Thursday, October 16, 2025
Monday, August 25, 2025
The Word of Wisdom
Before our birth we looked forward to coming to earth and obtaining a mortal body. Our bodies are so important that the scriptures compare them to temples. Even though we may face severe tests of health, handicap or disability we can look forward to healing from these challenges. We know that our body and spirit will be reunited and eventually restored to its proper and perfect frame in the resurrection. Our bodies are sacred gifts from God.
The Lord wants us to treat our bodies with respect. He revealed a law of health called the Word of Wisdom. This teaches us about eating healthy foods and avoiding alcohol, tobacco, hot drinks and any other harmful substances. The Lord promises that those who obey will receive better health and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures.
We are stewards of our bodies. Elder Bednar said, “Both our agency and our physical body, through which we exercise that agency in mortality, are truly “bought with a price” through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We are called to be, as the Apostle Peter wrote, “a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people…we should be peculiar in the sense that we are distinctive, set apart from, and uncontrolled by the world. In addition, we are peculiar in a more powerful sense. As the Greek word implies, we are peculiar in that we are a purchased people. Interestingly, I have heard many people, both outside and inside the Church, declare, “It’s my body and I can do to it what I want.” The correct doctrinal response to such a statement is quite simple. No, your body is not your own; it is on loan from God.”
The Word of Wisdom sets us apart from the world. One of the blessings promised to those who adhere to The Word of Wisdom in D&C 89 is in verse 21, the Lord promises the destroying angel shall pass by them as the children of Israel. In ancient times, God’s chosen people were designated as covenant Israel by blood of lamb on doorpost. The Word of Wisdom is one of the outward indicators that marks us a covenant Israel. It marks us as someone who is set apart from the world.
In a historical context, God’s dietary guidelines looked different in the bible then it did to the early saints. It looked different to the early Saints than it does to us now. It actually took 100 years from when the Word of Wisdom was revealed for it to become a commandment and it will probably look different in the future. What matters, is that we are willing to do what God asks of us now.
At the time it was revealed, Emma Smith was understandably frustrated cleaning up tobacco from the floor in the school of the prophets. The Prophet Joseph Smith, asked the Lord about it. In the resulting revelation found in D&C 89, we learn that God cares about our temporal concerns and physical health. We can go to him in prayer and seek his counsel in our day-to-day struggles.
Prophets have promised that living the Word of Wisdom today will free us from some of the most serious dangers we can face in this life. It may be much more valuable to us spiritually than it is physically.President Nelson has explained that any addiction robs us of our agency. “We are free to take drugs or not. But once we choose to use a habit-forming drug, we are bound to the consequences of that choice. Addiction surrenders later freedom to choose... My spiritual prescription would return the gift of agency to its rightful owner.”
When President Taylor was young, before joining the church, he realized he was craving tobacco. In what a somewhat humorous yet serious way he told his snuff box, “Listen to me. I will be a slave to nothing!”
President Oaks said undesirable outcomes from breaking The Word of Wisdom are “totally avoidable if we “never partake for the first time—even once.” Prophets have repeated counseled us to make decisions early so we don’t have to continue to debate time and time again later in life. We give the adversary less control if we make the decision once and already know how we will react before we are tempted.
Honoring the Word of Wisdom can bless us in times of urgent need. A faithful member of the Church, John A. Larsen, served during World War II in the United States Coast Guard on the ship USS Cambria. During a battle in the Philippines, word came of an approaching squadron of bombers and kamikaze fighter planes. Orders were given for immediate evacuation. Since the USS Cambria was already gone, John and three companions gathered their gear and hurried to the beach, hoping for a lift out to one of the departing ships. Fortunately, a landing craft picked them up and sped toward the last ship leaving the bay. The men on that departing ship, in an effort to evacuate as quickly as possible, were busy on deck and had time only to throw ropes to the four men, that they might hopefully be able to climb to the deck.
John, with a heavy radio strapped to his back, found himself dangling at the end of a 40-foot (12 m) rope, at the side of a ship headed out to the open sea. He began pulling himself up, hand over hand, knowing that if he lost his grip, he would almost certainly perish. After climbing only a third of the way, he felt his arms burning with pain. He had become so weak that he felt he could no longer hold on.
With his strength depleted, as he grimly contemplated his fate, John silently cried unto God, telling Him that he had always kept the Word of Wisdom and had lived a clean life—and he now desperately needed the promised blessings.
John later said that as he finished his prayer, he felt a great surge of strength. He began climbing once again and fairly flew up the rope. When he reached the deck, his breathing was normal and not the least bit labored. The blessings of added health and stamina promised in the Word of Wisdom had been his. He gave thanks to his Heavenly Father then, and throughout the remainder of his life, for the answer to his desperate prayer for help
The Word of Wisdom may provide blessings in unexpected ways. Many years ago, during his surgical internship, President Nelson and his wife attended a reception where the chief surgical resident offered them an alcoholic beverage. They politely declined the first offer, and then a second offer, and by the third offer the chief surgical resident was livid at their refusal to accept his drink. He warned if they did not accept that drink, he would make life “mighty miserable”. But President and Sister Nelson had made a covenant with God and had no intention of breaking it. He says, “We kept our promise, and the chief resident kept his.”
The chief resident used his responsibility of assigning operations to interns to ensure that President Nelson got the most complicated, most grueling, and most time-consuming operations. The chief resident’s form of revenge turned out to be a blessing. He said, “Assisting with difficult operations day after day made me a better surgeon. Keeping the Word of Wisdom actually propelled me forward in my surgical career.”
My final example is from Elder Stevenson. He has a friend named John who was accepted at a prestigious Japanese university. As a college student, he was part of the international student program with many other top students from around the world. After his arrival in Japan he was invited to a rooftop party. Following an elevator ride to the top floor of the building. John and his friends navigated the single narrow stairway leading to the rooftop and began mingling with the others. As the night wore on, the atmosphere changed. The noise, music volume, and alcohol amplified, as did John’s uneasiness. Then suddenly someone began organizing the students into a large circle with the intent of sharing marijuana cigarettes. John grimaced and quickly informed his two friends that it was time to leave. Almost in ridicule, one of them replied, “John, this is easy—we’ll just stand in the circle, and when it is our turn, we’ll just pass it along rather than smoke it. That way we won’t have to embarrass ourselves in front of everyone by leaving.” This sounded easy to John, but it did not sound right. He knew he had to announce his intention and act. In a moment he mustered his courage and told them that they could do as they wished, but he was leaving. One friend decided to stay and joined the circle; the other reluctantly followed John down the stairs to board the elevator. Much to their surprise, when the elevator doors opened, Japanese police officers poured out and hurried to ascend the stairs to the rooftop. John and his friend boarded the elevator and departed.
When the police appeared at the top of the stairs, the students quickly threw the illegal drugs off the roof so they wouldn’t be caught. After securing the stairway, however, the officers lined up everyone on the roof and asked each student to extend both hands. The officers then walked down the line, carefully smelling each student’s thumbs and index fingers. All who had held the marijuana, whether they had smoked it or not, were presumed guilty, and there were huge consequences. Almost without exception, the students who had remained on the rooftop were expelled from their respective universities, and those convicted of a crime were likely deported from Japan. Dreams of an education, years of preparation, and the possibility of future employment in Japan were dashed in a moment.
The friend who stayed on the roof was expelled from the university in Japan to which he had worked so hard to be accepted and was required to return home. As for John and the other friend who left the party, the consequences in his life have been immeasurable.
There will be times when you, like John, will have to demonstrate your righteous courage in plain view of your peers, the consequence of which may be ridicule and embarrassment. Be courageous! Be strong! “Stand ye in holy places, and be not moved.”
A professor once wrote a manuscript on Reasons for Observing the Word of Wisdom. The manuscript was given to the General Authorities, President Kimball referred to it as one of the finest treatments of the subject that he had ever read. Convincing economic, health, and other reasons for following the Word of Wisdom were clearly set forth. “But,” he said, “you left out the most important reason.”
“What is that?” the author asked.
“Because God asked us to,” he replied.
What really matters is that when we obey The Word of Wisdom, we obey Heavenly Father. When faced with temptation and asking ourselves why we obey it, we can simply reply, “Because God asked me to” In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Sunday, July 27, 2025
Emulating the Savior
A man in our stake presidency, President Badal, told a story of a woman in his family who was really good at copying things she valued in others. He explained that it is actually a great attribute to have when we apply it to "copying" or "emulating" the Savior in our lives.
Cleaning Floors, Talents, Serving, Meeting Needs
Use talents to further God's work. I remember hearing an example of a woman who would always clean floors when I family near her moved. It was her signature service. Someone had done that once for her and she appreciated it so much the she, in turn, did it for others.
While on the topic of cleaning floors, Elder Perry's mom would make sure they cleaned the corner and baseboards well. She knew the middle of the floor would be cleansed if the corners and baseboards were. If those hidden parts of our lives are clean, the middle seems to take care of itself.
Elder Renlund, Zusya Story, Comparisons
One message of this parable is that God expects us to magnify the abilities we have been given, but He does not want us to compare our abilities to those of others. Consider this insight provided by the 18th-century Hasidic scholar Zusya of Anipol. Zusya was a renowned teacher who began to fear as he approached death. His disciples asked, “Master, why do you tremble? You’ve lived a good life; surely God will grant you a great reward.”
Zusya said: “If God says to me, ‘Zusya, why were you not another Moses?’ I will say, ‘Because you didn’t give me the greatness of soul that you gave Moses.’ And if I stand before God and He says, ‘Zusya, why were you not another Solomon?’ I will say, ‘Because you didn’t give me the wisdom of Solomon.’ But, alas, what will I say if I stand before my Maker and He says, ‘Zusya, why were you not Zusya? Why were you not the man I gave you the capacity to be?’ Ah, that is why I tremble.”
Indeed, God will be disappointed if we do not rely upon the merits, mercy, and grace of the Savior to magnify the God-given abilities we have received. With His loving assistance, He expects us to become the best version of ourselves. That we may start with differing abilities is irrelevant to Him. And it should be to us.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2025/04/25renlund?lang=eng
Safety Lies in Keeping God's Laws Story
Video of a talk where a man describes a barrier that kept surfers safe from sharks.
Rescuing Those in Need by Thomas S. Monson
Story of his ward fixing up an apartment for a family coming from Germany to make is appealing.
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
Bellwether Sheep
Thoughts on the "bellwether role":
In a flock, the bellwether is a sheep—typically a castrated male (wether)—with a bell tied around its neck. Its role is to lead the flock, as the sound of the bell helps the shepherd track the group’s movement and direction, especially in large herds.
Shepherds observe the flock to identify a sheep that naturally takes the lead or moves confidently ahead of others. These sheep often exhibit bold or assertive behavior, making them natural guides
The bellwether’s natural tendency to move ahead guides the flock’s direction. Sheep are social animals with a strong herding instinct, so they instinctively follow the bellwether, reducing the likelihood of straggling or splitting up.
Sheep tend to mimic the behavior of the leader. When the bellwether moves confidently, others follow, creating a unified movement that prevents individuals from wandering off or becoming disoriented.
A calm and experienced bellwether can reduce panic or scattering in stressful situations, such as sudden noises or predator threats, as the flock rallies around its steady lead.
Shepherds spend time with the chosen sheep to build trust, often through feeding, gentle handling, or calling it by name. This makes the sheep more responsive to the shepherd's cues.
The sheep is encouraged to lead in familiar, low-stress environments before being tasked with guiding the flock through challenging terrain.
The shepherd may physically guide the chosen sheep to the front of the flock, reinforcing its role as a leader. The goal is to create a reliable leader that simplifies the shepherd's work;
By guiding the bellwether, the shepherd indirectly steers the entire flock, maintaining cohesion even over long distances.
The bell around a bellwether's neck keeps the flock oriented towards a central point. They can locate and follow the leader in low-visibility conditions, like fog, dense terrain, or darkness.
If other sheep stray, the shepherd or herding dogs will guide them back toward the bellwether, reinforcing its role as the flock's anchor.
Over time, the bellwether learns to lead with less direct intervention from the shepherd, relying on instincts and experience.
Robert H Todd : Dog Biting Story, 4 Needs
As we choose to school our agency and practice yielding our hearts to God, we bump into the natural man within us again and again. I would like to share a story with you that helped me understand something about the natural man within each of us and how that natural man can react. When I was a boy I had a wonderful little cocker spaniel dog named Smokey. Smokey liked to play ball by having me throw the ball as far as I could behind the shop in our backyard, by the woodpile, among the fruit trees, or in the garden—wherever. Smokey would not give up until he found that ball and brought it back to me, only to repeat the cycle again and again. Smokey became my best friend, and I loved to play with him day after day.
Smokey had only one fault. Not only was he obsessed with chasing and retrieving tennis balls, but he was also obsessed with climbing our front fence and chasing after loud trucks passing by on our side street.
One day I heard a truck coming, and immediately I thought of Smokey. Before I could reach the front gate to stop him, he had climbed the gate and was already halfway across our front lawn, headed for the wheels of the truck at full speed. I called for him to stop as loud as I could, but it was no use. Within an instant he was nipping at one of the rear wheels of the truck, running to keep up. A few seconds later one of his rear legs somehow slipped and got caught under one of the wheels, also pulling his pelvis under the wheel. Smokey was left in the street crying and yelping in tremendous pain. I ran over to him and tried to comfort him. As I got close enough, he immediately bit my hand as hard as he could. I was astonished. Why would this wonderful dog I loved so much bite me? My mom came out of the house, and somehow we were able to get Smokey in a large burlap bag and into the car. At the vet’s office we were told that Smokey’s body had been so badly hurt that he would have to be put to sleep. I was devastated and confused.
What happened was not an easy thing for a little boy to understand. It took me some years to learn the lesson from the experience. Those who are hurting often strike out and hurt those they love most, simply because they are hurting. Have you noticed that sometimes when we hurt, this is how we treat our Heavenly Father and others? This is not how our Savior acted when He was hurt—when He was despised and spit upon by others and when He was crucified.
It is not easy, but, in the long run, learning to act like our Savior Jesus Christ and to love our fellow man and God no matter what hurt may come to us is easier than any other alternative. With God’s help I know we can overcome the natural man and become like Him.12 Elder Gene R. Cook explained it this way: “As we increasingly think and act like Him, the attributes of the natural man will slip away to be replaced by the heart and the mind of Christ.”13
Many years ago I learned from a wonderful man who served as my mission president, Elder Glen L. Rudd, that all of us need four things in our lives:
1. We need to be loved.
2. We need to be trusted.
3. We need to be understood.
4. We need to feel that our work is appreciated.
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/robert-h-todd/really-want-grow/
Barnacle Repentance Story
An inspiring lesson is learned from a “Viewpoint” article which appeared some time ago in the Church News. May I quote:
“To some it may seem strange to see ships of many nations loading and unloading cargo along the docks at Portland, Ore. That city is 100 miles from the ocean. Getting there involves a difficult, often turbulent passage over the bar guarding the Columbia River and a long trip up the Columbia and Willamette Rivers.
“But ship captains like to tie up at Portland. They know that as their ships travel the seas, a curious saltwater shellfish called a barnacle fastens itself to the hull and stays there for the rest of its life, surrounding itself with a rocklike shell. As more and more [of these] barnacles attach themselves, they increase the ship’s drag, slow its progress, decrease its efficiency.
“Periodically, the ship must go into dry dock, where with great effort the barnacles are chiseled or scraped off. It’s a difficult, expensive process that ties up the ship for days.
“But not if the captain can get his ship to Portland. Barnacles can’t live in fresh water. There, in the sweet, fresh waters of the Willamette or Columbia, the barnacles [die and some] fall away, [while those that remain are easily removed. Thus,] the ship returns to its task lightened and renewed.
“Sins are like those barnacles. Hardly anyone goes through life without picking up some. They increase the drag, slow our progress, decrease our efficiency. Unrepented, building up one on another, they can eventually sink us.
“In His infinite love and mercy, our Lord has provided a harbor where, through repentance, our barnacles fall away and are forgotten. With our souls lightened and renewed, we can go efficiently about our work and His.”
Sunday, June 15, 2025
Elder Perry's mom's counsel
Elder Perry's mom counseled her children to clean the corners when cleaning a room.
Where Will This Lead?
Great talk by President Oaks.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2019/04/35oaks?lang=eng
Thursday, May 8, 2025
Neal A. Maxwell in the Foxhole
During the middle of the battle for Okinawa, Neal was part of a mortar squad that fired at Japanese positions hidden in the hills. His own mortar position created an obvious invitation for the enemy to locate and eliminate his firing capacity - and him. They needed only to direct their own artillery and mortar fire at the place where Neal's squad sent up its shells. By identifying his position and comparing where their shells hit, they could direct their fire closer and closer until they had done their deadly job.
One night in late May, the shrieking noise of artillery fire caught Neal's attention with a frightening realization. Three shells in a row had exploded in a sequence that sent a dreadful message - the enemy had completely triangulated his mortar position, and the next series of shots would hit home. Suddenly a shell exploded no more than five feet away from him. Terribly shaken, Neal jumped from his foxhole and moved down a little knoll seeking protection, and then, uncertain what to do, he crawled back to the foxhole. There he knelt, trembling, and spoke the deepest prayer he had ever uttered, pleading for protection and dedicating the rest of his life to the Lord's service.
Neal later called this "one of those selfish, honest prayers" that many people offer in times of great stress. He didn't feel entitled to anything in particular, and he knew many of his combat buddies prayed that night as fervently as he did. Yet he did have very personal reasons for looking to heaven for protection. He was carrying in his pocket a smudged carbon copy of the patriarchal blessing he had received before leaving home. He had read the blessing frequently enough to know this part especially well:
I bless you that as the agencies of destruction are manifest . . . you may be preserved in body and in mind and your intellect be quickened by the spirit of truth . . . that you may rejoice in the power, the love and the mercies of the Redeemer. I seal you up against the power of the destroyer that your life may not be shortened and that you may not be deprived of fulfilling every assignment that was given unto you in the pre-existent state.After the prayer, Neal turned his attention again to watching the night sky, which was earlier ablaze with flashing, fiery noises. His body spontaneously tensed up as he waited, searching the darkness for sounds and clues. But no more shells came near him.
Later he wrote:
After that triangulation occurred, the shelling stopped at the very time they were [about] to finish what they had been trying to do for days. I am sure the Lord answered my prayers. . . . The following night they began to pour [more] shells in [on our position], but almost all of them were duds-either the ammunition had gotten wet or they were not exploding in the very thick, oozing mud. . . . I felt preserved, and unworthily so, but have tried to be somewhat faithful to that promise that was given at the time.He would occasionally talk about those two nights in the years that followed, never offering more details about the experience but usually adding something like, "I foolishly thought at the time that I could pay the Lord back, and now, of course, I'm in greater debt to Him than ever."
Over the next few weeks, Neal wrote several short letters home, some of them scrawled on postcard size military "V-mail" notes designed for the haste of combat conditions. He was not ready at first to share what had happened. Perhaps he didn't want to worry his family, and army policy limited what he could say. Beyond that, the experience had been almost too personal to describe in writing. Its meaning went far beyond what mere words could explain.
At the same time, without much explanation, he began sending some of each military salary check with his letters to be saved for his mission.
Friday, March 7, 2025
Translating the Book of Mormon into Spanish - Daniel Webster Jones
Daniel Webster Jones eventually became a Spanish interpreter for President Brigham Youth. In 1874, Jones was called on a mission to Mexico. As part of that call, Jones and Meliton G. Trejo, also a convert, began translating and raising money to publish sections of the Book of Mormon in Spanish. During the final proofreading process, President Young told Jones he would be held responsible for its correctness. Jones recorded that this weighted heavily on his mind and he asked the Lord to help him identify the mistakes. "I felt a sensation in the center off my forehead as though there was a fine fiber being drawn smoothly out. When a mistake occurred, the smoothness would be interrupted as though a small knot was passing through forehead," the article quotes from Jones' autobiography. "Whether I saw the mistake or not, I was o sure it existed that I would direct my companion's attention to it and call on him to correct it. When this was done, we continued on until the same occurred again."
Worth of Souls
I was standing in Tiffany's great store in New York, and I heard the salesman say to a lady who had asked him about some pearls, "Madamn, the pearl is with $17,000." I was interested at once. I said, "Let me see the pearl that is worth $17,000." The salesman put it on a piece of black cloth, and I studied it carefully. I said, "I suppose Tiffany's stock is very valuable? and as I looked around that beautiful store, I imagined them brining all their stock up to my house and saying "We want you to take care of this tonight." What do you think I would do? I would go as quickly as I could to the telephone and call up the chief of police and say, "I have all of Tiffany's stock in my house, and it is too great a responsibility. Will you send some of your most trusted officers to help me?" You would do the same, wouldn't you? But I have a little boy in my home, and for him I am responsible. I have had him for nine years, and some of you may have just such another little boy. I turn to this old book and I read this word: "What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" or "What shall he give in exchange for his soul?" It is as if he had all the diamonds and rubies and pearls in the world, and held them in one hand, and just put a little boy in the other, and the boy would be worth more than all the jewels. If you would tremble because you had seventeen thousand dollars worth of jewels in your house one night, how shall you go up to your Father and the lad be not with you? -J. Wilbur Chapman
Worth of souls - priceless- bought with the blood of a God - story
“Dalinar took one step forward, then drove his Blade point-first into the middle of the blackened glyph on the stone. He took a step back. “For the bridgemen,” he said.
Sadeas blinked. Muttering voices fell silent, and the people on the field seemed too stunned, even, to breathe.
“What?”Sadeas asked.
“The Blade,”Dalinar said, firm voice carrying in the air. “In exchange for your bridgemen. All of them. Every one you have in camp. They become mine, to do with as I please, never to be touched by you again. In exchange, you get the sword.”
Sadeas looked down at the Blade, incredulous. “This weapon is worth fortunes. Cities, palaces, kingdoms.”
“Do we have a deal?”Dalinar asked.
“Father, no!”Adolin Kholin said, his own Blade appearing in his hand. “You—”
Dalinar raised a hand, silencing the younger man. He kept his eyes on Sadeas. “Do we have a deal?” he asked, each word sharp.
Kaladin stared, unable to move, unable to think.
Sadeas looked at the Shardblade, eyes full of lust. He glanced at Kaladin, hesitated just briefly, then reached and grabbed the Blade by the hilt. “Take the storming creatures.”
Dalinar nodded curtly, turning away from Sadeas. “Let’s go,”he said to his entourage.
“They’re worthless, you know,”Sadeas said. “You’re of the ten fools, Dalinar Kholin! Don’t you see how mad you are? This will be remembered as the most ridiculous decision ever made by an Alethi highprince!”
Dalinar didn’t look back. He walked up to Kaladin and the other members of Bridge Four. “Go,” Dalinar said to them, voice kindly. “Gather your things and the men you left behind. I will send troops with you to act as guards. Leave the bridges and come swiftly to my camp. You will be safe there. You have my word of honor on it.”
He began to walk away.
Kaladin shook off his numbness. He scrambled after the highprince, grabbing his armored arm. “Wait. You—That—What just happened?”
Dalinar turned to him. Then, the highprince laid a hand on Kaladin’s shoulder, the gauntlet gleaming blue, mismatched with the rest of his slate-grey armor. “I don’t know what has been done to you. I can only guess what your life has been like. But know this. You will not be bridgemen in my camp, nor will you be slaves.”
“But…”
“What is a man’s life worth?” Dalinar asked softly.
“The slavemasters say one is worth about two emerald broams,” Kaladin said, frowning.
“And what do you say?”
“A life is priceless,” he said immediately, quoting his father.
Dalinar smiled, wrinkle lines extending from the corners of his eyes. “Coincidentally, that is the exact value of a Shardblade. So today, you and your men sacrificed to buy me twenty-six hundred priceless lives. And all I had to repay you with was a single priceless sword. I call that a bargain.”
“You really think it was a good trade, don’t you?” Kaladin said, amazed.
Dalinar smiled in a way that seemed strikingly paternal.”
― The Way of Kings
February 23, 2025 Talk about Covenants
My daughter recommended a book series. In the book a dying man leaves a message for his brother that becomes a quest for him to “find the most important words a man can say.” It made me think, “what are the most important words I’ll ever say?” I also thought to myself, “what are the most important words ever said?” and my thoughts took me to premortality when our Savior and Redeemer said the words, “Here am I. Send me.”
A commitment made
A commitment kept
So let’s talk about covenants.
Covenants bind two people or groups together. God’ covenant is all about His commitment to us and our commitment to him.
In Promises, Promises: The Concept of Covenant and Why We Should Care Amer Olson, writes, “We live in a world that is largely dependent on agreements, pacts and treaties to keep some semblance of order. Some of these agreements last longer than others. Eventually the terms are compromised in some way. Yet, each of us has the opportunity to take part in a pact with our Creator that will last forever and live with the assurance of promises that will never be broken.”
President Nelson said, ““The new and everlasting covenant and the Abrahamic covenant are essentially the same—two ways of phrasing the covenant God made with mortal men and women at different times.
The adjective everlasting denotes that this covenant existed even before the foundation of the world! The plan laid out in the Grand Council in Heaven included the sobering realization that we would all be cut off from God’s presence. However, God promised that He would provide a Savior who would overcome the consequences of the Fall.
Once we make a covenant with God, we leave neutral ground forever. God will not abandon His relationship with those who have forged such a bond with Him. In fact, all those who have made a covenant with God have access to a special kind of love and mercy. In the Hebrew language, that covenantal love is called Hesed. Hesed is a unique term describing a covenant relationship in which both parties are bound to be loyal and faithful to each other.”
In the church’s book, True to the faith as part of the description of covenants it says. “Your greatest hope should be to enjoy the sanctification that comes from this divine guidance; your greatest fear should be to forfeit those blessings.
Helaman explained, “Remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.”
Anchor pins and steel rods Elder Bednar described covenants and ordinances as the anchor pins and steel rods used to connect a foundation to bedrock to provide support and strength to a structure.
Elder Bednar also said that everything we do in the church is to yoke us to the Savior through covenants.
What makes our church uniquely qualified to administer covenants and ordinances? Obviously not perfect people. We kicked off the restoration with prophet losing 116 pages of ancient scripture. Doctrine and Covenants 124:1 yet the Savior himself calls the church true.Authorized by proper Priesthood authority to dispense the same covenant of salvation and exhalation.
2 Nephi 29:1 But behold, there shall be many—at that day when I shall proceed to do a marvelous work among them, that I may remember my covenants which I have made unto the children of men, that I may set my hand again the second time to recover my people, which are of the house of Israel;
We Access the Power of God through Jesus Christ
MARK 2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.
3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.
4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.
5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.
6 But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,
7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?
8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?
9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?
10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)
11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.
12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God
We can and should seek for the blessings of covenants with God
Abraham 1:2-4
2 And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers.
3 It was conferred upon me from the fathers; it came down from the fathers, from the beginning of time, yea, even from the beginning, or before the foundation of the earth, down to the present time,
4 I sought for mine appointment unto the Priesthood according to the appointment of God unto the fathers concerning the seed.
Elder Christofferson said, “Some might say I can make good choices with or without baptism; I don’t need covenants to be an honorable and successful person.” Indeed, there are many who, while not on the covenant path themselves, act in a way that mirrors the choices and contributions of those who are on the path. You might say they reap the blessings of walking a “covenant-consistent” path. What, then, is the difference of the covenant path?
Actually, the difference is uniquely and eternally significant. It includes the nature of our obedience, the character of God’s commitment to us, the divine help we receive, the blessings tied to gathering as a covenant people, and most importantly, our eternal inheritance.
Covenants Keeping Blesses Us
We can’t do some things on our own. We need the master healer. Ryan Runya’s mom prided herself at getting out stains, even the hardest ones to get out. When her son passed away unexpectedly she was devastated. It was a stain she couldn’t fix. Only Christ could heal this wound. Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as wool, thou they be red like crimson, they shall be white as snow. Spiritual and physical death- demand redeemer, someone powerful enough to save.
2 great obligations of the New and Everlasting covenants are to 1. Love God and 2 love others with this same kind of love, dear, caring, tender, committed love, this Hesed
Repent Relentlessly
-In this relationship of love, we show our love by keeping God’s commandments. If ye love me, keep my commandments is actually for our own good to save us from the destructive power of the adversary. In 3 Nephi 9:2 2 Wo, wo, wo unto this people; wo unto the inhabitants of the whole earth except they shall repent; for the devil laugheth, and his angels rejoice, because of the slain of the fair sons and daughters of my people; and it is because of their iniquity and abominations that they are fallen! it shows he laughs when we fail to keep covenants and repent.
-God knows we will make mistakes
These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood. [D&C 76:69]
Why do we repent? Because as President Nelson said, “purity brings power
-Elder Klebingat
“the Savior is less upset over our sins and shortcomings than He is over our seeming indifference to do something about them in the right way.”
Rachel’s experience at D.C. temple rededication- gutted baptistry. There may be things we need to completely gut and rebuild.
We will sin and we will make mistakes. Elder Christopherson said, a man of integrity will honestly face and correct his mistakes, and that is an example we can respect.
Doctrine and Covenants 60:7 For I am able to make you holy.
You’ve probably heard the phrase “you do you”, but Christ says take up your cross and follow me. Elder Soares described that attitude as, “what works for Thee, works for me.”
In a slightly humorous tone Peter Marshall said, “Lord, when we are wrong, make us willing to change. And when we are right, make us easy to live with.”
Serve God by Loving Others
-Anytime we serve anyone on either side of the veil we are helping to gather Israel. -President Nelson
After the big London fire, the great English architect, Sir Christopher Wren, volunteered his services to plan and superintend the building of one fo the world’s greatest cathedrals. Unknown to most of the workmen, he passed among them watching the construction. To three stone cutters one day he asked, “What are you doing?” One of them answered, “I am cutting this stone.” Another answered, “I am earning my three shillings per day.” But the third stood up, squared his shoulders and proudly said, “I am helping Sir Christopher Wren build this magnificent cathedral” How easy it is to sometimes forget in our covenant keeping of ministering or teaching or cleaning the building both the cause and master whom we serve.
We believe that we hold these mighty forces (covenants and ordinances) in trust for all who have died, for all who are now living, and for the yet unborn.” President James E. Faust
I heard a description of Joseph Smith as, undaunted. We can be undaunted.
I was thinking of times in my life when I have felt divine intervention from my covenants. I noticed a repeating pattern. I’d find myself in a difficult situation and pray for relief. I wanted someone or something to come in and save me from the overwhelming challenges I faced. Instead he asks for a broken heart and contrite spirit and once I give Him those, he increases my capacity and in the process helps me become more than I was before. Example – missionary, young mom (reading lessons, teaching kids to skills)
A disciple of Christ is one who is learning to be like Christ – learning to think, to feel, and to act as he does. When we want our solutions solved for us, let’s remember the Lord is in the business of building people.
However, he serves with us!
72 And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things.
I’ve made a dear friend at institute named Penelope. She has an endearing accent since she’s from England and plenty of life experience having been a window twice now. When her second husband passed away, she described him as “a great solider for Christ” Although I’m sure he was imperfect, “When people saw him, they saw Christ.”
“Most often it is the sacrifices we make to keep our covenants that sanctify us and make us holy” -Elder Christofferson
How can we make ctionable steps to keeping covenants?
Baseball coach telling Jonathan, “Use what God gave you.” Meaning build on the features and abilities you already have. We can evaluate our circumstances, experiences and talents (even if they don’t seem like much) and consecrate them to God’s work.
Joseph Smith said, “Men not infrequently forget that they are dependent upon heaven for every blessing which they are permitted to enjoy” Everything we have or are is on loan from God.
President Gordon B. Hinkley wrote: I am not suggesting that we must become geniuses. Most of us will never fall within that designation. But I have concluded that the work of the world is done by basically ordinary people who have learned to work in an extraordinary way…
Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, God's extraordinary work is most often done by ordinary people in the seeming obscurity of a home and family.
Small examples of covenant keeping: Dad shoveling snow on a cold winter morning that happened to be his birthday to build a sled run for his grandchildren. Him praying, “help us do the work of Christ.” Mom helping me fulfill my callings, teaching me how to be a better mom little things like making kids lunches the night before or preparing everything for Sunday the day before or teaching me how it’s way more effective to iron a shirt right out of the wash rather than drying it first. Simple, seemingly insignificant things to serve and lift and teach. Uncle Dan. “Lord make us good.” We don’t need to be flashy, beautiful, smart or wealthy. We just need to humbly ask, “Lord make us good.”
Elder Faust: For most of us, however, what is required is not to die for the Church but to live for it. For many, living a Christlike life every day may be even more difficult than laying down one’s life. Some may say: “I am a simple person. I have no stature or position. I am new in the Church. My talents and abilities are limited. My contribution is little.” Or they may say: “I am too old to change. I have already lived my life. Why should I try?”
Ether 2:16 Brother of Jared had already made barges.
Mormon battalion
Another idea would be to ask ourselves. “What would a covenant keeper do in this situation?”
How can I show love to a child? Touch, sight, sound, attention
He spoke to them while he touched them.
Jeremiah 20:9 – We claim Him, We choose to not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
Closing Testimony
How does this change what we do? We see ourselves as part of the house of Israel, stewards or custodians of the covenant, with a commission to “Go save my people”. We can ask ourselves, “Am I willing to make and keep covenants?” We can follow our prophet’s plea to step up and help bring about the gathering. We say through our actions the same simple words spoken by the most perfect life that ever lived, “Here am I, send me”.
In the Savior’s name