President Clark, Brother and Sisters, we have been looking forward to this day, and this opportunity to be with all of you. It is a special honor and privilege to have been invited to be a participant in this devotional, although it is a humbling assignment. We have enjoyed a tour of your beautiful campus, and felt the spirit of this great university. I must pass along to you the comments of my husband after he attended General Priesthood meeting where the music was presented by the Men's Chorus. He said: "They were amazing, unbelievable, as good as the Tabernacle Choir!"
We were also excited to see the Rexburg Temple for the first time. We drove in to town last night and were up early this morning in time to catch an endowment session before we came to the campus. It is a gorgeous temple, and I was thinking about you, and the opportunity you have to visit the temple often and add a spiritual dimension to your education. When I think of this, a flood of memories comes back to us from Nauvoo. The first two years that we were there, students from BYU came for a semester of study at the Joseph Smith Academy right across the street from the temple. About one hundred students came during Fall and Winter semesters. It was a unique opportunity for the students to learn about the restoration and the Prophet Joseph Smith, and particularly the Nauvoo period, while living where it happened. Some of you may have participated in that program. It was amazing to watch the transformation that came over those students in the few weeks they were there. The first thing we noticed was that whenever the students were not in class, they were in the temple. The baptistery was never busier and our workers loved it, they could not quit talking about the students. One day a few of them came into my office and gave me a picture of their class and a Nauvoo brick with 14,836 baptisms etched into the brick. Before they left, the students had completed over 15,000 baptisms, and that seemed to be typical of all the groups that came. To some, it would seem a little unusual, that college students would spend all their free time in the temple. But they loved to be there, they loved the spirit they felt, and they knew they were doing something important. There is a unique and beautiful spirit in the Nauvoo Temple. It was like a spiritual magnet drawing the students in.
Today I would like to share with you some experiences I have had while serving in various Church assignments that have opened my eyes to the power of the Holy Ghost as a guiding influence our lives personally and as the Lord's agent in bringing about the Kingdom of God on the earth.
On the occasion of the Last Supper, the Lord taught in beautiful symbolism the principles that he had been teaching and living throughout his ministry. It was a time of deep sorrow as the reality of His departure descended upon his apostles: Listen to His comforting words:
I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever. Even the spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him, but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless, I will come unto you. The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."[1]
Because He could not remain with them, the Savior was leaving them a gift, the Gift of the Holy Ghost as the way that He could be with them. In His tender mercy, that promise is extended to all who are baptized by priesthood authority in His holy name. We are taught about the Holy Ghost from the time we are in Primary, but to internalize the truth of that promise, we have to experience it. Think about those special moments when the spirit has left an impression, testified of truth to your heart, prompted you in answer to a prayer or been a source of comfort. We cannot explain these impressions, but neither can we deny them. And when we acknowledge them, they become an anchor to our faith, and we see the reality of the Savior's promise. Someone once said: "The voyage of discovery lies not in finding new landscapes, but in having new eyes."
In 1989 Brother Wirthlin was called to preside over the Germany, Frankfurt Mission. The three years that we were there turned into a unique time in the history of Germany. It had been a divided country since World War II with East Germany under Communist rule and West Germany under a democratic government. The Berlin Wall divided the two sectors. Who could have predicted that as the wheels of history turned, in one year, with no blood shed, East Germany would be freed from Communist rule, and the country would become a united free people. It all began in September of 1989 with student demonstrations for freedom in Leipsig, East Germany. Prime Minister Honeker asked Premier Gorbechev of the Soviet Union for support in putting down the demonstrations. The answer came back "no". The students began walking down through Czechoslovakia, into Austria and into West Germany. This became the prelude to the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989. With the barriers down, refugees began pouring into West Germany from Eastern Europe and Africa. When Elder Nelson combined the East and West Berlin stakes, he said, "Germany will become the seeding ground for the church in Eastern Europe." And that's exactly what happened. Missions opened up in East Germany, Russia, Bulgaria and Albania. The number of missions in Germany grew from three when we arrived to six when we were released. The final miracle event occurred the third year of our mission when the entire Soviet Union dissolved.
Some would say that history turns on the fulcrum of political events, but we know better, history turns on the timetable of the Lord. It was clear, the time had come for the light of the gospel to be taken to a people who had lived for so many years in spiritual darkness. Daniel prophesied of the day when the gospel would fill the earth in his interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. A stone was cut out of the mountain without hands that smote the image of the kingdoms of the earth, and it became a great mountain that filled the whole earth and would stand forever.[2]
We sent the first missionaries from Frankfurt into Bulgaria and Albania. I remember how anxious those two Elders and two Sisters were to go into those countries without the language and no established church to receive them. But the Lord had opened the door and they were prepared because they had the Holy Ghost, even the Spirit of Truth with them. One day I was reading the Parable of the Tame and Wild Olive Tree as recorded in Jacob 5. I realized that we were seeing the fulfillment of another prophesy. The parable tells the story of the gathering of Israel in the latter days. The Lord of the vineyard visited the vineyard 4 times, and on the last visit, he said to His servants:
. . . Go to, and labor in the vineyard with your might. For behold 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.
And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their might; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things.[3]
What an eye opener that was for me; we were seeing it happen. Through the power of the Spirit, the Lord was moving people and nations so that the kingdom of God could roll forth in the earth. As Paul said:
He hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.[4]
The Holy Ghost is the Lord's agent in preparing those throughout the world who are to be the key players in bringing about His work. The power of the Spirit to turn hearts to Christ was profoundly impressed upon us during the two years President Wirthlin presided over Missionary Training Center in Provo. I had the opportunity to invite missionaries who were converts to the church into my office, and they would relate their conversion story. Many came from the United States, but they also came from countries as far away as Romania, Russia, Korea, Japan and Australia. Most had walked the pathway of conversion alone without the support of their family. The decision to serve a mission meant leaving their family and friends, setting aside school, dating and all those normal involvements of a young person at that point in his or her life. I invited some of them to share their story and testimony in our Mission Conferences and Firesides. As different as all their stories were, there was one common denominator - they all had felt the testifying power of the Spirit and once they had become converted, their great desire was to give back to the Lord and to bring into someone else's life the joy the gospel had brought to them.
Each Wednesday, we welcomed between 400 and 600 new missionaries. On the following Sunday evening, we invited the new missionaries to come into one of the large chapels for an evening with the president. Microphones were placed throughout the group. President Wirthlin asked the missionaries a question: How have you changed in the past 4 days since you entered the MTC. I expected them to say, "Give me a break, I'm exhausted." " I'm still trying to find my way around the campus." "I can't sit for 8 hours a day in class." "I don't like my companion." But that was not what I heard. I was so taken back by what I did hear, that I wrote down their responses:
"I have learned the power of personal prayer. Before I came to the MTC, I prayed only at night, now I pray all the time."
"My love for the Savior and my testimony have grown in a huge way."
"I have been active all my life, but I have never been so touched by the spirit."
"I am learning Chinese, my mind is clear, I can't believe how much I'm learning."
"My life has always been about me, and now I put my companions success ahead of my own. "
"I have been amazed at the love I feel. I have never felt such brotherhood."
"I have felt an increase in my capacity for knowledge. It is like a waterfall pouring upon us and we're absorbing it all."
Through the power of the Spirit, a miracle change had come over the missionaries in just 4 days. It is reminiscent of King Benjamin's counsel to his people to ‘ yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit and put off the natural man [and woman] . . . and become as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love'.[5] As the missionaries yielded to the Spirit, they forgot themselves and they found they were magnified in their abilities to love and to learn and to feel a closeness to the Savior.
After the death of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young had a vision where he talked with Joseph in the spirit. In his account of that experience, he said:
Joseph stepped toward me and looking very earnestly said: Tell the people to be humble and faithful, and be sure to keep the Spirit of the Lord and it will lead them right. Be careful not to turn away the small still voice; it will teach you what to do and where to go; it will yield the fruits of the Kingdom. Tell the brethren and sisters to keep their hearts open to conviction so that when the Holy Ghost comes to them, their hearts will be ready to receive it. . . It will whisper peace and joy to their souls; it will take malice and hatred, strife and all evil from their hearts; and their whole desire will be to do good, bring forth righteousness and build up the kingdom of God. . .[6]
Wilford Woodruff said: "If you have the Holy Ghost with you, I can say unto you that there is no greater gift, there is no greater blessing, there is no greater testimony given to any man on earth. . ."[7]
When Brother Wirthlin was released as President of the Nauvoo Temple, our adjustment back to the real world was more of shock than we had expected. For over three years we had been insulated from the noise, the confusion, and turmoil, and the ever increasing presence of evil in the world. In the temple, we had been immersed in the Spirit and focused on things of the spirit, and so it was hard to leave our temple assignment. I remember when it was time for the missionaries to leave the MTC and go out into their field of labor, there was some ambivalence, some longing to stay. I also remember in our Frankfurt Mission, how difficult it was for the departing missionaries to return home. Once you have felt the sweetness of the Spirit on a daily basis, it's hard to go back to the real world. But that is where we all are. You and I are not temple workers or full-time missionaries. It means that, by our own desire, we must find ways to invite the spirit into our lives if we want to enjoy the blessings.
I'd like to share an experience with you that our family went through several years ago that has been a visual symbol to me of the importance of having the Spirit in my life. We were on vacation at Lake Powell with our children, some extended family and my parents. This was one of our first trips to Lake Powell with our family. We launched our boat at Bullfrog one morning and spent the day traveling down the channel towards Rainbow Bridge, which is 50 miles away. We stayed there for most of the day. Towards evening, we started back toward the Marina at Bullfrog. We had gone a few miles when the steering mechanism on our boat broke, and we found ourselves stranded in the middle of the lake with no way to steer the boat. Lake Powell can be a formidable place when you are in trouble, it was beginning to get dark, and we were all very aware of the danger of our plight. I can tell you there was a prayer in every heart. We had two choices, we could spend the night on the lake since there was no beach nearby, or we could hope that another boat would come by and get help for us. We looked around us for another boat, and sure enough, in the distance, we saw a boat headed our way. As it drew near, we waved our red flag and beckoned the driver over. Once they were close enough to discern faces, to our complete surprise, shock, and joy, we found the family in the boat to be friends of my parents - one of those happenings that could never be a coincidence. To add to our good fortune, their boat was bigger than ours, and they had a tow rope and a powerful spotlight. We tied our boat to theirs and began the long night's journey back to the marina. We were 35 miles away from Bullfrog and our towing speed was 7 miles per hour. There was no moon and it was really dark. If you know Lake Powell, you realize you can easily get out of the main channel and lost in daylight if you don't know where you are going. The channel is marked with buoys that are one mile apart, and at the top of each buoy is a small reflector. We took turns sitting on the bow of the lead boat, searchlight in hand, looking for the next buoy. When the light would catch the reflector, we would head to that buoy and then begin searching for the next reflector. One mile after another for 35 miles we searched for each reflector. Once we found it, we held on to it as if our very life depended on it. We finally arrived at Bullfrog at 1:00 a.m., very grateful for good friends who were guided to us and a light that brought us home.
Our journey through mortality is not unlike that harrowing journey we experienced on Lake Powell. In order to reach our destination, we had to stay in the main channel. It was dark, easy to become confused and get off course. Only the light on the reflector kept us in the channel. Jesus said to his disciples:
Enter ye at the strait gate; for strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there be that find it; but wide is the gate and broad the way which leads to death and many there be that travel therein. . .[8]
Nephi taught: . . .The Holy Ghost showeth unto the children of men; the straightness of the path and the narrowness of the gate by which they should enter. . .[9]
The light of the Holy Ghost is just as essential to our spiritual safety as that searchlight was to our physical safety. We live in a dark and murky world filled with temptations that are so enticing and so disguised that they are often difficult to recognize or resist. At times, it seems as though we are swimming upstream against a current of worldly trends that can seem overpowering. There has never been a time when the guidance, the enlightenment, and the protection of the Holy Ghost was more needful.
Admittedly, we all go through low points in our lives when, for one reason or another, we feel out of touch with the Spirit. It's unsettling, even depressing and can be difficult to reverse. Before we know it, discouragement, doubt, lack of faith, lack of confidence can set in and literally can overtake us. The Lord has given us some guidelines that will help us get back in touch with the Spirit if we incorporate them into our lives.
First of all, we must follow spiritual promptings. There are times when we find ourselves in places or with people or involved in activities that are incompatible with the Spirit. We will feel a nudge, a prick of conscience. We must listen to and respond to those promptings. At other times, the Spirit will move us in a particular direction when making decisions, or will prompt us to do something to help someone. President Monson said:
The sweetest experience I know in life is to feel a prompting and act upon it and later find out it was the fulfillment of someone's prayer or someone's need. And I always want the Lord to know that if he needs an errand run, Tom Monson will run that errand for him.
Second: We can invite the Spirit into our lives through personal prayer. The Lord said: "Pray always, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessing - yea, even more than if you should obtain treasures of earth. . ."[10] We can always have a prayer in our heart. Prayer is the most powerful way we can overcome the influence of Satan. It is our lifeline to our Father in Heaven and a sure way to open our hearts to receive His counsel and direction through the Spirit.
Third: We invite the Spirit into our lives by prayerfully reading and pondering the scriptures. In Nephi's interpretation of the vision of the tree of life and the meaning of the rod of iron, he said: ". . . that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction."[11] One of the defining characteristics of our world today is deception. The standard for what is right and what is wrong has become so distorted that there is no standard. Aren't we all susceptible to these deceptions. Fifteen minutes with the scriptures in the morning can fortify us with the Spirit. As I have read the Book of Mormon this last time, read about secret combinations, and deceptions, about families in crisis, I find myself seeing images from our world today. Alma referred to this by saying these things are not without a "type and a shadow."[12] They are teachings for our day and time if we have eyes to see their relevance. The Holy Ghost can give us that insight. Remember the words of Moroni: "By the power of the Holy Ghost, ye may know the truth of all things."[13]
Finally, we must realize the power of the temple to invite the Spirit into our lives. When we step in the door of the temple, we leave the world and all it's distractions behind us and turn our thoughts and attitude to things of eternity. We dress in white symbolic of our worthiness to be there. There is a feeling of peace, and love and oneness with our Savior and our Heavenly Father that is not found anywhere else on earth. Through the Spirit, we see the problems of our lives in an eternal perspective. We come seeking to know the will of our Heavenly Father for us and our spirit is open to receive personal revelation. Adversity doesn't go away, and our problems are not always resolved, but we are enlightened and strengthened. It's as though we go to the temple empty and we leave filled with the power of the Spirit. One of my favorite scriptures is found in the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple offered by Joseph Smith:
And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory round about them, and thine angels have charge over them.[14]
I am grateful for the testimony born to me by the Spirit of the Holy Ghost that I know the things of which I have spoken today are true. I am grateful for every opportunity that has come my way for the Spirit to testify of truth. I know of the enabling power of the Spirit. I have had assignments for which I felt so inadequate that I could only go to my knees seeking the Lord's help. But through it all, I have felt close to our Heavenly Father. I know that He hears and answers our prayers. I feel His love as I draw upon the blessings of the Savior's atonement in my own life. By His grace, He enables us to do things we could never do on our own. Weak things are made strong as we come unto Him in faith. You are on the threshold of a marvelous future. The way has been prepared for you by generations who have gone before. And now, the Lord is depending upon you, to carry on His work. He needs you to be close to the Spirit, not only to strengthen you, but so that you can be a strength to others. There is a peace and happiness that comes when you are in the way of the Lord, there is a confidence and assurance that overcomes adversity. May you be blessed with the Holy Ghost to be a light and a guide in your life as you follow the path our Heavenly Father has prepared for you, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] John 14:16-18,26
[2] Daniel 2: 34,35,44
[3] Jacob 5:71-72
[4] Acts 17:26
[5] Mosiah 3:19
[6] Oscar W. McConkie, Angels, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1975] p. 120
[7] Doctrines from the Prophets, Alma P. Burton, comp. [Salt Lake City; Book craft, 1970] p. 229
[8] 3 Nephi 27:33
[9] 2 Nephi 31:9
[10] D&C 19:38
[11] I Nephi 15:24
[12] Alma 37: 43,45
[13] Moroni 10:5
[14] D&C 109:22