For Whom the Bell Tolls: You

There's a quote by Brigham Young where he says that "we never began to build a temple without the bells of hell beginning to ring. I want to hear them ring again!” I think that this quote could also be applied to those who are trying to worship the Lord in His Holy Temple. Satan's bells ring for temple worshippers as well. Yet, despite whatever opposition to His work, God will help us through anything if we will depend on Him and our covenants to Him. Elder David A. Bednar, a living apostle, said that what gave the early saints the strength to endure through all their opposition was "the fire of the temple covenant that burned in their hearts. It was their commitment to worship and honorably hold a name and standing in the house of the Lord." I've seen it many times when going to the temple, or even participating in any ordinance leading to the temple, opposition come in whatever form. Yet, if we just push through with God's help, the adverse conditions are to no avail.

To Q or not to Q, that is the question?

What's in a question? I recently reread some of the transcript from the PBS documentary, 'The Mormons', where those who have been excommunicated for intellectual apostasy and wondered where these people went wrong. I think it all started in the kinds of questions they were asking. It appears that the questions they asked and thus the answers they later came to were wrong. Yet, they felt they had reached truth and taught accordingly. This teaching led to their excommunication? So, is it bad to ask a question?

When we look to the scriptures about examples of questions we do good and bad. Think of all the Pharisees tried to do with the Savior. They would always ask Him questions, trying to see if they could hold His answers against Him. The Savior would always see what they were trying to do. And then stump them by asking questions back (Mark 11:28-33). The same kind of trapping questions were given to Abinidi. Their intent is recorded as "they began to question him, that they might cross him, that thereby they might have wherewith to accuse him; but he answered them boldly, and withstood all their questions, yea, to their astonishment; for he did withstand them in all their questions, and did confound them in all their words" (Mosiah 12:19). Their questions were bad because they were trying to justify their own actions and beliefs that were in opposition to God and His prophets.

How do these intellectuals, these September Six, fare the same? By pursuing their research and questions, they effectively put themselves in opposition to God's word by calling into question they doctrines the Brethren had taught. In the end, their questions weren't necessarily wrong, but their conclusions and teachings thereafter were. They were teaching contrary to the living prophets. Hence, why President Packer answers in the documentary, "It's very simple. Down some of those paths, you have a right to go, but in the Church, you don't have a right to teach and take others there." He's essentially saying that we can ask any question we want, but when our answers are in opposition to the Brethren, than that is wrong.

Does that mean we should blindly follow the prophets just because they said so? Hardly. Elder Angel Abrea said this about questioning and blind obedience: "I’m sure that many questions have come to your mind. The truth is that you will not be condemned for wondering or questioning if you make a sincere effort to find the answer. Our mental powers have been given to us to use. Faith based on personal prayer, study, and obedience is more lasting than blind faith; it is more rewarding, and for sure it is better grounded." In reality, we as a Church don't believe in blind obedience. Perhaps, those who rely on others testimonies could be considered as blind, but they are also trusting in someone they love to lead them aright. They are told to eventually get their own testimony, to not rely on others.

Elder Oaks explains that when we follow the prophets it is not blind obedience. He said, "Of course, we have leaders, and of course, we are subject to their decisions and directions in the operation of the Church and in the performance of needed priesthood ordinances. But when it comes to learning and knowing the truth of the gospel—our personal testimonies—we each have a direct relationship with God, our Eternal Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, through the powerful witness of the Holy Ghost. This is what our critics fail to understand. It puzzles them that we can be united in following our leaders and yet independent in knowing for ourselves...We all act upon or give obedience to knowledge. Whether in science or religion, our obedience is not blind when we act upon knowledge suited to the subject of our action. A scientist receives and acts upon a trusted certification of the content or conditions of a particular experiment. In matters of religion, a believer’s source of knowledge is spiritual, but the principle is the same. In the case of Latter-day Saints, when the Holy Ghost gives our souls a witness of the truth of the restored gospel and the calling of a modern prophet, our choice to follow those teachings is not blind obedience." And so the real matter is of testimony not questions. Questions are encouraged. They ideally lead to more truth and not less, as what occurs when apostasy is the result.

God's Greatest Creation

Recently, my wife Amelia brought our second baby into the world, Ana Ruth. My wife and two other women will all be the mothers of newborns by the close of August. Mothers who sacrifice not only their body, but their lives in the raising of children are often unheralded heroes. I'm sure I could show more appreciation to my wife for the work and effort that goes into her being a mother. Truly, women hold a "preeminent role" in our faith, as Elder Quentin L. Cook declared. Using the definition of preeminent, women are eminent above or before others; superior; surpassing. Gratefully, "neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 11:11). 

We men can glean some of the greatness of our superior counterpart. I was once in a meeting with another apostle, Elder Richard G. Scott, who put up a powerpoint slide of a woman being showered on with light from Heaven and the man beside her trying to glean some of the llight from her. The slide made people laugh, but the idea always stuck with me. Women who fulfill their part in God's plan are such inspiring examples to us oft ogre-ish men. At least with women's help and God's, we men can fulfill our divine potential. Thank you to all you women who sacrifice so much to be mothers and wives, especially to Amelia.

Even Harder Than a Mission

So the other day I talked to one of my close friends, Jordan, who is newly married. We hadn't talked in a while so it was a complete shock to hear him talk way differently than he would have before he was married. He talked about how he was invited to go houseboating and how if his wife were in a similar situation he wouldn't want her to go boating with a bunch of guys. I marvelled at how because he is now married he now makes decisions based with his wife in mind as well. What's surprising is that prior to marriage Jordan would do pretty much anything his friends were doing, but now because of a better friend than all of these, his wife, appeasing the friend group pales in comparison. It's just amazing how much marriage can change a person. It's so true what Elder Scott said in last general conference, that "marriage provides an ideal setting for overcoming any tendency to be selfish or self-centered."

Of course marriage, though it is great, is not a walk in the park either. My NY mission president would say that marriage is harder than a mission. My mission was real hard. And I'll agree that marriage is harder, but just as the mission saw great rewards and blessings that far outweigh the hardships endured, so too is marriage. I'm grateful that the Lord led me to Amelia and that as we strive to include the Lord in our lives, we'll continue to overcome all that comes our way and grow more in love and joy.

Choosing Our Wills and Aspirations

One of the talks I really liked from last General Conference was Elder Oaks' about desires. He said that "desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. The desires we act on determine our changing, our achieving, and our becoming." I suppose this talk was one of my favorites because one of my favorite scriptures is Mosiah 16:12-13. These verses read:

"Having gone according to their own carnal wills and desires; having never called upon the Lord while the arms of mercy were extended towards them; for the arms of mercy were extended towards them, and they would not; they being warned of their iniquities and yet they would not depart from them; and they were commanded to repent and yet they would not repent.

And now, ought ye not to tremble and repent of your sins, and remember that only in and through Christ ye can be saved?"

Now, the main reason I really love these verses is because of the repetition of image of the arms of mercy being extended to us. As much as we reject the Lord, He repeatedly tries to offer us mercy. Yet, I also like how it mentions the idea of carnal wills and desires. No matter how much I grow in the gospel, I still feel like I have carnals wills and desires that cause me to fall “short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Though, I hope, over time as I continue to repent these carnal ways will become less and less, I think that we will just by the fact that we’re mortals, always have to fight the carnal man within us.

I guess I take hope in the fact that though we may be always imperfect and will continually struggle to purge the carnality within us, we can and must be helped by the Savior. Another favourite scripture of mine counsels us that we should “remember...that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved” (2 Nephi 10:24). I’ve definitely made the mistake of thinking that I could perhaps do it on my own, repent and live righteously without the Lord’s help. In fact, I once told God to let me do it on my own, just to prove that I could. I can tell you that I fell farther and faster away from the Lord as a result.

I have felt that as I come closer to the Lord, through repentance and when I feel the Spirit in abundance, that I “have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” (Mosiah 5:2). I suppose it’s a never-ending process, our improvement and progression, and that the desires we cultivate and nurture will determine what we will choose.

Move Over Joe and Jew, Here Comes Tommy

One highlighted theme from this past General Conference was importance of the living prophet of God. The idea that really stuck out to me from these messages was when President Benson was quoted as saying that “the living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works” (“Obedience”). That’s a pretty profound statement. We are to understand that the Stick of Joseph and the stick of Judah, the Bible and the Book of Mormon are not as important to us as the prophetic word of the living prophet of the our day. Obviously, this importance of following the living prophet does not mean to disregard the Bible and Book of Mormon, but if not for a living prophet of God today, then our church might as well not even have the other books of scripture. We need God's word for us today and God's living prophet is God's mouthpiece to all mankind.

Today, our living prophet is President Thomas S. Monson. He is God’s mouthpiece on earth. Another memorable thought from President Benson’s talk was that the living prophet gives us “Today’s News Today”. The living prophet today is able to look out at our world and show was what path we might take today that would be of most benefit not only to members of Christ’s Church, but for all mankind.

Our last prophet was President Gordon B. Hinckley. When I went out on my mission I used to think that his talks were the most boredom-inducing sermons out there. His topics seemed to be sooo simple and basic. I always loved the other apostles’ talks a lot more because I felt they were of more substance. But, over time I began to realize how doctrinally enriched his talks were. The talk that did it for me was his talk from April 2004 General Conference. He framed the plight of mankind in such an inspired way. After that Conference, as a missionary, I began collecting as many Conference ensigns as I could and pretty much had all the Conferences from 1995 to 2004. I then read through all of President Hinckley’s talks further confirming that not only were his talks not just basic, but that they were really inspiring and so bold too. Of all the aspects of my testimony that grew on my mission, the knowledge that President Hinckley was a prophet of God grew most. This knowledge helped me to further grow in love and appreciation for how much God loves us as well.

And now President Monson is our living prophet. He has been our prophet for just over 3 years now. Each prophet seems to have something that has marked their ministry. President Benson was known for “flooding the earth with the Book of Mormon”, President Kimball was known for “lengthening our stride”, Elder Bateman of the seventy said that we couldn’t really pin down President Hinckley to one topic because the breadth of his ministry was so great. Yet, Elder Quentin L. Cook said that he continually made reference to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. What will President Monson be most remembered for? Though his ministry is hardly concluded, we hope, I think it’d be safe to say that the title of President Monson’s biography succinctly summarizes what he would hope the Saints be anxiously engaged in - To the Rescue.