Brothers and Sisters, I am grateful for the opportunity to participate with you in this devotional assembly. During my years as a student at this institution and the last thirteen years as a faculty member, I have gained much from the Holy Ghost and those who have articulated great truth and doctrine from this podium. While I do not presume to count myself among those who have presented such inspiring messages, I hope that the spirit and testifier of truth will be present. I pray for that same spirit to touch each of us with thoughts and feelings beyond the words; that we may renew our commitment to be shining examples of goodness and praise.
I speak to you today with the confidence we represent a body of youth spoken of by President J. Rueben Clark, Jr. who said: “You do not have to sneak up behind these spiritually experienced youth and whisper religion in their ears; …. There is no need for gradual approaches, for ‘bedtime’ stories, for codling, for patronizing…. You can bring truths to them openly, in their natural guise.” With this in mind, I am prepared to speak with you plainly in hopes the spirit will communicate clearly.
I preface my remarks by confessing my own weakness in accomplishing all I wish. Some of you who know, or have worked with me, will undoubtedly question the wisdom of the selection for today’s devotional speaker. Some of you who do not yet know me may have the same question at the end of the meeting. Please have understanding hearts. Were there is fault in my own past behavior, I pray for your forgiveness and ask you to glean what you can from the experience of someone who struggles daily to qualify for heaven's blessings in doing what I can to make the world a better place.
Before we get to what I feel is the heart of the message today, I pay tribute to the Prophet Joseph Smith. As many others have already noted, we shall soon celebrate the 200th anniversary of his birth. I honor his life, his work and the wonder of his eternal stature. Have you ever paused to consider the blessings available to you personally and to all collectively because of the life of this one individual? I add my voice to that of William W. Phelps:
Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah!
Kings shall extol him and nations revere.
Hail to the Prophet, ascended to heaven!
Millions shall know “Brother Joseph” again.[1]
I also praise the Lord, Jesus Christ and express my gratitude for his support and implementation of the plan of our salvation. As we read in the History of the Church, one of the many things we learn from the Prophet Joseph Smith is that “the fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”[2]
Today, I wish to address an appendage, realizing the ultimate goal is a testimony and witness of Christ. The appendage of which I speak may be one of the most individually overlooked, yet essential components of our growing testimony. I emphasize the word individually because as a church and religion, it appears we do very well while individually we may need some work.
In the first section of the Doctrine and Covenants, we read what is regarded as the Lord’s own preface to this great collection. In verses thirty and thirty-one we read: “…I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking of the church collectively and not individually – for I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.”[3]
What is the sin the Lord is speaking of in verse 31? Rightly, we should agree that it is all sin the “Lord cannot look upon … with the least degree of allowance.” I am confident this is exactly what is being implied in this scripture. Something more specific, however, may be at stake as we read the entire verse. I read again Doctrine and Covenants 1:30:
And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I am well-pleased, speaking of the church collectively and not individually.[2]
Could part of the sin be not doing enough as individuals who have received these commandments to raise the Church out of obscurity? Or, maybe, while we are cheering the work of the Church along, we are neglecting our own individual rise out of darkness. Perhaps we fall short of the power to which the Lord refers.
Again, I join the throng in paying tribute to Joseph Smith and those other brethren called to lay the foundations of this work. I am thrilled when I see evidence of the Church’s work and growth. Tears of joy flow freely when I consider the good accomplished by the Church throughout the land. I have worried, however, that my own pace and standards are not be keeping up with the Church's brightness and luster as she begins to roll through the earth. In this light, and in my own observation and experience, my aim is to allow each of us the opportunity to assess our own standard and discover where we might do better.
Many who profess true Christianity can recite John 3:5 from memory and have a good idea concerning its meaning. We read; “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). At face value, we know the focus of this concept is accepting Christ, baptism, and receiving the Holy Ghost. Being born of the Spirit, however, may include more individual commitment and faith in the Savior than we had previously thought.
As part of the great plan of salvation, we accepted the opportunity to be born of a man and woman; becoming their sons and daughters; to receive a physical body; and learn, from our own physical experience, the difference between choosing good or evil. Salvation continues as we choose a second birth. This time, we must choose to be born of God – first by water, then by fire, which is the Spirit. In this case, entering the waters of baptism represents a sign of our earthly or physical obedience to become sons and daughters of God. The fire represents the resulting transformation of body and spirit necessary to enter his presence.
After being struck dumb and later regaining strength through the fasting and prayers of his people, Alma the Younger told the people in Mosiah 27:24-26:
I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit.
And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, become his sons and daughters;
And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.
Perhaps recalling this experience years later, Alma the Younger asked this question in Alma 5:14: “And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?” I find it interesting that in this case, Alma was not speaking to unbelievers. These people had already entered the waters of baptism. He was speaking to those who had made a physical commitment to show obedience but perhaps had not yet allowed the power of Christ to change their spirit and create a ‘new creature.’
This great change of heart and nature requires the combination of individual commitment and heavenly power. In one of many revelations on the topic to the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord says in Doctrine and Covenants 11:28-30:
Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I am the life and the light of the world.
I am the same who came unto mine own and mine own received me not;
But verily, verily, I say unto you, that as many as receive me, to them will I give power to become the sons [and I add daughters] of God even to them that believe on my name.
While it is difficult to comprehend, consider for a moment the power the Lord gives to us to become his sons and daughters. In an effort to gain success in the eyes of the world, we may be confusing principles as we define the term power. If you have a piece of paper and pen or pencil close by, draw a vertical line down the middle of the paper creating two columns. Write the words ‘Worldly Power’ at the top of one column and the words ‘Heavenly Power’ at the top of the other. Take a moment to write the appropriate descriptors that come to your mind under each column heading.
How do you define worldly power and how do you define heavenly power? Are they the same? Consider the statement previously mentioned: “to them will I give power to become the sons [and daughters] of God.” This is heavenly power. We will come back to that column in a few moments.
As you think of things in the column of worldly power, does your list include descriptors of control over others, things that will prove you are better than others, and/or number of people to which you are in charge? Please keep writing while I describe a few more indicators of worldly power. Remember, the impressions that come to you are more important than the words I say.
I find it fascinating that our striving for worldly power often views others in a negative way. Worldly power often enslaves many for the benefit of a few. One need look no further than many of today’s get-rich-quick schemes to find power seekers striving to use others for personal gain. In Doctrine and Covenants 89:4 the Lord even makes mention of “the evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days.”
Sometimes we mistakenly measure power by the number of people we have working for or under us rather than how we are helping those whom we have been called to serve. Sadly, it is becoming more common to hear individuals tout their leadership opportunities in terms better left to worldly power. They often note their accomplishments by citing the number of people they are in charge of rather than how outcomes are creating a meaningful experience and more enriched lives for those involved. Even more dangerous, those who seek glory for controlling others pursue a course opposite that of the plan of salvation and the direction the Savior would have a follow.
The list we create for describing worldly power might include: control, force, subversion etc. Whatever the case, this list is likely to be opposite the list one would include for heavenly or God-given power. Consider Doctrine and Covenants 121:39-46. While we will not take time to read the entire passage, a brief overview may prove helpful in understanding what is required for heavenly power. Verse 39 begins, “We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.” As we read on in versus 41-46 we find the antidote to such illness and a list for what might be considered the requirements for, or manifestation of, heavenly power. Following these scriptures, our list might include: persuasion, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, love, kindness, pure knowledge, without hypocrisy, without guile, charitable, faithful, virtuous, and confidence in the Holy Ghost.
In many aspects, heavenly power is the opposite of worldly power. Instead of being in control of others, heavenly power suggests we control ourselves, submitting our will to the will of the Savior, and receiving Him. In turn, we receive power to become like Him. While heavenly power comes from heaven, there are many things we must to do invite this transformation into our lives. Allow me to suggest five elements, which applied in our lives, will help us qualify for this redeeming power. In fact, I will use the letters in the word power as an acronym.
“P” is for praise. A person manifesting the conversion of heavenly power working in them will be full of praise. To praise means to show and do our very best for the Lord and others. As a church, we collectively seek things that are praiseworthy. As individuals, however, we may not be so anxiously engaged. As an example, our temples and other church buildings are built of the finest materials and craftsmanship yet some individuals choose to ignore the beauty through carelessness and neglect. In a recent interview with Larry King in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, President Gordon B. Hinckley was asked about the beauty and expense of that magnificent building. President Hinckley’s reply was short and instructive: “nothing is too good for the Lord.”
Praise could be referred to as the beautifying action of thankful heart. Gratitude is the primary ingredient of praise but it is not full praise unless we express that gratitude in word and deed. One of the beautiful hymns we often sing is sometimes mistaken for a simple song about the earth. The stirring words in Hymn 92 by Folliot S. Pierpoint, reflect an action of praise qualifying us for heavenly power.
For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flow’r,
Sun and moon, and stars of light,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild,
Lord of all to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
Imagine for just a moment that each of us actually lived our lives in accordance with the words of this hymn. Not just feeling grateful but showing our gratitude for beauty and joy. There would be no need for honor codes. There would be no need for civil laws governing how we treat others and the earth. We would show our gratitude by our actions. We would gratefully take care of all that which the Lord has blessed us: the earth would be more beautiful, each hour would be treasured, the joy of family and friends would be promoted, and our thoughts would be gentle and mild. It is one thing to think it. It is praise to do it.
In addition, praise is much more than a hopeful sentiment; it is a requirement for spiritual change. Indeed, it is one of the few acceptable offerings we have to give to the Lord. In Hebrews 13:15-16, Paul taught: “By him [meaning the Lord] therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well-pleased.”
While gratitude and doing good are essential ingredients of praise, we must understand that true praise means to do our best or, as President Hinckley has stated, “do [our] very best.”
As an important component of praise, we should seek opportunities to create beauty. We should consider our actions in regards to the effect they will have on the lives of others. In turn, our own experience will be enriched and blessed with heavenly power. Too often, we feel people should accept us for who we are rather than encourage us for who we are becoming. Years ago, I was challenged by a student whom I had confronted with a campus dress code violation. I was saddened by their lack of understanding and defiance. At one point in the conversation, the student chastised me for seemingly judging them inappropriately. It was felt I should practice more Christ-like character and look beyond the outward appearance to the heart and intent of the person. While I am certain I am not qualified to look upon the intent or heart as Christ would, I was struck with the following impressions: Why would you want to dress or disguise yourself in a manner that is different from the true intent of your heart? Why should others need to guess at what you are trying to become? Wanting to get to know you, others should not be confused or distracted by what you outwardly communicate. To praise is to do and show our very best.
“O” is for obedience and oblations. To be born again, we must be obedient to God’s will and offer our oblations. Our oblation is to receive and partake of the sacrament and its blessings. Each Sabbath day, we have the right and responsibility to prepare ourselves to receive and partake of the sacrament of Christ. I am intrigued by the definitions of the word partake. Consider the following definition as it applies to the Sacrament: To partake is “to have part of the quality, nature, or character of something.” In this case, the “something” is someone – Christ. The next time you receive the sacrament; take time to think, “Am I willing to share in the quality, nature and character of Christ, the Redeemer?” As we partake of this holy ordinance week by week, month by month and year by year, we are not only having part, we are becoming that quality, nature, and character.
“W” is for wisdom. We are commanded to learn wisdom in our youth and yet wisdom seems to be reserved for the aged. If wisdom is the ability to act and make decisions based on complete knowledge of truth, how can we then gain the wisdom required? Let us briefly follow the path of Joseph Smith as he read James 1:5: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giventh to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” For many years in my life, I unconsciously and erroneously changed a word in this verse creating frustration in some of my decisions. In my mind, I had changed the words to read: “If any of you lack [information, bicycles, good grades, etc.], let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally.” I could not understand why God would say all men liberally, and not mean me when all I wanted was information, bicycles and good grades. Obviously, the word I did not understand was ‘wisdom.’ “If any of you lack wisdom.”
God gives wisdom liberally to all who ask in faith. Once I discovered my error, my next step was to understand that gaining wisdom is not always pleasant nor what we think we want. Joseph Smith’s own experience with gaining wisdom was a trial of faith and energy. In Joseph Smith History we read:
After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me . . . as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.[5]
As we read on, we find this was not an imaginary experience for the young boy but something of great physical and spiritual terror. The next part of the passage, however, is helpful to understand how wisdom is gained: “But exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me [I am skipping a few lines], I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound.”[6]
Wisdom is often gained by exerting all our powers to call upon God. In reality, Our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are the only ones who know all things. We gain wisdom by learning to rely upon them for deliverance, not only in our time of desperate need but by exerting all our power to call upon them in times of comfort. And then remember, the light descends gradually.
“E” is for enduring to the end. While true wisdom is a gift from heaven, its development is honed by our demonstration of patience and holding firm to fundamental and immovable principles. Consider again the counsel of James: “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”[7] Life-long endurance is necessary to receiving the life-changing power of the Lord.
The final letter of our acronym of ‘power’ is “R” – to remember. History is only dead to us when we do not take the time to understand how it molds our lives and helps us progress. The wise understand that we are interdependently connected to history. We grow from its mistakes, we triumph from its successes, and we live on because it went before. As we learned so vividly from the dark ages of the apostasy: when history is dead, we are damned.
A few years ago, I was approached by a group of students seeking help on a project concerning a vision for a certain aspect of the future in the arts. After speaking with them, I suggested the best way to see the future is to spend some time with the past. To my surprise, this suggestion seemed to disappoint and frustrate their enthusiasm. They seemed bent on the idea that the only way to come up with something new was to proceed unencumbered by thoughts and discoveries of the past. Ironically, the very course they were pursuing had already been attempted unsuccessfully. Because of their refusal to know and remember the past, they were destined to repeat the mistake. To learn is to live; to learn from the past is to live better.
The word “remember” occurs more than 550 times in the standard works of the Church. To remember implies rejoining with some one or thing that he or she once knew. As spirits in the presence of Heavenly Father, we were in the presence of all knowledge. Because of this knowledge, we recognized our own need for experience. We made the choice to come to earth and be born of a man and a woman. Separated from God's presence, we must now choose to remember: remember our Savior, remember our covenants, remember what the Lord has told us in the past, and remember what the Spirit prompts us to do today.
Sadly, too many of us feel we must discover the difference between good and evil all by ourselves. This re-inventing-the-wheel attitude contradicts the very laws of progression. We may erroneously feel that for anything to be good or important, we must discover it ourselves or simply wait until we are told what to do. Revelation is a reality to the restored Gospel and moves the work along but we may need a reminder of how the Lord communicates with his children.
While preparing to enter full-time missionary service, I had the same opportunity many of you have had in sitting in counsel with priesthood leaders. On the evening of the required interview with my Stake President, I was asked a puzzling question. Before I continue I want you to know, my Stake President was (and still is) a man of great love, wisdom and whit. As I sat across the desk, he asked if I had prayed for the assurance that I should serve a mission. Dutifully, I replied in the affirmative. Then he leaned over his desk toward me with one eyebrow slightly cocked and asked, “did you get an answer?” Frankly, I was taken aback by the question. From my earliest memories and thoughts, I had been taught I was going on a mission. The truth of the matter is, I had never considered not serving a mission. I believe I had prayed for an assurance but could not honestly respond that I had received any answer. His question burned inside of me: “did you get an answer?”
It must have been some time, and he seemed to enjoy my discomfort before he finally came to my rescue in teaching me a valuable lesson in the way the Lord communicates with His children and why education is vital. He reminded me the Lord loved me enough to provide an answer long before I had even thought of the question to ask. My years of upbringing, opportunities of church service, and completing all other necessary work had prepared me for missionary service. While it was very little, if any, of my own doing, I could easily look back and remember how the Lord had prepared me for the task he wanted me to accomplish. In addition, the Lord had spoken through his prophet several years earlier. Over the pulpit in General Conference, President Spencer W. Kimball declared that every worthy young man should serve a full-time mission. Again, the Lord had mercifully answered my question before I had even thought what to ask.
Too often, we forget the eternal nature of our Heavenly Father. Perhaps because we cannot comprehend it well, we struggle to understand how he can answer our prayers before we think of the questions. I amuse myself every time I consider what the people in the Book of Mormon thought as they read what the prophet of their day had written about them. In reality, they probably did not have the opportunity to read it real-time. Certainly, they heard the word from the mouths of the prophets but records compiled are for us.
Some of us may fail to understand the scriptures because we read it as a book of the past rather than a guide for the future and a way to remember. Mormon was commanded by the Lord to include things in the record for our benefit. It is full of answers to our questions, our prayers, and our time. It is a testimony that God is the same yesterday, today and forever.
To remember in the future, we must learn much now. The Lord tells us much today in hopes we will remember it in the future when we need it most. We are admonished to seek learning from the best books and those who have been prepared to teach and expound. Consider this statement by Elder Dallin H. Oaks:
There have been inspired men and women in every discipline. The Lord expects us to learn what we can from what he has previously revealed. We do not begin by rejecting what we sometimes call ‘the learning of men.’ The learning of men, when it is true, is inspired of God. We must put our own efforts into paying the price of learning, of degrees, and of all intermediate steps necessary to acquire depth in our individual disciplines and skills. Future revelation in a particular discipline or skill is most likely to come to one who has paid the price of learning all that has previously been revealed.[8]
Perhaps too many of us feel we will be blessed with heavenly power without putting forth the effort to learn and grow. While at BYU-Idaho we should develop habits of gaining knowledge now and building solid memories that will be of help to us in the future. For better or for worse, those memories will be brought back to our remembrance in the future. We should seek out those prepared to teach. We should learn from the best books. We should turn to the Lord for wisdom.
In conclusion, the beginning the heaven power necessary for change can be initiated as we develop these five attributes: praise, obedience and oblation, wisdom, endurance, and remembrance. Understanding these concepts more clearly will help us prepare ourselves for the atonement of Christ and for the spiritual birth necessary to enter the kingdom of God. And, like Alma, receive a change of heart and countenance that we might individually join the church collectively rising out of darkness and obscurity.
Though I am weak and often fall short of the worthiness required, it is my testimony that the redemption of all is only through faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. We must follow Him to be truly born again. Knowing the troubled times in which we would live, he has chosen apostles and prophets to guide us. Knowing the will of our Heavenly Father is revealed through obedience to principles and ordinances of the Church is a great blessing. It is my prayer that we come to know Christ more fully and put into practice those ideals that transform us into sons and daughters of God; in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] Hymn 27
[2] Our Heritage
[3] Doctrine and Covenants 1:30-31
[4] Doctrine and Covenants 1:30
[5] JS History 1:15
[6] JS History 1:16-17
[7] James 1:6
[8] Dallin H. Oaks, Educating Zion, p.126