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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