He Is The Way

I have felt impressed to share with you today an experience I had this summer with a group of young men from my ward on a backpacking trip to the Philmont Scout Ranch in the mountains of New Mexico.  On our first day we met with an LDS Chaplain who gave one of our boys a small kit so as to administer the sacrament on the Sunday that we were there.  Special permission is granted from the church for this experience and the boys treated the opportunity with great respect.  It happened to be the first time my son was able to perform this ordinance having just been ordained a priest the Sunday prior to the trip.  As he knelt in the dirt in front of a rock altar and clearly and distinctly read the words of the prayer, I had the thought, "these young men truly are ordained to the priesthood of God."  As he spoke the promise that the Lord's spirit be with us always I felt its presence burn in my heart and edify my soul.  Each night we gathered together and reviewed the good, the bad and what we looked forward to doing next.  On one of these nights we discussed in detail what it means to feel, recognize and follow the Holy Spirit.  Each of the boys shared experiences when they had felt the spirit.  It was one of those priceless moments when rejoiced together in love and unity.  

Two days later we found ourselves hiking to the top of a mountain.  The trail was hard, rocky and straight up to the top.  We leaders arrived at the top tired and a bit grumpy for the bad trail.  A short time later, we went down the steep hill, crossed a dirt road and descended into a gully.  After a short while, we lost the trail.  After searching for a while we consulted the map.  Finding a few landmarks on the map, thinking we knew where we were, we pushed through the forest searching for a nearby trail that should have been on the other side of a gully.  It was hard steep hiking and after not finding the trail where we anticipated, we decided to stop and rest.  My son and I went off without packs, looking for the way to go but could not find the trail where we thought it should have been.  Returning to the group, I received the distinct impression, "We need to pray."  

We gathered the boys together and one of them was asked to pray.  Just as he began to say the opening words of the prayer, the spirit descended on us.  We all felt a distinct calmness.  We then sat down again with the maps and decided to go back up the ridge, thinking that if we went further we would find the trail.  I was nearly jubilant as we hiked along, knowing for sure that we been guided in our thoughts and would find the trail in a few minutes, and we did.  We quickly gathered and offered up a prayer of gratitude.  After a quick break, we headed down the trail again.  After a short distance we came to the same dirt road we had crossed before but at a different spot.  There was a sign clearly showing that we should have been going the opposite direction.  Again, we pulled out the map it now became clear that we never had pinpointed our location on the map accurately.  We were on a different ridge than previously thought and had traversed a different gully.  Knowing what we now knew, I realized that we went the only direction that would allow us to find the way again.  Had we gone any other way, we would not have hit a trail for a very long time.  I was humbled and nearly overcome with gratitude for the Lord who showed us the right way.  

Brothers and Sisters, when we are on paths of our own making, we are going the wrong way.  There is only one path to our Heavenly Home, it is the Lord's.  

To Thomas, He declared, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6).

There will be voices that will try to take you off of His path.  One may say, "I don't fit in since I don't have pioneer ancestors," or "None of the twelve apostles have the same skin color that I do." The Lord himself was prophesied to come specifically from the house of Israel and be of the royal blood of David.  His lineage was very carefully outlined in the scriptures through both Mary and Joseph. That said, David himself had a great grandmother, Ruth, who was not from the house of Israel, but was adopted in.  Even though Jesus clearly taught, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel," it was to the woman at the well, a Samaritan, that he declared himself to be the Christ, the prophesied Messiah.  As risen Lord he appeared to the Nephites and testified that he was not just the God of Israel but the God of the whole world. (3 Nephi 11:14)  There is room for all of us on His path.

All of us at times have strayed from the path due to sin, which for some has led to captivating addiction. The church has organized an addiction recovery program to help those with addiction find their way back to the path. I have learned of the love that the Savior has for those who have had the courage to face their demons and know that He will be with them every step of their way back to recovery.  If you have struggled with the shackles of addiction, seek out medical assistance, talk to your bishop, attend the recovery meetings.  Go to the Lord in prayer.  Help is available, the Savior will be there for you.

It is easy to look to the path and see others and assume all is well with them and that we don't measure up.  For some it may be the lack of the "complete family unit" that makes one feel that they don't belong.  The Lord through his prophets has defined the ideal family unit to include a father and a mother with children in the home.  That said, the Lord is well aware of those whose family may be incomplete.  It is not a coincidence that he himself was born to a mother out of wedlock, this during a time when such an act was unheard of.  As he hung on the cross, he thought of his family.  He gave charge to care for his mother to his trusted disciple but there is no mention of a spouse or children.  Are we to assume that the Savior of the world could not reach the highest degree of the Celestial Kingdom due to not being sealed for all time and eternity while in mortality?  Of course not. There is time in the next life to complete, mend and heal all of our families.

Whether we get off course through sin, distraction, disobedience or simple weakness, we  have all strayed.  It does not matter where we are on the path but what direction we are going.  President Uchtdorf taught us, “God will take you as you are at this very moment and begin to work with you.  All you need is a willing heart, a desire to believe and trust in the Lord...Exaltation is our goal; discipleship is our journey. As you exercise a little faith and begin your walk as a peaceable follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, your heart will change. God will help you become something greater than you ever thought possible.” (“It Works Wonderfully” Oct GC 2015)

So if faith leads us to the path, repentance enables us to proceed in the right direction. Consider the Lamanite King who in the Book of Mormon who was being taught of the gospel plan by Aaron.  He inquired, "What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy." In his mind, the greatest thing he could give God was all that he possessed.  After Aaron taught him to pray for forgiveness, the King's plea changed, saying, "I will give away all my sins to know thee." (Alma 22: 16, 18)

We show the Lord our commitment to walk in his way through the gospel ordinances.  This is the doctrine of Christ.  Nephi taught that baptism is the gate that leads to the straight and narrow path.  He also cautioned that there is more to do than merely entering through the gate by saying, “Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.  Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.” (2 Nephi 31:30)

Pressing forward is not circling through the woods and hoping we find the path.  I can tell you from experience, that does not work.  We must press forward in Christ.  It was after we had bowed our heads in prayer that we then knew what direction to take, even if, as it turns out, we didn’t quite know where we were at the time.  We have all felt at times that we are merely going through the motions, ambling through the woods. At other times we feel we are trapped in briars or are stuck in a ravine and can’t get out.  There will be times in our lives when the burdens we carry are too heavy to bear.  We must turn to the Lord.  Alone we will fail every time.  

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,” invites the Lord, “and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

If we are yoked with the Savior through the ordinance of baptism whereby we enter into his path, may I suggest that our needed course corrections occur as we partake of the sacrament each week?  Whether we be on a mountain high or administered to by the young men of the Aaronic Priesthood right in our own chapel, this is the process whereby we learn to submit our will to the Father.  This is how we learn to get off of our own path and on to the master’s.  Consider the experience of Nephi, as I was recently taught by Brother Logan Jardine who will speak to us in a few minutes.   When Nephi was asked to go get the brass plates, he famously declared, "I will go and do the things which the Lord has commanded for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men save He shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them" (1 Nephi 3:7)  Nephi then made two attempts to procure the plates and failed each time.  On his third attempt he submitted his will to the Father, saying, "I was led by the spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." (1 Nephi 4:6) Relying wholly on the Lord, he was able to carry out his assignment and return safely to his family.  

His message had a profound influence on me and was a potent reminder that I need to always be on the Lord's path, not my own.  Too often I figure I know best and start thrashing through the underbrush in an unmarked forest. 

In our recent General Conference, Sister Neill F. Marriott of the General Young Women's Presidency declared, "I have struggled to banish the mortal desire to have things my way, eventually realizing that my way is oh so lacking, limited, and inferior to the way of Jesus Christ. “His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come.” Can we love Jesus Christ and His way more than we love ourselves and our own agenda?" ("Yielding Our Hearts to God," Oct GC 2015)

On the trail, one of my favorite scriptures came to my mind in a new light.

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).

When we are on the Lord's path our outlook changes from inward to outward.  Once we have tasted of the Lord's love for us individually, we are filled with a desire to share it with those around us.  The miracle of it all occurs when we help lift the burden of another only to find that our own burdens have lessened even more.

Consider the words from one our stake's returned missionaries, Sister Megan Garner, who was recently serving in Mexico.  "I know that this is where I'm supposed to be and the Lord needs me to be a missionary right now. Every night I come home and take off my shoes and it is the best feeling.  Being exhausted after a day is such a good feeling because you know you worked really hard.  Yes, it can get very discouraging here, but the Lord makes it work and helps me to be happy when I am down.  I know He is there for EVERYONE in the world" (Sister Megan Garner, Mexico City Southeast Mission, July 2015). 

The great Book of Mormon missionary, Ammon, expressed his joy in being led by the Lord saying, "And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work" (Alma 26:3).  

Concluding with the words of Nephi, "And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen" (2 Nephi 31:32). 

Inspired Questions

This weekend I was at a training meeting for our Sunday School teachers and leaders.  As part of that training we were to come prepared to discuss the following: "What inspired question posed by Jesus in the scriptures has made a lasting impact on you?"  It was a great meeting to be a part of.  At first, my mind went blank.  I couldn't think of any questions.  As I continued to ponder, more and more questions came to my mind.  Others in the group brought out even more questions.  I wrote down as many as I could.

"Whom say ye that I am?"

"What manner of men ought ye to be?"

"Lovest thou me more than these?"

"What seek ye?"

"Could not thou watch with me one hour?"

As I sat and pondered, it suddenly occurred to me exactly what my question was.  It did not occur long time ago and is not actually found in the Bible.  My story starts several years prior to reading this question but it has changed my life forever.  It starts in the high Sierra Mountains of California on a backpack trip with my father.  The following is from my personal notes:

"What a beautiful day!  The sun shone brightly through the trees.  My steps seemed light and easy.  It sure beat carrying that heavy pack on my back.  I climbed on one boulder and jumped easily to the next.  Over the ridge I could see the tall jagged mountain beckoning to us, inviting us to climb its heights.  Being out in the majesty of nature took my breath away.  Looking across my shoulder, Dad was taking the day pack off by a large fallen tree.  “This looks like a great place to stop for lunch, Mike, come on over.”  I hopped over quickly, grateful to eat our backpacking morsels.  I don’t think that I ever tired of eating dried apricots, sharp cheddar cheese, cashews, tuna fish and snicker bars.  If we climbed high enough we’d even be able to make real snow cones with our lemonade, the best kind of yellow snow.

    Between bites, Dad queried, “What’s your favorite Book of Mormon story, Mike?”  Although I was only nine or ten, I knew right away what my answer would be.  You see, we had done this before.  Dad had a tradition of taking us boys backpacking at least once every year.  We would usually leave on a Friday night and camp at the trailhead.  Saturday would be spent hiking into the lake where we would be staying.  Sunday would be a rest day.  We would enjoy the campsite and take a day hike up to the highest near-by peak.  Up in the tops of the mountains overlooking the majesty of God’s creations Dad would share with us his favorite stories from the Book of Mormon and then we would share ours with him.  

    “My favorite is the story of Ammon.”  I then told my dad about the great faith of the missionary who completely trusted in the Lord and was blessed to do what no other man could do.  He converted thousands of his people’s most bitter enemies and defied the robbers who would steal from the king.  I had not as yet read this in the scriptures, but I knew that it was my favorite.  It was one that I learned from him.  His favorite was “Nephi and the Broken Bow.”  Later, when I did sit down and read the Book of Mormon on my own, those stories were extra special.  I still remember the chills going down my spine as I started reading Alma 17 and realized that I was now going to read the actual scriptural account of my favorite story.  I love the scriptures because I knew that my father did.

    His love of the scriptures, and the Book of Mormon in particular,  really began as a missionary.  He didn’t leave right away when he turned nineteen like most other missionaries.  He wasn’t sure if that was what he wanted to do.  Prior to going on a mission, he was in a BYU singles ward and his bishop was Steven R. Covey.  I don’t know the particulars of their interaction together, but I do know that he had a profound influence on Dad.  He has said before that Bishop Covey was largely responsible for encouraging him to serve a mission.  In fact, my younger brother is Stephen Richard Fuller, named in part after this great man.

    Dad was called to the Central States mission.  He served in parts of Colorado, New Mexico and Texas.  Quite an area really.  Since he decided to go somewhat later than most, he felt like he hadn’t prepared himself as well as he would of liked.  He especially felt behind in the knowledge of the scriptures.  He began setting his old “Baby Ben” alarm clock at 5:00 AM so that he could get in extra study time.  The temptation to roll over, swat at that infernal clanging time-piece and go back to sleep was at times too great, so he hung the clock by a string from the ceiling in the middle of the room.  This forced him to get out of bed to turn it off and made it harder to go back to sleep.  I’m sure that his companions loved him for this.  I used this same clock on my mission.  It was horribly loud, but quite effective.  I had one companion who liked to sleep in, so I just let it ring on for a while.   He got the message.

    It was during these early morning study sessions that Dad grew to love the Book of Mormon.  The spirit touched his soul and he knew that it was true.  He understood, as Joseph Smith and President Benson taught, that “the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”  Dad put it this way, if the Book of Mormon is true, then Joseph Smith had to be a prophet and as such the church is the Lord’s true and living church here on the earth.  It all falls into place.  Whenever he felt his strength wavering or his testimony faltering, he would “go back to the Book of Mormon,” and he would have his testimony renewed.  As a young boy I knew that he had a testimony and in my mind it never faltered.  In my heart he planted the seeds of a desire to know for myself.  The fact that my little seed of faith was able to grow, I give credit to my parents who helped cultivate the soil of my heart from my infancy.  

"Behold, a sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.  And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirty fold" (Matthew 13: 3-8). 

“I want you to help me teach part of the lesson, Mike.  We are going to talk about recognizing the spirit.  Here, you read this scripture and then we’ll talk about.”  We were preparing to go on a hometeaching visit.  I opened to Doctrine and Covenants 9:7-9 and read, “Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me.  But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.  But if it be not right you should have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong.”  “How does it feel for you bosom to burn, Dad?”  That must have been a hard question to answer because I don’t really remember his response.  I remember thinking, though, that my answers to prayer would come in the form of some kind of spiritual heartburn.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I figured it would be something quite grand.

This incendiary chest sensation was on my mind as I completed the Book of Mormon for the first time front to back.  I was about fifteen at the time.  I remember reading Moroni 10: 4-5 and thinking, “OK, this is it.  I’ve have now read the Book of Mormon and I will now be able to ask God if it is true.”  I longed to know for myself, just like my father found out, that it is His word.  Dad suggested that I fast prior to going to the Lord in prayer.  We lived in Connecticut at the time and my room was in the attic.  I knelt down beside my bed and I prayed.  Not much happened.  I continued to pray and I did my best to listen and try to feel an answer.  No fire was forthcoming.  I do remember quite clearly that my mind felt at ease, at peace.  I certainly knew that I didn’t have a stupor of thought.  I went away from the experience feeling a little disappointed.  I felt like I could testify that I knew that the Book of Mormon was not false.  It felt too right, too good.  Because I didn’t feel my “bosom burn” within me, I somehow felt that I couldn’t boldly proclaim that it was true.  At the time, though, it was enough and I continued to walk in the faith that I had at that time and even decided to serve a full-time mission for the church.  While in the MTC, I was reading through the Doctrine and Covenants, our book of modern day revelations.  An early leader of our church, Oliver Cowdery, asked Joseph Smith to go to the Lord to receive a revelation in regards to his early testimony of the church.  Joseph recorded Jesus' response to Oliver, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things.  Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter?  What greater witness can you have than from God?” (D&C 6:22-23).  As I read these verses my mind cried out, “yes! This is how I felt.”  The words jumped off the page and spoke directly to my heart.  I knew immediately that I had received my answer; I just didn’t realize it.  The Lord truly spoke peace to my mind.  How excited I was to learn to recognize the spirit in my life and to know with confidence that the Lord answers my prayers."

"Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter?"  "What greater witness can you have than from God?"  These are the two questions that changed my life.  I read them on a page but I felt the Lord speak them directly to my heart.  Interestingly, the asking of the questions was the answer I had been seeking for many years.  

What questions have made a difference for you?  How has the Lord spoken to you?

Day of Life

As vestiges of a sweet dream at morning dawn

Comes the longing of family and the feeling to belong.

The day begins with darkness, pain and even reeks of death

Dispelled by the radiance from He who gave us breath.

Like a tender hatchling, nourished by loving care,

We turn our backs to the nest and flee into the air.

The spiral ends in a heap, alone upon the ground.

All is lost, the day is done, despair begins to sound.

A loving hand, finds and lifts back to the welcome nest

For it is only after falling we learn to pass the test.

The sun now high with wings spread wide, to soar into the sky.

The falling light of waning day paints a magnificent goodbye.

The day has passed, the night has set, returned now to the tree.

Gathered home to those we love, for all eternity.

"Here Am I"

Adress given at St. Louis Missouri Stake Priesthood Meeting August 30, 2015

I hope you enjoy. 

Last month I received a very distinct impression to study on a certain subject after I had listened to a conference talk and sat pondering its message.  I had just the right opportunity on a 20 hour train ride to the Philmont Scout Ranch a week later.  When President Bunderson articulated the theme of obedience and sacrifice for this meeting tonight it became quite clear to me that this was the purpose for my previous inspiration.  Allow me to introduce my subject by relating the story of one of my pioneer ancestors, Ephraim K. Hanks.  To the youth, I referenced his story recently at the trek fireside.  Ephraim was a mountain man and worked for the pony express.  He traveled back and forth across the plains, making fifty trips in all from our area of the country out to Utah.  He was well aware of the Martin Handcart Company and knew of their delay in crossing the plains.  They were often on his mind.  One night while down in Provo, fishing, he had the following experience:

Ephraim Hanks-"The Tempered Wind"

"Well, I was staying at Gerney Brown's place, and though the bed was comfortable enough, I couldn't sleep.  Finally I did drop off, but no sooner than I'd done it I was waked up again.  Somebody said, "Ephraim," so I said, "Yes?"  But it wasn't Gerney that was speaking.  No one was in that room.  Then my name was spoken again.  My heart was like to pound right out of my body, but I couldn't see anything.  The third time the voice said, "Ephraim," seemed like it was sort of sharp and out of patience.  I said, "Yes, yes. Is there something that I can do for you?"  Then the voice said clear as if I'd been face to face with a neighbor, "Ephraim, that handcart company is in trouble. Will you help them out?"

Ephraim packed a wagon and two horses early the next morning and headed for Salt Lake City.  When he arrived he met with messengers from Brigham Young who had been dispatched to ask him to come.  Being prepared by the Lord and willing to obey, Ephraim left many days before the bulk of the rescue party left.  His experience in the night reminded me of the young boy Samuel in the Old Testament. The account reads:

1 Samuel 3

4 ..the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.

5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.

6 And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.

7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him.

8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child.

"Here am I," repeated the young boy three times.  Before he even knew that it was the Lord who called, he expressed his willingness to obey.  When we show the Lord our willingness to obey, He will entrust us to do His work and receive His blessings.  "Here am I" is a phrase echoed through the scriptures.

The great prophet Isaiah recorded, "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me." (Isaiah 6:8)

Moses answered the Lord, who talked to him from the burning bush, saying, "Here am I." (Exodus 3:4).  After this expression of commitment he was then given the directive to free Israel.

Before Moses, the prophet Jacob replied in the same way: "And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I." (Genesis 46: 2)  He was then commanded to go into Egypt at the peril of his family.

Obedience was obviously part of the heritage passed on to these great men of God.  Consider Jacob's grandfather, Abraham.  The Lord called out to him by name and he responded:

"Behold, here I am.

And [The Lord] said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." (Genesis 22:1-2)  Part of the reason why Abraham was able to follow through with the Lord's commandment to sacrifice his son was that he had already made up his mind that he would be obedient, regardless of what was asked of him.  

The phrase "here I am" is not just a simple recitation of a willingness to obey, it is a manifestation and recognition of deity.  President Russell M. Nelson taught: "Jehovah is derived from the Hebrew word hayah, which means "to be" or "to exist" A form of the word hayah in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament was translated into English as I AM." (Jesus the Christ: Our Master and More" Elder Russell M. Nelson, CR April 2000). The declaration of "here I am," therefore is also a witness that God lives, that he is our savior and that we have consecrated our lives to Him and stand ready to obey.  

"Obedience," Elder L. Tom Perry taught, "is an emblem of our faith in the wisdom and power of the highest authority...Obedience is a choice. It is a choice between our own limited knowledge and power and God’s unlimited wisdom and omnipotence." (Elder L. Tom Perry, April Conf 2014)

In fact, the phrase, "Here I am" echoes back to our premortal existence when our Heavenly Father's plan was presented.  We read in Abraham, chapter 3:

27 And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first."  Not only was Jesus willing to obey and to sacrifice, he was also the first born of the Father and capable of being our savior.  Satan's answer was the same as the Lord's on paper but with a different emphasis, "here I am," wanting the glory for himself.  Jesus' response was in essence, "here Father I stand willing to do thy bidding."

"Whom shall I send?"  Has the call from the Lord ceased?  Does he speak to us today?  To you young men of the priesthood and to those not so young as well, listen to the words of a modern day witness:

"The Savior’s call is to you of the rising generation. He is asking for worthy, prepared, faithful young men and young women who will heed the prophet’s voice, who will step up and say, as the Savior Himself said, “Here am I, send me” (Abraham 3:27). The need has never been greater. The field has never been whiter. You are called to go “this last time” (Jacob 5:62). There is no greater work; there is no greater call than teaching “all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19)." ("A Call to the Rising Generation" Elder Brent H. Nielsen Oct CR 2009).

When President Monson stood to announce the age changes for missionary service in October of 2012, my family was changed forever.  My daughter, Rachael, who was 19 at that time had come to my wife and I three months before, sat us down and told us that after a lot of fasting and prayer, Heavenly Father had let her know that she needed to serve a mission and that she should prepare right now.  At the time we were happy for her but didn't think too much of it since she had two years to prepare.  When we heard the prophet's voice we knew that like Ephraim, the Lord had prepared Rachael to answer the prophet's call, "Here I am, send me."  My son, Devin, was 16 at the time.  His initial response was, "I still want to go to college for a year before my mission."  A few weeks later he came back, letting us know that through his prayers, he received the strong impression that though it would be fine if he waited till he was 19 to serve, for him, Heavenly Father wanted him to prepare right now and go when he was 18.  That moment inspired a mighty change in his heart.  He grew from being a good young boy to a powerful servant of God over the next two years.  Obedience and preparation were his mantra.  He had received his call to serve a mission, long before the letter arrived in the mail.  When the Lord through his prophet asked, "whom shall I send," Devin through his obedience answered, "Here I am."

We have many, many such faithful, willing and obedient young men and women from our very own stake.  Listen to some of their testimony and willingness to participate in the work of the Lord.  

Elder Karl Appelgarth, "I know with all my heart that if we develop a powerful and unbreakable faith, we will always be led by the hand of the Lord and we will always be able to do his will."

Sister Alexis Kendall, "I love my mission and the people here!  I love sharing the gospel to everyone I meet!  I'm so thankful that I can be part of this great work!"

Sister Selah Mahaffey, "I love the members.  I love this area.  I love the scriptures.  My testimony is growing so strong.  I am grateful I chose to go on a mission.  I would be a different person.  I am so grateful for the change that is happening within me.  I thank the atonement for that-well for everything.  I love being a missionary!  What a unique and incredibly opportunity to be able to serve a mission."

Elder Ross Rosenloff, "Every missionary activity is (or should be!) to the ends of helping people come unto Christ and to receive the fulness of His gospel in their lives.  I am grateful for the chance that I have to do this every day.  Missionary work is great!"

Sister Savannah Betzold, "I love the Savior and his gospel and being a missionary so much.  My heart swells with love and gratitude.  God is soo good, and kind and merciful!  Oh it is wonderful, wonderful to me!"

These young men and women stand as witnesses to you and to me.  As the hymn states, they declare:

It may not be on the mountain height

Or over the stormy sea,

It may not be at the battle's front

My Lord will have need of me.

But if, by a still, small voice he calls

To paths that I do not know,

I'll answer dear Lord with mine hand in thine:

I'll go where you want me to go.

Perhaps today there are loving words

Which Jesus would have me speak;

There may be now in the paths of sin

Some wand'rer whom I should seek.

O Savior, if thou wilt be my guide,

Tho dark and rugged the way,

My voice shall echo the message sweet:

I'll say what you want me to say.

There's surely somewhere a lowly place

In earth's harvest fields so wide

Where I may labor through life's short day

For Jesus, the Crucified.

So trusting my all to thy tender care,

And knowing thou lovest me,

I'll do thy will with a heart sincere:

I'll be what you want me to be.

"I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go" Hymns #270

If our youth are so valiant, full of testimony and obedient, what about the rest of us?  We may not be called to the Philippines or to Brazil, but we are called to feed the flock right here where we live as home teachers.  We may not be called on to leave our families and cross the plains but as Elder Ballard has put it, we may be called upon to walk across the street and talk to our neighbors.  

"Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory!" (Doctrine & Covenants 128:22). 

May our cry always be, "Here am I!"  As we show the Lord that we are willing to give all that we have to him, He will be there for us.  With arms open wide He stands waiting.  Then shall the words of Isaiah be fulfilled when he promised,

"Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, 'Here I am." (Isaiah 58:9)

God's Plan for Happy Families

My Uncle Bob passed away last week.  He will be sorely missed by the family who loves him so much. I felt quite strongly that I needed to be in Arizona for his funeral, so I made a quick trip down this week. During my layover in Denver my cousin Julie messaged me asking if I could pick up her son that was also coming in late.  Shen then said, "Oh, by the way, Sam (her brother) wants to know if you will speak on the Plan of Salvation.  I said, "sure," and then  spent my next flight working on it.  I told my parents that in a way I prefered to be asked to talk with very little warning since I was sure that the Lord would bless me and He certainly did.  I received insights I had not previously considered.  It is hard to explain the feeling I had giving this message to my extended family.  I felt such a closeness and a feeling of love between all of us.  The text follows:

God's Plan of Happiness

In the scriptures God's plan for his children is referenced in several different ways.  It is known as the Plan of Salvation, the Plan of Redemption but my personal favorite is "God's Plan of Happiness."  The whole point of our existence is that we may experience joy and happiness.  To understand this plan and our place in it, we first must understand the nature of God.

Like his plan, God has been referred to by many different names, such as the Supreme Being, the Great Creator, the Great Spirit, Jehova and many others.  Of all the titles that have been given, the one that He has chosen for us to refer to Him, to honor Him the most is simply, "Father."  

Paul taught:

28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; For we are also his offspring. (Acts 17).

And to the Romans he proclamed:

16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: (Romans 8).

He created our spirits before we came to this earth.  We lived with Him and knew Him but he wanted more for us than just blissfully coexisting in His presence. Like any other Father, my Uncle Bob included, He wants the very best for his children.  He wants us to grow and develop and be even like He is.  This is why he developed the Plan of Happiness.  This is why he told Moses:

39 For behold, this is my work and my glory--to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

The plan was presented in the councils of Heaven before we were born.  We read in Abraham:

24 And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;

25 And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;

26 And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever.

After Adam wasplaced in the Garden of Eden, Our Father immediately knew that His work was not complete and so He created a family by giving him Eve, the mother of all living.  The very first commandment that they received was to bring children into this new family.  This was not possible in the Garden of Eden.  I truly believe that at some level Adam and Eve understood this dilemma and chose the path that would take them out of their Father's presence and into a world full of heartache, pain, sorrow and even death.  It was a world, though, that allowed God's children to learn, to grow and be part of a family.

Truly, "25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy."

I believe Eve understood this best.  After she and Adam left the Garden, she declared, 

Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient. (Moses 5:11).

Adam and Eve were instructed in the plan by heavenly messengers.  They were told:

56 And it is given unto them (referring to the children of Adam and Eve) to know good from evil; wherefore they are agents unto themselves, and I have given unto you another law and commandment.

57 Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore I give unto you a commandment, to teach these things freely unto your children (Moses 6).

Twice God commanded them to teach the plan to their children.  Early this morning on a plane from Denver to Phoenix, I received an unmistakable impression that this is the message that my Uncle Bob wanted me to share with his children.  With him I testify that 

"God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16)

22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15). 

Due to the fall, physical and spiritual death was introduced into the world.  Alone, we would be lost but,

7 Behold, he [Jesus] offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered (2 Nephi 2).

As risen Lord, he declared to the Nephites:

32 And this is my doctrine, whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God.

 As we choose to have faith in Christ and to turn from our sins, we will feel the power of the atonement in our lives.  We will have a natural desire to take part in his ordained ordinances.  We will remember our baptism and commit each and every week to walk in His footsteps as we partake of the sacrament.  His spirit will be with us to guide is in all that we do.  

I testify that the sealing power given to Peter is on the earth today.  This is the promise as found in the 132nd section of the Doctrine and Covenants:

19 ...if a man marry a wife by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, it shall be said unto them--Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, and if ye abide in my covenant, it shall be done unto them in time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels to their exaltation and glory in all things, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever. (D&C 132).

This morning as I lay in bed, pondering on the words which I should say, I felt impress to discuss this verse further.  In the next life, we are told that we will no longer be organized in congregations called wards or stakes.  Callings such as Bishop, Clerk or President will be replaced by "Father," "Sister," "Uncle" or "Daughter."  Yes, the reason why families are so important here in this life is because they prepare us how to live in the next.  What we call family reunions now will be simply "church meetings" there.  

My son Devin is currently serving in Russia as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  When he was first called, I worried about him a lot.  I worried for his safety and couldn't imagine sending my young son somewhere where he could be abused or beaten or worse.  About this same time, my other son, Sterling, through family history, found some names of our family to take to the temple.  On a Saturday when he and his mother were away, I went to do the beginning temple ordinances or initiatories for five of those names.  While doing these ordinances, I felt the usual calm peacefulness I feel in the temple until the second name was presented, Clement Crennan.  When I had to say his name, I choked up a bit and as the prayer and blessings were pronounced on my head for him, I felt an amazing warm, tingling feeling all through my body.  I felt a feeling of love and of gratitude.  It was gone as I moved to the next area, replaced by the usual confirming feeling of peace.   When I was done, I decided to take his name through an endowment session.  While waiting, I started reading the Book of Mormon from the first chapter knowing that Clement would be listening and would not have had that opportunity while in mortality. I read the first seven chapters of the first book of Nephi.  The endowment ceremony proceeded in its usual fashion till we arrived at the part where we are instructed how to pray.  During the prayer, the officiator asked that the missionaries around the world would be blessed.  He then asked that the patrons in the company would be blessed and at the end said that we would leave the temple knowing that God's angels would have charge over us.  At that moment I had the distinct impression that God would allow Clement to be that angel for me and for my missionary son.  In the Celestial room, I bowed my head in prayer, thanking my Heavenly Father for such an experience and felt his love wrap around me and confirm to me that what I had felt was real.  My experience ended downstairs reading from the Book of Mormon as I waited for the names to be recorded.  I came to chapter eight and read Lehi's dream of the tree of life.  These familiar words came to me in a new way:

12 And as I [Lehi] partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.

Lehi's son, Nephi was shown the meaning of this tree and its fruit when 600 years before it occurred he was shown in vision the vigin birth and the life and ministry of the savior.  When asked the interpretation, he responded:

22 Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things. (1 Nephi 11).

Going back to the 132 section of the Doctrine & Covenants when it states that through the sealing power we will "pass by the angels," I used to think that these were sentinels, guarding the entrance to heaven.  This morning as I pondered this verse, my understanding was broadened and I knew that they would not be any old angel, they would be our angels, lining our way to God like a glorious, heavenly parade down Main Street in Magrath on the 24th of July.  Clement will be there, my Grandpa Toomer, who I have felt watch over me from a young age will be there, hand in hand with one of the greatest matriarchs this earth has ever seen and of course, there will be my Uncle Bob.  He will be there waiting for his family with open arms wanting to embrace you with the precious love of God.  

I would like to conclude with the words of a father, Mormon, brought to us by his son Moroni in the concluding chapters of the book of Mormon after he had lost his own father:

47 charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren [or in this case my beloved cousins and family], pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure."  In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Purification and Sanctification through the Atonement

Accessing the Atonement to Overcome Weakness and Sin

My missionary son recently wrote home and asked the following question:

"What is the difference between sin and weakness?" 

It is a great queston that enabled me to ponder and search this week.  I thought I would share my response to him with you.

It is an interesting concept to ponder.  We all have weaknesses. Even the Lord Jesus Christ was born into a weak infant body.  He had to grow and develop just like me and you.  He had to learn to overcome those weaknesses and depend on his Father.  Satan uses those weaknesses to tempt us to sin which will lead us away from God.  As I have studied the scriptures these principles have emerged repeatedly but I was somewhat surprised to understand and see that the process of overcoming sin or weakness is essentially the same.  We need the power of the atonement.  For sin, it is the cleansing and healing power.  For weakness we need its enabling and building power.  The Book of Mormon is certainly instructive.  Consider the psalm of Nephi:

17 Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.

18 I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me. (2 Nephi 4).

The juxtaposition of his weaknesses with temptations and sins is interesting.  This is not a weak man.  This is Nephi we are talking about, a prophet of God.  His strength is rightfully in the Lord:

"20 My God hath been my support"

"30 O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation."

"34 O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh."

We are only weak when we rely on ourselves.  When we yoke ourselves to the Savior, then we can become strong.  God gives us weaknesses so that we will rely on Him. 

Consider Moses:

10 ¶And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.

11 And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord?

12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.

Moroni described similar feelings as he was worried about his perceived weakness in writing:

"23 And I said unto him: Lord, the Gentiles will mock at these things, because of our weakness in writing; for Lord thou hast made us mighty in word by faith, but thou hast not made us mighty in writing." (Ether 12).  

He then goes on to give one of the greatest quotes in all of scriptures:

27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

Our choice to sin deliberately takes away from the Lord.  Repentance is the process that turns us back and reconciles us to him.  Weaknesses do not require repentance unless we give in to sin.  Recognizing weakness and striving to overcome them is the process of sanctification.  It is not always black and white.  Both of these processes happen concurrently during repentance.  Most sin is habitual in either thought or deed.  As we turn to the Lord and struggle to overcome repeated mistakes we must seek after both the purifying and sanctifying effects of the Savior's atonement.  The Lord can make us whole, can make us better, can make of us more than we could ever imagine we could be.  We must turn and return to the Lord and put ourselves in his hands.  As we do so, we will feel of His love in our life.  The next step is to make his love, our love.  In the words of Mormon:

"48 pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure." (Moroni 7).  

At this point we will begin to turn our thoughts from being directed inward to outward.  

`To Peter, the Lord said,

32 When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (Luke 22).

Going back to Nephi, after his psalm he proceeds to use the writings of first Jacob and then Isaiah to witness of the Lord.  He brings his own voice back in chapter 25, adding his own witness of the savior.  At this point Nephi is clearly aware of the source of his strength and is now dedicated to helping others know and feel the same thing:

23 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.

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.

Salvation is an intensely personal one on one interaction with the Lord Jesus Christ and yet it will never be complete for ourselves until we reflect the light and love that we receive to others so that they may experience that same joy.  In my estimation it is also the key to continue the enabling process of the atonement.  As we share the gospel with others, the spirit that is inevitably shed forth on the receiver cannot help spill over to the one making the invitation.  As we yoke ourselves to the Savior, we are inevitably yoked to each other through him.  Through his sacred sealing power, this is true on both sides of the veil.  

That was a rather long winded answer to your question.  Thank you for asking it.  It allowed me to study, ponder, search and grow this week.

Serving in the Lord's Church

I have felt a strong impression to share some thoughts I have had in regards to a new responsibility in my life.  I do this cautiously, not intended to be proud or haughty, but rather to share a bit about a sacred process of building the Lord's kingdom on the earth.

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we have a lay ministry.  There are two major tenets to a lay ministry. The first is that the positions of leadership and service in the church are not compensated monetarily.  This includes teachers, choir directors, youth leaders and our priesthood leaders or ministers.  The second is that we do not choose for ourselves where we will serve.  Through prayerful inspiration, revelation, our priesthood leaders decide who should serve in the various positions and ask the member if they would be willing to do so.  We are then free to decide for ourselves and are encouraged to seek the same inspiration to know from God that this is His will for us.  As many of you may know, I was asked to be a bishop of my local congregation (ward) a little over ten years ago.  It was a big responsibility to preside and lead over the whole congregation for five years.  Though it meant a sacrifice of time away from family and of balancing the demands of my occupation as well, it was a tremendous blessing to me.  It enabled me to be an even better father and a better physician also.  

After five years, a new bishop was called by our Stake President.  He, with two counselors, presides over our geographic region and is responsible for overseeing eight congregations in our area.  My new bishop asked me to teach Sunday School which I did for four years, covering the four stand works: The Old and New Testament, The Book of Mormon (another testament of Jesus Christ written by people in ancient America) and the Doctrine and Covenants (a book of modern scripture, revelation in our day).  I loved the opportunity to deeply study and ponder God's word and the chance to share that with my ward members.  When I was released being a Sunday School teacher, I was asked to serve in our nursery, helping 18-36 month old children so that their parents could participate in their classes.  I loved those little children.  I loved singing with them the songs of Jesus, showing them pictures of Him and simply playing with them.  I was only there for a few short months when I was then asked to be the Boy Scout Master for our young men (mostly 12-13 year old boys) where I have been serving for the last two years.  

Serving as a scoutmaster has been one of the highlights of my life.  I have so many fond memories of camping with my father growing up.  The last two years was very time consuming.  We camped once a month as well as having our weekly scout meetings.  We had all sorts of activities as we worked on the badges and advancements in scouting.  I loved arranging to have the boys meet new people and to do things that they had never done before.  I strived to encourage them to think of scouting as a tool to help them become better, to not just earn their eagle scout award but to become an eagle scout.  More than that, I wanted them to understand that ultimately the ideals found in the scout law would help them to become more than an eagle scout, it would enable them to become a disciple of Christ.

This last weekend I was asked to serve in a new capacity, as the first counselor to our new Stake President.  I am still in awe and quite humbled by this new opportunity.  In a letter to my son, who is currently serving a two year mission to the people of St. Petersburg, Russia, I outlined my thoughts as the events unfolded last week.  I have felt that I should share some of those with you as well:

"I just got home from my interview with the two leaders assigned by the headquarters of the church to come choose a new Stake Presidency.  I wasn't sure what to expect.  Would they call me to repentance?  What would they ask?  Many questions came through my mind.  I went there directly from having returned from a scout overnight.  I literally got out of the shower, put on my suit and drove to the church.  They were running a bit behind schedule so as I waited, more and more people showed up.  Our former Stake President who was called to be a new General Authorities was there and it was fun to talk to him.  He told about how he was called and going to training in Salt Lake and pretty much ALL of the General Authorities were there and participated.  It was fun to be in the room full of men who are either bishops or were bishops.  Men of God who have dedicated their lives to serving him.  Any of them could be asked to serve as the Stake President and would do a great job.  

I enjoyed being part of the process today.  I especially enjoyed being able to bear my testimony of the Savior.  What respect I have for these men who showed up today, were given a book of names and 7 minutes to meet with each one.  Through revelation, they will come to he who should serve.  

I'll write more tomorrow.  I am going to rest now.  

Sunday:

Yesterday seems like a really long time ago now.  I fell into a pretty deep coma after finishing writing yesterday.  That night I went to Sterling's Pop Concert at school.  As it was getting started, I received a phone call stating that the General Authorities wanted to meet with me the next morning at 8:30.

Your mom and I figured that it would be a counselor's position but it was hard to fall asleep that night.  When I woke up, I thought, "Oh good, I slept well," but when I looked at the clock it was 4:30 AM.  I stayed there till 5:00 AM and then got up.  I met the General Authorities at the Stake Center.  When I was asked to serve as the first counselor in the stake presidency, my first reaction was, "AWESOME."  I knew both the new president and the second counselor and I couldn't imagine serving with two greater men.  It immediately felt so right."

I was given a few minutes to share my feelings in the meeting to our whole stake that followed.  I wanted to be brief and yet have the Lord's spirit present so that others too could feel the Lord behind this request to serve. After expressing gratitude to those who had served before and especially to my supportive family, I mentioned Devin's advice to me to not worry, reminding me of my previous commitment to the Lord.  I then mentioned that just two nights previous, under a star filled sky, I stood around a campfire with a group of 12 and 13 year old boys and talked about what it means to have a testimony of Christ and what it means to be converted to him.  The spirit came so strong as I then said, "and so my calling in the church has not really changed.  I will now just be doing the same thing with all of you."

I realize that this is rather personal but hope it is received by anyone who reads it in the spirit in which it is intended.  When Jesus was on the earth, he called ordinary men to be his apostles.  They came from all walks of life and so it is in his church today.  We have been promised by our living prophet that "whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies."  I have faith that He will be with us as we serve and that He will guide and direct us in the work that He would have us do.  I invite anyone who may have a desire, to "come and see" the blessings that the Lord has in store for you.  

More information regarding our beliefs and doctrine is available at www.mormon.org.