Of Rams and Oil

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Of Rams and Oil

Tonight I would like to speak to you of “thousands of rams and 10,000 rivers of oil.”  

First, though, I would like to start by discussing Heavenly Father’s plan from its basic, most fundamental understanding.  

The Lord has declared his own mission statement in the first chapter of Moses 1 where he declares:

“For behold, this is my work and glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39).

Similarly, we have a vision statement as well,  set forth by our North American Central Area Presidency:

“With faith in Jesus Christ, we joyfully walk the covenant path that leads to life eternal, inviting all God’s children to join us in the journey.”

Our leaders have outlined priorities and goals which consist of

·       Member missionary work

·       Temple and family history work

·       Ministering one by one

·       Sabbath Day observance

On top of these responsibilities we are now asked by our prophet to engage in home-centered, church supported, gospel learning.  More and more responsibility is being squarely placed on our shoulders.  It can be frankly overwhelming.  We are asked to not only save ourselves and our families but also all of our brothers and sisters, those who have made sacred covenants in the church and those who have not-on both sides of the veil.  Have you ever felt the Lord’s expectations of us to assist him in his work as a burden on your shoulders?

To add yet another layer, not only do we help the Lord do his work He has declared that we have our own work to do as well.  

“Behold, this is your work, to keep my commandments, yea, with all your might, mind and strength” (D&C 11:20).

Of these commandments, the most daunting one of all is given by the Lord in the Sermon on the Mount,

“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matt 5:48).

At a recent Stake Council meeting we discussed the layers of burden that we carry as we strive to juggle demands from taking care of our families, of our duties at work, fulfilling our callings at church and somehow finding time to care for ourselves.  We have all felt overwhelmed at times.  This brings me to the title of my talk. In the Old Testament the Prophet Micah asks:

“Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”

He is referencing the sacrifices offered at the temple to access the atonement.  In our day we may ask, will the Lord be pleased with 5,000 batches of cookies, 3,000 meals, the folding up of 30,000 metal chairs and thousands of lessons to prepare?

Of such tasks, Elder Bednar in this session of conference warned:

“We must be careful because Pharisaical focus on checklists can divert us from drawing closer to the Lord.  The purpose and purification, the happiness and joy and the continuing conversion and protection that come from yielding our hearts unto God and receiving his image in our countenances cannot be obtained merely by performing and checking off all the spiritual things that we are supposed to do” (Oct Conf 2018).

How then do we go forward with confidence and not with trepidation, with strength, not weakness? The apostle Paul provides the way simply and succinctly when he testified”

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13).

To take that a step further, I would like to revisit Christ’s command to be perfect.  When he visited the nephites he gave the same address to them that he gave to the Israelites.  There were slight variations this time around and it reads”

“Therefore, I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect” (3 Nephi 12:48).

He is not asking us to do this on our own.  He is telling us it is his will that it be so.  This principle is also described in the closing chapter of the Book of Mormon, the parting words of the prophet Moroni speaking directly to us in our day.

“Come unto Christ and be perfected in him and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness and love god with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot” (Moroni 10:32-33).

We are not asked to be perfect.  We are asked to come unto Christ and be perfected in him.  None of us has sunk so low that when combined with his infinite goodness, we cannot be made perfect in him.  If we allow it, He takes each of us where we are and makes us whole, not because he is satisfied with our current state but because he knows what we can become with his help.  

As some of you know, my hobby is wood carving.  

This block of wood comes from a holly tree.  It is not much to look at in this form but when I start a carving I don’t start until I can carry in my mind an image of what I want it to become.  Likewise, the Savior knows our divine potential because he is our divine potential.  

So how do we come unto Christ and let him do his work?  We do so by being obedient.  Obedience unlocks the ability of the Lord to bless us and allows his grace to fully function in our lives.  In our busy, hectic lives, if we will but listen to the voice of the spirit, it is the “small and simple things” that he asks us to do that bring about the greatest blessings. Consider these examples from the scriptures where a simple request from Jesus lead to miraculous manifestations of his power.

To the fisherman on the shores of Galilee he called out, “cast the net on the right side of the ship” (John 21:6).  They obeyed and their nets were filled.  From this came the call to the original twelve apostles to carry his gospel to all the world.

To the woman at the well he simply asked, “give me to drink” (John 4:7).  She did and was given to understand his role as the promised Messiah.  She gladly testified of him to those in the town and multitudes were brought to be taught at the feet of Jesus.

Faced with the enormous task of feeding 4,000 hungry followers, Jesus simply instructed his apostles, “make the men sit down” (John 6:10).  They obeyed and witnessed the miracle of the never failing loaves of bread given from him who is the bread of life.

At the end of the Lord’s life, Jesus turned to his chief apostles, Peter, James and John and asked them to “tarry ye here and watch with me” (Matthew 26:37).  Their spirits were willing but their flesh was weak.  They slept while nearby Jesus became the Savior of the world, having entered the Garden of Gethsemane and enduring the atonement for each one of us.  

Days later, now a resurrected being, he appeared to the Nephites gathered at the temple in Bountiful.  He descended from heaven, spread forth his hands and asked the people to “arise and come forth unto me” (3 Nephi 11:14).  Each one of them were able to feel with their hands and testify with their hearts that they were ministered unto by the King of Kings.  

These same people were instructed by the Lord himself.  As he finished what must have been the greatest Sunday School lesson ever taught he commanded them, “Go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said” (3 Nephi 17:3).  Before leaving he healed their sick and kneeling with them in prayer, gathered their little children together and blessed them one by one.  They were encircled and ministered unto by angels.  So great was their experience with the Savior that their civilization lived in peace for over 200 years.  

Is this not the same request made of us from our living prophet?  After worshipping at church for two hours we are asked to go unto our homes and ponder together the things which we have learned.  “Come follow me,” (the gospel home study manual) the Savior asks.  As we kneel together in prayer, Jesus himself will be with us.  He will bind our broken hearts and touch the lives of our children.  We will be both ministered unto and be ministers to our fellow brothers and sisters, one by one.  

Remember that it was at the temple where the nephites experienced this singular event.  We, too, must make the temple the focal point of our worship which will center us on Christ, bring holiness to our homes and bind together our families.  

As we ponder how best to feed our families the word of God, remember that Nephi went to the top of the mountain, the scriptural equivalent to the temple, to know how to obtain food for his family (1 Nephi 16).  As he sought the Lord’s direction in how to take them to the promised land he was told, “Arise, and get thee into the mountain” (1 Nephi 17:7).  He did not build a ship after the manner of men but he did so after “the manner which the Lord had shown unto [him]” (1 Nephi 18:2). “And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things” (verse 3).

If we are to reach our promised land, we must let the Lord work on us.  He will mold us as the master carver, one cut, one slice, one chip at a time.  He will give unto us line upon line, precept upon precept.  President Nelson warned that “It will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting and constant influence of the Holy Ghost” (Pres. Russell M. Nelson, Apr Conf 2018).

So what is my next step on this path with the Savior?  Going back to Micah, it is not his thousands of rams and 10,000 rivers of oil that is required, but to “walk humbly with God” (Micah 6:8).  

“Come unto me,” Jesus implores, “all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly of heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt 11:28-30).

I bear testimony that as we choose to come unto Jesus he will make our weaknesses strengths (Ether 12:27), our whole bodies will be filled with light (D&C 88:67) and his image will be in our countenance (Alma 5:14).  We will see him as he is for we will be like him (Moroni 7:47).  

We live in the glorious dispensation of the fullness of times which has been prophesied from ancient days.  We are blessed to be instruments in the hand of the Lord to prepare the world for his Second Coming.  Nephi saw our very day in vision and recorded:

“And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory” (1 Nephi 14:14).

We are the saints of the Church of Jesus Christ.  If we act in obedience, He will arm us with righteousness and power.  I testify that He lives and knows and loves each one of us.  

Nourishing the Young Seedling, Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Nourishing the Young Seedling

"Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root,

that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us." (Alma 32:37)

The seed of faith planted in my heart as a young boy, sprouted and began to grow.  Though planted in the good soil of my gospel centered home, it still required additional light and nourishment.  During times of neglect, growth would stagnate, but as I turned my heart to the source of all light, stirrings in my heart sprouted desires to continue the development of my budding testimony.  As I sought for further spiritual guidance in my life, I decided to receive my Patriarchal Blessing when I was seventeen. The whole concept of the blessing was amazing to me. How could someone be so close to the Lord, that they could put his hands on my head and give me a blessing from the Lord?  I met with the Bishop to obtain a recommend for the blessing and called Brother Bonner to set up a time. Not knowing this man at all, I decided to fast so as to help out as well as I could. I figured that this was an extra special occasion so I fasted for two whole days. By the time I got to his house, I had a burning in my bosom, but I don’t think that was the kind spoken of in the scriptures.

I remember him inviting me to sit down.  We talked ever so briefly. I thought, “how could he give me a blessing without knowing me?”  He laid his hands on my head and began to speak. I remember the most wonderful feeling come over me.  When he said, “amen,” I no longer had any doubts. I knew that the blessing I received was from the Lord and was directed specifically at me.  He may have not known me but God did and revealed His blessing for me to this man. I almost flew out of his home. I felt like I was walking on air.  

I continue to grow and realize the blessings I was promised so long ago.  Some of these blessings have had special meaning to me and that have helped me along my way.  I was told, “you will be closely associated with the Creator and Saviour of the world.” I was promised, “as you prepare for life you will be inspired to make good decisions on the proper course of study to be taken.”  This was especially touching at the time, because though I had always done well in school, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do for a living. I don’t think that it was a coincidence that it wasn’t until I was on my mission that I decided to become a physician.  I was blessed, “to have an open mind which will be clear and receptive to inspiration. Because of the many callings you will receive you will receive inspiration directly at times. I bless you to understand that inspiration.” That blessing day itself helped me understand the workings of inspiration and revelation.  I was warned of the adversary and told, “Things will go wrong, but I tell you that you have the power to overcome all the thrusts of Satan.” I was promised to be a husband and a father and counseled to teach my children, “even as you have been taught.” A marvelous blessing it is and I am still grateful for it.

I was ordained to the office of a priest in the Aaronic Priesthood when I was sixteen.  I loved being a priest. My advisors were my heroes. First it was my father. My other advisor was Joe Featherstone, the son of Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone, one of the members of the first Quorum of the Seventy.  He seemed to us as some sort of celebrity at first, but we immediately loved him for being a fun friend who wanted the best for us. During the summer we decided to take a trip to Cumorah and see the pageant. We made the four hour trip watching the pageant that night.  What I remember most was being in the sacred grove the next morning. It was a bright sun shining morning. The birds were chirping and light filtered through the trees. I headed off by myself to find a quiet spot. It reminded me of our quiet “Indian Rock” at home. As I sat in that beautiful place, I thought, “I bet Joseph had been to these woods many times before to do the same thing.”  I could imagine that he too loved being out among the birds and trees and feel the communion with God that I learned high on the mountains of the Sierra Nevada with my father. A great feeling of peace came upon me as I felt that I was in a truly sacred and special place. I saw no light, I heard no voice, but once again the spirit spoke peace to my mind and comfort to my soul. I have now come to recognize that feeling as the same one I get as I enter the Celestial Room in the temple or witness a baptism.  

The next milestone in my life was receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood.  My father ordained me to the office of elder and then conferred upon me this holy priesthood.  I remember feeling the heavy hands on my head and feeling a sense of responsibility to fulfill.  It was shortly after this that I was asked by my new Elder’s Quorum President to teach a lesson in our priesthood quorum.  It was on the prophet Joseph Smith. I read through the manual where it outlined all of the things that Joseph Smith accomplished as the first president and prophet of the church in this dispensation.  After I compiled the list of achievements I very clearly had the thought, “besides Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith has done more for the gospel than any other man.” The very next scripture I read was in Doctrine and Covenants section 135, verse 3, which proclaims, “Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived on it.”  I’ll not forget the feeling that swept through me as I knew that the spirit had directed my thoughts and testified to my soul that he truly was a prophet of God. I remembered my feelings in the sacred grove and felt grateful to a Heavenly Father that would reveal his will to me, a young boy even as he had to the Prophet Joseph.

With a budding testimony in my heart and a youthful eagerness to be on my own, I excitedly left home that summer to attend Brigham Young University.  I was thrilled to meet new people and make new friends. I had great friends in my ward at home but my circle did not extend much beyond them. I certainly was not one to easily commingle with the high school kids and certainly wasn’t “popular.”  Having moved to Connecticut as a junior I would easily feel intimidated around some kids, not feeling like I “fit in” with their group. I soon realized at BYU that everyone was pretty much in the same boat I was. My good friend Ricky and I lived on the same floor in the dorms.  We attended the dances the first week and I couldn’t believe how many good-looking girls were around. And to think that they were all members of the church! What a place!

We quickly made good friends with the other students in our ward. One of the things that we did as a group was go to Conference that fall.  We got up early and stayed in line for one of the Saturday Morning sessions. At that time, President Kimball was the prophet of the church.  His health was not too good and was not usually able to attend the sessions. We filed into the old tabernacle. You could feel the history. It amazed me to think that the early pioneers could make such a building.  The seats were close together, firm and hard. My knees hardly fit in front of me. We got seats in the upper level about halfway back of the tabernacle. It was a bit noisy as everyone was getting in their seats and visiting a bit.  Suddenly a hush came over the audience. I looked to see what was going on and there was President Kimball being assisted across to his seat. Everyone stood and someone started singing, “We Thank Thee, O God for a Prophet.” I felt the most intense feeling of love from all there toward that man.  He stopped and waved and I felt an even more intense feeling of love being reciprocated back toward us. Tears welled up in my eyes and I knew that he was a prophet of God; I had no doubt. I guess that it was at that point that I knew that I would be a missionary. I had always planned on it, but had not thought about it too much.  If, however, President Kimball wanted me to be a missionary, then that’s what I would be. The year before my mission was one of the best years of my life. Having made that decision allowed me to relax and have a lot of fun. Soon after the end of the semester I put together my mission papers and sent them in. It seemed like an eternity before I got them back.  Finally the day came when the official church envelope arrived in the mail. When I opened it up I skipped to the part that said, “Guatemala.” I instantly felt a peace, a happiness of knowing that, yes, this was where the Lord wanted me to serve. My little seed had grown from a mere desire to know to where I now had a peaceful feeling about the Book of Mormon, a testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith, and I knew that Spencer W. Kimball was a living prophet on the earth.  My little plant had budded and was ready to bear its first fruit. With this I felt armed and ready to go out and serve.

Heading into the MTC (Missionary Training Center) the one part of my testimony that I felt I needed to improve on was that of my savior Jesus Christ.  Sure, I knew all the “right” answers. I knew who he is and why he came to earth. I knew that he died and suffered for us, but somehow I lacked the right feeling; the personal witness that I received with the prophet Joseph Smith and Spencer W. Kimball.  I pondered that fictional story told to me as a young teacher often. If the Lord were to appear to me as a regular man, would I know him? I knew the answer was no, and it bothered me. I decided to make it a matter of study and prayer.

I decided to start with the New Testament.  I quickly read through the whole thing. I especially enjoyed reading Christ’s parables and how he taught the people.  I then turned to the Book of Mormon and read it once again. I also read through the Doctrine and Covenants, having the amazing experience of reaffirming my testimony of the Book of Mormon in the verses in section six.  I felt good about all that I read in the scriptures and could testify the He was my saviour, but something was missing. That close association promised me in my patriarchal blessing was not there. During my stay at the MTC Elder Hartman Rector Jr. came and spoke to us.  What a talk! The spirit was so strong as he testified of Jesus Christ. The Lord was answering my prayers, and yet still something was missing. The account of Enos came to my mind. He must have felt much like myself. He “wrestled” in prayer all day and night to know the Savior.  I don’t think I had ever prayed more than five or ten minutes at one time before. One night I decided to pray for a whole hour. I waited until I thought my companion and roommates were asleep and then I climbed out of my bed and knelt beside it. After two or three minutes I ran out of things to say, but kept on praying.  It seemed that it was the longest hour of my life. I again had a peaceful feeling, and yet there was still a void. By this time I was on my way to Guatemala. I was excited to go and anxious to meet the new challenges that lay before me. I would continue my pursuit of fully knowing Christ in the mission field.

Knowing His Voice, Chapter 3

Knowing His Voice

"And the Lord passed by, and a great strong wind rent the mountains,

and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord;

but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake;

and after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire;

and after the fire a still small voice" (1 Kings 19:11-12).

One of the most important aspects of knowing the Lord is knowing his voice.  We have a tendency to assume that the most glorious, powerful being in the universe would speak to us in a loud, bold voice, but he does not.  Elijah learned that he speaks to us in a "still small voice" (1 Kings 19:12). The nephites in the Book of Mormon who heard the voice of the Lord described it saying, "it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice, nevertheless and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the very center insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn" (3 Nephi 11:3).  Abraham received the majestic covenant blessings from God because “[he] obeyed my voice, and kept my charge" (Genesis 26:5). Conversely we are taught, "whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me" (Doctrine & Covenants 84:52).

How then do we become acquainted with the voice of the Lord?  First we must listen with our heart rather than with our ears. When Nephi admonished his brothers for not listening to the voice of the Lord he bemoaned, "ye have heard his voice from time to time; and he hath spoken unto you in a still small voice, but ye were past feeling, that ye could not feel his words" (1 Nephi 17:45). Like the life giving rays of the sun to a growing plant, the Lord's voice is felt more than it is heard.  Our hearts must first be turned to him and our minds must be single to His. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, saith the Lord" (Isaiah 55:8).

Once our heart and mind is attuned to the Lord, we must then acquaint ourselves with his words.  It has been said that when we pray, we talk to God; when we read the scriptures, we hear his answers.  "Scriptures are like packets of light that illuminate our minds and give place to guidance and inspiration from on high.  They can become the key to open the channel to our communion with our Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ" (Elder Richard G. Scott, Oct Conf 2011).

 

This is illustrated in the Old Testament account of the boy Samuel who was given by his faithful mother to serve Eli in the temple.  We know the story of the young lad hearing the voice of The Lord at night in the temple, responding, "Here am I." It reminds me of Isaiah who responded in a similar fashion to the Lord's question, "Whom shall I send and who will go for us?" (Isaiah 6:8) Before the foundation of the world, in the council of heaven, the Savior himself responded to the Father’s question "Whom shall I send?" by saying, “Here am I, send me.” (Abraham 3:27) My own children who have served missions have in essence declared the same thing.  

Knowing and recognizing the Lord’s voice comes with time and experience.  As a young boy, “Samuel did not yet know The Lord, neither was the word of The Lord yet revealed unto him" (1 Samuel 3:7).  As Samuel grew, he studied the scriptures, obeyed the Lord’s commandments and was thus made a great prophet, "for The Lord revealed himself to Samuel by the word of The Lord" (verse 21).  Samuel grew to know the Lord, just like we do, day by day, one experience after another. With time, he arrived to the point where he knew the voice of The Lord, implicitly.

This is the quality that our dear prophet, President Monson possessed.  He was so good at heeding the promptings of the Holy Ghost that mere whisperings are barked in his ears as trumpeted commands.  What a great example. One of my favorite President Monson stories happened in Brazil. When he was in Curitiba, dedicating the temple, he looked around while putting the last bit of mortar on the cornerstone and saw a boy in a cap and said, "there is a little boy there. He looks cold. Let's have him come up." It turns out that he was six years old and had a very aggressive brain tumor and was not expected to live long. Elder Nelson who was given the charge to make sure President Monson got back in the temple to finish the ceremony on schedule suggested they move inside. President Monson shook his head, "No, I want to call up one more." He scanned the crowd, looked and looked and finally spotted a woman at the back and said, motioning to her as their eyes made contact, "Will you come up? I want you to put a little mud in the crack." It turns out she was the mother of the little boy who would soon die. Later, Elder Nelson asked him, "How did you know they were related?" He responded, "I didn't know, but The Lord knew. I've learned how to respond to His promptings."  

President Uchtdorf described how we too can learn to recognize the voice of the Lord and respond as the prophet when he taught, "We improve our relationship with our Heavenly Father by learning of Him, by communing with Him, by repenting of our sins, and by actively following Jesus Christ, for “no man cometh unto the Father, but by [Christ].” To strengthen our relationship with God, we need some meaningful time alone with Him. Quietly focusing on daily personal prayer and scripture study, always aiming to be worthy of a current temple recommend--these will be some wise investments of our time and efforts to draw closer to our Heavenly Father. Let us heed the invitation in Psalms: “Be still, and know that I am God” ("Of Things That Matter Most" GC Oct 2010).

Refining my ability to recognize and know the voice of the Lord has been a lifelong process.  It began as a small boy on my knees. My experience as a teenager, outlined in the previous chapter helped me discern feelings of peace spoken to my mind.  At times I have indeed felt the “burning in the bosom” described in the scriptures but more often than not it comes as thoughts and feelings come into my mind and in my heart (see Doctrine & Covenants 8:2-3).  I used to worry about trying to determine if these thoughts came from my own mind or were from the Spirit of the Lord. A passage from the Book of Mormon helped me understand this process better. The prophet Moroni included words of his father, Mormon, in his account which reads, “For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God” (Moroni 7:16).

Even if the thought is my own, if it inviteth me to do good and to persuade to believe in Christ, that thought came from God.  Indeed, as our righteousness improves, our thoughts will indeed be His thoughts and our ways His ways (see Isaiah 55:8-9). The origin of the thought becomes less important, rather the outcome is critical.  If it leads me to Christ than I can have a “perfect knowledge” that it is of God.

More than the ability to recognize the face of Jesus, it will be his voice that rings true to my heart when we meet again someday.  Nothing has brought me greater joy than being able to respond to that voice in being an instrument in his hands to carry out his work. It lets me know that not only does He know who I am but that he also trusts me to bless his children.

The Word of God; Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The Word of God

"Wherefore, you can testify that you have heard my voice,

and know my words." Doctrine & Covenants 18:36

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.  How I loved being out in nature. 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 came 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 enjoyed the campsite and took a day hike up to the highest nearby 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 would or could do.  He defied the robbers who would steal from the king and later converted thousands of his people’s most bitter enemies. I had not as yet read this for myself in the scriptures, but I knew that it was my favorite.  It was one that I had 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 have 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.

Consider the parable. "Behold, a sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, 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 thirtyfold" (Matthew 13: 3-8). The soil of my heart was tenderly prepared, nourished and watered by my angel parents.

“I want you to help me teach part of the lesson, Mike.  We are going to talk about recognizing the Holy Spirit. Here, you read this scripture and then we’ll talk about it.”  We were preparing to go on a home teaching 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 your 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 years old 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 truly scripture, the very word of God. 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. 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 that faith which carried me to the point of deciding to serve a full-time mission for the church.

While in the Missionary Training Center, I was reading through the Doctrine and Covenants.  Section 6 is a revelation given to Joseph Smith in response to a request from Oliver Cowdery who wanted a revelation from the Lord in regards to the truthfulness of the work.  I read, “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) My mind cried out, “yes! This is how I felt.” The words jumped off the page and spoke directly to my heart.  The Lord was no longer speaking to Oliver Cowdery but section 6 was now a personal revelation written just for me. I knew immediately that I had indeed received my answer those years ago; 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. Ironically, at that moment I did feel a burning in my bosom, the long sought after reaction that wasn’t immediately forthcoming. As I have pondered the original verse in section 9, I have gained further understanding.  After it describes the burning in the bosom, the Lord gives further clarification stating that “you shall feel that it is right.” In my experience, the “burning” is infrequent but having things “feel right” happens all the time. By understanding and recognizing how the spirit works in my life, it allows me to use it to make seemingly small decisions each and every day.  The Gift of the Holy Ghost is truly a priceless gift of great worth.

My experience with the scriptures mirrored the growth of my seed of faith.  What began as storytelling grew to reading with a desire to know truth. As I began to learn through the workings of the spirit, the scriptures became more real to me.  President Henry B. Eyring described this process when he taught, “Truth can prepare its own way. Simply hearing the words of doctrine can plant the seed of faith in the heart. And even a tiny seed of faith in Jesus Christ invites the Spirit” (“The Power of Teaching Doctrine, April Conference, 1999).  I have read of great men, heroes, who had not only known the Lord but had seen him face to face. Men such as Nephi, Jacob, Alma, Mormon and Moroni and a whole people who were ministered to by Him after his resurrection. I began to see how Jesus himself could speak to me through the words on those pages.  I could “hear his voice and know his words.” (D&C 18:36) At times the Lord's words have sunk deep in my heart and “seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart” (see JSH 1:12). Like the rain that falls on the small seedling, they bring us the living water we need to stay close to the fountain of all waters, even our Redeemer and Lord.

The scriptures don't just tell the stories of Jesus and describe who he was, they carry his spirit into our heart.  I asked my son Devin, who received his mission call to serve in St. Petersburg, Russia, what events stood out to him as important to developing his testimony.  He commented on feeling that the small everyday choices that he makes has made the biggest difference. He did single out one encounter with a sister missionary in Nauvoo when he was fourteen.  We were participating in the family cast for the pageant. One evening a sister missionary simply asked him if he was reading the scriptures everyday and encouraged him to do so. It made a lasting impression on him and I have seen him grow closer to the Savior as he has made that a priority.

The scriptures have become far more than words on a page.  They are now my friends. Elder Scott describes this experience as follows: "to memorize a scripture is to forge a new friendship.  It is like discovering a new individual who can help in time of need, give inspiration and comfort, and be a source of motivation for needed change" (October Conference 2011).  I learned to love the scriptures as a missionary, having committed many of them to memory. One night in particular stands out. We had been invited back to teach a discussion with a family only to find an ambush waiting for us when we arrived.  The person had invited his minister over and he was "hell bent" on showing us the folly of our doctrine. The night started peacefully enough but soon degraded into a "strife of words and a contest of opinions" (see JSH 1:6). Knowing we were not going to get anywhere with argument, we stood and boldly testified of what we knew to be true.  The response of this minister shocked and frightened me. He started to visibly shake and became incredibly angry. "Why would anyone become so angry about another person's beliefs?" I said to myself. We left with saddened hearts, pondering the events of that night. As I turned to my scriptures the next morning, I read from the 28th chapter of 2 Nephi and came across verse 28 which reads, "and in fine, wo unto all those who tremble, and are angry because of the truth of God!  For behold, he that is built upon the rock receiveth it with gladness; and he that is built upon a sandy foundation trembleth lest he shall fall." The words came right off the page and spoke directly to my thoughts and concerns. It was as "a packet of light that illuminated my mind and gave place to guidance and inspiration from on high" (Elder Scott Oct. Conf. 2011).

My patriarchal blessing states, "I bless you that you may study the scriptures and the experiences therein will become alive to you.  You can then relate the messages to others." I have loved teaching from the scriptures, starting mostly as a missionary but throughout my life, whether it be in the Elder's Quorum, in talks, as a Stake/Ward Missionary, with the Youth, as a Bishop and especially for four blessed years as a Sunday School teacher.  My preparation time was a sacred communion with the Lord. An even greater blessing was being edified by the comments made by those in my class. I truly came to understand the promise found in section 50 of the Doctrine and Covenants where it says, "he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together" (verse 22).  As we read the words of the Savior together he truly walked with us, communed with us and "expounded unto us in all the scriptures the things concerning himself" (Luke 24: 27). The greatest compliment I ever received was from a dear friend who said, "did not our heart burn within us while we spoke of Jesus and talked together?” (see verse 32).

One of my most unique experiences with the scriptures happened on a sunny clear day on the side of a field hockey game.  Our family was preparing for our service in the Nauvoo Pageant that summer. Six short weeks before we were to leave, Rachael came to Gina and I and told us that she had determined to read the Book of Mormon before we left and would we join her?  We were not as ready to jump into this as she was but how do you tell your child “no” to such a request? Life was busy so every spare minute was spent reading the Book of Mormon. Reading it so quickly gave me a perspective that I had not experienced before.  The story was easier to follow. As I read in 3 Nephi of the wild swings between righteousness and wickedness that was going on, I was struck by the core group that stayed faithful through it all. They were the ones who were to be put to death for their testimonies on the day of the Savior's birth.  They were the ones who gathered together when the Gadianton Robbers would kill and conquer them. They remained after the devastation and darkness covered the earth following the Lord's crucifixion. As I sat on the sidelines that day, I turned to chapter 11 and then read of these people who had gathered to the Lord's temple at Bountiful and were discussing the signs of his birth, death and resurrection.  They heard a soft voice from heaven that pierced them to the center. As they opened their ears to hear, they understood the words of the Father announcing his beloved son. As they looked up into heaven it felt to me that I was standing there with them, seeing The Lord through their eyes. I could feel of their goodness, of their love for The Lord. As he presented himself to each of them, "one by one" (verse 15) and worshipped him, my eyes filled with tears and for a brief instant I could feel what they were feeling and could “witness for myself” (verse 16) as they fell down at his feet and worshiped him.

During my time as a bishop, I felt impressed to memorize the 25 scripture mastery verses with the seminary students.  Karalee was a freshman at the time and we started memorizing them together in the car as we drove to seminary. This became a tradition with all my children.  The one thing I missed most when my children received their driver's license was those precious minutes memorizing scriptures together. I can vividly remember driving to work, repeating over and over the words, "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted." (Isaiah 53:3-5) Tears streamed down my face making it hard to drive for a time. As special as that sweet experience remains to me it pales in comparison to when I later sat watching my dear sweet Karalee give a talk at Seminary Graduation. As she testified of the savior, she quoted these same words.  Her voice halted with emotion and was filled with the spirit as it testified to us of His divine atonement and love. To know for myself of The Lord is life eternal, but to know that my children know is joy incomprehensible.

Knowing Christ-Chapter 1

The Seed of Faith

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee,

the only true God and Jesus Christ,

whom thou hast sent." John 17:3

Falling to his knees, overcome with relief, love and overwhelming gratitude, the  simple, humble man called out, "My Lord, My God."

This story starts in a Sunday School classroom in Moraga, California.  I was a fourteen year old boy and loved my teacher. Brother Paul Cox told the most amazing stories.  He was an up and coming Botanist finishing additional doctorate work at Cal Berkeley. An expert on rain forests and all they contain, he told the most amazing stories of his adventures studying the jungle.  He talked of sleeping in trees. "I was ok as long as the snakes didn't get me," he said. He found people who had never seen a white man before and lived in primitive huts. He discovered a unique form of pollination in the jungle through bat droppings and would later single handedly save a rainforest from destruction.  We all loved going to his class and hearing his stories but the one that made the biggest impact on me was more of a fable and it goes like this:

There were three men who died and went to the spirit world.  The first was shown into a room and invited to sit down at a desk where a man was seated.  The man asked him one question, "What can you tell me about Jesus Christ?" The departed man had generally been good while on the earth.  He was an honorable husband and had once served as a member of a bishopric. He responded saying that he was the Son of God and that he had come to earth to die for man.  The man at the desk thanked him and he was shown into one of the doors behind him.

The next man was then brought into the room.  He had been a man of high standing in the church.  He had served faithfully in his callings which included leadership positions such as Bishop.  The man at the desk smiled warmly and asked him the same question. This gentlemen was very knowledgeable and expounded on the scriptures starting with Jesus' pre-earth life and his central role in formulating the plan whereby we would all come to earth with the chance to return.  He discussed the scriptures that foretold of his miraculous birth. He outlined his mortal ministry, his teachings and the miracles that he performed. He talked of his crucifixion, of his atoning sacrifice for man and his glorious resurrection. He discussed his visitation to both the apostles in Jerusalem and his disciples in America and how he established his church in both locations.  He described his return many centuries later to another fourteen year old boy, Joseph Smith and how He restored his church again to the earth. Again, the man at the desk thanked his visitor and showed him to a door behind the desk.

The last man had many struggles through his life.  He struggled to overcome destructive habits he had acquired which caused him great heartache and shame.  He had found the gospel and through a long repentance process had changed his life. Though he never held any positions of "great esteem" in the church, he was a faithful father and husband.  He was a diligent home-teacher, motivated by a great love of The Lord and gratitude for his blessings. This was the man who,, as he entered the room, he fell to his knees, and cried, “my Lord, my God. Rising up, he embraced his Savior who lovingly said, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

This fictional story bothered me and caused me to ponder a great deal.  At that time, I knew that should I enter a room where Jesus sat in normal clothes like any other man, I would not recognize him.  Like the seed of faith described by Alma, that story planted in me a desire to know my Savior. I wasn't sure what to do about that small little seed, but it had been planted and I wanted it to grow.

Knowing Christ-Introduction

Introduction

Knowing Us By Name

"Jesus saith unto her, Mary" (John 20:16).

Of all the people we read of in the New Testament, Mary Magdalene certainly knew and had a special bond with the Savior of the world.  She sensed his goodness and felt of his divinity. She knew that he would someday redeem her soul for he had already saved her life. Luke's first description of her as "Mary, called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils" (Luke 8:2). Some have considered her to have been the one to have anointed Jesus in the home of the Pharisee, though that is not certain.  We do know that she was devoted to her Savior. Where others scattered and flew while Jesus was on the cross, she stood by. She and others came to the tomb the next morning.

I find it significant that the very first person that Jesus appeared to after his resurrection was this woman who loved him so much.  He had changed her life. She feasted on his words, trusted in him and would do anything for him. Indeed at that moment she had come to finish the task that she had begun while he yet lived, the embalming of his body.  How she must have suffered and sorrowed in those dark days. To add to her grief, when she arrived at the tomb, the stone had been rolled away, the body was gone! Horror stricken, she ran to tell the apostles. They came and saw the empty tomb and then left.  She remained, weeping outside the tomb. As she looked in she saw two angels who asked her why she was so distraught. Replying that her Lord had been taken she turned and saw a man she took to be the gardener "and knew not that it was Jesus" (John 20:14). He asked her, "Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?" (vs 15).  In my mind's eye, I can picture Mary, so full of grief and anxiety that she started just bursting forth, pleading and begging with the man to see if he knew what had happened to the body, telling him that she would care for it. One word changed her entire outlook. One word spoken by the Savior of the whole world ceased her babbling.  One word was enough for her to know him. Jesus simply said, "Mary" (vs. 16). Her tears turned from those of grief to those of joy. Her heart leaped and her soul filled with the hope that was lost. Answering, she simply replied, "master."

I firmly believe that it is possibly to personally know Jesus Christ, the creator of the world, the one who is the author of the salvation for all the human race.  It is possible because he knows us. To a young boy seeking the truth in prayer he appeared with his Father. The first word spoken to him was simply "Joseph." He knows me and he knows you as well.  From the burning bush, God called, “Moses.” After showing him a vision of all the worlds that he created, of all the inhabitants thereof, and of the heavens above, he told Moses, "Behold this is my work and my glory-- to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39).  He did not say "men" but "man." He atoned individually for all of our sins. Through the ordinance of baptism he has asked us to take upon us his name. We can do so because he has taken upon him ours. That is why our burden is heavy and his is light. He knows us by name because he has experienced and suffered all that we have and will ever go through.  If there were only one soul on the earth, you, he would still descend into the valley of death and go through the atonement just for you. I know he would do so because he already has, for each of us, one soul, one name at a time.