My dear young brothers and sisters. What a thrill it is for Sister and I to be with you this afternoon. We are excited to bear testimony to you and let you know how much we love and respect you. You are a chosen generation. Many prophets and apostles have spoken about your preparation in the pre-mortal world. Allow me to share some of those statements with you.
Statements from Apostles and Prophets
"For nearly six thousand years, God has held you in reserve to make your appearance in the final days before the second coming of the Lord.....God has saved for the final inning some of His strongest ... children, who will help bear off the kingdom triumphantly."[1] My dear young brethren, the Lord has been very good to you. He has brought you forth in this, the greatest age in the history of the earth. He has made you the beneficiary of His glorious gospel, restored to the earth for your blessing. No other generation has been the beneficiary of so much knowledge, of so much experience, of so much affluence and opportunity."[2]
Yours is a chosen generation of destiny...You are His son or His daughter. He made your spirit strong and capable of being resilient to the whirlwinds of life.....These are your days--to stand strong as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ......You will rejoice that God has placed you here to be a part of the final preparations for Christ's glorious return.[3]
After hearing all of those comments you might be sitting there and wondering: If I am who the prophets have declared that I am, then why is the road so hard? Why am I struggling to find my strength and my purpose? Why do I falter?
In preparing for this devotional, I have spoken to my children, nieces, and a young friend to have a sense of some of your questions, challenges, frustrations, and triumphs. I have pondered and prayed about what they have shared with me and have summarized them into points which I hope to share with you as answers to some of your musings or even answers to questions that you did not know you had. In so doing I pray for yours and the spirit's help as we try to seek learning by faith. The Holy Ghost, who is the only true teacher, can, during the time we are together, put thoughts in your mind and feelings in your heart. As you diligently seek it, he will teach you one on one and you will hear things that will not be said.
Receiving Revelation (Answers to Questions)
Contrary to how some of you might be feeling, may I categorically declare that our Heavenly Father does answer our prayers. Consider the following scriptures:
"For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened."[4]
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.[5]
"Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart."[6]
How then do we receive answers? How do we receive revelation? How do we know if it is the Holy Ghost prompting us and it is not just us thinking? Allow me to share with you two experiences in my life that have become patterns:
After Sister Teh and I dated a few times it became obvious that I wanted to spend eternity with her. Naturally, I have made it a subject of earnest prayer for many nights and also fasted a couple of times. There was no particular change in my feeling. I did not feel a burning in my bosom nor did I have goosebumps all over my body. I did, however, continue to feel good about my decision so I persevered. I am assuming that Sister Teh got the same answer so here we are. Many of my life's decisions after that experience and up to the present time, have been arrived at in a similar fashion.
"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?"[7]
Now, let me contrast that with experiences that I now have concerning specific assignments from the Twelve to reorganize a stake presidency and call a new stake president. As I approach this assignment in the spirit of prayer and fasting, I have been blessed with very distinct impressions to help me know who should be called as a stake president. The impressions come sometimes before, sometimes during, or sometimes even after the interview process. I always feel a burning in my bosom and I feel the hair on my arms rise. I have since recognized those as ways the Holy Ghost guides me in such assignments.
Why the difference in the way the Holy Ghost communicates with me? I do not know. The important thing is - I have learned to recognize these patterns in my life as ways that I receive personal revelation. I take comfort and confidence in the following admonition:
"Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers."[8]
Knowing Good from Evil
Some people think that in this world of increasing sophistry and technology that it is becoming harder and harder to distinguish right from wrong. There appears to be, at least in the minds of some people, more and more grey areas. Many of the incorrect but popular opinions of the day appear to make sense when viewed solely on very narrow lenses. Old garbage covered with new packaging and backed by creative advertising is still garbage.
Discerning between what is right and what is wrong need not be a complicated activity for us. Even prior to our receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, we are blessed with the light of Christ. Consider the following teaching from the prophet Mormon:
"For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night.
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.
But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him."[9]
One of the greatest tests of our day is sustaining the living prophet. Now, most of you will say: "Oh that is easy. I already got that. Check." However, it is quite amazing to see how some people who supposedly "sustain the living prophet," react to some of the popular opinions of the day. When faced with tremendous pressure - some people act or form opinions in a manner that suggests that they have never known that there is a living prophet on the earth today.
Finding the Right Balance
Do you ever feel like there is so much to do, that there are so many demands on your time and it's pulling you from different directions? Guess what? It will only get worse. So the question is: How do you find the right balance? (sometimes just to keep your sanity.)
Establish as your beacon or your North Star the eternal nature of our spirits. Focus your energy towards that truth and what that means. Everything else will either drop out of your life or fall into its proper place. I offer two scriptures (among others) that can serve as guiding principles:
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."[10]
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."[11]
Believe it or not I was once in your shoes. There was a point in my life when I had a full-time job during the day, going to school at night, had a second part-time job after school until the wee hours of the morning, while Sister Teh and I were raising our young family. I only had a couple of hours sleep a few days a week for two months. On top of all of that, I was also serving in a ward bishopric. It was one of the most productive times in my life. I don't think I have ever utilized my 24 hours a day as efficiently as I did during that period of our lives. I am glad I made it out of that situation alive.
President Gordon B. Hinckley gave this counsel:
"I think ... all of us in this Church ... have a fourfold responsibility. One, [members and leaders] have a responsibility to their families, to see that their families have a measure of their time. ... None of us can evade that. ... That is basic and fundamental.
If we are employed, we have a responsibility to our employer. We are not at liberty to short-change him. ...
We have a responsibility to the Lord, of course, to do that which is expected of us as a servant in His house.
And ... we have a responsibility to ourselves to take some time to do a little meditating, to do a little exercise.
... How do you balance them? I don't think that is difficult. I served in many capacities in this Church. I am the father of five children, who were young and growing up when I was serving in those various capacities. ... We enjoyed life. ... We just did what the Church expected us to do."[12]
What It Means to Endure to the End
Enduring to the end is not about completing a gospel checklist and then saying: "I'm good. All I have to do now is coast along and maintain it." It is about continually learning and growing. The gospel of Jesus Christ is all about constant repentance and change. Therefore it is an uphill climb rather than a stroll in the park.
"And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell."[13]
There are two phrases that jump out at me: "Lull them away into carnal security" and "leadeth them away carefully down to hell." To lull is to cause someone to become sleepy or to feel safe and relaxed instead of careful and alert.
"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion.
For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have."[14]
Those are very serious injunctions from the Lord.
Here's another scripture mastery scripture:
"And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength.
Some members embrace that passage from King Benjamin because they use it as a justification for their unwillingness to try harder or do their best: The problem is they only focused on the first half of the passage. Here is the second half:
And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order."[15]
The two halves together clarify what it really means to do things in wisdom and order.
My young athletic friend who is an excellent ball player introduced me to the phenomenon called - "second wind." Here's how Wikipedia defines it:
"Second wind is a phenomenon in distance running,.... (as well as other sports), whereby an athlete who is too out of breath and tired to continue suddenly finds the strength to press on at top performance with less exertion.
Some scientists believe the second wind to be a result of the body finding the proper balance of oxygen to counteract the buildup of lactic acid in the muscles. Others claim second winds are due to endorphin production, while still others believe it to be purely psychological.
The phenomenon has come to be used as a metaphor for continuing on with renewed energy past the point thought to be one's prime, whether in other sports, careers, or life in general."
Let me quote part of what my friend said as he considers how he has had to find a "second wind" in some aspects of his life:
"That relates to college students, such as myself (now) because it can be really easy to come home from a late night and make an excuse to be too tired to say prayers or read some scriptures, or even make regular temple visits. There can be many excuses for not doing these things, (especially for college students.) But, in the end we need to find our "second winds" and do those little things."
I sometimes tease and say maybe instead of "enduring to the end", we should be "enjoying to the end."
Conclusion
My dear young friends, we love you and pray for you often. These are your days. Our Heavenly Father has reserved you to come forth in these last days. He loves each of you dearly. He sent His Son to die for us that we might live.
Notes
[1] Ezra Taft Benson, "In His Steps" (Church Educational System fireside, Feb. 8, 1987); see also "In His Steps," in 1979 Devotional Speeches of the Year: BYU Devotional and Fireside Addresses (1980), 59
[2] Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, May 2007
[3] Neil L. Andersen, Ensign, May 2014
[4] 3 Nephi 14:8
[5] James 1:5
[6] Doctrine and Covenants 8:2
[7] Doctrine and Covenants 6:22-23
[8] Doctrine and Covenants 112:10
[9] Moroni 7:15-17
[10] 3 Nephi 13:33
[11] Matthew 6:19-21
[12] Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley (1997, 33)
[13] 2 Nephi 28:21, emphasis added
[14] 2 Nephi 28:24, 30
[15] Mosiah 4:27