Each December we celebrate two important births: that of the Savior Jesus Christ and that of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Today I would like to share my testimony regarding these two great sons of God.
Some years ago while serving as a scoutmaster, I attended a scout camp located in the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains. Camp Fleischmann was located in the midst of thick pine trees, canyons, lakes and streams. I would spend the week attending to the many needs of the boys. Often my bishop would come up on Friday to spend time with the boys, thereby allowing me to leave the boys and fish the streams of the Sierras. There was a river just a few miles from camp that I loved to fish.
On one of these occasions, I arose early in the morning, put on my waders, grabbed my pole and began to hike down the mountain to the river. It was a beautiful morning on the river. I was all alone enjoying the quiet of mountains. I traveled quite a distance down river. When it was time to return to camp, I began to retrace my way up the river. It was difficult walking, with many boulders and branches blocking the way. I decided to leave the river and hike my way through the forest. I found an old logging road and began to follow it in the direction of camp. The road eventually disappeared and I decided that I knew the way well enough and began to hike up the mountain for what I thought would be just a short distance to camp.
After I came to the top of the hill, I looked at the terrain, and it was all unfamiliar to me. There were canyons and ravines branching out in all directions. I could no longer hear the river, and with the thick pines I could hear no sounds of scouts coming from the camp. I knew the general direction to travel and decided to continue making my course toward camp. After an hour of wandering the hills, I realized that I was not making any progress. The many canyons and ravines often took me away from my destination. I now knew that I was lost and needed to retrace my steps back to the river, where I was sure I could find the "true course" back to camp. I was greatly relieved and comforted when I reached the familiar sounds of the river which, if followed, I knew would take me back up the trail to camp.
We are prone to wander! If we are not careful, our wandering will lead us into paths that will not lead us back to God. President J. Reuben Clark, in his landmark address, "The Charted Course of the Church in Education," related a similar experience regarding a mariner whose ship was tossed about in a storm. He quoted Daniel Webster:
"When the mariner has been tossed for many days in thick weather, and on an unknown sea, he naturally avails himself of the first pause in the storm, the earliest glance of the sun, to take his latitude, and ascertain how far the elements have driven him from his true course. Let us imitate this prudence, and, before we float farther on the waves of this debate, refer to the point from which we departed, that we may at least be able to conjecture where we now are."[1]
President Clark continued:
"Webster seemed to invoke so sensible a procedure for occasions where, after wandering on the high seas or in the wilderness, effort is to be made to get back to the place of starting, that I thought you would excuse me if I invoked and in a way used this same procedure to restate some of the more outstanding and essential fundamentals underlying our Church school education."[2]
Today many seem to wander down the trails of doubt and confusion. Some may struggle with supposed conflicts between science and the creation of the earth. Others struggle with church history events, rumors, and cultural differences from the past. Still others have found great difficulty with current social issues regarding marriage that seem to have wide public support but are in direct conflict with the teachings of the Church and the living prophets. Still others struggle with the organization and order of the priesthood or the translation of the Book of Abraham and The Book of Mormon. The Church has produced and posted on lds.org several essays on many of these topics. In these essays the doctrine is explained, and some of the "whys" are given. Sometimes the essays leave some questions unanswered. Recently I had a discussion with one of my sons regarding one of these new essays on the Church's website concerning difficult historical topics. He said: "Dad you always seem so sure about these things." The truth is, I have unanswered questions, and I am looking forward to more light and knowledge from the Lord. But there are some things that I am absolutely sure about, and I don't need to be retaught or reconverted. Through prayer, fasting, and study I have felt the witness of the Spirit in my mind and in my heart that certain doctrines and principles are true.[3] There is much we do not know, but there has been so many wonderful doctrines restored that are so clear and have become an anchor for my testimony.
President J. Reuben Clark gave clear direction regarding what we do know when he said:
In all this there are for the Church, and for each and all of its members, two prime things which may not be overlooked, forgotten, shaded, or discarded:
First--that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh, the Creator of the world, the Lamb of God, the Sacrifice for the sins of the world, the Atoner for Adam's transgression; that He was crucified; that His spirit left His body; that He died; that He was laid away in the tomb; that on the third day His spirit was reunited with His body, which again became a living being; that He was raised from the tomb a resurrected being, a perfect Being, the First Fruits of the Resurrection; that He later ascended to the Father; and that because of His death and by and through His resurrection every man (and woman) born into the world since the beginning will be likewise literally resurrected. This doctrine is as old as the world.
The second of the two things to which we must all give full faith is that the Father and the Son actually and in truth and very deed appeared to the Prophet Joseph in a vision in the woods; that other heavenly visions followed to Joseph and to others; that the gospel and the Holy Priesthood after the Order of the Son of God were in truth and fact restored to the earth from which they were lost by the apostasy of the primitive Church; that the Lord again set up His Church, through the agency of Joseph Smith; that the Book of Mormon is just what it professes to be; that to the Prophet came numerous revelations for the guidance, upbuilding, organization, and encouragement of the Church and its members; that the Prophet's successors [were] likewise called of God.... These facts also, and each of them, together with all things necessarily implied therein or flowing therefrom, must stand, unchanged, unmodified, without dilution, excuse, apology, or avoidance; they may not be explained away or submerged. Without these two great beliefs the Church would cease to be the Church.... I have set out these matters because they are the latitude and longitude of the actual location and position of the Church, both in this world and in eternity. Knowing our true position, we can change our bearings if they need changing; we can lay down anew our true course.[4]
Brothers and sisters, I testify to you that Jesus Christ is my Savior and my Redeemer. I testify to you that Joseph Smith was God's prophet and that the restoration of the gospel in these the latter-days has taken place.
I have had a testimony of the Prophet Joseph since I was a young boy. I love the Prophet Joseph Smith, and I love defending him. While serving as young missionary I had many opportunities to teach people about the Prophet Joseph and his mission. I served in the Denmark Copenhagen Mission and was privileged to learn Danish. Those of you who have learned a foreign language know how difficult this can be. Danish is a very challenging language, especially the pronunciation. In 1979, the year I began my mission, our first discussion was the Joseph Smith story. We would give large parts of the story in Joseph's own words. There were many difficult words to pronounce--words like "overenstemmelse," "indbyrdes," "betractninger," "gradvis," "bebrejdelser," "beskrivelse," and more. Most missionaries struggle with the language the first several months of their missions, and I was no exception. A few weeks into my mission we met a young man who invited us into his apartment, mostly because we were from America and he was curious. He quickly stated that he was an atheist but consented to listen to what we had to say.
My companion asked me to give the first concept of the first discussion, which was the Joseph Smith story. I plowed my way through it and tried the best I could to teach this man what I held dear to my heart. I could see from his face that he was struggling to understand the words and the story, and of what he did understand, he was skeptical. As I closed the concept, I quoted the words of Joseph saying: "I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. . . When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description standing above me in the air."[5] There were many difficult words in that section that I struggled pronouncing. I finished the concept and bore my testimony to him. At the conclusion of my testimony, the young man burst into laughter and cackled as he said, "You don't believe this. (He also used an expletive that only later did I understand)." His laughter continued as he talked, and I had difficulty understanding him. I turned to my companion for help. He leaned over and whispered in my ear: "What do you expect? You massacred it." I looked back at the man, and he was still chuckling in derision. I felt very alone. I could feel the redness of embarrassment begin to form in my stomach, and it seemed to crawl up my body until my face flushed red. My companion said a few words, and we left. Not much was said between my companion and me the rest of the night, as we were rejected most of the evening. We returned to our apartment, had a quick snack, and engaged in prayer and quiet study before we went to bed.
My companion said good night, and he went right to sleep. I was unable to sleep and began to review in my mind the young man laughing and my obvious embarrassment. I climbed back out of bed and knelt in prayer. I said: "I'm sorry, Father, that I am not a very good missionary. I am sorry that I taught the lesson so poorly." As I offered my sincere prayer, I was overcome with a peaceful feeling. I heard in my mind the words: "I love you! Keep bearing testimony of Joseph Smith. He is my prophet!" I knew again that this is God's work. I asked the Lord for help with the language and with the skills of communicating and teaching the gospel. The inspiration came to me that I needed to read the Joseph Smith brochure in Danish every day and practice, practice, practice, the pronunciations. The Danish version of the Joseph Smith brochure was 28 pages long. I vowed to study four pages a day, thus finishing it each week, and then I would start over. With the Lord's help I was able to master the words very well, and I could share with you today hundreds of experiences where I have borne my testimony to those who would listen. Never have I been embarrassed or blushed in any way since that day, as I have testified numerous times that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God! I love the Prophet Joseph!
Elder Neil L. Andersen, in the October 2014 general conference, said:
The negative commentary about the Prophet Joseph Smith will increase as we move toward the Second Coming of the Savior. The half-truths and subtle deceptions will not diminish. There will be family members and friends who will need your help. Now is the time to adjust your own spiritual oxygen mask so that you are prepared to help others who are seeking the truth.
A testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith can come differently to each of us. It may come as you kneel in prayer, asking God to confirm that he was a true prophet. It may come as you read the Prophet's account of the First Vision. A testimony may distill upon your soul as you read the Book of Mormon again and again. It may come as you bear your own testimony of the Prophet or as you stand in the temple and realize that through Joseph Smith the holy sealing power was restored to the earth. With faith and real intent, your testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith will strengthen. The constant water balloon volleys from the sidelines may occasionally get you wet, but they need never, never extinguish your burning fire of faith.[6]
Elder Anderson continues:
I give (you) a specific challenge: Gain a personal witness of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Let your voice help fulfill Moroni's prophetic words to speak good of the Prophet. Here are two ideas: First, find scriptures in the Book of Mormon that you feel and know are absolutely true. Then share them with family and friends.... Next, read the testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Pearl of Great Price or in the pamphlet, now in 158 languages. You can find it online at LDS.org or with the missionaries. This is Joseph's own testimony of what actually occurred. Read it often. Consider recording the testimony of Joseph Smith in your own voice, listening to it regularly, and sharing it with friends. Listening to the Prophet's testimony in your own voice will help bring the witness you seek.[7]
I add my challenge to you to read Joseph Smith's story again. Ask with a sincere heart to really know of Joseph's prophetic ministry, and I promise you that the Holy Ghost will help you to know for yourself that Joseph is God's prophet.
The other doctrine or true course which may not be overlooked, forgotten, shaded, or discarded is that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and He leads His Church today. I received my testimony of Jesus Christ as a young teenager, and it has never left me. Over the years it has only strengthened. I remember as a young boy singing in church the hymn, "I Know That My Redeemer Lives," and being filled with joy and peace. I knew as a young boy that my mother and father knew and loved Jesus Christ. This gave me such strength and peace. This testimony has enabled me to withstand temptation and follow the one true course to happiness.
Almost thirty-five years ago to the day, again while serving my mission, I was attending a mission Christmas conference in Odense, Denmark. My companion and I were serving on an island in the Baltic Sea, thirty kilometers from the German border. After our Christmas conference in Odense, we decided to take a different route home so that we could see some new scenery. We carefully planned a bus trip through the countryside to Faaborg, Denmark. We had several bus connections to make that would take us to the docks, where we would board a Ferry boat across a channel to our island and then take another bus home.
The trip was going nicely, and all was well, except the weather turned bitter cold, and the sleet began to fall, covering everything in a sheet of ice. We arrived safely at the bus station in Faaborg, and we looked at the schedule and saw that our connecting bus should arrive in just a few minutes to take us to the dock. While we were waiting in the station, a fisherman came into the room and approached the scheduling board. My companion, Elder Michael Meiners, and I had a goal to talk to everyone we met and to never miss an opportunity to share a message.
I was closest to the board, so I approached the gentleman. He was dressed in a yellow rain slicker and had a long flowing beard. One of my best techniques as a missionary to meet people was to play a "dumb American." This came naturally to me. I asked the man if he could help me read the schedule and tell me when the next bus would arrive to take us to the docks. He was a typical Dane, and he immediately came to my side and was so kind to help me read the schedule. After carefully studying the schedule, he turned to me and said, "I am sorry but there is no bus tonight, and no ferry boats are sailing." I thought, "Great, I am playing a dumb American, and I meet a dumb Dane." So I pointed to the bus that was scheduled to arrive in just a few minutes and said, "How about this bus." He then kindly pointed to a very small asterisk and said, "Son, when you see this asterisk you need to go to the bottom of the schedule." Following the asterisk we read that no ferry boats sail at night between December and February.
We were stranded. I thanked the man and rushed to my companion and explained the situation. He asked me how much money I had on me. I, of course, had spent all my money on a pastry, and he had only a few cents, not even enough to make a phone call. This was before the age of cell phones. We had no credit cards, nothing. While we were discussing our options, the clerk in the bus station office yelled out the window that the station was closing in a few minutes, and that we couldn't stay there. We paused and offered a prayer and asked the Lord for help. Our mission president counseled us to always have $50 cash on us at all times. Oh, how I wished I had obeyed that counsel. In all the commotion, I had lost track of the old fisherman. He had left the station.
After our prayer, while we were still in a panic, the door opened to the station and in walked the kind fisherman. He approached me and said: "I couldn't help noticing your predicament. I have been outside visiting with my wife, and we would like to invite you to our home tonight to eat and sleep, and we will take you to the dock in the morning." For a brief moment, I thought that maybe the blood on his slicker wasn't from fish! I wanted to say, "We don't even know you! You could be some crazy person." Not wanting to offend him, I looked at him and said instead, "You don't even know us." He came close to me and looked me in the eye. He put his arm around me and gently touched my name tag and said, "You are a representative of my Lord Jesus Christ, aren't you?" The Spirit came over me so powerfully, and I felt the Lord speak to me. I knew I was His representative, and that He knew me and loved me. I knew the Lord had placed this kind man in our path so that my companion and I would not have to sleep on the streets that night in a blizzard. I know missionaries have had much harder trials than what we would have faced that night, but it was a tender mercy for me. We went to his home and had a wonderful fish dinner. We taught them the first three discussions, slept comfortably, and made it home safely the next day.
From that day to today, I have never really doubted again whose name I represent. I have learned, however, that following Jesus Christ and his prophets is not always easy. I have been laughed at, spit on, had my bike stolen, mocked, had guns pointed at me and dogs released to attack me. And that was just last week while I was teaching here at BYUI! Okay, that was a joke.
I testify to you that wearing the name tag that bears the name of Christ is a privilege. Jesus himself was beaten and bruised for the gospel's sake and ultimately gave His life for us. In John 6, Jesus taught hard things. He taught in essence that he was Jehovah, the God of the Old Testament. Many of his disciples, when they had heard this, said: "This is an hard saying; who can hear it?"[8] "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him"[9] He turned to the twelve and said, "Will ye also go away?"[10] Peter then answered: "To whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou are that Christ, the Son of the Living God."[11]
Jesus is still teaching hard doctrines today. In fact, He is at the head of this Church and is guiding our prophets. We live in a world where many feel there is no sin. Still others say, "Eat, drink, and be merry; it doesn't matter what we do, God will forgive us."[12] Jesus said, speaking of our day: "They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol."[13] In the April general conference of last year, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland made it very clear that Jesus requires us to stand for and defend the truth, when he said:
[Jesus said,] "I came not to [bring] peace, but a sword"[14] He warned those who thought He spoke only soothing platitudes. No wonder that, sermon after sermon, the local communities "pray[ed] him to depart out of their coasts."[15] No wonder, miracle after miracle, His power was attributed not to God but to the devil.[16] It is obvious that the bumper sticker question "What would Jesus do?" will not always bring a popular response.
At the zenith of His mortal ministry, Jesus said, "Love one another, as I have loved you."[17] To make certain they understood exactly what kind of love that was, He said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments"[18] and "whosoever ... shall break one of [the] least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be ... the least in the kingdom of heaven."[19] Christlike love is the greatest need we have on this planet in part because righteousness was always supposed to accompany it. So if love is to be our watchword, as it must be, then by the word of Him who is love personified, we must forsake transgression and any hint of advocacy for it in others. Jesus clearly understood what many in our modern culture seem to forget: that there is a crucial difference between the commandment to forgive sin (which He had an infinite capacity to do) and the warning against condoning it (which He never ever did even once).
Be strong. Live the gospel faithfully even if others around you don't live it at all. Defend your beliefs with courtesy and with compassion, but defend them.... It is a strait path, and it is a narrow path without a great deal of latitude at some points, but it can be thrillingly and successfully traveled, "with ... steadfastness in Christ, ... a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men."[20] In courageously pursuing such a course, you will forge unshakable faith, you will find safety against ill winds that blow, even shafts in the whirlwind, and you will feel the rock-like strength of our Redeemer.[21]
Believing in Jesus Christ and his true doctrine as taught by the prophets has and always will require us to leave the world behind, to be different, to stand firm when the winds of criticism blow. Be careful not to travel down paths of doubt and skepticism but to be believing and patient as you struggle to know the mind and will of God. His path, his one true course, is a narrow and strait path, and sadly, few there be that find it. Many choose to follow the broad and wide path of the world and become lost in the filthy rivers and mists of darkness. They succumb to the pointing fingers of scorn from those who love the world more than God.
I assure you, however, that there are many holding fast to the iron rod and who are traveling the strait path that leads back to God and his love. I promise you that angels will attend you as you strive to stay on the one true course. Some of you in this room may have already fallen off the path and are feeling hopeless. I promise you there is a way back. Repentance is powerful and possible. Elder Bruce R. McConkie once taught, "We don't need to get a complex or a get a feeling that you have to be perfect to be saved. What you have to do is get on the straight and narrow path--thus charting a course leading to eternal life and then, being on that path, pass out of this life in full fellowship.... You don't have to live a life that's truer than true. You don't have to have an excessive zeal that becomes fanatical and becomes unbalancing. What you have to do is stay in the mainstream of the Church and live as upright and decent people live in the Church--keeping the commandments, paying your tithing, serving in the organizations of the Church, loving the Lord, staying on the straight and narrow path. If you're on that path when death comes ... you'll never fall off from it, and for all practical purposes, your calling and election is made sure."[22]
Brothers and sisters, stay in the mainstream of the church. Live the gospel the best you can. Stay on the course that leads to eternal life. Jesus said, "I am the way! Come follow me! My paths are straight!" I love my Savior. I love the Prophet Joseph Smith. I love President Monson, and I love this church. During the Christmas break, I challenge you to strengthen your testimonies of Jesus Christ and Joseph Smith. While away, don't fall back into old negative habits or allow faithless friends to lead you away from the path you know you should travel. That you will come back to us purer and stronger in your testimony of the restored gospel is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] The Charted Course of the Church in Education, 1994, 1
[2] Ibid
[3] D&C 8:2-4
[4] Ibid., 1-3
[5] JS-History 1:16-17
[6] "Joseph Smith," Ensign, November 2014
[7] "Joseph Smith," Ensign, November 2014
[8] John 6:60
[9] John 6:66
[10] John 6:67
[11] John 6:69
[12] 2 Nephi 28:7-8
[13] D&C 1:16
[14] Matthew 10:34
[15] Mark 5:17
[16] Matthew 9:34
[17] John 15:12
[18] John 14:15
[19] Matthew 5:19
[20] 2 Nephi 31:20
[21] "The Cost--and Blessings--of Discipleship," Conference Report, April 2014
[22] "The Probationary Test of Mortality," address given at University of Utah, January 10, 1982, p. 11