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.

Living the Abrahamic Covenant Today

Sharing the Gospel in the Savior’s Way


One of my hobbies is wood carving.  It is a great way for me to clear my mind of stress and worry and create something beautiful from simple pieces of wood.  Some years back my family was gathering together to celebrate my parent’s 50th wedding anniversary.  I wanted to create something special for the occasion and spent weeks and months considering what I could do.  One morning while coming out of sleep it came to me, almost like a vision.  The words of the scripture came to my mind from the 15th chapter of John, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit” (verse 5).

I had a pole from a cedar tree and started to see a pattern form in my mind.  Cedar is one of my favorite types of woods to work with.  Once the bark is removed it has a smooth rim of white wood that surrounds a deep red core.  It came to me that I could carve a vine from that outer rim leaving intact the center core.  I marked my branch and drew out spaces for 27 leaves, each one representing a member of my family.  Those leaves were all connected to each other through vines and each leaf was centered on a knot, tying it to that center core, a representation of the Savior Jesus Christ.

This staff became a symbol of not just our family, but of our eternal family.  It is a reminder that we all depend on each other, but more importantly we are strong as we are centered on the Savior.  Since it was completed, our vine has expanded.  We have added a leaf for our first grandchild, another for a son in law.  Another leaf was added when we “adopted” into our family an exchange student last year, Hiro from Japan and next February a new daughter-in-law as well.  Ultimately my vine connects with your vine and together as a family of God, we all can individually access the atonement of Christ and yet be linked together.

Tonight we will be talking about how the Savior wants us to add to the vine of the family of God.  Our theme in this meeting is “Sharing the Gospel in the Savior’s Way.”

The way that we center our knot on the core of Jesus Christ is through the laws and ordinances of his gospel.  The instructions on how to do this is found in the scriptures in what is called “the doctrine of Christ.”

After the Savior was resurrected he appeared on this continent to a group of faithful followers called Nephites.  To them he taught, “And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock” or as applied to my analogy, “tieth into my core” (3 Nephi 11:38).  Once we are tied to him, he asks us to immediately look outward, like tendrils of a sprouting vine. Just three verses later comes the command, “go forth unto this people, and declare the words which I have spoken, unto the ends of the earth” (3 Nephi 11:41).

The doctrine of Christ was not introduced to the family of God beginning when Jesus came to earth but was set from the foundations of the world, before it was even created.  It was put in place and taught to Father Adam and Mother Eve as they left the garden beginning their journey back home.  There have been times when that plan has been lost but when there have been prophets on the earth, the plan has once again been revealed. As I have pondered and prayed as to what I should speak about tonight, I felt impressed that to fully understand our place in the Father’s plan, we need to understand the covenants He made with Father Abraham.

Abraham was born in a time when the covenants of the fathers was being lost.  As a young man he learned of them and in his own words said, “And, finding there was greater happiness and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same...and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers. It was conferred upon me from the fathers... even the right of the firstborn, or the first man, who is Adam...through the fathers unto me” (Abraham 1:2). As he sought righteousness, his own father was offended and sent his own son, Abraham, to be offered up as sacrifice to false gods.

An angel came that day to stay the executor’s hand, miraculously saving his life.  His father repented but only for a short time and the Lord had Abraham leave with his wife Sarah and his brother’s son, Lot to seek another land.  Though he had no offspring, he became a great and righteous leader.  Because of his faithfulness, Jehovah, the premortal Christ, appeared to and covenanted with him, foreshadowing as well the role we would play in the last days.

From the second chapter of Abraham we read, “My name is Jehovah, and I know the end from the beginning; therefore my hand shall be over thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee above measure, and make thy name great among all nations, and thou shalt be a blessing unto thy seed after thee, that in their hands they shall bear this ministry and Priesthood unto all nations; And I will bless them through thy name; for as many as receive this Gospel shall be called after thy name, and shall be accounted thy seed, and shall rise up and bless thee, as their father; And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee; and in thee and in thy seed, for I give unto thee a promise that this right shall continue in thee, and in thy seed after thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal” (Abraham 2:8-11).

Many years passed and Abraham and his wife were well beyond what one would consider normal child bearing years.  There was a miraculous conception of Isaac, foreshadowing the one of the Christ child who would come through Abraham’s lineage 2000 years later.  Abraham’s willingness to obey is central to his character. As a supreme test, Jehovah asked the impossible of him, to sacrifice the miracle child, God’s gift from heaven.  An angel once again intervened and the child was spared.  The altar built on Mount Moriah would forever symbolize the sacrifice of the Son of God in our behalf.  Upon that spot the temple in Jerusalem was built, a constant reminder of the covenant made with the seed of Abraham. The animal sacrifices from the law of Moses, pointing to the ultimate great and last sacrifice of the Son of God.

The Book of Mormon prophet, Jacob wrote some 400 years before the coming of Jesus Christ, “for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming; and not only we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us. Behold, they believed in Christ and worshiped the Father in his name, and also we worship the Father in his name. And for this intent we keep the law of Moses, it pointing our souls to him; and for this cause it is sanctified unto us for righteousness, even as it was accounted unto Abraham in the wilderness to be obedient unto the commands of God in offering up his son Isaac, which is a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son.”

In Christ’s day the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant had been so ingrained in the people they lost track of the purpose of the law of Moses. Due to their genealogy they assumed all of the blessings of Abraham without fulfilling the responsibilities. They felt that God had chosen them for salvation.  John the Baptist who was crying repentance and baptism to the people, preparing them to receive the Messiah of the world declared, “And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham” (Matthew 3:9).  In other words, he was telling them that to truly be the seed of Abraham, they must live as Abraham lived and do the works that Abraham performed, they must participate in the doctrine of Christ.

To a similar group of Jews, Jesus, the very Jehovah, he who made the covenant with Abraham taught, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:56-59).

He in truth taught that he was the promised Messiah.  His message was not that he was there to replace the covenant made to Abraham but to fulfill it and perpetuate it to all those who would live upon the earth.  The family of Abraham was, like my family, a symbol of an eternal family. It was always intended to show how all of God’s children could be grafted together through the atoning sacrifice of the Lord.  It was never meant to be exclusionary.  His last words given to the apostles prior to his ascension into heaven mirrored those given to the Nephite nation, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19).

Christ’s early church as led by Peter was intensely missionary minded.  The early apostles took the gospel well beyond the house of Israel.  The doctrine of Christ was taught, his gospel was applied and the church flourished, but just for a time.  Another apostasy settled on the earth. Prophetic power was lost, the ordinances of baptism by immersion, the laying on of hands and the sealing power he had given Peter could no longer be found.  The promises given to Abraham many years ago seemed very far away.

From the darkness of apostasy came the light of the restoration.  In the early 1800’s a young man, Joseph Smith, had similar yearnings as had the young Abraham, and sought to know the Lord’s will.  To him appeared the Father and the Son ushering in the long awaited dispensation of the fullness of times.  To him were restored the covenants of the fathers, the ordinances of the gospel and the blessings of eternity.

John the Baptist, now a resurrected being, returned to give the power to baptize.  Peter, James and John likewise were sent to bestow the authority to establish Christ’s church on the earth once again and reestablish the Lord’s covenant.  Six years after the restoration of the church, the gospel covenants of the fathers were restored when the saints built a temple to the Lord in Kirtland, OH.  As he did to the prophets of old, Jesus himself appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith. This was followed by the appearance of Moses who conferred the priesthood keys of the gathering of Israel.  As on the mount of transfiguration, Moses’ appearance was followed by Elias who “committed the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, saying that in us and our seed all generations after us should be blessed” (Doctrine & Covenants 110:12).

When we “received the priesthood” by being baptized and through the ordinances of the temple are “sanctified by the Spirit,” we “become the seed of Abraham,” regardless of our genetic makeup.  It is by participating in the doctrine of Christ that the promises made to Abraham become ours as well.  The Book of Mormon prophet, Nephi, explained, “that as many of the Gentiles as will repent are the covenant people of the Lord;...for the Lord covenanteth with none save it be with them that repent and believe in his Son, who is the Holy One of Israel” (2 Nephi 30:2).

Our days were seen and prophesied by Isaiah saying, “For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land; and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (2 Nephi 24:1, 2 Nephi 21:12). We are in the last days.  This is the time prophesied by Zenos in the allegory of the Olive tree when the Lord said, “this is the last time that I shall nourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at hand, and the season speedily cometh; and if ye labor with your might with me ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself against the time which will soon come” (Jacob 5:71).

May it be said of us that we “did go and labor with [our] mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with [us]; and [we] did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things” (verse 72).

The Lord is calling, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? May we each respond: “Here am I; send me” (2 Nephi 16:8). As we actively participate in the doctrine of Christ and center our lives on him, we are grafted into him like the branches of a vine to the life giving core.  As his strength becomes ours, we are then able to reach out like the tendrils of a vine and bring in others, taking in their leaves and branches as we are all knit unitedly together.

Speaking of the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant, one of our modern day apostles, Elder Stevenson, promised that “As you do these things, the Lord will make much more out of your life than you can by yourself. He will increase your opportunities, expand your vision, and strengthen you. He will give you the help you need to meet your trials and challenges. You will gain a stronger testimony and find true joy as you come to know your Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, and feel Their love for you” (April Conf 2016).

We now will learn how to reach out to those around us.  Sister Rose Moss of the Pagedale Branch will talk of the essential role that love plays in receiving and sharing the gospel. President and Sister Slezak of the St. Louis Mission will talk to us of how we live and teach the doctrine of Christ in our day to day lives.  Sister Virginia Bradley of the YSA Ward will teach how to listen and act on the Holy Spirit in our efforts to invite others to come unto Christ and lastly, President Bunderson will show how to invite as the Savior does.

To those of you here tonight that are not of our faith. Thank you for coming.  We love you and invite you to “come and see” for yourselves.  Partake of the fruit of the Lord’s vine and taste of the joy that the gospel of Jesus Christ will bring to your life.  In times of trouble he will give peace.  In the face of turmoil and tribulation, you will find calm.  I testify that he lives.  I testify that his plan for the eternal destiny of his children has been in place whenever prophets have been on the earth.  We are now fulfilling promises given to Abraham thousands of years ago.  What a blessing it is to work side by side with the Lord to prepare the earth for his majestic return once again. May we each rise to the potential that the Lord sees within us I pray, in his holy name, the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

The Tree of Life

THE TREE OF LIFE

“It will become a tree, springing up in you unto everlasting life” Alma 33:23

Tasting the Fruit of the Tree of Life

As a small boy growing up in California, I remember going with my family to an orchard to pick peaches.  We went at just the perfect time.  The peaches were perfectly ripe, covered in a soft fuzz and were the size of a soft ball.  I can still remember biting into the sweet fruit, juice exploding down my face and covering my shirt.  It may still be the best thing that I have ever tasted.  

The scriptures are full of the symbolism of tasting and eating as we experience the love of the Lord through his gospel.  Said the psalmist, “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him” (Psalms 34:8). The Book of Mormon prophet Lehi had a vision in which he was led to the tree of life.  “And as I partook of the fruit thereof,” he said, “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” (1 Nephi 8:12).

It is natural to want our family and loved ones to experience the same joy that we have.  As much as Lehi wanted his family to taste what he had savored, ultimately his aspiration was that they would receive of the whole fruit.  In fact, in the Garden of Eden, God said, “I placed at the east of the Garden of Eden, cherubim and a flaming sword, which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life” (Moses 4:31). It was at this point where Adam and Eve were taught of the gospel plan which would enable them to progress to the point where they could fully eat of that promised fruit.  The Lord, in His mercy will allow us to periodically taste of the fruit of the tree of life but what He really wants is for us to take the seed from the fruit and plant it in our heart, nurture it and care for it that it may grow to be our very own tree of life.

Planting the Seed

The prophet Alma taught the allegory of planting the seed of faith in our hearts, which he likened to the word of God, saying,  “Now if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves--It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me” (Alma 32:28).

A mere desire to know is sufficient to plant the seed of faith.  It will grow if it is exposed to the light of the sun, watered, nourished, and properly rooted.

The Light of the Son

Our souls yearn for light.  At first these swellings may be so subtle that we may ask, “Is not this real?,” Alma responds, “I say unto you, Yea, because it is light; and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible, therefore ye must know that it is good”  (Alma 32:35). Elder Bednar describes the process by which we discern light as similar to watching a sunrise.  Said he, “Do you recall the slow and almost imperceptible increase in light on the horizon? In contrast to turning on a light in a dark room, the light from the rising sun did not immediately burst forth. Rather, gradually and steadily the intensity of the light increased, and the darkness of night was replaced by the radiance of morning. Eventually, the sun did dawn over the skyline. But the visual evidence of the sun’s impending arrival was apparent hours before the sun actually appeared over the horizon. This experience was characterized by subtle and gradual discernment of light” (April Conference 2011).

In section 50 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord states, “that which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day” (Verse 22).

Nourishing the Seedling

Feeling the seed grow is just the beginning, like a lick or taste of the fruit to come.  There is much work yet to be done.  “And behold,” said Alma, “as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: 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). All plants require a source of water to grow.  When Nephi was shown the interpretation of his father’s dream he was shown that the tree was planted at the source of the fountain of living waters, the water being a representation of His love for us (See 1 Nephi 11:25).

Jeremiah draws from the same imagery when he declared, “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

It was faith that allowed us to plant the seed.  Faith led us to seek the light of the Son and his fountain of living waters.  Our seed began to grow, branches sprouting and reaching towards heaven.  Further sustained growth requires pruning from the master Gardener, a process we know as repentance.  Consider Zenos’ Allegory of the Olive Grove where the master’s servants proposed, “Let us prune [the tree that is not bearing fruit], and dig about it, and nourish it a little longer, that perhaps it may bring forth good fruit unto thee” (Jacob 5: 27).   

Repentance allows us to concentrate our growth around the core principles of the gospel. It is at this point that our small tree is ready to bear fruit for the first time.  “The first fruits of repentance [being] baptism” (Moroni 8:25).

Partaking of the sacrament each week allows us to stay close to the source of living water.  It allows the pruning process to occur when the off shoots are yet young and easily removed. As we witness that we do always remember Him, the master Gardener, we will have his spirit, or his light to be with us.  Little by little our growing seedling takes root, becoming a small tree “by [our] faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof.” (Alma 32:41)

Taking Root

For that tree to produce the desired fruit, our roots must grow strong.  Consider your own roots. Our ancestors play a large role in our ability to participate in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  As much as the atonement is an intimate act of love between the Savior Jesus Christ and ourselves, it was accomplished for the whole human family in a single, infinite act of love.  We were never meant to seek salvation alone.  For this the Lord has repeatedly declared before he comes to the earth a second time, “I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet...And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming” (Doctrine and Covenants 2:1-3). To Joseph Smith it was revealed, “For their,” meaning our ancestor’s, “salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, as Paul says concerning the fathers--that they without us cannot be made perfect--neither can we without our dead be made perfect” (Doctrine and Covenants 128:15).

In my capacity in the Stake Presidency I have had the distinct pleasure of meeting with many of you as you renew your temple recommends.  I especially enjoy hearing the circumstances which have led you to plant the seed of faith in your life either for the first time or to try again.  On many occasions as we talk of the temple, it becomes clear to me that your ancestors have guided you to the covenant path so that they, with you, can taste of the fullness of the gospel fruit.  

Ultimately, we are all part of the Lord’s family, members of the body of Christ.  Our own roots are strengthened when they intermingle with the roots of those around us.  Sister Pinegar taught in General Conference, “The giant redwood trees that grow in California have a very shallow root system. When they are surrounded by other redwood trees, the strongest, fiercest wind cannot blow them over.  The roots of the giant redwood trees intertwine and strengthen each other.  When a storm comes they actually hold each other up.” (Patricia P. Pinegar “Teach the Children” Oct Conf 1994). This is the power of home and visiting teaching, allowing is to draw strength one from another.

Sharing Our Fruit

As we have taste of the Lord’s love for us in our own lives, plant the seed of faith and nurture it, we will seek to share it with others.  We will feel a closeness to our ancestors and will be actively engaged in finding their information.  As we pray for help, they will be allowed to guide us in our search.  As we fill the temple, we will feel their presence, their love and appreciation.  They will watch over us and the ones we love.

As good as it is to hold the precious fruit of the tree of life in our hands, savor its goodness and allow the sweet juices to spill down your shirt like I did as a small child, may we, like Alma, labor without ceasing, that we might bring souls unto repentance; that we might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which we do taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost (See Alma 36:24). This applies first and foremost to our families but absolutely applies in our covenant duty as shepherds of Israel to those we have been asked to watch over as home and visiting teachers.  President Bunderson has encouraged us as the Lord did to Peter, to feed His sheep.  May I suggest that we feed them a heavy dose of the fruit from the tree of life that we have nourished in our own soul, springing up in us unto everlasting life (See Alma 33:23). May we lead them to the Master of the orchard and to His Holy House is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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).