Power In the Priesthood

This is the message I wrote in our quorum newsletter for April:

We all hold the priesthood of God and have been ordained to an office in that priesthood. As priesthood holders we have been given the authority to act in the name of Christ to build up the kingdom of God and to bless the lives of His children, but what about power in the priesthood? Contrary to popular belief, the term authority and power are not interchangeable when it comes to the priesthood. Authority is the right to do something, whereas power is the ability to actually do it.

Last year President Packer made it clear that we need to develop greater power when he said the following, “We have done very well at distributing the authority of the priesthood. We have priesthood authority planted nearly everywhere. But distributing the authority of the priesthood has raced, I think, ahead of distributing the power of the priesthood. The priesthood does not have the strength that it should have and will not have until the power of the priesthood is firmly fixed in the families as it should be.”

The question then is how can we develop maximum individual power in the priesthood? Elder John H Groberg taught clearly how this is to be accomplished saying that, “While the power of the priesthood is unlimited, our individual power in the priesthood is limited by our degree of righteousness or purity. Only purity of hand, heart, and mind will allow us to tap into the ultimate power of the priesthood to truly bless others.” Elder Groberg makes reference to keeping our hearts, minds and hands pure. In other words, we are to control our feelings, thoughts and actions. Exercising self control in this manner to comply with God’s requirements is known as obedience. Righteousness and purity is the destination, obedience is the vehicle that will take us there.

So why is it critical to develop this power? It is not simply to bless the lives of others as one might suppose, although that is a part of it. It is critical that we go through the process of developing this power, because that process is what will ultimately help us to become like our Father in Heaven. Elder Bruce R McConkie taught this profound principle back in 1982 when he said, ““What, then, is the doctrine of the priesthood? It is that we have power, by faith, to govern and control all things, both temporal and spiritual; to work miracles and perfect lives; to stand in the presence of God and be like him because we have gained his faith, his perfections, and his power, or in other words the fullness of his priesthood .” When we gain the fullness of the priesthood, we will have become like our Heavenly Father and our Savior.

The main obstacle to our own obedience and therefore our power is pride. Sometimes we may feel that direction from priesthood leaders or commandments do not apply to us, as King Saul once did. At other times we may decide that a calling or assignment isn’t important enough, thus displaying an attitude similar to that of Naaman the Syrian. Whatever the reason for our disobedience, we must repent of our mistakes and be strictly obedient if we are to become powerful in the priesthood.

Obedience doesn’t have to be drudgery either. In fact, it is only through obedience that we are able to find true happiness. Consider the words of King Benjamin when he said, “I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.”

Knowing our happiness and progress is the end result, let us cheerfully do all we can to be strictly obedient to the voice of the Lord, for as President Benson once taught, “when obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment God will endow us with power.”

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Stake Conference Talk

Recently I had the opportunity to speak in the priesthood leadership session of stake conference. Preparing my remarks has taken up so much of my spare time, that I haven't posted anything new on this blog in a little while. Well, now that stake conference is over I plan to get back into the habit of posting every few days here.  I thought I would start by sharing my conference talk with all of you. I was assigned the topic of reactivating elders and working with prospective elders. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed preparing it.

In October of 1856 the Martin handcart company was struggling across the high plains of Wyoming. An early snow had blown in and temperatures plummeted under the fierce barrage of a cold north wind. The handcart pioneers continued to press forward in these terrible conditions for nearly a week, but the combination of bitterly cold temperatures and low rations soon took their toll, and the beleaguered group decided to pitch camp and wait for the weather to break. 

Little did these poor souls realize at the time, that help was already on the way. Several weeks earlier during general conference, president Brigham Young received a message detailing the distress of these saints and immediately called upon the assembled brethren to go to their rescue. His instructions included this powerful proclamation, 

I will tell you all that your faith, religion, and profession of religion, will never save one soul of you in the Celestial Kingdom of our God, unless you carry out just such principles as I am now teaching you. Go and bring in those people now on the plains.The brethren heeded the call, and help soon arrived.

The image of these pioneers moving across the stormy plains brings to mind another group of travelers. Those weary wanderers that Lehi saw in vision, who were attempting to traverse a “lone and dreary waste.” Like the pioneers of the Martin Handcart company, we find that these travelers are in serious trouble. A mist of darkness has set in, and many have lost their way and are wandering forbidden paths. Among those in distress are found many of our elders and prospective elders, and just as president Young issued a call to action so many years ago, living prophets and apostles today have issued similar calls with phrases like, “man down” and “to the rescue.”

The scriptures make it clear that it is not enough for us to merely attend to our own spiritual welfare. In the book of Ezekiel we read that the Lord is not pleased with his shepherds that feed only themselves while neglecting the flock. The record states: 

Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost.. (Ezekiel 34:2, 4)

Each of us by virtue of the priesthood we hold are shepherds in Israel. We were foreordained to hold the priesthood because of our desire to aid the Savior in saving souls. Alma taught of our foreordination recording that,

This is the manner after which they were ordained—being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works, …to teach his commandments unto the children of men, that they also might enter into his rest (Alma 13: 3,6)

Likewise, Elder John A Widstoe spoke of our foreordination at the Grand Council in heaven teaching that, 

Since the plan is intended for all men, we became parties to the salvation of every person under that plan. We agreed, right then and there, to be not only saviors for ourselves but measurably, saviors for the whole human family. The least of us, the humblest, is in partnership with the Almighty in achieving the purpose of the eternal plan of salvation.

Elder Holland echoed this thought in the February worldwide leadership broadcast when he said, “Salvation of family, salvation of individuals, salvation of every man, woman and child in the human family ­ -- that's our task. That's the scope of the Atonement.”

When viewed in the context of less active and prospective elders, these last two statements take on deeper meaning, for all elders are called to help others enter in to the rest of the Lord. Elder Bruce R McConkie taught that, 

Our great need, the charge that is laid upon us, is to perfect the elders so they can feed the flock, lest the sheep perish for want of the word of God. The number one need within the Church today is to reclaim the elders so they, in turn, can “feed the flock of God.

For the flock to be fed as the Lord intends, all elders and prospective elders must be reclaimed. None can be spared.

Our duty to reclaim these dear brethren is clear, but oftentimes the approach we are to use when undertaking this critical labor is not so clear. This is a spiritual work and as such, there is no special formula that will work in all cases. Prophets, however, have given us some guiding principles to follow. A rough outline if you will. President Gordon B Hinckley, for instance, taught us that everyone needs a friend, a responsibility and to be nourished by the good word of God. Let’s explore this timeless counsel in a little more depth.

A Friend

The Savior said, “I know my sheep, and am known of mine.” Can we say the same? Do we show genuine interest in and love for those we serve? Perhaps no better example exists of this principle than in the story of Ammon and Lamoni. Ammon’s steadfast friendship and service not only softened Lamoni’s heart, but also his father ‘s , who the Book of Mormon tells us was, “astonished exceedingly” by the love shown to his son by Ammon. This love had such an effect on the king that he granted Ammon and his brethren freedom to preach in all the lands of his kingdom and asked to be ministered to in his own house. How many thousands were brought to the knowledge of the truth because of the love and friendship extended by just one man? 

Recently in our ward, one of our brethren was involved in a terrible accident. This brother is a prospective elder and his wife was not a member of the church at the time, but due in large part to the kindnesses they were shown and the selfless service they received from the ward, she received a testimony of this work and was baptized. Now this wonderful family is actively participating in the church and preparing for the day they can enter the temple, there to be sealed for time and all eternity.

A Responsibility

In the handbook we read that,

In some wards, leaders rely repeatedly on a small group of people to give service in priesthood and auxiliary organizations. This can overburden the faithful few, and it can also deprive others of experiences that could help them learn and grow. Effective leaders give all members opportunities to serve.

Our returning elders and prospective elders need the learning and growth that priesthood service provides. They need meaningful assignments that allow them to serve others in a personal and tangible way. 

Last month on scout Sunday, the young men in our ward came to church wearing their scout uniforms. This allowed brethren of the Melchizedek priesthood the opportunity to bless and pass the sacrament. I felt prompted to invite a certain Elder to pass the sacrament. This good brother has struggled in his church activity and rarely attends our quorum meetings, yet after sacrament meeting he approached me and excitedly explained that he thought we should discuss the sacrament in quorum meeting, so that we would be better prepared next time we were called on to participate in that sacred ordinance. To my surprise and great joy he attended quorum meeting that day, and has continued to attend faithfully ever since. This wonderful brother felt the spirit as he exercised his priesthood in the Lord’s service and a change was wrought in his heart.

As leaders we must consider carefully what assignments must be fulfilled by us, and which assignments we can delegate to others. To you good Bishops, please start delegating more work to the elders quorum. Not only will your load be lightened, but many brethren will have the fire of testimony rekindled inside them as they serve under assignment from one holding priesthood keys. As Elder Christofferson said in the most recent worldwide leadership broadcast, “We’ve gone about as far as we can go on the backs of stake presidents and Bishops, we need the Melchizedek priesthood to be there in full force, to move to a new plateau and accomplish the things we must in the time we have.”

 I personally feel that the elders quorum is the most underutilized organization in the church. We are called to do more than simply help people move. This can only happen as our brethren learn how to use their priesthood. They can’t learn how to use it if they are never called upon to exercise it. Bishops….lean on your elders quorum presidents and elders quorum presidents…….exercise the keys you hold in delegating priesthood assignments to the brethren over whom you preside. Then ensure you receive an accounting for each assignment given.

Nourished 

The most effective way to nourish inactive or prospective elders is through the inspired program of Home Teaching. Elder Bruce R McConkie said that, 

we [must] use home teachers to do the things that by revelation they are commanded to do. Home teaching is one of the best resources in the Church. Home teachers visit in the homes of the members, watch over and strengthen the Saints, see that there is no iniquity in their lives, and see that all do their duties.

We must assign home teachers to these brethren that have the courage to do what is commanded in D&C section 20. We must also ensure that they are given opportunity to account for their stewardship regularly in priesthood interviews. As we have followed this process in our quorum, our home teaching success has increased dramatically and lives have been blessed.

Great is the task before us brethren and our call is no less urgent than the call to aid the Martin handcart company was. Comparing the handcart rescue to our day, Elder Holland said that,

As surely as the rescue of those in need was the general conference theme of October 1856, so too is it the theme of this conference and last conference and the one to come next spring.” And might I add, this stake conference. Elder Holland continues, “It may not be blizzards and frozen-earth burials that we face this conference, but the needy are still out there—the poor and the weary, the discouraged and downhearted, those “[falling] away into [the] forbidden paths” we mentioned earlier… They are all out there with feeble knees, hands that hang down, and bad weather setting in. They can be rescued only by those who have more and know more and can help more. And don’t worry about asking, “Where are they?” They are everywhere…Take your team and wagon; load it with your love, your testimony, and a spiritual sack of flour; then drive in any direction. The Lord will lead you to those in need if you will but embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ …. Open your heart and your hand to those trapped in the twenty-first century’s equivalent of Martin’s Cove and Devil’s Gate. In doing so we honor the Master’s repeated plea on behalf of lost sheep and lost coins and lost souls.

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One Climbs

I came across a blog that I have really enjoyed reading and I wanted to share it with anyone who comes here to read.

The author knows quite a bit about symbolism and I have really enjoyed reading his insightful posts.  Hopefully you will as well.

Click here to check it out

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At The Crossroads

He stood at the crossroads all alone,  The sunlight in his face;  He had no thought for an evil course,  He was set for a manly race.  But the road stretched east and the  road stretched west,  And he did not know which road  was the best;  So he took the wrong road and it lead  him down,  And he lost the race and the  victor's crown.  He was caught at last in an  angry snare  Because no one stood at the  crossroads there  To show him the better road.  Another day at the self-same place  A boy with high hopes stood;  He, too, was set for a manly race  He was seeking the things that  were good.  And one was there who the roads  did know,  And that one showed him the  way to go;  So he turned away from the road  leading down,  And he won the race and the  victor's crown;  He walks today on the highways fair  Because one stood at the  crossroads there  To show him a better road.  -Sadie Tiller Crawley Last Sunday our sacrament meeting program was put on by the scouting organization and young men's presidency. In one of the discourses this poem was shared and it touched me. It brought to remembrance my own youth and the people that have stood at the crossroads during critical points in my life. There is one man in particular, serving as the young men's president at the time, who had an immeasurable impact on the direction my life would take. I was at a juncture in my life where I needed to develop my own testimony, or risk falling away from the gospel. Living on the borrowed light of my parents was no longer an option, and each day of doubt found me a little further away from the Savior. During this time of spiritual difficulty and indecision I became apathetic toward the church. I failed to take my priesthood duties seriously and began to volunteer to work on Sundays. I made poor choices in everything from music to friends and found myself slowly slipping away from safe harbor. I stood, as it were, on the edge of a knife and all it would have taken is a slight push in the wrong direction for my life to unravel. That push came one cold December night when I was 16 years old. That fateful evening at a ward function, I had a disagreement with the bishopric. While the particulars are no longer important, it is enough to say that I felt I had been wronged, and left the function in anger. I allowed that anger to surge within me, reveling in the betrayal I felt had occurred at the hands of these figures of ecclesiastical authority. How could I believe in a church whose authority figures I couldn't trust? I felt the light of testimony extinguishing within me. Cold darkness was displacing the warmth I had once felt. Little did I know that at that very moment, the Lord had already dispatched one of his shepherds to rescue me. This dear young men's president, anxious for my wellbeing and fearing the damage caused might be irreparable, was prompted to leave his family at the ward function and come in search of me. I'm sure it would have been easy to brush aside his prompting. He could have rationalized that it was not his place, or that waiting a few days might be best. He could have given the excuse that he needed to stay with his family or that my parents should be the ones to go, but the Lord had called him to aid one of His children in desperate need and this humble servant would not betray that sacred trust. He got in his car and spent hours driving around the town where we lived trying to find me. Eventually after a long search he did find me, and that incident marked a turning point for me. Our relationship would never be the same again. I felt this was a man I could trust. His love and concern for me were palpable and even though I didn't recognize it then, I came to realize later that what I felt emanating from this good man was the pure love of the Savior. I knew without a doubt that this brother would never give up on me, that he would walk into the very jaws of hell if necessary to rescue me from danger. The Spirit touched my heart that night and softened it, not because of what this brother said to me, but because of his example and what I felt in his presence. By the power of the priesthood he parried a terrible blow the adversary had aimed at one of his young charges. My spiritual wounds began to heal after that night. I began to participate more fully in the activities of the church. I started to pray and study the scriptures. I was even given a calling that provided opportunities for growth and service. During this whole time, my faithful friend was always there to offer positive encouragement. In fact, I don't ever recall hearing a critical word fall from his lips, though my actions and attitude no doubt merited criticism on occasion. He truly understood that, "No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile." (D&C 121: 41-42) Because he was there at the crossroads when I needed guidance, I was able to make course corrections in my life. I was privileged to receive my endowment and serve the people of Argentina as a full time missionary. I was blessed to marry my sweetheart in the temple for time and all eternity. Because he honored his priesthood and loved the Lord enough to reach out to a wayward youth, my life is so different from what it could have been. So thank you my friend for your Christ-like service. Thank you for being worthy and willing to heed a prompting of the Spirit. I will forever be grateful to you.

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The Great and Abominable Church: Part 1

In some of the earliest chapters of the Book of Mormon, Nephi sees in vision the formation of the church of the devil. He uses various names to describe this organization including the church of the devil, the great and abominable church and the whore of all the earth. He goes into great detail when speaking about this organization. Nephi includes this vision in his record for our benefit. His people never had the Book of Mormon. He knew it would be critical for us to recognize and avoid deception at the hands of all entities which comprise the church of the devil. If we are unable to do so, we will be grasped with the devil's awful chains. (2 Nephi 28:22) One way that Nephi helps us to recognize and understand the church of the devil is to explain its goals. Understanding the goals of this organization is a key to combating it. Nephi explains its goals as follows:

• To torture and slay the saints of God (1 Nephi 13:5) 
• To yoke the saints and bring them into captivity (1 Nephi 13:5) 
• Material gain (1 Nephi 13:8) 
• Sexual sin (1 Nephi 13:8) 
• Praise of the world (1 Nephi 13:9) 

Over the next few days we will take a closer look at each of these goals and the means used by the devil to accomplish them. Doing so will arm us against the deceptions that, if not identified, will surely lead to our destruction.

Torture and Slaying of the Saints

The physical oppression, torture and martyrdom of those who try and follow the Savior, both in ancient and modern times, is a historical fact. We have record of these occurrences and will continue to see the fulfillment of this prophecy in the future. Now is the great day of the devils power and as the gulf dividing evil from good continues to grow ever wider, the persecutions against the humble followers of Christ will increase in intensity. Elder Bruce R McConkie has taught in his work Mormon Doctrine that, "where the gospel is, there will be opposition and persecution, for Lucifer will not stand idly by while the work of God rolls forward. Hence, the saints have been tormented, pushed about, persecuted, reviled."

Physical death and other forms of persecution however, are not the most terrible threats facing us. The Savior himself taught, "He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." (Matt 10:39) Speaking of the martyrs at Ammonihah, Alma teaches that, "the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day." (Alma 14:11) The Lord also has promised us that , "it shall come to pass that those that die in me shall not taste of death, for it shall be sweet unto them; And they that die not in me, wo unto them, for their death is bitter." (D&C 42: 46-47)

One of the tools used by Satan to thwart our progress is fear. This fear takes many forms. Fear of death, fear of those we deem our enemies and many other manifestations. Our own self love can be a hindrance and a sin if not kept in the proper perspective. The Lord however, has prepared us to withstand the buffetings of the adversary and maintain faith in the face of the terrors and persecutions that will be unleashed by the acolytes of the church of the devil. What are some of these terrors? The Lord has said that, "the enemy in the secret chambers seeketh [our] lives." (D&C 38:28) Citing this verse during the October general conference in 1946, Elder Joseph L Wirthlin explained the following:

I am sure that this revelation, brothers and sisters, pertains to this day and to this time. While our attention is attracted to foreign countries where there have been wars and where there are still wars, there are within the very borders of this great republic those who would change our form of government and who would force upon us the same type of government that Lucifer advocated in the councils of heaven.

One of the ways the members of the church of the devil will try to destroy us is through the force of government. Governments have been responsible for more deaths throughout history than any other organization. It is naive to believe that Satan has abandoned this method of wreaking havoc in the lives of God's children. Those who have been to the temple should know better. The Lord clearly explains, "I tell you these things....that you might escape the power of the enemy...wherefore...you shall be endowed with power from on high." (D&C 38:30-32) Those who have been endowed with power from on high should not be deceived by the cunning wiles of the devil in this regard.

Our trust in government at times becomes reckless and idolatrous. Our fear of those we call enemies clouds our judgment to the point we loose sight of the real enemies of God and allow our diligence in building up the kingdom of God to slacken in order to pursue foreign wars and other ill-advised policies. The Lord stresses the idea that we should worry more about our own beams, and less about the motes of his other children when he says, "ye hear of wars in far countries, and you say that there will soon be great wars in far countries, but ye know not the hearts of men in your own land." (D&C 38:29) President Kimball forcefully taught this on one occasion declaring that,

We are a warlike people, easily distracted from our assignment of preparing for the coming of the Lord. When enemies rise up, we commit vast resources to the fabrication of gods of stone and steel -- ships, planes, missiles, fortifications -- and depend on them for protection and deliverance. When threatened, we become antienemy instead of pro-kingdom of God; we train a man in the art of war and call him a patriot, thus, in the manner of Satan's counterfeit of true patriotism, perverting the Savior's teaching:

'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; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven' (Matthew 5:44-45)

We forget that if we are righteous the Lord will either not suffer our enemies to come upon us -- and this is the special promise to the inhabitants of the land of the Americas (see 2 Nephi 1:7) -- or he will fight our battles for us (Exodus 14:14; D&C 98:37, to name only two references of many). (The False Gods We Worship, Ensign, June 1976)

He continues by asking us to forsake our fear and do the Lord's work:

What are we to fear when the Lord is with us? Can we not take the Lord at his word and exercise a particle of faith in him? Our assignment is affirmative: to forsake the things of the world as ends in themselves; to leave off idolatry and press forward in faith; to carry the gospel to our enemies, that they might no longer be our enemies. 

The whole article is worth reading and can be found here.

So government is one of the main vehicles that has been used by the devil, and will continue to be used by the devil to torture and slay the saints of God, along with other innocents. Government was the force used to murder millions of dissidents in the Soviet Union and Mao's China. Government was the force used to murder millions of Jews during Hitler's rule in Nazi Germany. Government was the force used to crucify the Savior, slay the innocent in Ammoniah, create an extermination order against the saints in Missouri and  will continue to be used by the adversary as he attempts to supplant agency with tyranny.

Do we always recognize luciferian principles being advocated by our own government? When we speak of our constitutional government, we tend to compare ourselves with Captain Moroni and his people or the sons of Helaman, but the reality is that we have far more in common with the people of King Noah who were, incidentally, responsible for the torturous slaying of the prophet Abinadi.

The people of King Noah became idolatrous because they were misled by their leaders:

Yea, and they also became idolatrous, because they were deceived by the vain and flattering words of the king and priests; for they did speak flattering things unto them. (Mosiah 11:7)

They were taxed heavily, and their taxes were used to support iniquity:

And he laid a tax of one fifth part of all they possessed, a fifth part of their gold and of their silver, and a fifth part of their ziff, and of their copper, and of their brass and their iron; and a fifth part of their fatlings; and also a fifth part of all their grain.

Yea, and thus [the rulers] were supported in their laziness, and in their idolatry, and in their whoredoms, by the taxes which king Noah had put upon his people; thus did the people labor exceedingly to support iniquity. (Mosiah 11: 3,6)

The people engaged in all manner of sexual sin and substance abuse:

For behold, he did not keep the commandments of God, but he did walk after the desires of his own heart. And he had many wives and concubines. And he did cause his people to commit sin, and do that which was abominable in the sight of the Lord. Yea, and they did commit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness.

And it came to pass that he planted vineyards round about in the land; and he built wine-presses, and made wine in abundance; and therefore he became a wine-bibber, and also his people. (Mosiah 11: 2, 15)

The people prepared for war, delighted in bloodshed and boasted of their strength:

And king Noah sent guards round about the land to keep them off; but he did not send a sufficient number, and the Lamanites came upon them and killed them, and drove many of their flocks out of the land; thus the Lamanites began to destroy them, and to exercise their hatred upon them.

And it came to pass that king Noah sent his armies against them, and they were driven back, or they drove them back for a time; therefore, they returned rejoicing in their spoil.

And now, because of this great victory they were lifted up in the pride of their hearts; they did boast in their own strength, saying that their fifty could stand against thousands of the Lamanites; and thus they did boast, and did delight in blood, and the shedding of the blood of their brethren, and this because of the wickedness of their king and priests. (Mosiah 11: 17-19)

So what are we to do? We need to stop supporting the goals of the great and abominable church and spread the gospel more vigorously. (Alma 31:5) We need to focus on the conversion of our enemies as the sons of Mosiah did. We need to be politically active, always making sure to understand and support correct principles of government. We need to avoid the mistakes made by the people of Noah and support righteous leaders. (D&C 98:9)

We must recognize agency as a sacred gift from God and do all in our power to avoid participating in the tyrannical abuse of another's agency. That is Satan's plan. It has not changed from his rebellion at the council in Heaven. Only now, instead of using force to reclaim us, he desires to use force to destroy us. Let us make sure we are not inadvertently worshiping at the alter of force in the devil's church. Let us remember Moroni's stark warning to us:

Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain—and the work, yea, even the work of destruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be.

Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up.

For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies; even that same liar who beguiled our first parents, yea, even that same liar who hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning; who hath hardened the hearts of men that they have murdered the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning. (Ether 8: 23-25)

It's not too late.  We can learn from past mistakes.  We can avoid participation in any of the schemes of the devil's church and his secret combinations. If we do nothing, or unknowingly build up and support such evil, the blood of those martyred by these combinations will cry for vengeance against us. 

In part two of this series we will discuss the second goal of the church of the devil as witnessed by Nephi. The goal of yoking the saints and binding them down in captivity.

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Is It Such A Fast I Have Chosen?

Often the word fasting conjures memories of growling stomachs, odd testimonies we’ve heard on the church’s monthly version of open-mike night, or the petitions we’ve occasionally offered in unison with family or ward members for some mutual desire. Even when we focus on the generally taught and accepted purposes of fasting, we still miss the point of this beautiful church ordinance. Yes. I said ordinance.

As a missionary I heard it taught that prayer was like sending a letter to God while fasting was like sending a telegram (or to modernize, an email). Over the years, I’ve also heard fasting presented as a means of self-mastery, a way to make learn to control appetites and passions by subjecting the body to the will of the spirit. But treating a fast as little more than a hunger strike to get God’s attention or an effort to exert willpower, it still underselling this powerful act. And more importantly, it isn’t what God asks.

Like many modern Christians, ancient Israel had trouble understanding the concept of fasting. Thankfully, the words of the Lord to Isaiah offer a clarity that is just as profound today as it was then.

Let’s take a look at Isaiah 58:

1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.

The voice of the Lord commands the prophet to show Israel her transgression. Did you realize that improper fasting was a transgression? Kind of makes you want to know a little bit more about how to fast correctly, doesn’t it?

2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.

There are several interesting points in this verse. First the Lord explains that Israel delights to know the ways of God and to know of Him as if they were a righteous nation. In other words, her rabbis studied the law, her priests performed the ordinances, and from the outside everything looked like they were on the right path. They even kept the ordinance of fasting and took pleasure in approaching God or looking like God’s people. But we know from verse 1, that they have transgressed. Let’s see how:

3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.

The Israelites saw fasting as a means to get God’s attention and they see fasting as a means of afflicting their souls for righteousness sake. Is any of this sounding uncomfortably familiar? Then they want to know why God is “seeing” these acts of tummy-rumbling sacrifice and rewarding them with the fulfillment of their petitions.

4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.

Beginning in verse 3, the Lord explains the flaws in their fasts. First, they pleasure in their fast, or in other words, they fast for their own righteousness sake. Second, they exact all their labors. In this sense, exacting means that they inflict travail on others or exact all that they believe is their just due from others. They are unmerciful lords and unjust stewards. The condemnation continues in verse 4, where the Lord explains that they fast for strife and debate and to smite the fist with wickedness. These are acts to be seen of men, ordinances to be explored and dissected in theological debate. They are not true fasts. Finally, the Lord says that fasting is not for the purpose of making your voice heard on high. We do not fast so God will give us what we want!

5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?

These kinds of fasts are not what the Lord desires. He never intended our fasts to be hunger strikes or acts of public suffering and contrition. His questions here are haunting. How dare we call this a fast.

6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

And now that we have been humbled by His condemnation of our flawed ritualization of the ordinance of fasting, He tenderly explains the law. His fast, He says tenderly, is to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo heavy burdens, to free the oppressed, and to break every yoke.

We loose the bands of wickedness when we free those whom we oppress by our need for justice. When we forgive those who’ve offended. We undo heavy burdens when we care for the poor, the needy, the mourning, the afflicted, the imprisoned. We break yokes, when we abandon the unrealistic expectations we bind to each other and allow the atonement free reign in our lives. This is the Lord’s fast. “To preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:1-3)

Is your fast an effort to reconcile all men to God through the atonement of Christ? Who have you forgiven before you approach the Lord with an empty stomach? Who have you comforted? Relieved? Freed? Fed?

7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

Is your fast an act of pure religion or is paying a fast offering an afterthought? Does it go without thought at all, a mere administrative act of religiosity carried out with pen and grey enveloped form? Does it hurt? Is it a true sacrificial offering? Is your fast about counting the pennies that you would actually use for two meals or do you count it a divine privilege to consecrate a meaningful donation to feed the hungry and clothe the naked? And do you use this fast to draw close to your family and relatives? Do you offer comfort and aid to those in your own house who are captive temporally and spiritually?

A different fast emerges as we analyze Isaiah’s words. A tender fast. A consecrated fast. A fast that seeks to exalt others at the abasement of the individual. Indeed, this is the fast that the Lord designed. When such a fast is offered, as it was in Gethsemane and on Golgatha, the blessings rain down upon us unrestrained.

8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward.

The Lord’s fast exalts the individual and brings health. These promises are eternal and relate to the blessings of godhood. As we receive “health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones” (Proverbs 3:8), we become as our Father in Heaven. The lifeless idols of this world have mouths, but speak not: and having eyes, see not: having ears and noses, hear not nor smell. Their hands do not handle, their feet do not walk and their throat allows for no speech. (Proverbs 115:5-7) By contrast, those who live the Lord’s fast of freely forgiving, charitably giving, and consecrating their lives to the salvation of God’s children enjoy eternal life or as Job describes it “bones moistened with marrow”. (Job 21:24)

9 Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;

Only this kind of fast promises the Lord’s quick response. When we do His will and work for His glory, He unfailingly responds. If we refuse to burden our brethren with our own need for justice and stop pointing fingers to satisfy our vain need for compensation when we’ve been injured but instead work to save all men, even those who would crucify us, then “the LORD shall answer”!

10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:

When we live the Lord’s fast and follow His selfless example, descending to be raised up, freely imparting of our substance, and making all men our joint-heirs, we are filled with eternal and endless light. Truth and knowledge, the light of God, is our holy habitation.

11 And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

And we will walk with God. He will guide us, satisfy us, nourish us, until like He, we become a well of living water which never fails.

12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

The Lord's final promise is perhaps the most beautiful of all. Our efforts to magnify His work and glory, to save and serve, to feed and comfort, to lift our brethren will rebuild the waste places. This telestial wasteland will again bloom into a garden sweet, a godly paradise is created by those whose lives are offered in a godly fast. Our true fast raises up generations as we create dominion through virtue and love unfeigned, through pure religion and undefiled, and we are called the repairer of the breach.

A breach is a gulf and there is one that is fixed between God and the wicked. Repairing that breach, becoming the one through whom others find salvation, being a savior on Mt. Zion to the living and the dead exalts the one who lives a true fast. As we restore the path for others, those who walk the paths we restore and cross the breach we repair will rise up and call us Blessed. This is the creation of everlasting dominion described in the last few verses of D&C 121. A true fast is the path to godliness!

Just as tithing foreshadows consecration, our current practice of fasting is only a type and shadow of a beautiful principle eternal principle. May skipping two meals and a meager donation to the poor suffice only to remind us of the true fast we strive to live every day of our lives.

Catherine Larsen

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Snippets

I've decided that I want to keep track of my daily scripture study, so I'm going to start a sort of study log under the label "Snippets". I'll spend the next few days commenting on themes developed in 1 Nephi chapters thirteen and fourteen, because that is where I am currently reading in the Book of Mormon. In particular I would like to take a closer look at the great and abominable church.

What are it's goals? What means does it use to accomplish those goals? And most importantly, how can we recognize and combat this organization?

If you are interested in taking a detailed look at the Book of Mormon, chapter by chapter, then snippets is the label for you.

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What is Church Ball?

It is four, six minute quarters played according to high school rules. It is a group of generally overweight, overly geared, and overly hairy men attempting to show everyone else exactly why they were selected for the Junior Jazz all star team way back in sixth grade. The cliche often used to describe Church sponsored basketball is, "the brawl that starts with a prayer". Yes, men tend to take their Church ball seriously. Emotions run high when one is vying for stake and region dominance.

However, despite it's well earned reputation as an outlet for old burnouts to relive the glory days of their youth (you know, when they should have made the high school team if it wasn't for all the "politics"), there is something else going on underneath the surface of Church basketball. Something wonderful..

Take my team for example. So far this season we have lost all four games we have played. Well actually, a better description would be that we have been demolished in all four games by upwards of thirty points. Now anyone who knows me is well aware of the fact that I don't like to lose, and if I lose it better not be by a thirty point margin. Couple this with the painful remembrance that two years ago we fielded one of the best teams in the stake, routinely beating our opponents by thirty points a night and you may understandably ask, why do I keep going back when I know a good drubbing awaits?

The truth is I go back because I have discovered the wonderful secret behind Church Ball. The secret is that it exists to bring people to Christ.

Allow me to explain.

If you take a quick glance at our team roster you will find the names of four inactive brethren (two are prospective elders) and one non-member. I challenge you to name any other meeting or activity in the entire Church where that same demographic can be found. I bet you can't find even one. So although two years ago our team might have been one of the best in the stake, that team consisted of only active brethren. As far as I am concerned the trade off is a good one.

So again let us reconsider the question, what is Church ball? It is an opportunity to participate in the mission of the church, perfecting the saints and proclaiming the gospel. It is a chance to form friendships and build trust with individuals that might not have any other contact with the Church. It is a chance to exemplify what it means to be a priesthood holder and a disciple of Christ.

Sure there will always be the showboaters and guys yelling at the referees. There will always be those that take the game far too seriously. On the other hand though, there will always be opportunities to reach out to our brethren and fellowship them as Christ would. So the next time you find yourself suited up in your Micheal Jordans and sweat bands, throwing elbows in the middle of a rugby-esque scrum for the ball, remember what the purpose of Church ball really is, and try not to draw any blood.

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The Sociopolitical Message of the Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon is truly an amazing book. Within its pages is the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith taught that the Book of Mormon is the "most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book" (TPJS, 194). That statement alone should be motivation enough to encourage serious study of the book, yet Joseph wasn't alone in reinforcing the importance of this book. Prophets both ancient and modern, as well as the Lord himself have testified of the importance of this work.

For instance, on one occasion the Lord stated that,

your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—

Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.

And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.

And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written— (D&C 84:54-57)

It is interesting that the Lord states we are under condemnation, not necessarily because we have trouble talking about the Book of Mormon, but because we seem to struggle actually doing what it teaches. In my opinion this difficulty in doing stems primarily from two prevalent attitudes. First, we tend to liken all the positive teachings to ourselves and liken all the warnings and corrections to those outside of the Church. Second, I feel that sometimes we view the Book of Mormon simply as a collection of spiritual stories or a historical record whose teachings bear merely a vague, symbolic relation to ourselves. If we view the Book of Mormon in this light and fail to see the very real application that its teachings can have in our lives, we miss out on one of the greatest benefits that this book has to offer.

One of the keys to understanding the Book of Mormon is to realize that it was written for our day. It was meant to be interpreted in the context of latter day events.  President Benson explained it this way:

The second great reason why we must make the Book of Mormon a center focus of study is that it was written for our day. The Nephites never had the book; neither did the Lamanites of ancient times. It was meant for us. Mormon wrote near the end of the Nephite civilization. Under the inspiration of God, who sees all things from the beginning, he abridged centuries of records, choosing the stories, speeches, and events that would be most helpful to us.

Each of the major writers of the Book of Mormon testified that he wrote for future generations.

He continues with this wonderful explanation of all we have to gain from studying the Book of Mormon:

If they saw our day and chose those things which would be of greatest worth to us, is not that how we should study the Book of Mormon? We should constantly ask ourselves, “Why did the Lord inspire Mormon (or Moroni or Alma) to include that in his record? What lesson can I learn from that to help me live in this day and age?”

And there is example after example of how that question will be answered. For example, in the Book of Mormon we find a pattern for preparing for the Second Coming. A major portion of the book centers on the few decades just prior to Christ’s coming to America. By careful study of that time period, we can determine why some were destroyed in the terrible judgments that preceded His coming and what brought others to stand at the temple in the land of Bountiful and thrust their hands into the wounds of His hands and feet.

From the Book of Mormon we learn how disciples of Christ live in times of war. From the Book of Mormon we see the evils of secret combinations portrayed in graphic and chilling reality. In the Book of Mormon we find lessons for dealing with persecution and apostasy. We learn much about how to do missionary work. And more than anywhere else, we see in the Book of Mormon the dangers of materialism and setting our hearts on the things of the world. Can anyone doubt that this book was meant for us and that in it we find great power, great comfort, and great protection?

See the full article here

How to prepare for the Second Coming, how to live in times of war and instability, how to recognize and defeat secret combinations, how to deal with persecution and apostasy, how to overcome materialism......no wonder we are so strongly encouraged to study this work. The Book of Mormon presents real solutions to all of the most serious problems plaguing us in these latter days. As President Hinckley said, it is as current as the morning newspaper.

It is clear that President Benson supported a very practical application of the Book of Mormon to not only our spiritual concerns, but our temporal concerns as well.  In fact, we find him on another occasion teaching that,

We have not been using the Book of Mormon as we should. Our homes are not as strong unless we are using it to bring our children to Christ. Our families may be corrupted by worldly trends and teachings unless we know how to use the book to expose and combat the falsehoods in socialism, organic evolution, rationalism, humanism and so forth........And our nation will continue to degenerate unless we read and heed the words of the God of this land, Jesus Christ, and quit building up and upholding the secret combinations which the Book of Mormon tells us proved the downfall of both previous American civilizations. (A witness and a Warning, p.6)

Yes the Book of Mormon is meant to bring us to Christ, but it is also meant to serve as our main weapon in combating the social and political evils of our time.The fact that such social and political messages were included by Mormon and Moroni in their inspired compilation should give us pause.  The inclusion of such material is an indication that they knew we would live in a time of great confusion, a time when even the very elect would be deceived without the judicious use of the Book of Mormon. In fact, Moroni gives us one of the most strongly worded rebukes in all scripture due to our failure to heed the message.  He states,

Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.

And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts.

For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.

O ye pollutions, ye hypocrites, ye teachers, who sell yourselves for that which will canker, why have ye polluted the holy church of God? Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies—because of the praise of the world?

Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not?

Yea, why do ye build up your secret abominations to get gain, and cause that widows should mourn before the Lord, and also orphans to mourn before the Lord, and also the blood of their fathers and their husbands to cry unto the Lord from the ground, for vengeance upon your heads?

Behold, the sword of vengeance hangeth over you; and the time soon cometh that he avengeth the blood of the saints upon you, for he will not suffer their cries any longer. (Mormon 8:35-41)

He saw our day.  He saw the secret combinations we would build up for gain. He witnessed our ascension in the pride cycle and testified that the sword of vengeance would hang over our heads. The good news is however, that we can avert the impending crisis foreseen by Moroni if we will just use the Book of Mormon to understand and combat these evils.

In the coming weeks and months in the politics 101 feature, we will use the Book of Mormon as a basis of study for some of the very dangers foreseen by Moroni and discussed by ancient and modern prophets. It is my hope that such a study will arm us against the doubt and confusion the adversary hopes to instill in our hearts.

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Stand By Him

Knowing the time drew near in which he would be betrayed, abandoned and crucified, Jesus informed his disciples they would flee and leave him alone saying, “all ye shall be offended because of me this night”. Peter undaunted, emphatically protested, “though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.” (Matt 26:31;33)

The Savior, gently but firmly corrected his zealous disciple declaring, "verily I say unto thee, that this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice". Peter however, continued to confidently assure the Lord of his faithfulness replying, "though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee". (Matt 26:34-35)

Later that night when the Savior was arrested and taken before the High Priest Caiaphas, Peter followed at a distance and mingled with those outside the palace, waiting to see the outcome of the Savior’s trial. When recognized and confronted he denied the Lord three separate times proclaiming, “I know not the man”. The scriptures then tell us that Peter, "remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly." (Matt 26:74-75)

Elder Gordon B Hinckley recounting this sad tale said,

What pathos there is in those words! Peter, affirming his loyalty, his determination, his resolution, said that he would never deny. But the fear of men came upon him and the weakness of his flesh overtook him, and under the pressure of accusation, his resolution crumbled. Then, recognizing his wrong and weakness, “he went out, and wept.”

He continues with this observation:

As I have read this account my heart goes out to Peter. So many of us are so much like him. We pledge our loyalty; we affirm our determination to be of good courage; we declare, sometimes even publicly, that come what may we will do the right thing, that we will stand for the right cause, that we will be true to ourselves and to others.

Then the pressures begin to build. Sometimes these are social pressures. Sometimes they are personal appetites. Sometimes they are false ambitions. There is a weakening of the will. There is a softening of discipline. There is capitulation. And then there is remorse, self-accusation, and bitter tears of regret.

See the full article here.

Each of us has been guilty at one time or another of denying the Savior. Whether we succumb to social pressures, personal appetites, or prideful ambition, our acts of sin cause us to break our baptismal covenant to "always remember him". The good news is however that like Peter, we too may rise above our past failures and through repentance, become the disciples the Lord would have us be.

Peter's bitter tears were not without purpose. Because of the remorse and disappointment he felt there began to form within Peter a new resolve. The resolve that never again would he leave his Lord to stand alone. Never again would he allow the weakness of his flesh to overpower the noble desires of his spirit.

Peter was true to this new resolve, boldly declaring the gospel message before the world. Several weeks later after the day of Pentecost, Peter and John were arrested for healing a lame man and brought before some of the same men that had delivered the Savior to be crucified. In this terrifying situation, when asked by what power they had healed the lame man Peter fearlessly declared, “By the name of Jesus Christ…whom ye crucified…doth this man stand before you whole.” (Acts 4:8-12)

Peter’s contrition, as well as his devotion were complete. Never again would he deny the Lord, even when his path of discipleship eventually led to martyrdom. Tradition holds that Peter, not presuming to be compared with his Master, requested that his murderers crucify him upside down. May we follow Peter’s example and as Elder Holland has taught, “stand by Jesus Christ 'at all times and in all things, and in all places that [we] may be in, even until death', for surely that is how He stood by us when it was unto death and when He had to stand entirely and utterly alone.”

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Bring Forth Zion

The Lord has given us the commandment to “seek to bring forth and establish… Zion” (D&C 14:6). In order to accomplish this we must have a clear understanding of what Zion is and what steps we must take in order to establish it.

Zion is heaven on earth. It is a group of our Heavenly Father’s children living together in perfect unity and righteousness. In fact the Lord has said that, “Zion cannot be built up unless it is by the principles of the law of the celestial kingdom; otherwise I cannot receive her unto myself” (D&C 105:1-6). Zion is celestial in nature.

Groups of faithful saints throughout history have succeeded in building Zion societies, the most well known of which is the city of Enoch. Speaking of this city Moses tells us, “the Lord called his people ZION, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them (Moses:7:18). Elder Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve has taught here that this verse contains three keys for establishing Zion; namely unity, holiness, and caring for the poor.

The first key is unity. Speaking of unity Elder Christofferson teaches the following:

As we consider the unity required for Zion to flourish, we should ask ourselves if we have overcome jarrings, contentions, envyings, and strifes (see D&C 101:6). Are we individually and as a people free from strife and contention? ..... Forgiveness of one another is essential to this unity. Jesus said, “I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men” (D&C 64:10).

Apparently forgiveness is one of the keys to unity.  The Prophet Joseph Smith taught this principle clearly stating,

If you do not accuse each other, God will not accuse you. If you have no accuser you will enter heaven, and if you will follow the revelations and instructions which God gives you through me, I will take you into heaven as my back load. If you will not accuse me, I will not accuse you. If you will throw a cloak of charity over my sins, I will over yours—for charity covereth a multitude of sins. (Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7 vols. 4:445)

It would seem then that Zion is not created among mortals because of their perfections, but rather because of their willingness to overlook and forgive the imperfections of one another. This kind of charity does not come easily and must be sought for with unwavering diligence.

The second key is holiness. On the topic of holiness Elder Christofferson offers some interesting insight and poses a poignant question:

The Savior was critical of some of the early Saints for their “lustful … desires” (D&C 101:6; see also D&C 88:121). These were people who lived in a non-television, non-film, non-Internet, non-iPod world. In a world now awash in sexualized images and music, are we free from lustful desires and their attendant evils?

 Are we? It should be obvious to us all that living in a corrupt and decaying culture and being constantly bombarded with evil desensitizes us to a certain extent. The only refuge we have is in obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The only chance we have at surviving these spiritual perils is to put on the whole armor of God...and keep it on.

Now related to lustful desires of the flesh is the lust for money. Brigham Young once said he feared the saints would have more trouble with riches than persecution, which is probably why unselfishly caring for the poor is the third key to establishing Zion. Following is the statement from Brigham Young:

The worst fear that I have about this people is that they will get rich in this country, forget God and His people, wax fat, and kick themselves out of the Church and go to hell. This people will stand mobbing, robbing, poverty, and all manner of persecution, and be true. But my greatest fear for them is that they cannot stand wealth; and yet they have to be tried with riches, for they will become the richest people on this earth" (Brigham Young, reported in James S. Brown, Life of a Pioneer [1900], 122-23)

Elder Christofferson seems to fear the effects that wealth might have on us as well. He indicates that each of us needs to do a little soul searching to ensure that we are not on the road to idolatry. 

...each of us should prayerfully consider whether we are doing what we should and all that we should in the Lord’s eyes with respect to the poor and the needy. We might ask ourselves, living as many of us do in societies that worship possessions and pleasures, whether we are remaining aloof from covetousness and the lust to acquire more and more of this world’s goods. Materialism is just one more manifestation of the idolatry and pride that characterize Babylon. Perhaps we can learn to be content with what is sufficient for our needs.

The Apostle Paul warned Timothy against people who suppose “that gain is godliness” (1 Timothy 6:5).

Said he, “We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content” (1 Timothy 6:7–8).

Suffice it to say that the steps for creating Zion are detailed and challenging. Being unified, holy and selfless seem like almost impossible goals. Nevertheless, establishing Zion is not without its rewards.

After the visit of the Savior in America, the Nephites established a Zion society and we read, “there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God” (4 Nephi 1:16). Apart from happiness however, the Lord has also promised protection to the inhabitants of Zion when he pours out his wrath without mixture upon the inhabitants of the earth (D&C 115:6). He has said that in the last days the inhabitants of Zion “shall be the only people that shall not be at war one with another” (D&C 45:67-70). Nephi taught that, “all they who fight against Zion shall be cut off” and that the Lord will “preserve the righteous by his power… even unto the destruction of their enemies by fire” (1 Nephi 22:16-19).

Knowing the Lord has such great blessings in store for us, let us renew our efforts to bring forth Zion. 

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A Beautiful Word And A Marvelous Refuge

When Wayfarer contacted me about writing for the blog, I wasn't sure where to start. What subject will interest people? What wisdom do I really have to share? I decided to make my first contribution about something all of us can benefit from, indeed THE key to all the problems plaguing us.

The topic I have chosen is repentance.

Before you groan, and move along I'd like you to consider the negative feelings you might associate with the word repent. I'll get you started with some negative words that have come to my mind when I’ve thought of the word repent:

Guilt
Sorrow
Shame
Punishment
Sadness
Hurt

We could probably all list dozens of words like this. Some time ago, my brother sent me an article which convinced me I had it all wrong. The following is an excerpt from that article. It was given in 1988 by Theodore M. Burton, of the Seventy:

Just what is repentance? Actually, in some ways it is easier to understand what repentance is not than to understand what it is.

As a General Authority, I have prepared information for the First Presidency to use in considering applications to readmit repentant transgressors into the Church and to restore priesthood and temple blessings. Many times a bishop will write, “I feel he has suffered enough!” But suffering is not repentance. Suffering comes from lack of complete repentance. A stake president will write, “I feel he has been punished enough!” But punishment is not repentance. Punishment follows disobedience and precedes repentance. A husband will write, “My wife has confessed everything!” But confession is not repentance. Confession is an admission of guilt that occurs as repentance begins. A wife will write, “My husband is filled with remorse!” But remorse is not repentance. Remorse and sorrow continue because a person has not yet fully repented. Suffering, punishment, confession, remorse, and sorrow may sometimes accompany repentance, but they are not repentance. What, then, is repentance?

To find the answer to this question, we must go to the Old Testament. The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew, and the word used in it to refer to the concept of repentance is shube. We can better understand what shube means by reading a passage from Ezekiel and inserting the word shube, along with its English translation. To the “watchmen” appointed to warn Israel, the Lord says:

“When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from [shube] it; if he do not turn from [shube] his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. …Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from [shube] his way and live.” (Ezek. 33:8–11.)

I know of no kinder, sweeter passage in the Old Testament than those beautiful lines. In reading them, can you think of a kind, wise, gentle, loving Father in Heaven pleading with you to shube, or turn back to him—to leave unhappiness, sorrow, regret, and despair behind and turn back to your Father’s family, where you can find happiness, joy, and acceptance among his other children?

That is the message of the Old Testament. Prophet after prophet writes of shube—that turning back to the Lord, where we can be received with joy and rejoicing. The Old Testament teaches time and again that we must turn from evil and do instead that which is noble and good. This means that we must not only change our ways, we must change our very thoughts, which control our actions.

The concept of shube is also found in the New Testament, which was written in Greek. The Greek writers used the Greek word metaneoeo to refer to repentance. Metaneoeo is a compound word. The first part, meta-, is used as a prefix in our English vocabulary. It refers to change. The second part of the word metaneoeo can be spelled various ways. The letter n, for instance, is sometimes transliterated as pn, and can mean air, the mind, thought, thinking, or spirit—depending on how it is used.

In the context in which meta- and -neoeo are used in the New Testament, the word metaneoeo means a change of mind, thought, or thinking so powerful that it changes one’s very way of life. I think the Greek word metaneoeo is an excellent synonym for the Hebrew word shube. Both words mean thoroughly changing or turning from evil to God and righteousness.

Confusion came, however, when the New Testament was translated from Greek into Latin. Here an unfortunate choice was made in translation; the Greek word metaneoeo was translated into the Latin word poenitere. The Latin root poen in that word is the same root found in our English words punish, penance, penitent, and repentance. The beautiful meaning of the Hebrew and Greek words was thus changed in Latin to a meaning that involved hurting, punishing, whipping, cutting, mutilating, disfiguring, starving, or even torturing! It is no small wonder, then, that people have come to fear and dread the word repentance, which they understand to mean repeated or unending punishment.

The meaning of repentance is not that people be punished, but rather that they change their lives so that God can help them escape eternal punishment and enter into his rest with joy and rejoicing. If we have this understanding, our anxiety and fears will be relieved. Repentance will become a welcome and treasured word in our religious vocabulary.

The entire article can be found here:

Guilt, shame, and the other words we listed above are necessary indicators that something is out of balance and which motivate repentance, but beyond that they have no apparent place in the process. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to forgive ourselves.

Have you ever forgiven someone who has wronged you, only to have that person continually apologize and dwell on it? I have. It’s frustrating to feel as though someone will not accept your forgiveness. I can only imagine how saddening this must be to our Heavenly Father. He and the Savior have extended the priceless gift of the atonement, and it must grieve them when we cling to the notion of wading through that sorrow ourselves and completely miss the point… even rejecting His gift.

Recently, the church put out this Mormon Message for the New Year:

It briefly discusses the story of Lot's wife. Of course Lot was warned to take his family, leave the land of Sodom and Gomorrah and not look back, lest they be destroyed. Lot's wife looked back and became a pillar of salt.

The point? Don't look back. The Lord wants us to repent, to flee to Him and be free. Are we truly repenting if after our cries for repentance we hitch the yoke of our sins upon our shoulders and carry it along with us?

As a political junkie, I've spent a great deal of time pondering about philosophy and trying to understand the motivations behind certain political movements. Through all of history man has tried to make sense of the world in a secular way. We are homesick for the peace we knew in our pre-mortal life, even if we don’t realize it. It’s no wonder there are so many political philosophies. No wonder war rages on the earth. The plain answer is found numerous times in the Book of Mormon. Repent. There is no political philosophy (no, not even free market capitalism) that can provide answers to our problems in absence of this principle. We repent and have peace, or we dwell in Gomorrah and die. It's really that simple (and that hard).

I pray that all of us who desire peace will begin by accepting the Lord's invitation to shake off our burdens and take His yoke, which is, in fact, light. I pray that when we have found that peace, we will share this message with those we love and help to move along the one political movement which has a guaranteed formula for success.

I’m not a person to get sentimental about the New Year, but the message I share is one of true joy and peace. It is the Christmas message. May 2011 be the year that we stop looking back and truly accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. Lay your burdens at His feet, for he’s already suffered them for you. Accept His gift to you, and amidst all the turmoil and chaos the word brings to bear, find peace.

Chelsea

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