I wanted to share some thoughts that I had about this month's visiting teaching message.
As my companion and I were visiting with one of our sisters, we had a great discussion about nurturing the rising generation. Neither my companion nor I nor the sister we were visiting have any children, so in the beginning this was kind of a tough lesson for me to share.
We began by talking about how serving in our callings can be very instrumental in nurturing Primary children and the youth. Right now, I am the only one of the three of us who have such a calling, so we discussed how we didn't need a calling to befriend a child or a teenager. We can still have an impact. We may never know what kind of an influence we might have, so it's important for us to continue to be friendly and kind.
Then our conversation went to defining the rising generation. This is where the true inspiration came for our lesson. I remembered being told I was a part of this rising generation when I was a youth. We speculated that the rising generation probably began with the restoration of the church...and had continued with each generation.
What does this mean? Well, we came to the conclusion that every sister in Relief Society is also a part of this select generation. Every sister in Relief Society was chosen to come forth in these last days! As a sisterhood, we ARE the rising generation, too!
As childless sisters who do not hold callings in Primary or Young Women, it became much clearer for us on how we can nurture the rising generation. We can nurture each other! We can take an active role in caring for each other. We can make a concerted effort to make each sister who enters the church building feel welcomed and wanted and appreciated! By being kind and sincere to our sisters, we ARE nurturing the rising generation. Even the simplest actions can bless their lives and the lives of their families.
Showing posts with label Church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Church. Show all posts
10.20.2009
5.18.2009
Building Zion, Home by Home
This is a talk I gave during Ward Conference on May 17, 2009.
Good afternoon.
For those who may not know, I am the YW president in our ward. I was asked to speak today on Building Zion, Home by Home.
So, what is Zion?
Elder Bruce R McConkie wrote that “Zion is people; Zion is the Saints of God; Zion is those who have been baptized; Zion is those who received the Holy Ghost; Zion is those who keep the commandments; Zion is the righteous.” [1]
We are Zion.
Again quoting Bruce R Mc Conkie, “The Lord has called us out of darkness into the marvelous light of Christ. He has commanded us to build up Zion anew. He has commanded us to overcome the world. He has commanded us to forsake every evil thing. He has made us his agents and representatives.” [2]
Each one of us here today has chosen to follow this commandment, to be a part of Zion, to build Zion.
So, how do we do that? How do we build Zion? The first thing we need to do is come to Zion, individually, in our own hearts.
In the Doctrine & Covenants 97:21, we read that Zion is the pure in heart. In the words of Bruce R McConkie, “Each one of us can build up Zion in our own lives by being pure in heart.” [3]
Elder D Todd Christofferson declared “we are to hunger and thirst after righteousness. To come to Zion, it is not enough for you or me to be somewhat less wicked than others. We are to become not only good but holy men and women.” [4]
In Moses 7:18, we read that the Lord calls his people Zion when they are of one heart and one mind and dwell in righteousness. Continuing from Elder D Todd Christofferson’s remarks, “We will become of one heart and one mind as we individually place the Savior at the center of our lives and follow those He has commissioned to lead us.” [5]
This means putting Christ first in all that we do. This reminds me of one of my favorite scripture verses.
2 Nephi 25:26
And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.
As we strive to make Christ a part of every aspect of our lives, our testimonies will overflow.
The theme of our conference today is Building Zion, home by home.
This is where it all starts…at home.
Joseph Smith taught, “Anyplace where the saints gather is Zion.” [6]
We gather as a worldwide church twice a year. We gather in our stakes at least twice a year. We gather in our ward buildings at least once a week. But we gather in our homes every single day. No matter what our home situation is like, we wake up in the morning and lie down at night in our homes. This is why it is essential to build Zion in our homes.
Wherever the saints gather, there is Zion. Our homes are our most frequent gathering place. We need to strengthen them from the inside. Our homes should be a refuge against the storms of life. Our homes should be filled, not with contention and strife, but with love.
When we enter our homes, we should feel of the spirit; we should feel safe and loved. If you do not think that this describes your home, change it. In Doctrine & Covenants 115:5-6, the Lord tells us, “verily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations; And that the gathering together upon the land of Zion, and upon her stakes, may be for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth.”
It is our responsibility to arise and shine forth. The mutual theme this year reminds the youth to be “an example of the believers.” In every action we take, in every word we speak, we can be examples of the believers.
Primary children, remind your families about family prayer and family home evening. Parents, listen to your child’s simple prayers and testimonies. Children and teenagers, obey your parents. We are all in this together, and life is so much more enjoyable when we work and serve together, when we make Christ a priority, when we love one another.
Building Zion is the most important thing we can do. We can build Zion by striving to become pure in heart by coming to know our Savior and following his example. We can build Zion in our homes by being an example to our families and helping the Spirit to dwell there.
If we build Zion, home by home, we must start by building Zion in our own hearts, and then making our homes a refuge. Zion will grow as we then invite friends and families into our homes to feel of the spirit, to share in the safety that the gospel affords.
I know that we can build Zion. I know that as we keep the commandments, Zion will become a very real part of our lives. I know the spirit will abide in our homes. I know my Savior lives and He loves me and He loves each of you.
In his sacred name, Jesus Christ. Amen.
_____________________________________
[1] Bruce R. McConkie, “Building Zion,” Tambuli, Sep 1977, 12
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] D. Todd Christofferson, “Come to Zion,” Ensign, Nov 2008
[5] Ibid.
[6] Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, Ch 15
Good afternoon.
For those who may not know, I am the YW president in our ward. I was asked to speak today on Building Zion, Home by Home.
So, what is Zion?
Elder Bruce R McConkie wrote that “Zion is people; Zion is the Saints of God; Zion is those who have been baptized; Zion is those who received the Holy Ghost; Zion is those who keep the commandments; Zion is the righteous.” [1]
We are Zion.
Again quoting Bruce R Mc Conkie, “The Lord has called us out of darkness into the marvelous light of Christ. He has commanded us to build up Zion anew. He has commanded us to overcome the world. He has commanded us to forsake every evil thing. He has made us his agents and representatives.” [2]
Each one of us here today has chosen to follow this commandment, to be a part of Zion, to build Zion.
So, how do we do that? How do we build Zion? The first thing we need to do is come to Zion, individually, in our own hearts.
In the Doctrine & Covenants 97:21, we read that Zion is the pure in heart. In the words of Bruce R McConkie, “Each one of us can build up Zion in our own lives by being pure in heart.” [3]
Elder D Todd Christofferson declared “we are to hunger and thirst after righteousness. To come to Zion, it is not enough for you or me to be somewhat less wicked than others. We are to become not only good but holy men and women.” [4]
In Moses 7:18, we read that the Lord calls his people Zion when they are of one heart and one mind and dwell in righteousness. Continuing from Elder D Todd Christofferson’s remarks, “We will become of one heart and one mind as we individually place the Savior at the center of our lives and follow those He has commissioned to lead us.” [5]
This means putting Christ first in all that we do. This reminds me of one of my favorite scripture verses.
2 Nephi 25:26
And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.
As we strive to make Christ a part of every aspect of our lives, our testimonies will overflow.
The theme of our conference today is Building Zion, home by home.
This is where it all starts…at home.
Joseph Smith taught, “Anyplace where the saints gather is Zion.” [6]
We gather as a worldwide church twice a year. We gather in our stakes at least twice a year. We gather in our ward buildings at least once a week. But we gather in our homes every single day. No matter what our home situation is like, we wake up in the morning and lie down at night in our homes. This is why it is essential to build Zion in our homes.
Wherever the saints gather, there is Zion. Our homes are our most frequent gathering place. We need to strengthen them from the inside. Our homes should be a refuge against the storms of life. Our homes should be filled, not with contention and strife, but with love.
When we enter our homes, we should feel of the spirit; we should feel safe and loved. If you do not think that this describes your home, change it. In Doctrine & Covenants 115:5-6, the Lord tells us, “verily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations; And that the gathering together upon the land of Zion, and upon her stakes, may be for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth.”
It is our responsibility to arise and shine forth. The mutual theme this year reminds the youth to be “an example of the believers.” In every action we take, in every word we speak, we can be examples of the believers.
Primary children, remind your families about family prayer and family home evening. Parents, listen to your child’s simple prayers and testimonies. Children and teenagers, obey your parents. We are all in this together, and life is so much more enjoyable when we work and serve together, when we make Christ a priority, when we love one another.
Building Zion is the most important thing we can do. We can build Zion by striving to become pure in heart by coming to know our Savior and following his example. We can build Zion in our homes by being an example to our families and helping the Spirit to dwell there.
If we build Zion, home by home, we must start by building Zion in our own hearts, and then making our homes a refuge. Zion will grow as we then invite friends and families into our homes to feel of the spirit, to share in the safety that the gospel affords.
I know that we can build Zion. I know that as we keep the commandments, Zion will become a very real part of our lives. I know the spirit will abide in our homes. I know my Savior lives and He loves me and He loves each of you.
In his sacred name, Jesus Christ. Amen.
_____________________________________
[1] Bruce R. McConkie, “Building Zion,” Tambuli, Sep 1977, 12
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] D. Todd Christofferson, “Come to Zion,” Ensign, Nov 2008
[5] Ibid.
[6] Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, Ch 15
5.15.2009
Journal Topic: Did you and your mother share an interest in any special activity?
Let’s see…I’d have to say lots. I have such fond memories of my mom. I’ll just share a couple of examples.
We both loved the church! I remember when I was 10 (almost 11), I went visiting teaching with my mom. She was the Relief Society President at the time (I think), and I was her special helper. I took this very seriously and wouldn’t even go play with the other kids, because I was a visiting teacher that day! I think that we both had testimonies of the gospel and took our callings very seriously. Although I was quite young then, I believe that experience has helped shape me throughout my adult life and with the various callings I’ve held. It helps that it was recorded in my journal—keeps those memories fresh.
We both loved to make others feel special. My mom would often go out of her way to show her appreciation for others. I remember “chocolating” a sister’s home. Her husband would let us in when no one else was around, and we would leave little chocolate bars and candy all over her house. Several different years, we would do the 12 Days of Christmas to someone in the ward. We would drop off a little gift each day that represented that particular verse of the song. The trick, of course, would be to do this and not. get. caught. We had so much fun!
My mom was very good at sewing and doing other crafts. I enjoyed doing these things with her, too. She taught me some basics of sewing. She also attempted to teach me to crotchet, but I never really mastered that or develop a great interest in it.
We both also really enjoyed reading. We would often read the same books, usually mysteries. One of our favorite authors back then was Mary Higgins Clark. Not necessarily together, but I know that we had each been guilty of staying up all night (or to the wee hours of the morning) finishing a book that was just too good to put down!
Although definitely lacking in musical abilities, we both loved to sing! We especially enjoyed singing silly songs when we would go on road trips to visit family in Nauvoo or Missouri.
My mom really was a lot of fun, and I miss her dearly!
We both loved the church! I remember when I was 10 (almost 11), I went visiting teaching with my mom. She was the Relief Society President at the time (I think), and I was her special helper. I took this very seriously and wouldn’t even go play with the other kids, because I was a visiting teacher that day! I think that we both had testimonies of the gospel and took our callings very seriously. Although I was quite young then, I believe that experience has helped shape me throughout my adult life and with the various callings I’ve held. It helps that it was recorded in my journal—keeps those memories fresh.
We both loved to make others feel special. My mom would often go out of her way to show her appreciation for others. I remember “chocolating” a sister’s home. Her husband would let us in when no one else was around, and we would leave little chocolate bars and candy all over her house. Several different years, we would do the 12 Days of Christmas to someone in the ward. We would drop off a little gift each day that represented that particular verse of the song. The trick, of course, would be to do this and not. get. caught. We had so much fun!
My mom was very good at sewing and doing other crafts. I enjoyed doing these things with her, too. She taught me some basics of sewing. She also attempted to teach me to crotchet, but I never really mastered that or develop a great interest in it.
We both also really enjoyed reading. We would often read the same books, usually mysteries. One of our favorite authors back then was Mary Higgins Clark. Not necessarily together, but I know that we had each been guilty of staying up all night (or to the wee hours of the morning) finishing a book that was just too good to put down!
Although definitely lacking in musical abilities, we both loved to sing! We especially enjoyed singing silly songs when we would go on road trips to visit family in Nauvoo or Missouri.
My mom really was a lot of fun, and I miss her dearly!
5.09.2009
Virtue: For Such a Time as This (Esther 4:14)
I first saw this video at the General YW broadcast in March. I remember how much it touched me then, and I was so glad to see it posted to the MormonMessages channel on YouTube.
I know that as we choose virtue, we will be blessed enormously!
3.11.2009
Mormonad: Wish You Were Here
Anyone have trouble with YW texting during Sunday lessons or midweek activities? I think this is a great video that might help the youth realize that we are interested in them , not just their physical bodies being present. I'd love to hear your comments about helping YW put away their phones.
7.02.2008
Temptations are like Tornadoes
Because...
- We can often feel them approaching
- Sometimes they are so fascinating that we don't seek shelter or make proper preparations
- Lots of conditions need to be in place for a tornado (humidity, wind, other meteorological conditions)--this is also true with temptations (i.e. not praying or reading our scriptures)
I thought it was a great analogy when I heard it in a Sacrament talk a few weeks back.
May we all be prepared for the spiritual (and physical) tornadoes that may blow through our lives!!
1.03.2008
How to Answer...
I was reading a Deseret News Article today by Joel Campbell, LDS Newsline blogger. In this article, he grades several recent news stories about the LDS faith.
The first "A" that he gave went to an article in the Orange County Register, called "IN THE SPIRIT: Misconceptions follow Mormon faith." Campbell commends this reporter for using a reliable source--"a genuine, believing member." The article is basically a quick interview with the Stake President of the Newport Beach California Stake.
I was impressed with the answers of this Stake President. I actually had misread this article, thinking the interview was with a current Bishop. Regardless, it was still impressive, and it gave me pause.
Would I be able to answer a reporter's questions as succinctly?
As members of the church, we sometimes shy away from talking about our religious beliefs with those not of our faith. I know that I do. I get tongue-tied and unsure of the words.
We are taught in the church the importance of being a "member missionary" and "teaching by example." This article reminded me of that. As I was reading it and thinking about whether or not I would have been able to provide precise answers as this Stake President did, I thought how important it is that every member know the doctrine as well as those in leadership. Every member ought to be prepared to answer questions from a reporter. While the likelihood is that reporters will only interview Bishops or Stake Presidents or Apostles, I still think it is important that every member be prepared for such a situation.
I know that I definitely need to make some improvements! One of my New Year's Resolutions, actually, is to become more spiritually minded.
Here's to 2008 and becoming the best "Mormons" and "Christians" we can become. Right? It's all about eternal progression and always doing the best we can.
Happy New Year!!
The first "A" that he gave went to an article in the Orange County Register, called "IN THE SPIRIT: Misconceptions follow Mormon faith." Campbell commends this reporter for using a reliable source--"a genuine, believing member." The article is basically a quick interview with the Stake President of the Newport Beach California Stake.
I was impressed with the answers of this Stake President. I actually had misread this article, thinking the interview was with a current Bishop. Regardless, it was still impressive, and it gave me pause.
Would I be able to answer a reporter's questions as succinctly?
As members of the church, we sometimes shy away from talking about our religious beliefs with those not of our faith. I know that I do. I get tongue-tied and unsure of the words.
We are taught in the church the importance of being a "member missionary" and "teaching by example." This article reminded me of that. As I was reading it and thinking about whether or not I would have been able to provide precise answers as this Stake President did, I thought how important it is that every member know the doctrine as well as those in leadership. Every member ought to be prepared to answer questions from a reporter. While the likelihood is that reporters will only interview Bishops or Stake Presidents or Apostles, I still think it is important that every member be prepared for such a situation.
I know that I definitely need to make some improvements! One of my New Year's Resolutions, actually, is to become more spiritually minded.
Here's to 2008 and becoming the best "Mormons" and "Christians" we can become. Right? It's all about eternal progression and always doing the best we can.
Happy New Year!!
7.21.2007
Temples
This is a talk I gave in Sacrament on July 15, 2007.
I love to see the temple.
I’m going there someday to feel the Holy Spirit, to listen and to pray.
For the temple is a house of God, a place of love and beauty.
I’ll prepare myself while I am young; this is my sacred duty.[1]
I love this Primary song! Last Sunday when the bishop asked me to speak on temples, the words to this song immediately began running through my mind. As I have reflected on these words this past week, I have realized how much they resonate truth to me now—even after having been through the temple for myself. Today I would like to share some of my own personal experiences of the temple as well as some words from a few General Authorities to illustrate the principles found in the first verse of this song.
I love to see the temple.[2]
I have had the opportunity to travel around the country a little. At nearly every destination, I try to squeeze in a visit to the temple—if only to walk the grounds—because I love to see the temple. I love knowing that they are in many cities around the world.
Jeff and I recently moved back to MN from the Portland, Oregon area. It wasn’t that frequent, but on occasion, we would find ourselves driving along I-5. I loved it when we would crest the hill and could see the majestic spires of the temple. It was such a wonderful sight to behold; it always brought me a sense of comfort.
We are taught that the Lord’s people are a temple-building people. Many temples have been erected throughout time, and I would imagine that they have always been a sight to behold. I imagine that many have marveled at their beauty—whether they be the temples of ancient times, the smaller temples of today or the larger temples that were built at the beginning of the Restoration.
One such temple was the Nauvoo temple. In an Ensign article in 1994, President Hinckley had the following to say about the Nauvoo temple.
The temple which rose [in Nauvoo] was to be the crowning jewel of [the] city. When it was completed in 1846, a year and a half after the Martyrdom, it was looked upon as perhaps the finest building then in the state of Illinois. … Its tower reached 165 feet in the air, and it could be seen for many miles up and down the river, from the far interior of Illinois, and from far into Iowa. It was the last thing that our people saw as they began their long journey west."[3]
The Nauvoo temple was glorious. I remember when I was little we would often visit Nauvoo. Back then there was only the footprint of the temple, as it had not been rebuilt. Even though I could not actually see the temple on those visits, I could still feel of its presence and imagine what it must have been like to see it up on the hill overlooking the city.
Seeing temples in my daily life, whether in person or in photographs, has helped to instill in me a desire to attend the temple and do the Lord’s work.
I’m going there someday to feel the Holy Spirit, to listen and to pray.[4]
When the children in Primary sing this song, they are making plans to someday enter the temple. Many of us, as adults, have already had the privilege of attending the temple, but it doesn’t stop there. Whether or not we have been through the temple for ourselves, we should always sing this song with the resolution of “I’m going there someday,” because we should continually be desirous to return to the temple to feel of the Spirit, to listen to the counsel of the Lord and to pray to our Heavenly Father. Going to the temple is not a one-time deal. Every time we attend, we can receive these blessings.
Joseph B Wirthlin, in a conference talk, in 1998, said,
The ideals of faith, hope, and charity are most evident in the holy temples. There we learn the purpose of life, strengthen our commitment as disciples of Christ by entering into sacred covenants with Him, and seal our families together for eternity across generations. Receiving our own endowment in a temple and returning frequently to perform sacred ordinances for our kindred dead increases our faith, strengthens our hope, and deepens our charity. We receive our own endowment with faith and hope that we will understand the Lord's plan for His children, will recognize the divine potential within each of us as children of our Heavenly Father, and will be faithful to the end in keeping the covenants we make. Performing temple ordinances for the dead is a manifestation of charity, offering essential blessings to those who have preceded us, blessings that were not available to them during their mortal lives. We have the privilege of doing for them what they are unable to do for themselves."[5]
Faith, hope and charity are wonderful blessings that we can receive through frequent temple attendance. I think these attributes are developed when we feel the Holy Spirit, when we listen and when we pray.
In Psalms 27:4, David says, “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.[6]
There is no place on earth where we can do this more fully than in the temples. I believe that it was for this purpose that the Lord gave us temples—as a place for us to go and be edified in Him.
The temple is a house of God, a place of love and beauty.[7]
In October 2003, my sister, step-mom and I went on a trip to Las Vegas. One of the sights that I definitely wanted to see was the Las Vegas temple. It took a bit of determination and a lot of map consulting, but we finally found it! It was beautiful! As my sister and I walked around the grounds that day, I could feel the spirit so strongly; it was overwhelming. I could feel the love of my Heavenly Father envelope me, and I knew that I was his daughter—a daughter of God.
The beauty of the temples is striking. Even those who are not of our faith recognize the beauty of the temples. Back in February of 2006, I read an article in the Ensign that really left an impression on me. I’d like to read an excerpt to you now.
“Picturing Myself in the Temple” by John Cox, as told to Janine Simons Craeger
Never did I think that by putting myself in a picture of the temple, I would also put myself in the temple.
I grew up in Godstone, England, and was 17 years old when the London England Temple was dedicated in 1958. As a member of another church, I went through the temple open house with my parents. Although this left a great impression on me, I went back to my life as it had been before.
A year later, I joined a photographic club and chose the London temple as a suitable subject for a photograph to enter in a competition. As I set up the camera that day, I thought, “This needs something else. I need to put somebody in there looking at the temple.” So I used a timer and took the shot across the reflecting pool with me sitting in the foreground. That photograph took first place.
My father informed the temple president, Selvoy J. Boyer, of my award. He wanted to see the picture, so I made a print and presented it to him. He gave me a copy of the Book of Mormon. I read it and obtained a conviction that it was scripture.
On April 1, 1960, President Boyer baptized me. Throughout my life, I’ve had a special feeling about the temple, and it all started with a photograph. The temple was there from the beginning and has been with me ever since. Indeed, it continues to be the central focus of my life.[8]
I love this story because this brother was attracted to the beauty of the temple and was able to feel of the love that abides there and came to know that it was a house of God. No one can deny the beauty of the temple.
I’ll prepare myself while I am young; this is my sacred duty.[9]
You might hear these words and think that they do not apply to you because you are no longer in Primary; however, aren’t we taught that when we have humility before the Lord, we become as little children? We are also taught that this life is a probationary period where we can prepare to return to our Heavenly Father. Preparation is never-ending; no matter our age, we still should always be in a state of preparation to enter the temple.
Elaine S Dalton, in a conference talk in 2006, said
Personal worthiness is essential to enter His holy temples and to ultimately become heirs to 'all [the] Father hath' (D&C 84:38). The Lord has said, 'Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God' (D&C 121:45). When we do this, we can confidently enter the holy temples of God with a knowledge that we are worthy to go where the Lord Himself goes. When we are worthy, we cannot only enter the temple, the temple can enter us. The Lord's promises of salvation and happiness become ours—and our earthly mission becomes His. . . .
To the youth of the noble birthright, look into the windows of eternity! See yourselves in the Lord's holy temples. See yourselves living worthy and pure lives. Generations are depending on you! I testify that worthiness is possible because of the redeeming and enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.[10]
I love it when she says, “When we are worthy, we cannot only enter the temple, the temple can enter us. The Lord’s promises of salvation and happiness become ours—and our earthly mission becomes His.”[11]
The temple and the work we do there become intermingled with our daily lives. As we do the Lord’s work, He will bless us with salvation and happiness.
Sister Dalton directs this statement to the youth of the noble birthright. I would like to extend that to everyone here today because, again no matter our age, we are all youth of a noble birthright and generations are depending upon each of us! Are we doing all that we can to live worthily, to enter the temple of the Lord, to abide with Him?
I would like to read a story that Jeffrey R Holland shared in a conference talk in 2004.
The Punta Arenas Chile Stake is the Church's southernmost stake anywhere on this planet, its outermost borders stretching toward Antarctica. Any stake farther south would have to be staffed by penguins. For the Punta Arenas Saints it is a 4,200-mile round-trip bus ride to the Santiago temple. For a husband and wife it can take up to 20 percent of an annual local income just for the transportation alone. Only 50 people can be accommodated on the bus, but for every excursion 250 others come out to hold a brief service with them the morning of their departure.
Pause for a minute and ask yourself when was the last time you stood on a cold, windswept parking lot adjacent to the Strait of Magellan just to sing with, pray for, and cheer on their way those who were going to the temple, hoping your savings would allow you to go next time? One hundred ten hours, 70 of those on dusty, bumpy, unfinished roads looping out through Argentina's wild Patagonia. What does 110 hours on a bus feel like? I honestly don't know, but I do know that some of us get nervous if we live more than 110 miles from a temple or if the services there take more than 110 minutes. While we are teaching the principle of tithing to, praying with, and building ever more temples for just such distant Latter-day Saints, perhaps the rest of us can do more to enjoy the blessings and wonder of the temple regularly when so many temples are increasingly within our reach.[12]
Two things strike me about this story: 1) The faith and diligence of those saints who are able to make the long trip is incredible, and 2) The faith and diligence of those saints who gather to cheer them on is equally as incredible.
What a sacrifice it would be to make this trip—110 hours, that’s more than 4 ½ days, and more than 20% of your annual income! Do we take our minimal sacrifice of less than an hour travel time and just the price of gas in our cars as seriously as these saints? Do we attend the temple as often as we are able? No matter the sacrifice, attending the temple takes faith.
I would like to touch briefly on those saints that came out to a brief service on the morning of the departure of the temple-goers. Imagine the love these saints had for their brothers and sisters. Think for a minute about our brothers and sisters in this ward, in our families, and in our circle of friends. Are we doing all we can to encourage them to attend the temple? Are we helping to ease their sacrifice of going to the temple? It is not only personal worthiness that can keep someone from attending the temple. There are many ways in which we can help our brothers and sisters attend the temple in addition to sharing our testimonies. We can personally extend an invitation. We can offer our time and our service so that they might attend.
We need to not only encourage ourselves to prepare to enter the temple and to keep our covenants with the Lord, but we also need to do as these saints in Chile did, and sing with, pray for, and cheer on their way those around us who are able to attend the temple; we need to encourage everyone to receive of the blessings of the temple.
I would like to close with the following words from Russell M Nelson:
The temple is the house of the Lord. The basis for every temple ordinance and covenant—the heart of the plan of salvation—is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Every activity, every lesson, all we do in the Church, point to the Lord and His holy house. Our efforts to proclaim the gospel, perfect the Saints, and redeem the dead all lead to the temple. Each holy temple stands as a symbol of our membership in the Church, as a sign of our faith in life after death, and as a sacred step toward eternal glory for us and our families.[13]
I love this quotation because it is so very true. The temple is at the heart of the gospel. Everything we do, everything we learn, points to the temple, and it is all because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for all the many temples that dot the earth today. It is my prayer that we will all be more desirous to attend the temple more frequently and to feel of the love of our Savior more fully that as we enter the temple, we may allow the temple to enter us as well.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] Children’s Songbook #95
[2] Children’s Songbook #95
[3] Gordon B. Hinckley, "Nauvoo's Holy Temple," Ensign, Sept. 1994, 60
[4] Children’s Songbook #95
[5] Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Cultivating Divine Attributes," Ensign, Nov. 1998, 27
[6] Psalms 27:4
[7] Children’s Songbook #95
[8] John Cox and Janine Simons Creager, “Picturing Myself in the Temple,” Ensign, Feb 2006, 11
[9] Children’s Songbook #95
[10] Elaine S. Dalton, "Look toward Eternity!" Ensign, Nov. 2006, 32
[11] Elaine S. Dalton, "Look toward Eternity!" Ensign, Nov. 2006, 32
[12] Jeffrey R. Holland, "Abide in Me," Ensign, May 2004, 31
[13] Russell M. Nelson, “Personal Preparation for Temple Blessings,” Ensign, May 2001, 32
I love to see the temple.
I’m going there someday to feel the Holy Spirit, to listen and to pray.
For the temple is a house of God, a place of love and beauty.
I’ll prepare myself while I am young; this is my sacred duty.[1]
I love this Primary song! Last Sunday when the bishop asked me to speak on temples, the words to this song immediately began running through my mind. As I have reflected on these words this past week, I have realized how much they resonate truth to me now—even after having been through the temple for myself. Today I would like to share some of my own personal experiences of the temple as well as some words from a few General Authorities to illustrate the principles found in the first verse of this song.
I love to see the temple.[2]
I have had the opportunity to travel around the country a little. At nearly every destination, I try to squeeze in a visit to the temple—if only to walk the grounds—because I love to see the temple. I love knowing that they are in many cities around the world.
Jeff and I recently moved back to MN from the Portland, Oregon area. It wasn’t that frequent, but on occasion, we would find ourselves driving along I-5. I loved it when we would crest the hill and could see the majestic spires of the temple. It was such a wonderful sight to behold; it always brought me a sense of comfort.
We are taught that the Lord’s people are a temple-building people. Many temples have been erected throughout time, and I would imagine that they have always been a sight to behold. I imagine that many have marveled at their beauty—whether they be the temples of ancient times, the smaller temples of today or the larger temples that were built at the beginning of the Restoration.
One such temple was the Nauvoo temple. In an Ensign article in 1994, President Hinckley had the following to say about the Nauvoo temple.
The temple which rose [in Nauvoo] was to be the crowning jewel of [the] city. When it was completed in 1846, a year and a half after the Martyrdom, it was looked upon as perhaps the finest building then in the state of Illinois. … Its tower reached 165 feet in the air, and it could be seen for many miles up and down the river, from the far interior of Illinois, and from far into Iowa. It was the last thing that our people saw as they began their long journey west."[3]
The Nauvoo temple was glorious. I remember when I was little we would often visit Nauvoo. Back then there was only the footprint of the temple, as it had not been rebuilt. Even though I could not actually see the temple on those visits, I could still feel of its presence and imagine what it must have been like to see it up on the hill overlooking the city.
Seeing temples in my daily life, whether in person or in photographs, has helped to instill in me a desire to attend the temple and do the Lord’s work.
I’m going there someday to feel the Holy Spirit, to listen and to pray.[4]
When the children in Primary sing this song, they are making plans to someday enter the temple. Many of us, as adults, have already had the privilege of attending the temple, but it doesn’t stop there. Whether or not we have been through the temple for ourselves, we should always sing this song with the resolution of “I’m going there someday,” because we should continually be desirous to return to the temple to feel of the Spirit, to listen to the counsel of the Lord and to pray to our Heavenly Father. Going to the temple is not a one-time deal. Every time we attend, we can receive these blessings.
Joseph B Wirthlin, in a conference talk, in 1998, said,
The ideals of faith, hope, and charity are most evident in the holy temples. There we learn the purpose of life, strengthen our commitment as disciples of Christ by entering into sacred covenants with Him, and seal our families together for eternity across generations. Receiving our own endowment in a temple and returning frequently to perform sacred ordinances for our kindred dead increases our faith, strengthens our hope, and deepens our charity. We receive our own endowment with faith and hope that we will understand the Lord's plan for His children, will recognize the divine potential within each of us as children of our Heavenly Father, and will be faithful to the end in keeping the covenants we make. Performing temple ordinances for the dead is a manifestation of charity, offering essential blessings to those who have preceded us, blessings that were not available to them during their mortal lives. We have the privilege of doing for them what they are unable to do for themselves."[5]
Faith, hope and charity are wonderful blessings that we can receive through frequent temple attendance. I think these attributes are developed when we feel the Holy Spirit, when we listen and when we pray.
In Psalms 27:4, David says, “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.[6]
There is no place on earth where we can do this more fully than in the temples. I believe that it was for this purpose that the Lord gave us temples—as a place for us to go and be edified in Him.
The temple is a house of God, a place of love and beauty.[7]
In October 2003, my sister, step-mom and I went on a trip to Las Vegas. One of the sights that I definitely wanted to see was the Las Vegas temple. It took a bit of determination and a lot of map consulting, but we finally found it! It was beautiful! As my sister and I walked around the grounds that day, I could feel the spirit so strongly; it was overwhelming. I could feel the love of my Heavenly Father envelope me, and I knew that I was his daughter—a daughter of God.
The beauty of the temples is striking. Even those who are not of our faith recognize the beauty of the temples. Back in February of 2006, I read an article in the Ensign that really left an impression on me. I’d like to read an excerpt to you now.
“Picturing Myself in the Temple” by John Cox, as told to Janine Simons Craeger
Never did I think that by putting myself in a picture of the temple, I would also put myself in the temple.
I grew up in Godstone, England, and was 17 years old when the London England Temple was dedicated in 1958. As a member of another church, I went through the temple open house with my parents. Although this left a great impression on me, I went back to my life as it had been before.
A year later, I joined a photographic club and chose the London temple as a suitable subject for a photograph to enter in a competition. As I set up the camera that day, I thought, “This needs something else. I need to put somebody in there looking at the temple.” So I used a timer and took the shot across the reflecting pool with me sitting in the foreground. That photograph took first place.
My father informed the temple president, Selvoy J. Boyer, of my award. He wanted to see the picture, so I made a print and presented it to him. He gave me a copy of the Book of Mormon. I read it and obtained a conviction that it was scripture.
On April 1, 1960, President Boyer baptized me. Throughout my life, I’ve had a special feeling about the temple, and it all started with a photograph. The temple was there from the beginning and has been with me ever since. Indeed, it continues to be the central focus of my life.[8]
I love this story because this brother was attracted to the beauty of the temple and was able to feel of the love that abides there and came to know that it was a house of God. No one can deny the beauty of the temple.
I’ll prepare myself while I am young; this is my sacred duty.[9]
You might hear these words and think that they do not apply to you because you are no longer in Primary; however, aren’t we taught that when we have humility before the Lord, we become as little children? We are also taught that this life is a probationary period where we can prepare to return to our Heavenly Father. Preparation is never-ending; no matter our age, we still should always be in a state of preparation to enter the temple.
Elaine S Dalton, in a conference talk in 2006, said
Personal worthiness is essential to enter His holy temples and to ultimately become heirs to 'all [the] Father hath' (D&C 84:38). The Lord has said, 'Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God' (D&C 121:45). When we do this, we can confidently enter the holy temples of God with a knowledge that we are worthy to go where the Lord Himself goes. When we are worthy, we cannot only enter the temple, the temple can enter us. The Lord's promises of salvation and happiness become ours—and our earthly mission becomes His. . . .
To the youth of the noble birthright, look into the windows of eternity! See yourselves in the Lord's holy temples. See yourselves living worthy and pure lives. Generations are depending on you! I testify that worthiness is possible because of the redeeming and enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.[10]
I love it when she says, “When we are worthy, we cannot only enter the temple, the temple can enter us. The Lord’s promises of salvation and happiness become ours—and our earthly mission becomes His.”[11]
The temple and the work we do there become intermingled with our daily lives. As we do the Lord’s work, He will bless us with salvation and happiness.
Sister Dalton directs this statement to the youth of the noble birthright. I would like to extend that to everyone here today because, again no matter our age, we are all youth of a noble birthright and generations are depending upon each of us! Are we doing all that we can to live worthily, to enter the temple of the Lord, to abide with Him?
I would like to read a story that Jeffrey R Holland shared in a conference talk in 2004.
The Punta Arenas Chile Stake is the Church's southernmost stake anywhere on this planet, its outermost borders stretching toward Antarctica. Any stake farther south would have to be staffed by penguins. For the Punta Arenas Saints it is a 4,200-mile round-trip bus ride to the Santiago temple. For a husband and wife it can take up to 20 percent of an annual local income just for the transportation alone. Only 50 people can be accommodated on the bus, but for every excursion 250 others come out to hold a brief service with them the morning of their departure.
Pause for a minute and ask yourself when was the last time you stood on a cold, windswept parking lot adjacent to the Strait of Magellan just to sing with, pray for, and cheer on their way those who were going to the temple, hoping your savings would allow you to go next time? One hundred ten hours, 70 of those on dusty, bumpy, unfinished roads looping out through Argentina's wild Patagonia. What does 110 hours on a bus feel like? I honestly don't know, but I do know that some of us get nervous if we live more than 110 miles from a temple or if the services there take more than 110 minutes. While we are teaching the principle of tithing to, praying with, and building ever more temples for just such distant Latter-day Saints, perhaps the rest of us can do more to enjoy the blessings and wonder of the temple regularly when so many temples are increasingly within our reach.[12]
Two things strike me about this story: 1) The faith and diligence of those saints who are able to make the long trip is incredible, and 2) The faith and diligence of those saints who gather to cheer them on is equally as incredible.
What a sacrifice it would be to make this trip—110 hours, that’s more than 4 ½ days, and more than 20% of your annual income! Do we take our minimal sacrifice of less than an hour travel time and just the price of gas in our cars as seriously as these saints? Do we attend the temple as often as we are able? No matter the sacrifice, attending the temple takes faith.
I would like to touch briefly on those saints that came out to a brief service on the morning of the departure of the temple-goers. Imagine the love these saints had for their brothers and sisters. Think for a minute about our brothers and sisters in this ward, in our families, and in our circle of friends. Are we doing all we can to encourage them to attend the temple? Are we helping to ease their sacrifice of going to the temple? It is not only personal worthiness that can keep someone from attending the temple. There are many ways in which we can help our brothers and sisters attend the temple in addition to sharing our testimonies. We can personally extend an invitation. We can offer our time and our service so that they might attend.
We need to not only encourage ourselves to prepare to enter the temple and to keep our covenants with the Lord, but we also need to do as these saints in Chile did, and sing with, pray for, and cheer on their way those around us who are able to attend the temple; we need to encourage everyone to receive of the blessings of the temple.
I would like to close with the following words from Russell M Nelson:
The temple is the house of the Lord. The basis for every temple ordinance and covenant—the heart of the plan of salvation—is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Every activity, every lesson, all we do in the Church, point to the Lord and His holy house. Our efforts to proclaim the gospel, perfect the Saints, and redeem the dead all lead to the temple. Each holy temple stands as a symbol of our membership in the Church, as a sign of our faith in life after death, and as a sacred step toward eternal glory for us and our families.[13]
I love this quotation because it is so very true. The temple is at the heart of the gospel. Everything we do, everything we learn, points to the temple, and it is all because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for all the many temples that dot the earth today. It is my prayer that we will all be more desirous to attend the temple more frequently and to feel of the love of our Savior more fully that as we enter the temple, we may allow the temple to enter us as well.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] Children’s Songbook #95
[2] Children’s Songbook #95
[3] Gordon B. Hinckley, "Nauvoo's Holy Temple," Ensign, Sept. 1994, 60
[4] Children’s Songbook #95
[5] Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Cultivating Divine Attributes," Ensign, Nov. 1998, 27
[6] Psalms 27:4
[7] Children’s Songbook #95
[8] John Cox and Janine Simons Creager, “Picturing Myself in the Temple,” Ensign, Feb 2006, 11
[9] Children’s Songbook #95
[10] Elaine S. Dalton, "Look toward Eternity!" Ensign, Nov. 2006, 32
[11] Elaine S. Dalton, "Look toward Eternity!" Ensign, Nov. 2006, 32
[12] Jeffrey R. Holland, "Abide in Me," Ensign, May 2004, 31
[13] Russell M. Nelson, “Personal Preparation for Temple Blessings,” Ensign, May 2001, 32
12.30.2006
New Calling
On December 3rd, I was called and sustained as the Primary secretary for our ward. I have never served in the Primary before, but I am really enjoying my new calling. There are a lot of things I need to do each week. It's been great to have a calling that keeps me busy. I've enjoyed getting to know the sisters in the Primary presidency.
I am still serving as the Enrichment leader for Relief Society. We had a fabulous Spa Night in December. I hope to get some fun activities planned for 2007.
Sadly, with the new calling in the Primary, I have been released from the Activities Committee. It was fun to serve in that capacity, but 3 callings would have been overload.
I am happy to serve in the Primary and Relief Society.
I am still serving as the Enrichment leader for Relief Society. We had a fabulous Spa Night in December. I hope to get some fun activities planned for 2007.
Sadly, with the new calling in the Primary, I have been released from the Activities Committee. It was fun to serve in that capacity, but 3 callings would have been overload.
I am happy to serve in the Primary and Relief Society.
10.22.2006
Preparation
This is a talk I gave in Sacrament meeting today, October 22, 2006.
The other day I was reading in the Book of Mormon the story of when Nephi took his family and fled from his brethren the Lamanites. This was the first physical division between the Nephites and the Lamanites.
Reading from the 5th chapter in 2nd Nephi:
Wherefore, it came to pass that I, Nephi, did take my family, and also Zoram and his family, and Same, mine elder brother and his family, and Jacob and Joseph, my younger brethren, and also my sisters, and all those who would go with me…And we did take our tents and whatsoever things were possible for us, and did journey in the wilderness for the space of many days. And after we had journeyed for the space of many days we did pitch our tents.
And we did observe to keep the judgments, and the statutes, and the commandments of the Lord in all things, according to the law of Moses. And the Lord was with us; and we did prosper exceedingly; for we did sow seed, and we did reap again in abundance. And we began to raise flocks, and herds, and animals of every kind.
And I, Nephi, did take the sword of Laban, and after the manner of it did make many swords…And I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance. And I, Nephi, did build a temple…And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did cause my people to be industrious, and to labor with their hands.
And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness.[1]
It really impressed me how Nephi and his followers took everything with them that they could. Upon finding a place to dwell, they began planting seeds and raising animals. They built swords to defend themselves. They built buildings and a temple. They were industrious and labored with their hands. Above all this they kept the commandments of the Lord. And all this brought them happiness.
I was asked to speak today on a scripture found in Doctrine & Covenants 88 verse 119:
Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.
Isn’t this what the Nephites were doing? They organized themselves. They prepared for the future. They established a house…or rather many houses.
We have a responsibility to do this today…in our own homes.
In General Conference in Oct 1980, Victor L Brown gave a talk on preparedness. I would like to share a few excerpts from his address.
May I … share some individual examples which are indicative of a growing problem?
A few months ago a young couple decided to cancel their health insurance. They felt they just could not afford it. The high cost of graduate school, in a time of rampant inflation, led them to disregard the counsel of the Brethren. Then came a baby—premature, with serious complications resulting in incredibly expensive care. Heartsick and frightened, they turned first to their families, who responded with substantial help. That not being nearly enough, they then turned to their bishop, who, from the fast offerings, supplied additional help. They would have been almost self-sustaining had they retained their insurance.
A young man decided that trade school was too demanding and too expensive. He dropped out of school, got married, and took a low-paying job in a grocery store. When a baby came, he found that his income was not adequate even for the family’s basic needs. Too embarrassed to approach his parents, he turned to his bishop for help.
Another family chose Monday night sports on television in preference to family home evening. For weeks and months there was no family prayer, no gospel discussions, no reading of the scriptures, no other meaningful family activities. Now a teenage daughter has run away from home, and the parents have turned to the bishop for help.
In each of these examples, the central problem could probably have been avoided if the members had applied the principles of personal and family preparedness.[2]
In Matthew Chapter 24, we read:
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars…For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.[3]
Do we see these things happening in the world today?
Are we prepared for when these things might affect us personally? The Lord has said, “If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.”
Someone has said it was not raining when Noah built the ark. But he built it, and the rains came.
Now is the time to prepare.
Elder Brown quotes a talk given by Brigham Young in July 1868. President Young is talking to the saints of the Mill Creek Ward during the grasshopper infestation. It is a bit of a chastisement, but I think that a lot of the principles apply to us today.
Quoting President Young:
I believe the Latter-day Saints are the best people on the earth of whom we have any knowledge. Still, I believe that we are, in many things, very negligent, slothful and slow to obey the words of the Lord. Many seem to act upon the faith that God will sustain us instead of our trying to sustain ourselves.
I remember saying in the School of the Prophets, that I would rather the people would exercise a little more sense and save means to provide for themselves, instead of squandering it away and asking the Lord to feed them.
Some may say, ‘I have faith the Lord will turn them [the grasshoppers] away.’ What ground have we to hope this? Have I any good reason to say to my Father in heaven, ‘Fight my battles,’ when He has given me the sword to wield, the arm and the brain that I can fight for myself? Can I ask Him to fight my battles and sit quietly down waiting for Him to do so? I cannot. I can pray the people to hearken to wisdom, to listen to counsel; but to ask God to do for me that which I can do for myself is preposterous to my mind.
Look at the Latter-day Saints. They are in want and in trouble, and they are perplexed. They do not know what to do. They have been told what to do, but they did not hearken to this counsel.[4]
This reminds me of Lehi pleading with his sons to live righteously, to awake and shake off the chains of sin. He reminds them of the Lord’s promise, “Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence.”[5]
What a wonderful reminder. We need to do our part. The Lord will continually bless us (more than we can ever repay), but we must keep his commandments to ensure future blessings. He is always watching over us. He wants us to be happy and have joy. Keeping the commandments will help us to see the joy in our everyday lives.
Elder Brown follows President Young quotation by saying, “I do not want to leave the impression that nothing has been done. There are those faithful Saints who have their year’s supply and are taking care of themselves. They know of that peace which comes from being obedient and being prepared.”[6]
1 Nephi 20:18 reads, “O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments—then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.”
I love the phrase “thy peace…as a river.” When I think of a river, I think of continually flowing waters. What a wonderful promise if we keep the commandments. We can often get bogged down with the everyday craziness of life. Sometimes we forget to pause and reflect on the peace the gospel can bring into our lives.
Let me read again the commandment in the Doctrine & Covenants 88: 119.
Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.
Keeping an organized home and preparing every needful thing will help us in many ways. We will be blessed because we are keeping the commandments, but it is more specific than that. If everything is chaotic around us, it is so much more difficult to live righteously and focus on the good. Whereas if things are in order, we are not worried about the chaos and we can focus more on serving the Lord.
In April 1993, Elder Joseph B Wirthlin gave a talk outlining this particular scripture. I would like to share some excerpts from his talk.
To make our homes become houses of prayer and fasting, our families should gather for family prayer morning and night. In addition, we should offer our own individual prayers for our personal needs.
We can make each home a house of faith by believing in the goodness of God and believing that we can live gospel principles and live in peace and security. We need to have the faith to be obedient, to keep trying, and to keep a positive outlook.
The ideal way to transform your home into a house of learning is to hold family home evening faithfully.
Home can literally become a house of glory.
To instill order in our homes, parents should be in charge and exercise parental authority in righteous dominion and establish acceptable standards of behavior for their children, setting limits and adhering to them consistently. They are to teach and guide their children “by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; by kindness … reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love.”
If you will make your home a house of prayer and fasting, faith, learning and glory, and order, it can become a house of God. If you build your homes on the foundation rock of our Redeemer and the gospel, they can be sanctuaries where your families can be sheltered from the raging storms of life.”[7]
President Hinckley in a conference talk in October 2005, said:
We can so live that we can call upon the Lord for His protection and guidance. This is a first priority. We cannot expect His help if we are unwilling to keep His commandments. We in this Church have evidence enough of the penalties of disobedience in the examples of both the Jaredite and the Nephite nations. Each went from glory to utter destruction because of wickedness.[8]
A couple of weeks ago, I attended a sales training. One of the presenters gave an analogy that I really liked. It went something like this…
Imagine that you’re at the grocery store loading up your cart. You grab the essentials—fresh milk and eggs, warm bread from the bakery. Maybe you add some ice cream for a treat. You double check your list and make sure that you’ve grabbed everything that you need. You take your cart up to the registers, leave it there and walk out the exit to your car.
Now would you ever really do this? I don’t think so! What would happen to that cart of food? Wouldn’t the milk curdle and the ice-cream melt, the bread get hard and crusty?
The sales trainer then likened this experience to having all the tools to be successful at our disposal, but not using them.
I would extend this to every member of the church. Don’t we have every tool necessary to living a happy and fulfilled life? Do we sometimes forget to apply the things we’ve learned in the scriptures and from the modern day prophets to our everyday lives?
In Ephesians chapter 6, we are told to put on the whole armor of God.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.[9]
Wearing the whole armor of God and keeping our shopping carts full, isn’t that the same as organizing ourselves, preparing every needful thing, and establishing a house—even a house of prayer, fasting, faith, learning, order, glory, and God?
To reference Aesop’s fable of the Grasshopper and the Ants, I’d like to read a poem that I found on the Internet.
A grasshopper lazed in the summer sun,Watching the ants as, one by one,They stored away seeds, leaves and grass,And grasshopper laughed: "Dear me, alas!"How foolish are these ants to toil,When the summer sun is on the boil,Why don't they enjoy the heat with me?"And he kicked up his heels so carelessly.But when the summer sun had gone,And grasshopper shivered upon a stone,He cried aloud: "Oh, dearie me!I'm frozen stiff and so hungry!"Oh, ants, dear ants, pray let me in,My nose is blue, and I'm so thin,It's cold out here, please let me in do,"But an ant peeped out and shouted: "Shoo!"Silly grasshopper, you sang and hoppedTill summer's warmth and heat were stopped,You should have thought of winter's chill,No food, and the wind blows fit to kill."So grasshopper crept into a hole,Which he shared all winter with a mole.Spring came; he said: "I must remember,To make proper plans for next December."[10]
I’ll put this before you…are we, as Latter Day Saints, going to take the role of the grasshopper or the ants?
The work that must be done is not always easy. Sometimes it is very difficult to keep things organized and in order. It takes time and a lot of effort. But we will be blessed if we strive to live this commandment as best we can. We are all human and we will all make mistakes, but it is important to keep trying.
In 2 Nephi 25:23, Nephi says, “For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.”
Striving for perfection, and doing all that we can, is our best hope for exaltation in the worlds to come, and it is my testimony that striving to keep our lives organized and in order will help us to focus on serving the Lord. By serving the Lord, we will come to know Him better and love Him more. It is my prayer that we will be able to go forth and “Organize ourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house.”[11]
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
[1] 2 Nephi 5: 6-7, 10-11, 14-17, 27
[2] Brown, Victor L, “Prepare Every Needful Thing,” Ensign, Nov. 1980, 79
[3] Matthew 24: 3-4, 6-7, 10
[4] Brown
[5] 2 Nephi 1:20
[6] Brown
[7] Wirthlin, Joseph B, “Spiritually Strong Homes and Families,” Ensign, May 1993, 68
[8] Hinckley, Gordon B, “If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear,” Ensign, Nov 2005, 60
[9] Ephesians 6:13-18
[10] http://www.4to40.com/poems/index.asp?article=poems_thegrasshopperandtheants
[11] Doctrine & Covenants 88:119
The other day I was reading in the Book of Mormon the story of when Nephi took his family and fled from his brethren the Lamanites. This was the first physical division between the Nephites and the Lamanites.
Reading from the 5th chapter in 2nd Nephi:
Wherefore, it came to pass that I, Nephi, did take my family, and also Zoram and his family, and Same, mine elder brother and his family, and Jacob and Joseph, my younger brethren, and also my sisters, and all those who would go with me…And we did take our tents and whatsoever things were possible for us, and did journey in the wilderness for the space of many days. And after we had journeyed for the space of many days we did pitch our tents.
And we did observe to keep the judgments, and the statutes, and the commandments of the Lord in all things, according to the law of Moses. And the Lord was with us; and we did prosper exceedingly; for we did sow seed, and we did reap again in abundance. And we began to raise flocks, and herds, and animals of every kind.
And I, Nephi, did take the sword of Laban, and after the manner of it did make many swords…And I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance. And I, Nephi, did build a temple…And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did cause my people to be industrious, and to labor with their hands.
And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness.[1]
It really impressed me how Nephi and his followers took everything with them that they could. Upon finding a place to dwell, they began planting seeds and raising animals. They built swords to defend themselves. They built buildings and a temple. They were industrious and labored with their hands. Above all this they kept the commandments of the Lord. And all this brought them happiness.
I was asked to speak today on a scripture found in Doctrine & Covenants 88 verse 119:
Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.
Isn’t this what the Nephites were doing? They organized themselves. They prepared for the future. They established a house…or rather many houses.
We have a responsibility to do this today…in our own homes.
In General Conference in Oct 1980, Victor L Brown gave a talk on preparedness. I would like to share a few excerpts from his address.
May I … share some individual examples which are indicative of a growing problem?
A few months ago a young couple decided to cancel their health insurance. They felt they just could not afford it. The high cost of graduate school, in a time of rampant inflation, led them to disregard the counsel of the Brethren. Then came a baby—premature, with serious complications resulting in incredibly expensive care. Heartsick and frightened, they turned first to their families, who responded with substantial help. That not being nearly enough, they then turned to their bishop, who, from the fast offerings, supplied additional help. They would have been almost self-sustaining had they retained their insurance.
A young man decided that trade school was too demanding and too expensive. He dropped out of school, got married, and took a low-paying job in a grocery store. When a baby came, he found that his income was not adequate even for the family’s basic needs. Too embarrassed to approach his parents, he turned to his bishop for help.
Another family chose Monday night sports on television in preference to family home evening. For weeks and months there was no family prayer, no gospel discussions, no reading of the scriptures, no other meaningful family activities. Now a teenage daughter has run away from home, and the parents have turned to the bishop for help.
In each of these examples, the central problem could probably have been avoided if the members had applied the principles of personal and family preparedness.[2]
In Matthew Chapter 24, we read:
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars…For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.[3]
Do we see these things happening in the world today?
Are we prepared for when these things might affect us personally? The Lord has said, “If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.”
Someone has said it was not raining when Noah built the ark. But he built it, and the rains came.
Now is the time to prepare.
Elder Brown quotes a talk given by Brigham Young in July 1868. President Young is talking to the saints of the Mill Creek Ward during the grasshopper infestation. It is a bit of a chastisement, but I think that a lot of the principles apply to us today.
Quoting President Young:
I believe the Latter-day Saints are the best people on the earth of whom we have any knowledge. Still, I believe that we are, in many things, very negligent, slothful and slow to obey the words of the Lord. Many seem to act upon the faith that God will sustain us instead of our trying to sustain ourselves.
I remember saying in the School of the Prophets, that I would rather the people would exercise a little more sense and save means to provide for themselves, instead of squandering it away and asking the Lord to feed them.
Some may say, ‘I have faith the Lord will turn them [the grasshoppers] away.’ What ground have we to hope this? Have I any good reason to say to my Father in heaven, ‘Fight my battles,’ when He has given me the sword to wield, the arm and the brain that I can fight for myself? Can I ask Him to fight my battles and sit quietly down waiting for Him to do so? I cannot. I can pray the people to hearken to wisdom, to listen to counsel; but to ask God to do for me that which I can do for myself is preposterous to my mind.
Look at the Latter-day Saints. They are in want and in trouble, and they are perplexed. They do not know what to do. They have been told what to do, but they did not hearken to this counsel.[4]
This reminds me of Lehi pleading with his sons to live righteously, to awake and shake off the chains of sin. He reminds them of the Lord’s promise, “Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence.”[5]
What a wonderful reminder. We need to do our part. The Lord will continually bless us (more than we can ever repay), but we must keep his commandments to ensure future blessings. He is always watching over us. He wants us to be happy and have joy. Keeping the commandments will help us to see the joy in our everyday lives.
Elder Brown follows President Young quotation by saying, “I do not want to leave the impression that nothing has been done. There are those faithful Saints who have their year’s supply and are taking care of themselves. They know of that peace which comes from being obedient and being prepared.”[6]
1 Nephi 20:18 reads, “O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments—then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.”
I love the phrase “thy peace…as a river.” When I think of a river, I think of continually flowing waters. What a wonderful promise if we keep the commandments. We can often get bogged down with the everyday craziness of life. Sometimes we forget to pause and reflect on the peace the gospel can bring into our lives.
Let me read again the commandment in the Doctrine & Covenants 88: 119.
Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.
Keeping an organized home and preparing every needful thing will help us in many ways. We will be blessed because we are keeping the commandments, but it is more specific than that. If everything is chaotic around us, it is so much more difficult to live righteously and focus on the good. Whereas if things are in order, we are not worried about the chaos and we can focus more on serving the Lord.
In April 1993, Elder Joseph B Wirthlin gave a talk outlining this particular scripture. I would like to share some excerpts from his talk.
To make our homes become houses of prayer and fasting, our families should gather for family prayer morning and night. In addition, we should offer our own individual prayers for our personal needs.
We can make each home a house of faith by believing in the goodness of God and believing that we can live gospel principles and live in peace and security. We need to have the faith to be obedient, to keep trying, and to keep a positive outlook.
The ideal way to transform your home into a house of learning is to hold family home evening faithfully.
Home can literally become a house of glory.
To instill order in our homes, parents should be in charge and exercise parental authority in righteous dominion and establish acceptable standards of behavior for their children, setting limits and adhering to them consistently. They are to teach and guide their children “by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; by kindness … reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love.”
If you will make your home a house of prayer and fasting, faith, learning and glory, and order, it can become a house of God. If you build your homes on the foundation rock of our Redeemer and the gospel, they can be sanctuaries where your families can be sheltered from the raging storms of life.”[7]
President Hinckley in a conference talk in October 2005, said:
We can so live that we can call upon the Lord for His protection and guidance. This is a first priority. We cannot expect His help if we are unwilling to keep His commandments. We in this Church have evidence enough of the penalties of disobedience in the examples of both the Jaredite and the Nephite nations. Each went from glory to utter destruction because of wickedness.[8]
A couple of weeks ago, I attended a sales training. One of the presenters gave an analogy that I really liked. It went something like this…
Imagine that you’re at the grocery store loading up your cart. You grab the essentials—fresh milk and eggs, warm bread from the bakery. Maybe you add some ice cream for a treat. You double check your list and make sure that you’ve grabbed everything that you need. You take your cart up to the registers, leave it there and walk out the exit to your car.
Now would you ever really do this? I don’t think so! What would happen to that cart of food? Wouldn’t the milk curdle and the ice-cream melt, the bread get hard and crusty?
The sales trainer then likened this experience to having all the tools to be successful at our disposal, but not using them.
I would extend this to every member of the church. Don’t we have every tool necessary to living a happy and fulfilled life? Do we sometimes forget to apply the things we’ve learned in the scriptures and from the modern day prophets to our everyday lives?
In Ephesians chapter 6, we are told to put on the whole armor of God.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.[9]
Wearing the whole armor of God and keeping our shopping carts full, isn’t that the same as organizing ourselves, preparing every needful thing, and establishing a house—even a house of prayer, fasting, faith, learning, order, glory, and God?
To reference Aesop’s fable of the Grasshopper and the Ants, I’d like to read a poem that I found on the Internet.
A grasshopper lazed in the summer sun,Watching the ants as, one by one,They stored away seeds, leaves and grass,And grasshopper laughed: "Dear me, alas!"How foolish are these ants to toil,When the summer sun is on the boil,Why don't they enjoy the heat with me?"And he kicked up his heels so carelessly.But when the summer sun had gone,And grasshopper shivered upon a stone,He cried aloud: "Oh, dearie me!I'm frozen stiff and so hungry!"Oh, ants, dear ants, pray let me in,My nose is blue, and I'm so thin,It's cold out here, please let me in do,"But an ant peeped out and shouted: "Shoo!"Silly grasshopper, you sang and hoppedTill summer's warmth and heat were stopped,You should have thought of winter's chill,No food, and the wind blows fit to kill."So grasshopper crept into a hole,Which he shared all winter with a mole.Spring came; he said: "I must remember,To make proper plans for next December."[10]
I’ll put this before you…are we, as Latter Day Saints, going to take the role of the grasshopper or the ants?
The work that must be done is not always easy. Sometimes it is very difficult to keep things organized and in order. It takes time and a lot of effort. But we will be blessed if we strive to live this commandment as best we can. We are all human and we will all make mistakes, but it is important to keep trying.
In 2 Nephi 25:23, Nephi says, “For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.”
Striving for perfection, and doing all that we can, is our best hope for exaltation in the worlds to come, and it is my testimony that striving to keep our lives organized and in order will help us to focus on serving the Lord. By serving the Lord, we will come to know Him better and love Him more. It is my prayer that we will be able to go forth and “Organize ourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house.”[11]
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
[1] 2 Nephi 5: 6-7, 10-11, 14-17, 27
[2] Brown, Victor L, “Prepare Every Needful Thing,” Ensign, Nov. 1980, 79
[3] Matthew 24: 3-4, 6-7, 10
[4] Brown
[5] 2 Nephi 1:20
[6] Brown
[7] Wirthlin, Joseph B, “Spiritually Strong Homes and Families,” Ensign, May 1993, 68
[8] Hinckley, Gordon B, “If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear,” Ensign, Nov 2005, 60
[9] Ephesians 6:13-18
[10] http://www.4to40.com/poems/index.asp?article=poems_thegrasshopperandtheants
[11] Doctrine & Covenants 88:119
7.23.2006
Reverence
This is a talk I gave in Sacrament meeting today, July 23, 2006.
Last August, Jeff and I had the opportunity to attend church with his family. There were so many of us, that we were unable to all sit together in one pew. At one point during one of the talks, I looked over at Jeff’s brother’s family. His four kids were being very quiet; however, I was especially impressed with the 5-year old, Ian. He was not only quiet as a church mouse, but he was paying attention. He was on the edge of the seat, eyes focused on the speaker. As I watched him, I was gently reminded that reverence is more than just being quiet.
To quote Elder L Tom Perry, “It is not enough to behave reverently; we must feel in our hearts reverence for our Heavenly Father and our Lord, Jesus Christ. Reverence flows from our admiration and respect for Deity.” [1]
Later on in this same conference address, he shares an experience,
Several years ago, I had the opportunity of traveling with the President of the Church to attend a series of area conferences. I will never forget the contrast between two conferences that were held just a few days apart. The first area conference was held in a large arena, and as we sat on the stand, we noticed continuous movement by the people. We saw individuals throughout the arena leaning over and whispering to family members and friends seated next to them. Giving the members the benefit of the doubt, we attributed the general lack of reverence to the nature of the facility.
A few days later, we were in another country attending another area conference in an arena much like the first. When we entered the arena, however, an immediate hush came over the congregation. As we sat through the two-hour general session, there was very little movement among the people. Everyone listened intently. Great attention and respect was shown all the speakers, and when the prophet spoke, you could hear a pin drop.
After the meeting was over, I asked the priesthood leaders about what they had done to prepare the people for the conference. They told me their preparation had been simple. They had asked priesthood holders to explain to the members of their families, and also the families they home taught, that at an area conference they would have the privilege of hearing the words of the prophet and the Apostles. The priesthood leaders explained that the reverence their people felt for God and His servants was the basis for their reverent behavior at the conference.[2]
In the book, True to the Faith, reverence is defined as "profound respect and love. When you have a reverent attitude toward God, you honor Him, express your gratitude to Him, and obey His commandments. You should be reverent in your behavior as well as your attitude. Reverent behavior includes prayer, scripture study, fasting, and payment of tithes and offerings. It includes wearing modest clothing and using clean, wholesome language. The depth of your reverence is evident in your choice of music and other entertainment, in the way you speak of sacred subjects, and in the way you dress and act when you attend church and the temple. You show your reverence for the Lord when you serve other people and treat them with kindness and respect." [3]
There is a lot of good stuff in those two short paragraphs. Reverence goes beyond being quiet on Sundays at church. It is something very personal. I would suggest that it is something that we need to prepare for each day.
Let me repeat one line, “Reverent behavior includes prayer, scripture study, fasting and payment of tithes and offerings.”[4] I would like to touch on each of these briefly.
Reverent behavior includes prayer.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ taught us how to pray. In Matthew 6:9, He says, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed by thy name.” Do we remember this part of the instruction on prayer in our own personal prayers or do we quickly move on to our requests? Howard W Hunter, in a General Conference talk, in October 1977, said, “Jesus was careful to place the petition “Hallowed be thy name” at the very forefront of his prayer. Unless that reverent, prayerful, honorable attitude toward God is uppermost in our hearts, we are not fully prepared to pray. If our first thought is of ourselves and not of God, we are not praying as Jesus taught.”[5]
In Doctrine & Covenants 63:61-62, it reads, “Wherefore, let all men beware how they take my name in their lips— For behold, verily I say, that many there be who are under this condemnation, who use the name of the Lord, and use it in vain, having not authority.”
In our prayers, we can also show reverence by using appropriate language. We are cautioned not to overuse His name; we should address our Heavenly Father humbly and respectfully using the words Thou, Thee, Thy and Thine.
Reverent behavior includes scripture study.
In the scriptures, we learn of God and His plan for us. We learn of the creation. We learn of heaven. We learn of our Savior. Next to the Holy Ghost, the scriptures are the greatest gift that we have received from our Father in Heaven. What do we do with this wonderful gift? Do we idly read our scriptures, or do we take the time to seriously ponder and study them out in our hearts and minds? Do we pray for greater understanding? If we truly have a reverent attitude toward God, we will express our love and respect for Him by not only studying our scriptures, but by also taking good care of them and carrying them with us to our meetings.
Reverent behavior includes fasting.
Fasting allows us to truly put our trust in the Lord. Going without food and water can be quite challenging. Fasting gives us the opportunity to truly “feast upon the word.” In fasting, we will be spiritually fed. One Sunday each month is set aside as fast Sunday. In True to the Faith, it says, “Proper observance of fast Sunday includes going without food and drink for two consecutive meals, attending fast and testimony meeting, and giving a fast offering to help care for those in need,”[6] which brings us to the last behavior that I’d like to talk about.
Reverent behavior includes payment of tithes and offerings.
If having a reverent attitude means showing gratitude to the Lord, then we must realize the importance of paying our tithing and fast offerings. Every increase that we receive, we owe to Him. It is for this purpose that we offer up tithes and offerings unto Him.
Let me read once more the first paragraph on reverence in True to the Faith.
Reverence is profound respect and love. When you have a reverent attitude toward God, you honor Him, express your gratitude to Him, and obey His commandments.[7]
We show reverence by being obedient—not just in the things that I have mentioned today, but in striving to keep all of the commandments.
So far, I have been discussing reverence to God, but there is also a degree of reverence that we ought to show at home and at church.
Reverence begins at home. As I mentioned earlier, reverence is very personal; it is something that we develop and strengthen at home.
Referring once again to Elder L Tom Perry’s conference address, he says,
The home is the key to reverent attitudes, as it is to every other godlike virtue. It is during personal and family prayer that the little ones learn how to bow their heads, fold their arms, and close their eyes while our Father in Heaven is being addressed. It is a mother taking time to be certain that during each day there is a quiet period where the hustle and bustle of daily activities are divorced from the house, where just parents and children have time together in quiet solitude for reflection and teaching, to set the example of having reverence in the home. It is during family home evenings, which are a part of our home life, where children are taught that there are special times, not only in church but also at home, when we learn of our Heavenly Father and when everyone needs to be on his best behavior. Behavior learned at home determines behavior in church meetings. A child who has learned to pray at home understands that he must be quiet and still during prayers in worship services.[8]
In the Proclamation to the Family, we are counseled that “parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live.”[9] Teaching our children all of these things, will ultimately, teach them reverence.
Because our homes are the place of sacred learning, it is a good idea to also show respect and reverence. We can do this by inviting the spirit into our homes with appropriate music and entertainment. We can do this by displaying pictures of the temples and the prophets. We can do this by keeping our homes clean and orderly.
In D&C 88:119, it says, “Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;"
This house refers both to our homes and to our meetinghouses.
Each Sunday, we attend church to renew our covenants and to worship the Lord; however, for our worship to be genuine and meaningful, we must do it with a reverent attitude.
Leviticus 26:2 says, “Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD."
When I was in the singles ward in Minneapolis, when the 2nd counselor was conducting, he would often say, “And now we move on to the 10 most important minutes of our week, the sacrament.” Do we have that same attitude? Is the sacrament the most important part of our week, something for us to look forward to?
I’d like to read an experience that Elder Keith L Smith had in his youth:
I remember with a smile an incident from my youth when my father demonstrated his belief [that priesthood holders who participate in this sacred ordinance should be especially mindful of the need to be reverent]. I was a priest at the sacrament table, and my brother Marvin, a deacon, was sitting on the front row directly in front of me. As the bishop began the meeting by sharing the announcements, Marvin and another deacon continued to carry on an intense conversation. Suddenly, my father rose from his bench in the middle of the chapel, made his way to the aisle, and strode toward the front of the chapel. Poor Bishop Powell stopped speaking as my father walked to the front row and firmly took hold of my brother’s arm, stood him up, and escorted him back to the bench where our family was sitting. The bishop then continued with the announcements. I remember a very quiet congregation after that—particularly the row of deacons in front of me. From that time forth, my brother sat quietly in sacrament meeting and was especially reverent when performing his sacramental responsibilities.[10]
Of course, being reverent at church should continue throughout all our meetings and extend beyond the chapel. Howard W Hunter said, “Occasionally we visit too loudly, enter and leave meetings too disrespectfully in what should be an hour of prayer and purifying worship. Reverence is the atmosphere of heaven. Prayer is the utterance of the soul to God the Father. We do well to become more like our Father by looking up to him, by remembering him always, and by caring greatly about his world and his work.”[11]
President David O McKay said, “When you enter a church building, you are coming into the presence of our Father in heaven; and that thought should be sufficient incentive for you to prepare your hearts, your minds, and even your attire, that you might appropriately and properly sit in his presence.”[12]
In closing, I’d like to share one last story from Elder L Tom Perry.
One Sunday, my granddaughter Diana, who is four years old, was sitting next to her father at church. Diana sat reverently, enjoying the comfort of her father’s arm holding her close to him. However, when the bishop stood up and announced the sacrament hymn, Diana gently lifted her father’s arm from off her shoulder and placed it in his lap. Then she sat up straight and folded her arms. She looked over at her father and encouraged him to do the same. Diana’s message to her father was perfectly clear. She was telling him to turn his complete and total attention to the Savior. This is the message a reverent attitude always conveys, and when reverent attitudes abound, reverent behavior will always flourish. I pray that, like Diana, we may all strive to develop reverent attitudes so that we may serve God reverently and with godly fear.[13]
Reverence begins with us. It is a personal attitude that we develop at home and cultivate at church. It is not only a personal feeling, it is a personal responsibility. We have a responsibility to pray, study our scriptures, fast and pay our tithing…these behaviors will help us develop more strongly our reverent attitudes. We must be good examples to our children and all those around us by always exuding a reverent attitude.
In the words of David O McKay, “If there were more reverence in human hearts, there would be less room for sin and sorrow and more increased capacity for joy and gladness. To make more cherished, more adaptable, more attractive, this gem among brilliant virtues is a project worthy of the most united and prayerful efforts of every officer, every parent, and every member of the church.”[14]
Remember, reverence is profound respect and love. It is my prayer that we will do all that we can to create in ourselves a reverent attitude and that our attitude will show forth in our actions.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
[1] L. Tom Perry, “Serve God Acceptably with Reverence and Godly Fear,” Ensign, Nov. 1990, 70
[2] L. Tom Perry, “Serve God Acceptably with Reverence and Godly Fear,” Ensign, Nov. 1990, 70
[3] 36863, True to the Faith, Reverence, 145
[4] 36863, True to the Faith, Reverence, 145
[5] Howard W. Hunter, “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” Ensign, Nov. 1977, 52
[6] 36863, True to the Faith, Fasting and Fast Offerings, 66
[7] 36863, True to the Faith, Reverence, 145
[8] L. Tom Perry, “Serve God Acceptably with Reverence and Godly Fear,” Ensign, Nov. 1990, 70
[9] “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102
[10] Keith L. Smith, “Reverence,” Ensign, July 2003, 60
[11] Howard W. Hunter, “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” Ensign, Nov. 1977, 52
[12] 36492, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, 4: Elements of Worship, Introduction, 29
[13] L. Tom Perry, “Serve God Acceptably with Reverence and Godly Fear,” Ensign, Nov. 1990, 70
[14] 36492, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, 4: Elements of Worship, Introduction, 29
Last August, Jeff and I had the opportunity to attend church with his family. There were so many of us, that we were unable to all sit together in one pew. At one point during one of the talks, I looked over at Jeff’s brother’s family. His four kids were being very quiet; however, I was especially impressed with the 5-year old, Ian. He was not only quiet as a church mouse, but he was paying attention. He was on the edge of the seat, eyes focused on the speaker. As I watched him, I was gently reminded that reverence is more than just being quiet.
To quote Elder L Tom Perry, “It is not enough to behave reverently; we must feel in our hearts reverence for our Heavenly Father and our Lord, Jesus Christ. Reverence flows from our admiration and respect for Deity.” [1]
Later on in this same conference address, he shares an experience,
Several years ago, I had the opportunity of traveling with the President of the Church to attend a series of area conferences. I will never forget the contrast between two conferences that were held just a few days apart. The first area conference was held in a large arena, and as we sat on the stand, we noticed continuous movement by the people. We saw individuals throughout the arena leaning over and whispering to family members and friends seated next to them. Giving the members the benefit of the doubt, we attributed the general lack of reverence to the nature of the facility.
A few days later, we were in another country attending another area conference in an arena much like the first. When we entered the arena, however, an immediate hush came over the congregation. As we sat through the two-hour general session, there was very little movement among the people. Everyone listened intently. Great attention and respect was shown all the speakers, and when the prophet spoke, you could hear a pin drop.
After the meeting was over, I asked the priesthood leaders about what they had done to prepare the people for the conference. They told me their preparation had been simple. They had asked priesthood holders to explain to the members of their families, and also the families they home taught, that at an area conference they would have the privilege of hearing the words of the prophet and the Apostles. The priesthood leaders explained that the reverence their people felt for God and His servants was the basis for their reverent behavior at the conference.[2]
In the book, True to the Faith, reverence is defined as "profound respect and love. When you have a reverent attitude toward God, you honor Him, express your gratitude to Him, and obey His commandments. You should be reverent in your behavior as well as your attitude. Reverent behavior includes prayer, scripture study, fasting, and payment of tithes and offerings. It includes wearing modest clothing and using clean, wholesome language. The depth of your reverence is evident in your choice of music and other entertainment, in the way you speak of sacred subjects, and in the way you dress and act when you attend church and the temple. You show your reverence for the Lord when you serve other people and treat them with kindness and respect." [3]
There is a lot of good stuff in those two short paragraphs. Reverence goes beyond being quiet on Sundays at church. It is something very personal. I would suggest that it is something that we need to prepare for each day.
Let me repeat one line, “Reverent behavior includes prayer, scripture study, fasting and payment of tithes and offerings.”[4] I would like to touch on each of these briefly.
Reverent behavior includes prayer.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ taught us how to pray. In Matthew 6:9, He says, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed by thy name.” Do we remember this part of the instruction on prayer in our own personal prayers or do we quickly move on to our requests? Howard W Hunter, in a General Conference talk, in October 1977, said, “Jesus was careful to place the petition “Hallowed be thy name” at the very forefront of his prayer. Unless that reverent, prayerful, honorable attitude toward God is uppermost in our hearts, we are not fully prepared to pray. If our first thought is of ourselves and not of God, we are not praying as Jesus taught.”[5]
In Doctrine & Covenants 63:61-62, it reads, “Wherefore, let all men beware how they take my name in their lips— For behold, verily I say, that many there be who are under this condemnation, who use the name of the Lord, and use it in vain, having not authority.”
In our prayers, we can also show reverence by using appropriate language. We are cautioned not to overuse His name; we should address our Heavenly Father humbly and respectfully using the words Thou, Thee, Thy and Thine.
Reverent behavior includes scripture study.
In the scriptures, we learn of God and His plan for us. We learn of the creation. We learn of heaven. We learn of our Savior. Next to the Holy Ghost, the scriptures are the greatest gift that we have received from our Father in Heaven. What do we do with this wonderful gift? Do we idly read our scriptures, or do we take the time to seriously ponder and study them out in our hearts and minds? Do we pray for greater understanding? If we truly have a reverent attitude toward God, we will express our love and respect for Him by not only studying our scriptures, but by also taking good care of them and carrying them with us to our meetings.
Reverent behavior includes fasting.
Fasting allows us to truly put our trust in the Lord. Going without food and water can be quite challenging. Fasting gives us the opportunity to truly “feast upon the word.” In fasting, we will be spiritually fed. One Sunday each month is set aside as fast Sunday. In True to the Faith, it says, “Proper observance of fast Sunday includes going without food and drink for two consecutive meals, attending fast and testimony meeting, and giving a fast offering to help care for those in need,”[6] which brings us to the last behavior that I’d like to talk about.
Reverent behavior includes payment of tithes and offerings.
If having a reverent attitude means showing gratitude to the Lord, then we must realize the importance of paying our tithing and fast offerings. Every increase that we receive, we owe to Him. It is for this purpose that we offer up tithes and offerings unto Him.
Let me read once more the first paragraph on reverence in True to the Faith.
Reverence is profound respect and love. When you have a reverent attitude toward God, you honor Him, express your gratitude to Him, and obey His commandments.[7]
We show reverence by being obedient—not just in the things that I have mentioned today, but in striving to keep all of the commandments.
So far, I have been discussing reverence to God, but there is also a degree of reverence that we ought to show at home and at church.
Reverence begins at home. As I mentioned earlier, reverence is very personal; it is something that we develop and strengthen at home.
Referring once again to Elder L Tom Perry’s conference address, he says,
The home is the key to reverent attitudes, as it is to every other godlike virtue. It is during personal and family prayer that the little ones learn how to bow their heads, fold their arms, and close their eyes while our Father in Heaven is being addressed. It is a mother taking time to be certain that during each day there is a quiet period where the hustle and bustle of daily activities are divorced from the house, where just parents and children have time together in quiet solitude for reflection and teaching, to set the example of having reverence in the home. It is during family home evenings, which are a part of our home life, where children are taught that there are special times, not only in church but also at home, when we learn of our Heavenly Father and when everyone needs to be on his best behavior. Behavior learned at home determines behavior in church meetings. A child who has learned to pray at home understands that he must be quiet and still during prayers in worship services.[8]
In the Proclamation to the Family, we are counseled that “parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live.”[9] Teaching our children all of these things, will ultimately, teach them reverence.
Because our homes are the place of sacred learning, it is a good idea to also show respect and reverence. We can do this by inviting the spirit into our homes with appropriate music and entertainment. We can do this by displaying pictures of the temples and the prophets. We can do this by keeping our homes clean and orderly.
In D&C 88:119, it says, “Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;"
This house refers both to our homes and to our meetinghouses.
Each Sunday, we attend church to renew our covenants and to worship the Lord; however, for our worship to be genuine and meaningful, we must do it with a reverent attitude.
Leviticus 26:2 says, “Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD."
When I was in the singles ward in Minneapolis, when the 2nd counselor was conducting, he would often say, “And now we move on to the 10 most important minutes of our week, the sacrament.” Do we have that same attitude? Is the sacrament the most important part of our week, something for us to look forward to?
I’d like to read an experience that Elder Keith L Smith had in his youth:
I remember with a smile an incident from my youth when my father demonstrated his belief [that priesthood holders who participate in this sacred ordinance should be especially mindful of the need to be reverent]. I was a priest at the sacrament table, and my brother Marvin, a deacon, was sitting on the front row directly in front of me. As the bishop began the meeting by sharing the announcements, Marvin and another deacon continued to carry on an intense conversation. Suddenly, my father rose from his bench in the middle of the chapel, made his way to the aisle, and strode toward the front of the chapel. Poor Bishop Powell stopped speaking as my father walked to the front row and firmly took hold of my brother’s arm, stood him up, and escorted him back to the bench where our family was sitting. The bishop then continued with the announcements. I remember a very quiet congregation after that—particularly the row of deacons in front of me. From that time forth, my brother sat quietly in sacrament meeting and was especially reverent when performing his sacramental responsibilities.[10]
Of course, being reverent at church should continue throughout all our meetings and extend beyond the chapel. Howard W Hunter said, “Occasionally we visit too loudly, enter and leave meetings too disrespectfully in what should be an hour of prayer and purifying worship. Reverence is the atmosphere of heaven. Prayer is the utterance of the soul to God the Father. We do well to become more like our Father by looking up to him, by remembering him always, and by caring greatly about his world and his work.”[11]
President David O McKay said, “When you enter a church building, you are coming into the presence of our Father in heaven; and that thought should be sufficient incentive for you to prepare your hearts, your minds, and even your attire, that you might appropriately and properly sit in his presence.”[12]
In closing, I’d like to share one last story from Elder L Tom Perry.
One Sunday, my granddaughter Diana, who is four years old, was sitting next to her father at church. Diana sat reverently, enjoying the comfort of her father’s arm holding her close to him. However, when the bishop stood up and announced the sacrament hymn, Diana gently lifted her father’s arm from off her shoulder and placed it in his lap. Then she sat up straight and folded her arms. She looked over at her father and encouraged him to do the same. Diana’s message to her father was perfectly clear. She was telling him to turn his complete and total attention to the Savior. This is the message a reverent attitude always conveys, and when reverent attitudes abound, reverent behavior will always flourish. I pray that, like Diana, we may all strive to develop reverent attitudes so that we may serve God reverently and with godly fear.[13]
Reverence begins with us. It is a personal attitude that we develop at home and cultivate at church. It is not only a personal feeling, it is a personal responsibility. We have a responsibility to pray, study our scriptures, fast and pay our tithing…these behaviors will help us develop more strongly our reverent attitudes. We must be good examples to our children and all those around us by always exuding a reverent attitude.
In the words of David O McKay, “If there were more reverence in human hearts, there would be less room for sin and sorrow and more increased capacity for joy and gladness. To make more cherished, more adaptable, more attractive, this gem among brilliant virtues is a project worthy of the most united and prayerful efforts of every officer, every parent, and every member of the church.”[14]
Remember, reverence is profound respect and love. It is my prayer that we will do all that we can to create in ourselves a reverent attitude and that our attitude will show forth in our actions.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
[1] L. Tom Perry, “Serve God Acceptably with Reverence and Godly Fear,” Ensign, Nov. 1990, 70
[2] L. Tom Perry, “Serve God Acceptably with Reverence and Godly Fear,” Ensign, Nov. 1990, 70
[3] 36863, True to the Faith, Reverence, 145
[4] 36863, True to the Faith, Reverence, 145
[5] Howard W. Hunter, “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” Ensign, Nov. 1977, 52
[6] 36863, True to the Faith, Fasting and Fast Offerings, 66
[7] 36863, True to the Faith, Reverence, 145
[8] L. Tom Perry, “Serve God Acceptably with Reverence and Godly Fear,” Ensign, Nov. 1990, 70
[9] “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102
[10] Keith L. Smith, “Reverence,” Ensign, July 2003, 60
[11] Howard W. Hunter, “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” Ensign, Nov. 1977, 52
[12] 36492, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, 4: Elements of Worship, Introduction, 29
[13] L. Tom Perry, “Serve God Acceptably with Reverence and Godly Fear,” Ensign, Nov. 1990, 70
[14] 36492, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, 4: Elements of Worship, Introduction, 29
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