"If someone is looking for a church that requires very little, this is not the one. It is not easy to be a Latter-day Saint, but in the long run it is the only true course."
Monday, May 23, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Loyalty
"In 1933 there was a movement in the United States to overturn the law which prohibited commerce in alcoholic beverages. When it came to a vote, Utah was the deciding state.
I was on a mission, working in London, England, when I read the newspaper headlines that screamed, “Utah Kills Prohibition.”
President Heber J. Grant, then President of this Church, had pleaded with our people against voting to nullify Prohibition. It broke his heart when so many members of the Church in this state disregarded his counsel.
On this occasion I am not going to talk about the good or bad of Prohibition but rather of uncompromising loyalty to the Church.
How grateful, my brethren, I feel, how profoundly grateful for the tremendous faith of so many Latter-day Saints who, when facing a major decision on which the Church has taken a stand, align themselves with that position. And I am especially grateful to be able to say that among those who are loyal are men and women of achievement, of accomplishment, of education, of influence, of strength—highly intelligent and capable individuals.
Each of us has to face the matter—either the Church is true, or it is a fraud. There is no middle ground. It is the Church and kingdom of God, or it is nothing.
Finally, loyalty to God our Eternal Father and His Beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Every [person] in this Church is entitled to the knowledge that God is our Eternal Father and His Beloved Son is our Redeemer. The Savior gave the key by which we may have such knowledge. He declared, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself” (John 7:17).
Judas Iscariot has gone down in history as the great betrayer, who sold his loyalty for 30 pieces of silver (see Matt. 26:15).
How many in our time, to quote the words of Paul, “crucify … the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame” with profane and blasphemous language? (see Heb. 6:6).
You know of the profanity of the school grounds and the street. Avoid it. Never let it cross your lips. Show your loyalty to the God of heaven and to the Redeemer of the world by holding Their names sacred.
Pray to your Heavenly Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and always, under all circumstances, by the very nature of your lives show your loyalty and your love." Gordon B. Hinckley
Matthew 6:24 "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."
Randall Wright talks about and experience he had while visiting Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The Battle of Gettysburg was a significant turning point in the Civil War. The Union soldiers led by Maj. General Meade, were fighting the Confederate army led by General Robert E. Lee. It was clear which side each army belonged and defended. If someone crossed that line, they were considered a traitor.
"When we face such temptations in our time, we must declare, as young Nephi did in his, “[I will] give place no more for the enemy of my soul.” We can reject the evil one. If we want it dearly and deeply enough, that enemy can and will be rebuked by the redeeming power of the Lord Jesus Christ." Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
"Brothers and sisters, one of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so. His solitary journey brought great company for our little version of that path—the merciful care of our Father in Heaven, the unfailing companionship of this Beloved Son, the consummate gift of the Holy Ghost, angels in heaven, family members on both sides of the veil, prophets and apostles, teachers, leaders, friends. All of these and more have been given as companions for our mortal journey because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of His gospel. Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are. Truly the Redeemer of us all said: “I will not leave you comfortless: [My Father and] I will come to you [and abide with you].”
My other plea at Easter time is that these scenes of Christ’s lonely sacrifice, laced with moments of denial and abandonment and, at least once, outright betrayal, must never be reenacted by us. He has walked alone once. Now, may I ask that never again will He have to confront sin without our aid and assistance, that never again will He find only unresponsive onlookers when He sees you and me.... As we approach this holy week—Passover Thursday with its Paschal Lamb, atoning Friday with its cross, Resurrection Sunday with its empty tomb—may we declare ourselves to be more fully disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, not in word only and not only in the flush of comfortable times but in deed and in courage and in faith, including when the path is lonely and when our cross is difficult to bear. This Easter week and always, may we stand by Jesus Christ “at all times and in all things, and in all places that [we] may be in, even until death,” for surely that is how He stood by us when it was unto death and when He had to stand entirely and utterly alone." Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
When life gets challenging and the choices are hard to make, are we going to give up? No. Why? Because our Savior did not give up, and we are striving to become like him.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Christianity in Japan
When I was your age I had an experience that helped me understand the importance of service. Ten years ago the experience was told in the video Special Witnesses of Christ. I want to share it with you again tonight:
“There was an experience in my life which has often reminded me of the joy resulting from asking the question ‘What would the Savior do in this situation?’
“I was among the first wave of Marines to go ashore in Japan following the signing of the peace treaty following World War II. As we entered the devastated city of Nagasaki, it was one of the saddest experiences of my life. A large part of the city had been totally destroyed. Some of the dead had not yet been buried. As occupation troops, we set up headquarters and went to work.
“The situation was very bleak, and a few of us wanted to give more. We went to our division chaplain and requested permission to help rebuild the Christian churches. Because of government restrictions during the war, these churches had almost ceased to function. Their few buildings were badly damaged. A group of us volunteered to repair and replaster these chapels during our off-duty time so that they would be available for the holding of Christian services again.
“We had no command of the language. All we could accomplish was the physical labor of repairing the buildings. We found the ministers who had been unable to serve during the war years and encouraged them to return to their pulpits. We had a tremendous experience with these people as they again experienced the freedom to practice their Christian beliefs.
“An event occurred as we were leaving Nagasaki to return home that I will always remember. As we were boarding the train that would take us to our ships to return home, we were teased by a lot of the other Marines. They had their girlfriends with them saying good-bye to them. They laughed at us and indicated that we had missed the fun of being in Japan. We had just wasted our time laboring and plastering walls.
“Just as they were at the height of their teasing, up over a little rise near the train station came about 200 of these great Japanese Christians from the churches we had repaired, singing ‘Onward, Christian Soldiers.’ They came down and showered us with gifts. Then they all lined up along the railroad track. And as the train started down the tracks, we reached out and just touched their fingers as we left. We couldn’t speak; our emotions were too strong. But we were grateful that we could help in some small way in reestablishing Christianity in a nation after the war.”
Priesthood Responsibility
President David O. McKay said:
“The responsibility of showing to the world that the gospel of Jesus Christ will solve its problems rests upon the men who make the claim. … I believe … that every world problem may be solved by obedience to the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. …
“The solution of the great world problems is here in the Church of Jesus Christ. Ample provision is made not only for the needs of individuals, but also for the nation and groups of nations. … I grant that we may seem to be arrogating to ourselves superior wisdom, but we are not. It is simply the application of God’s plan to the world problems. You who hold the priesthood have greater responsibility today, now that you live in this creative moment in the world’s history, than ever the Church has had before. I repeat it. If we make the claim to hold the truth, it is obligatory upon every Latter-day Saint so to live, that when the people of the world come, in answer to the call, to test the fruit of the tree, they will find it wholesome and good."
To those so ordained is given the power to act for Him as His agents to bring the doctrines, ordinances, principles, and powers to bind on earth as it will be done in the heavens.
This day and age is the dispensation of the fulness of times, which has been spoken of by the prophets from the beginning of time. It is the time of fulfillment of all that has been recorded to come forth, as has been spoken of by the Lord’s prophets and has been recorded in the holy scriptures. It is not a new church but a restored church to the world in this day and age.
You are the generation the Lord has saved for this day. You came out of the waters of baptism with a covenant and a promise to the Lord to represent Him in helping people throw off their worldly ways and return to the blessings promised us if we would follow Him and live His gospel. You can help your Heavenly Father’s children return to their Christian faith and develop a faith in Him and return to His ways.
The Greatest Generation
A few years ago a well-known author described some of the men and women of my day as “the greatest generation.” The author, Tom Brokaw, explained:
“These men and women came of age in the Great Depression, when economic despair hovered over the land like a plague. They had watched their parents lose their businesses, their farms, their jobs, their hopes. They had learned to accept a future that played out one day at a time. Then, just as there was a glimmer of economic recovery, war exploded across Europe and Asia. … This generation was summoned to the parade ground and told to train for war. They left their ranches … , their jobs on the main street … , they gave up their place on the assembly lines … and in the ranks of Wall Street, they quit school or went from cap and gown directly into uniform. …
“They faced great odds and a late start, but they did not protest. At a time in their lives when their days and nights should have been filled with innocent adventure, love, and the lessons of the workaday world, they were fighting, often hand to hand, in the most primitive conditions possible. … They were in the air every day, in skies filled with terror, and they went to sea on hostile waters far removed from the shores of their homeland. …
“When the war was over, the men and women who had been involved … joined in joyous and short-lived celebrations, then immediately began the task of rebuilding their lives and the world they wanted. They were mature beyond their years, tempered by what they had been through, disciplined by their … training and sacrifices. They married in record numbers and gave birth to another … generation. … They stayed true to their values of personal responsibility, duty, honor, and faith.”1
When I was your age, I was looking forward to the same things you desire today. We were anticipating romance, education, professions, and marriage. Instead, we were called to serve and sent to the four corners of the earth to engage in a terrible war to protect our basic rights to enjoy the liberty to think, act, assemble, and govern safeguarded by the rule of law. Our service was not just for ourselves—it was to be our contribution for the generations that would follow after us. We went forward willingly. It took great courage.
Although I do not claim the title just for myself, I am one of the remaining survivors of “the greatest generation.” As I look to the future—and as I look at your future—I pray that you will step forward and assume your responsibilities to preserve the noble heritage of our past. I pray that in a future day you will be known as “the greatest generation.”
Your war will be very different. I am fully aware that your challenges will be much greater than ours. We knew who our enemy was on the battlefield. They were shooting at us! The enemy today is much more sinister. He does not always confront us in battle head-on. Instead, he hides in almost every device known to man. His plan is to plant an evil idea here and an evil thought there, to lead us away from the virtues taught us by our glorious history. With his clever plan he has devised ways to weaken our Christian faith.
Do we have a foundation to support such a claim?
You may ask, “What can I do?” Some months ago our stake president, speaking in sacrament meeting, suggested four things that we could do to bring others back to us:
First is daily prayer. I like this statement in the Bible Dictionary: “As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part (Matt. 7:7–11). Many of the so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship. Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work, and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings.”4
President Thomas S. Monson said:
“To those within the sound of my voice who are struggling with challenges and difficulties large and small, prayer is the provider of spiritual strength. … Prayer is the means by which we approach our Father in Heaven, who loves us. Speak to Him in prayer and then listen for the answer. Miracles are wrought through prayer. …
“Remember to pray fervently.”
Have your daily prayers, and help others return to their Christian faith by encouraging them to get on their knees and pray to God.
Second, daily scripture study. Could there be any stronger witness of Jesus Christ than the testimonies we find in the Book of Mormon? Of the 239 chapters, 233 mention the Savior. Isn’t that amazing?
Be certain you have daily scripture study. Then help others return to their Christian faith by encouraging them to also study the scriptures daily.
Third, temple worthiness. Some of you have been to the temple; others have not. It is well to understand what is required to obtain a temple recommend. We understand clearly the process by which we go to a judge in Israel and confirm to him our worthiness to hold a current temple recommend and then live by the standards required in holding that recommend.
Live in such a way that your righteous example will demonstrate how to live to be worthy of qualifying for temple blessings.
Fourth, daily acts of service. Remember the words of King Benjamin: “And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God” (Mosiah 2:17). The Lord literally answers our prayers through the service we give to others.
Tonight, my young friends, I challenge you to rise to a new sense of commitment. I challenge you to become “the greatest generation” by assisting our Father in Heaven’s children to return to their Christian faith and to the strong religious foundation that is so necessary to enjoy peace of mind and real happiness in this period of mortal probation.
Elder L. Tom Perry
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
