo aguantar fue queso duro.  Hasta hoy mismo, no puedo comer queso duro.

Amo mucho la gente de guatemala.

En este tiempo del ano, me acuderdo de las navidades que pase en guatemala.   En navidad, la gente hacen tamales de elote y chocolate caliente; y el chocolate fue recogido del arbol el mismo dia.  Todos los miembros se juntaron pata una fiesta.  Cantaron y jugaron.  Me da mucho feliz penser  en estos recuerdos.

Hoy, quiero hablar sobre la tema de "el valor o coraje".  El presidente monson ha hablado mucho sobre esta tema.  In fact (de hecho?), el ha hablado de esta tema muchas vezes en conferencia general desde el ano mil novecientos ochenta y seis.

Presidente monson nos ensena de cuentos en las escrituras de personas que tenian el valor.

Hoy, quiero hablar de el valor de un hombre de el libro de mormon.  Este hombre tenia mucho valor.  Las decisiones y acciones de este hombre determino el destino de los nefitas por mas de dos cientos anos.

Este hombre fue el profeta Abinadi.

Como ya saben, abinadi fue llamado de dios para profetizar al pueblo de Noe, quien fue el rey de la tierra.  Abinadi mando que la gente se arrepientiera.  En Mosiah capitulo 11, dice "Y acontecio que habia entre ellos un hombre que se llamaba Abinadi; y salio entre ellos y empezo a profetizar, diciendo: he aqui, asi dice el senor, y asi me ha mandado, diciendo; ve y di a esta gente: asi dice el senor: ay de los de este pueblo!  Porque he visto sus abominaciones and sus iniquidades, y sus fornicaciones, y a menos que se arrepientan, los visitare con mi ira.  Y a menos que se arrepientan y se vuelvan al senor su dios, he aqui, los entregare en manos de sus enimigos; si seran reducidos al cautiverio y seran afligidos por mano de sus enimigos"

Abinadi ensenso y mando la gente a arrepentirse por un tiempo.  Pero cuando el rey noe mando que Abinadi sea matado; en este momento, Abinadi se escondio del rey Noe por dos anos.

No sabemos lo que paso con Abinadi por esos dos anos, pero quizas el se esforsaba a obtener mas coraje para profetizar al pueblo.  En el capitulo 12 de mosiah, dice "y acontecio que despues de dos anos, abinadi vino entre ellos disfrazado, de modo que no lo conocieron."  aunque el sabia que el rey queria que se lo matara, abinadi empezo a profetizar y declalar el arrepentimiento a la gente.

Ya sabemos lo que paso con abinadi.  Este cuento no termino con alegria.  Daniel, en la biblia, fue salvado cuando el senor cerro las bocas de los leones.  Sadrac, mesac y abed-nego fueron salvados cuando trataron quemarlos en el fuego.  Pero a abinadi, no fue salvado.  Aunque hizo todo lo que el senor le mando, todavia le quitaron la vida.  Por eso, abinadi tuvo mucho valor.  El sabia que iria matado, y todovia hizo lo que el senor le mando.

Hacemos, nosotros, lo que debemos hacer, aunque sabemos las consequencias?

Cuando tenemos una decision antes de nosotros, debemos recordar las palabras en capitulo 31 de Deu-ter-ron-omio: "Esforzaros y cobrad animo; no temais ni tengais miedo de ellos, porque jehova tu dios es el que va contigo."

Mietras estaba preparando este discurso, encontre un cuento de un misionero que hizo una mision en guatemala hace cuarenta anos.  Este misionero tuvo mucha fe and valor.  Este misionero se llama elder Ellsworth.  Y cuando el estaba en guatemala, habia un terremoto.

[Él] permaneció aplastado por una viga por doce horas, tras lo cual se le halló totalmente paralizado de la cintura para abajo. Los riñones no le funcionaban y no había esperanzas de que volviera a caminar…

“Se le trasladó de inmediato a los estados unidos, donde fue entrevistado en el hospital por un reportero de televisión. Éste le dijo:

“—Los doctores dicen que no podrá volver a caminar. ¿Qué opina usted, élder Ellsworth?

“El élder respondió:

“—No solamente volveré a caminar, sino que tengo un llamamiento de un profeta para servir como misionero en Guatemala, y volveré a Guatemala para finalizar esa misión…

“El élder Ellsworth hacía el doble de los ejercicios que los médicos le habían prescrito. Ejerció su fe, recibió una bendición del sacerdocio, y su recuperación fue milagrosa. Dejó asombrados a los médicos y a los especialistas. Comenzó a ponerse de pie; más tarde logró caminar con muletas, y luego los doctores le dijeron: ‘Puede volver al campo misional si la Iglesia así lo permite’. Así regreso nuevamente a Guatemala. Regresó a la tierra a la cual había sido llamado, al pueblo al que amaba profundamente.

“Al llegar, caminó, cumpliendo con sus actividades a la par de cualquier otro misionero, con un bastón en cada mano. El presidente de la misión le dijo un día:

“—Élder Ellsworth, con la fe que usted tiene, ¿por qué no tira esos bastones y camina solo?

“Y el élder le respondió: “—Si usted tiene esa clase de fe en mí, así lo haré.

“Y así fue que soltó los dos bastones, y nunca tuvo que volver a utilizarlos”

Elder Ellsworth tuvo mucha fe y valor

Cuando nosotros tenemos una decision  que hacer, y es una decision muy deficil, debemos recordar el valor de abinadi y al valor de daniel y el valor de sadrac, mesac y abed-nego y tambien el valor de elder ellsworth.

Yo se que jesu cristo vive y nos ama.  Se que si guardamos los mandamientos de jesu cristo, el valor dentro de nosotros crecera.

En el nombre de jesu cristo, amen.

A Life of Gratitude

A Midsummer's Night Lecture
Let me begin by telling a very bizarre story; I call it "A Midsummer's Night Lecture."  I was a teenager; maybe about 14 years old.  It was summer.  We often went water skiing with our cousins or on a church activity.  One night, after returning from one of these trips, my sister and I were dropped off by one of the adult leaders.  We walked into our home, my sister then changed clothes and left to go to a friend's home.  I stayed home.  My dad was sitting in his chair - he called me over proceeded to give me one of the most forceful lectures I've ever received in my life.

He appeared upset that I was not grateful.  At the time, and still to this day, I honestly do not know what provoked the lecture.  My only theory is that I did not thank the adult leader who dropped us off after the trip and that my sister mentioned this to my dad before she left to go to her friend's home.  I didn't argue with my dad; rather, I was utterly surprised and caught off guard.

The point of this bizarre story is this: in my dad's eyes, gratitude was extremely important.  So important, that a supposed lack of expressing some gratitude for a car ride prompted him to sternly lecture me that summer night long ago.

The Utility of Gratitude
I'm a big believer in utility.  If something in life isn't very useful; then why use it?  This life is so full of things and stuff and ideas and philosophies.  And since life is so short, I believe we don't have time to deal with things that don't have utility.  And so, on the subject of gratitude, I have come to the conclusion that is has significant utility in our lives.  I believe gratitude is a type of glue or bond that holds our marriages, families, wards, communities and even holds the world together.  Gratitude changes our attitude towards ourselves and others.  There have been several studies that have confirmed this.  Let me share a few of them.

One study randomly assigned people to three different groups.  Each of the three groups would write in a journal once a week for ten weeks.  The first group would describe 5 things they were grateful for in the previous week.  The second group would record 5 things that displeased them during the previous week and the third group was told to simply write 5 things that affected them and they were not told to focus on either positive or negative things.

I'm sure you won't be surprised, but the group that focused on gratitude for those 10 weeks were 25% happier; had fewer health complaints and even exercised 1.5 hours more than the other groups.

Another study focused on people who wrote about things for which they were grateful every day.  In this study, the results were those people offered more emotional support and help for other people with problems.  Their goodwill increased.

Other studies have found that those who focus on gratitude have had happier spouses and had less bouts of depression.

One doctor, who has studied marriages for over twenty years, claims that he can can predict, often after only 3 minutes of observation, which marriages will flourish and which will flounder.  His success rate is 90% and his secret is this:  he counts the ratio of positive expressions (including expressions of gratitude) to negative expressions between the husband and wife.  Those who have a 5:1 ratio will flourish.

(source: The Neuroscience of Why Gratitude Makes Us Healthier)

Being Grateful vs. A Life of Gratitude
Perhaps last week or evening during this next week, you or your children have participated or will participate in some activity which asked you to list all your blessings.  Perhaps you have made, as my family has done in the past, a Thankful Turkey, where you write about something for which you are grateful on a colorful feather and then glue it on turkey.  Perhaps after singing the hymn Count Your Many Blessings, you have sat down and pondered all that you have in this life.

Certainly, we have all been grateful for things at one point in our life.  However, the key question is: are we living a life of gratitude?  Is there a difference between being grateful and living a life of gratitude? I think activities such as counting our blessings absolutely puts us on the path of living a life of gratitude, but that is only the beginning.

Consider this hypothetical situation.  It's Thanksgiving Day in Jerusalem around 601 or 602 BC.  Lehi's family sits around the table to have a Thanksgiving feast.  Before they begin to eat, Lehi asks everyone around the table to say something for which they are grateful.  Lehi and Sariah express gratitude for their family, their home and a loving God.  Laman is next; he's grateful for a new goblet and plate.  Lemuel is grateful for a new coat.  Nephi expresses gratitude for his parents and Sam was grateful for a warm bed to sleep in.  Certainly they were all grateful that last Thanksgiving before leaving Jerusalem.  Now we'll see who was being grateful and who was living a life of gratitude.

You know this part of the story.  They leave their home and flee to the wilderness.  Laman and Lemuel complain, whine and demand that they stay in Jerusalem.  Once they are sufficiently away from Jerusalem, what is the first thing Lehi does?  1 Nephi 2:7 "And it came to pass the he built an altar of stones, and made an offering unto the Lord, and gave thanks."  Lehi then names a river and a valley after Laman and Lemuel, but there is no record of them giving thanks.  In fact, they continued to complain.  They whined about how Lehi was seeing things and that they had to leave home and all their gold and silver.  And they feared they would die in the wilderness.  I think it is safe to say Laman and Lemuel felt entitled.  They deserved to stay home.  They deserved to keep their possessions.  They probably gave proof that some of their friends didn't have to leave town.  Before storming off, they might have said, "this life is so unfair!".

Then the boys are sent back to retrieve the brass plates.  After hearing their father explain why they needed to go back, Laman and Lemuel must have rolled their eyes and said, "Are you kidding me?  We just got here and now you want us to go back?!"  You know, we laugh at this amusing take on 1st Nephi, but how many of us have said or thought something similar?  What is our ratio of expressions of gratitude to complaints?

I could go on with this story of Laman and Lemuel and Nephi.  But I'll leave that to you.  Maybe sometime this week, sit down, pull up and read 1 Nephi and then think about the different reactions of these brothers.  How did they react when they were about to starve to death in the wilderness?  How did they react when they found the Liahona?  How did they act when they got to Bountiful?  And how did they act on the ship?  In those chapters are ample evidence of what a life of entitlement looks like contrasted with what a life of gratitude looks like.

How to Live a Life of Gratitude
I hope I've given you some things to think about today.  This last part of my talk will focus on what you can do to begin living a life of gratitude.

Ralph Waldo Emmerson said, "cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously."

Robert Emmons, who has done extensive research on gratitude said, "life is a series of problems that have to be solved - and a lot of times those problems cause stress.  Gratitude can be that stress buster."

WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU ARE THANKFUL FOR IN A JOURNAL (blog, twitter, facebook, instagram).  Make it a habit; write five to ten minutes a day, about what you are grateful for.

DON'T AVOID THE NEGATIVE.  Embrace setbacks as part of the overall journey.  Sometimes, you can even recall a hard time you've experienced and compare it with your current state.  You will feel grateful and it may help you accept and deal with current and future challenges in life.

SPEND TIME WITH YOUR LOVED ONES.  Gratitude helps us connect with other people.  It strengthens relationships

MINDFULLY USE SOCIAL MEDIA  Connected to the journal, I suggest leveraging social media to jot down things you are grateful for.  Positive thoughts shared on social media spread faster than negative thoughts.

KNOW THE VALUE OF THE LITTLE THINGS  A kind word, opening the door for someone, a hug, spending time to listen.  All these are little things we can do.  And as we do the little things, we are more prone to pay it forward.

VOLUNTEER OR SERVE Acting on those feelings of gratitude will prompt us to serve.  Whether we help with a big service project or a small project, our gratitude increases when we serve.

(Source: 7 Habits of Grateful People)

Conclusion
Let me begin to close with this quote you may have heard or read before.  It is by Victor Frankl.  He survived the Nazi concentration camps.  Those prisoners were stripped of everything physically and psychologically.  Yet there were some who kept their true freedom.

He said, "We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread.  They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given circumstance, to choose one's own way."

And so it is with us; we must choose to either live of life of entitlement or a life of complaint; or we can choose to live a life full of gratitude to our Heavenly Father and to all around us.

Gratitude, when you truly think about it, is a means to connect with people; as I said earlier, it is a type of social glue or bond.  Serving and gratitude go hand in hand.  And when we serve and give thanks and when we are served and receive thanks, we are making a connection with others.  And as we make those connections in our family and with our friends and in our ward and community, we strengthen the bonds of love.  And when we strengthen the bonds of love, we make the world a better place.

I am grateful for my wife Jill.  This year has been a huge struggle for me.  She has listened to me; she has prayed for me; she has served me.  Up until August this year, Jill and I would get up at 4:45 in the morning and go on a 4 mile walk - it took us about an hour to walk that.  And we would talk.  I loved our walks and talks.  She listened to me; I listened to her.  We gave each other advice and we sought to understand each other.  We have grown so close because of those walks and I can't wait until school gets out next summer so we can continue that tradition every morning.  But for now, we find time in the morning before work or at night when the kids are in bed or we go a date and we talk and listen.  I have never felt more grateful for anyone than her.  I love her and am truly grateful for her.

Brother and sisters - please have gratitude in your hearts.  Strive to live a life of gratitude.  I know you will he happier and healthier if you do.

In the name of Jesus Christ - amen.

"Like" Stats on Apostles' Talks October 2014

10,000 bednar: come and see
9,700 holland: are we not all beggars?
8,100 uchtdorf: "lord, is it i?" (priesthood)
5,100 oaks: loving others and living with differences
4,700 uchtdorf: receiving a testimony of light and truth
4,100 ballard: stay in the boat and hold on!
4,000 christofferson: free forever, to act for themselves
3,800 uchtdorf: living the gospel joyful (women's meeting)
3,700 scott: make the exercise of faith your first priority
3,500 monson: ponder the path of thy feed
3,400 anderson: joseph smith
2,900 cook: choose wisely (priesthood)
2,800 perry: finding lasting peace and building eternal families
2,700 eyring: continuing revelation
2,400 packer: the reason of our hope
1,900 monson: guided safely home
1,600 nelson: sustaining the prophets
1,600 monson: until we meet again
1,100 eyring: the preparatory priesthood (priesthood)
1,000 monson: welcome to conference

i do this little stat check about a month after general conference.  in may, when i reviewed april data, there was no one talk over 8K likes.  for the october 2014 conference, there were 3 talks over 8K likes with bednar coming in at 10K likes.  last october, both uchtdorf and holland had 12K likes, but they were no where near that this year.

still, holland came in at #2 and all three of uchtdorf's talks were highly liked.

bednar's talk at 10K was surprising.

Love

Jesus taught, "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love they neighbour, and hate thine enemy.  But I say unto you, 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." (Matthew 5:43-44)

Concerning the two greatest commandments, he taught, "That shalt love the Lord they God with all they heart, and with all thy soul, and with all they mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love they neighbour as thyself."  (Matthew 22:37-39)

And lastly he taught, "This is my commandment, That ye love one another; as I have loved you.  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:12-13)

To summarize, we are to love our enemies like we love our neighbors.  We are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.  We are to love ourselves and our neighbors as Jesus loved his disciples and us.

"Like" Stats on Apostles' Talks April 2014

7,900+ uchtdorf: grateful in any circumstances
4,400+ holland: the cost and blessings of discipleship
2,900+ oaks: the keys and authority of the priesthood (priesthood)
2,400+ bednar: bear up their burdens with ease
1,700+ anderson: spiritual whirlwinds
1,600+ uchtdorf: are you sleeping through the restoration? (priesthood)
1,600+ monson: be strong and of a good courage (priesthood)
1,600+ monson: love - the essence of the gospel
1,400+ monson: welcome to conference
1,400+ christofferson: the resurrection of jesus christ
996 hales: if ye love me, keep my commandments
952 nelson: let your faith show
899 eyring: the priesthood man (priesthood)
893 packer: the witness
875 cook: roots and branches
847 scott: i have given you an example
790 ballard: following up
531 eyring: a priceless heritage of hope
489 perry: obedience through our faithfulness
90 monson: until we meet again

no surprise again - as uchtdorf and holland took #1 and #2 respectively.

there were no talks that surpassed the 10,000 like mark this time.  both october and april 2013 had at least one talk with more than 10K likes.

the other noteworthy item is oaks' talk which came in 3rd.  typically priesthood session talks do not crack the top 5, but given this was such a hot, hot topic, it registered pretty high.

a day of rest

in the history of the earth, there is one commandment that is older than all other commandments: that of keeping the sabbath day holy.  in fact, the sabbath as a rest day, is a concept that spans many, different religions.

i think back on my own life and have considered my parents' teachings and practices regarding sabbath rest.  i recall a time, when i was young, seeing the mall parking lot completely empty on sunday.  our church was located just across the street from the mall and so we could easily observe how quiet the mall was on sundays.  generally speaking, the whole town was quiet and peaceful on sunday.

as i grew older, sunday little league baseball games began to spring up.  i never played baseball due to this fact: that little league was played on sunday.

by the time i was in high school, sunday was nearly indistinguishable from saturday.  the mall was just as busy as saturday; the town was just as busy as weekdays; people were on the roads and going places.

but my family's traditions stayed the same.  we'd attend church on sunday.  after church, we either ate dinner or dessert at my grandparent's home or at my aunt's home.  my dad, sister and i would go on peaceful walks on the local community college campus.  if we weren't visiting friends, family or neighbors, we were sitting in the living room reading the newspaper or scriptures.  usually, we'd listen to quiet classical music all day long.  then at night, mom would make a small snack and my dad and i would settle into a nice game of chess.

i recall these times with fondness.  sunday truly was different than the other six days.  and when sunday was over, i was really ready for monday and the rest of the week.  my reserves were replenished and i felt motivated and eager.

however, i lament today's sundays.  two or three sundays each month are filled with meetings and busyness.  saturdays are so crammed, that we don't have time to prepare for the sabbath and therefore we are sleepy on sunday.  the kids expect to be entertained and if they aren't entertained, they expect to be able to bounce around and be loud.  if you lay down to take a nap, you are filled with excessive guilt for not doing something.  and when the evening finally comes, you still fill drained and you wish there were one more day between sunday and monday so that you could prepare for the work week.

where has the quiet gone?
where is the soft music?
where is the reverence?
where are the sacred sundays?
where are the gentle conversations?

it is a sad commentary, but sometimes i have mondays where there are no meetings and nothing on my calendar.  the quiet office is a refuge from the busy sunday and i look forward to getting through sunday to get to that monday.

The First Vision Series - Conclusions and Links

I've reviewed the major accounts of the First Vision.  There are other accounts, but for the most part, they repeat the accounts I reviewed.

What have I learned from all this?  I learned these things are certain.

I learned Joseph thought a lot about the eternities.

I learned there had to be a catalyst that drove him to seek God in prayer.

I learned Joseph experienced something profound in his teenage years.  He saw (either physically or in a vision), Jesus or God the Father or an angel or numerous angels or a combination of all of them.

I learned he was forgiven of his sins.

I learned Joseph took his spiritual salvation seriously - he did not leave it to chance or to any other man.

As a reference, I'll include some other summaries of the various accounts of the First Vision.  These do a great job listing the different accounts and how they differ.

Comparison of 9 First Vision Accounts
Primary Accounts of Joseph Smith's First Vision of Deity
Comparing Early Accounts of the First Vision

The First Vision Series - Orson Pratt, 1840

I've copied below the text from the Orson Pratt 1840 account.

When somewhere about fourteen or fifteen years old, he began seriously to reflect upon the necessity of being prepared for a future state of existence: but how, or in what way, to prepare himself, was a question, as yet, undetermined in his own mind: he perceived that it was a question of infinite importance, and that the salvation of his soul depended upon a correct understanding of the same. He saw, that if he understood not the way, it would be impossible to walk in it, except by chance; and the thought of resting his hopes of eternal life upon chance, or uncertainties, was more than he could endure. If he went to the religious denominations to seek information, each one pointed to its particular tenets, saying— “This is the way, walk ye in it;” (Isaiah 30:21) while, at the same time, the doctrines of each were, in many respects, in direct opposition to one another. It, also, occurred to his mind, that God was not the author of but one doctrine, and therefore could not acknowledge but one denomination as his church; and that such denomination must be a people, who believe, and teach, that one doctrine, (what ever it may be,) and build upon the same. He then reflected upon the immense number of doctrines, now, in the world, which had given rise to many hundreds of different denominations. The great question to be decided in his mind, was—if any one of these denominations be the Church of Christ, which one is it? Until he could become satisfied, in relation to this question, he could not rest contented. To trust to the decisions of fallible man, and build his hopes upon the same, without any certainty, and knowledge, of his own, would not satisfy the anxious desires that pervaded his breast. To decide, without any positive and definite evidence, on which he could rely, upon a subject involving the future welfare of his soul, was revolting to his feelings. The only alternative, that seemed to be left him, was to read the Scriptures, and endeavour to follow their directions. He, accordingly, commenced perusing the sacred pages of the Bible, with sincerity, believing the things that he read. His mind soon caught hold of the following passage:—“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”—James i. 5. From this promise he learned, that it was the privilege of all men to ask God for wisdom, with the sure and certain expectation of receiving, liberally; without being upbraided for so doing. This was cheering information to him: tidings that gave him great joy. It was like a light shining forth in a dark place, to guide him to the path in which he should walk. He, now, saw that if he inquired of God, there was, not only, a possibility, but a probability; yea, more, a certainty, that he should obtain a knowledge, which, of all the doctrines, was the doctrine of Christ; and, which, of all the churches, was the church of Christ. He, therefore, retired to a secret place, in a grove, but a short distance from his father’s house, and knelt down, and began to call upon the Lord. At first, he was severely tempted by the powers of darkness, which endeavoured to overcome him; but he continued to seek for deliverance, until darkness gave way from his mind; and he was enabled to pray, in fervency of the spirit, and in faith. And, while thus pouring out his soul, anxiously desiring an answer from God, he, at length, saw a very bright and glorious light in the heavens above; which, at first, seemed to be at a considerable distance. He continued praying, while the light appeared to be gradually descending towards him; and, as it drew nearer, it increased in brightness, and magnitude, so that, by the time that it reached the tops of the trees, the whole wilderness, for some distance around, was illuminated in a most glorious and brilliant manner. He expected to have seen the leaves and boughs of the trees consumed, as soon as the light came in contact with them; but, perceiving that it did not produce that effect, he was encouraged with the hopes of being able to endure its presence. It continued descending, slowly, until it rested upon the earth, and he was enveloped in the midst of it. When it first came upon him, it produced a peculiar sensation throughout his whole system; and, immediately, his mind was caught away, from the natural objects with which he was surrounded; and he was enwrapped in a heavenly vision, and saw two glorious personages, who exactly resembled each other in their features or likeness. He was informed, that his sins were forgiven. He was also informed upon the subjects, which had for some time previously agitated his mind, viz.—that all the religious denominations were believing in incorrect doctrines; and, consequently, that none of them was acknowledged of God, as his church and kingdom. And he was expressly commanded, to go not after them; and he received a promise that the true doctrine— the fulness of the gospel, should, at some future time, be made known to him; after which, the vision withdrew, leaving his mind in a state of calmness and peace, indescribable.

Commentary
This Orson Pratt account from 1840 is actually quite moving and flows very well.  It blends all the other versions so well.  This account flows so naturally too.  All the gaps and missing pieces from the other accounts seem to be filled by this account.

I underlined four sections above, which, to me, stand out significantly when the whole subject of the First Vision is considered.

The first section hits upon the notion of whether we put our trust in fallible men with regard to religion.  We learn from Orson Pratt's account that Joseph had tremendous anxiety about trusting in fallible men when his eternal salvation was at stake.  He wanted certainty in this regard.  As Pratt describes, Joseph wanted "positive and definitive evidence" regarding the welfare of his soul.  Without such evidence, he was "revolted."  Going back to what I tried to saw in a previous post - generally speaking, people don't have this anxiety any more.  And even if they do, that are almost always told to "have faith" and that their testimony does not depend on "definitive evidence."

The second section is a variation of this same thought.  Joseph felt confident in James 1:5.  He did not leave his testimony up for chance.  He went directly to The Source with a "sure and certain expectation" of getting knowledge.

The third section paints a very different picture than I had ever envisioned.  Pratt describes how the light appeared far off and as Joseph kept praying, the light got nearer.  In the other accounts, I always got the impression that the appearance was sudden.  But this account describes how it was gradual.  This description reminds me of how the Savior descended to the Nephites (3 Nephi 11:8).

Lastly, the fourth section describes the how the vision went from physical to spiritual.  This was very similar to Joseph's 1842 account where he said his "mind was taken away from the objects with which I was surrounded, and I was enwrapped in a heavenly vision."  Pratt fills in one small gap and notes how when the light came upon Joseph, it "produced peculiar sensation" before he was en-wrapped in a vision.

The First Vision Series - The 1842 Account

I've copied below the text of the 1842 account in order to more easily reference it and apply highlights.

When about fourteen years of age I began to reflect upon the importance of being prepared for a future state, and upon enquiring the plan of salvation I found that there was a great clash in religious sentiment; if I went to one society they referred me to one plan, and another to another; each one pointing to his own particular creed as the summum bonum of perfection: considering that all could not be right, and that God could not be the author of so much confusion I determined to investigate the subject more fully, believing that if God had a church it would not be split up into factions, and that if he taught one society to worship one way, and administer in one set of ordinances, he would not teach another principles which were diametrically opposed. Believing the word of God I had confidence in the declaration of James; “If any man lack wisdom let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him,” I retired to a secret place in a grove and began to call upon the Lord, while fervently engaged in supplication my mind was taken away from the objects with which I was surrounded, and I was enwrapped in a heavenly vision and saw two glorious personages who exactly resembled each other in features, and likeness, surrounded with a brilliant light which eclipsed the sun at noon-day. They told me that all religious denominations were believing in incorrect doctrines, and that none of them was acknowledged of God as his church and kingdom. And I was expressly commanded to “go not after them,” at the same time receiving a promise that the fulness of the gospel should at some future time be made known unto me.

The 1842 account is part of the Wentworth letter.  From the Wentworth letter we get our Articles of Faith as well as a well-known quote about missionary work ("no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing ...").  The letter is quite lengthy and gives a "sketch" of the rise of Mormonism.  As such, the account of the First Vision is quite brief and to the point.

Similarities
- the questioning of "right or wrong" of all the religions
- the seeking in the bible
- James 1:5
- he was 14
- went to a secret place in a grove
- two personages
- the light eclipsed the brightness of the noon-day sun
- the personages tell him all the religions believe in incorrect doctrines

Differences
- does not mention his tongue was bound; nor the part about the darkness
- how the two personages appear to him seems different.  In all the previous versions, a pillar of light or fire appears above his head.  In this version, however, he says "my mind was taken away from the objects with which I was surrounded."  When I read this, to me it seems the vision occurred in his mind (like a dream) as opposed to a physical visitation (via a pillar of light / fire).
- in the scriptural account, Joseph does not ask for forgiveness of his sins.  In the previous accounts he does ask for forgiveness.  In this 1842 account, he does not mention he asked for forgiveness.

The Wentworth version from 1842 is brief and to the point.  To me, the purpose of this account was to describe the history of the church at a high-level.  Therefore the account of the First Vision was fairly direct.  Other than the part about how the personages visited him, this account is not too different than our scriptural version.

The First Vision Series - The 1838 Account

The 1838 version is the the official, canonized version of the the First Vision.  This is the version I was taught as a child as well as the version I taught investigators of the Church for two years.

I won't discuss much about this version - this is the version by which I've compared the previous two versions.

The one thing I will comment on is the 'thick darkness' Joseph refers to in this version.  It was not mentioned in the 1832 or 1835 versions.  Although his tongue was bound in the 1835 version, he did not mention the darkness.  In this 1838 version, he talks of an "enemy" which "seized upon" him and "entirely overcame" him.  This influence has such a profound effect on him, that it binds his tongue.  Then "thick darkness gathered around" him and he feared that he would be destroyed.  His fear is so great he says, "I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction - not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being sent from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being."

Let me back up a bit.  I mentioned I was taught this version of the First Vision when I was a child.  But, for the most part, this bit about the "darkness" was usually left out or not discussed.  And if it was included in the lesson, it was quickly covered, so as not to dwell on the "enemy" so much.  Personally speaking, I was left with the impression that if we focused on this part too much, the same thing would happen to me.

Then, while as a missionary, whenever we taught the First Vision, we almost always left the "thick darkness" part out.  Or, if we did include it, we would not go into much detail about it - such as only mentioned his tongue was bound.

In Rough Stone Rolling, Bushman describes Joseph's "reluctance" in sharing the First Vision and that as he got more confident, he shared more details.

The 1838 version is very detailed and colorful when compared to the other versions.  I can see why this version would be the preferred version to include in the scriptures.