Good Afternoon, Brothers and Sisters. I am so happy to be here with you. Thank you for your cheerful faces and the kind spirit you bring with you. I have been looking forward to this moment since the day, months ago, when I was asked to speak. I have been excited to fulfill this assignment, and I have also felt somewhat anxious about serving you well in the time that we will have together. I have carefully prepared a message for you and have fasted and prayed for help and guidance to be able to do so in a way that would be pleasing to our Heavenly Father. I pray for the companionship of the Holy Ghost and ask you to join me in this prayer: that each of us may invite the Holy Ghost to be with us, that he may bring things to our remembrance and teach us truth.
I am going to start my message by sharing my testimony. While this is not customary, I would like you to know what I believe before you receive my message. I know that we have a Father in Heaven who loves us; who loves us so much that He provided a plan for us, which is a plan of happiness. If we are faithful, we may become as He is and return to Him to live with Him forever. I know Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He lived as a perfect example for us. He atoned for our sins and he is absolutely aware of our weaknesses and trials. He also knows all that is wonderful and divine within each of us. He died for us, and he rose to live again for us. We may follow him, serve him, and become like him, and by so doing we may return to our Father in Heaven. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that he loves me; I know that he loves each of us. He is our elder brother, our truest friend, our Savior and our Redeemer.
Because Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us, they have not left us to fend for ourselves in a world where there is very real opposition to the plan of salvation. They have not left us alone in a world that tests us and tries us. They are not silent or distant. The Holy Ghost will testify of truth and will teach us; he will guide us in all righteousness and he will strengthen and comfort us.
I know the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ is found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and that Christ stands as the Head of his church. Prophets have always been raised up and called of God to teach and lead God’s children in obeying the commandments, that they may be blessed. I know Joseph Smith was called of God to be a prophet, and that he faithfully and obediently restored the fullness of the gospel to the earth. The prophet Joseph was an authorized servant of God who held the keys of the priesthood, and the prophets of the Church who have followed him were also authorized servants. I know that Gordon B. Hinckley is God’s chosen prophet on the earth today, and those who serve with President Hinckley have also been prepared and called by God. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that it was prepared and brought forth to us by prophets of God. I love the Book of Mormon and all of the Holy Scriptures, both ancient and modern, that have been provided to us by a perfectly kind and loving Father in Heaven. I have searched and studied and prayed over these things. I have had questions and have pondered things that I did not always understand. I have learned much and still have much to learn, and I look forward to that process. I have come to know that these things which I have spoken are true, and I testify of that to you, in the name of Jesus Christ.
You may wonder why I started with my testimony rather than ending with it, and the simple answer is because it seemed like the right thing to do. Perhaps, another reason would be that I like to eat my dessert first. So, today I decided to give you dessert first because some of the sweetest words I can speak to you are the words of my testimony.
When I first received the assignment to speak, I was very surprised. I thought, “If only this had come when I was older, wiser, more knowledgeable, and more prepared—then it would be so much better.” Fortunately, I was quickly blessed with a sense of peace and comfort. I realized that this assignment wasn’t so much about me, or at least that wasn’t where my focus should be. Instead, my focus needed to be on serving the Lord and you, and I realized that I did not need to be afraid. Although I have been anxious to serve well, still I have been remarkably blessed to feel at peace and truly joyful about this opportunity. I quickly came to love and appreciate the blessings I received in the preparation process, so when the date of my talk was moved from April to March, I had mixed feelings. On one hand, I was sorry there would be fewer days that I would experience these blessings; because I was truly blessed to receive help that came “line upon line and precept upon precept."[1] On the other hand, I was really excited to see you and be here in this moment with you, so I was glad it would come more quickly. Occasionally, I would still feel a little worried about talking. One day when I was visiting with two friends, I told them I felt like I should be older and more prepared to do this. I said something silly like, “I’m too young to do this!” One of my friends immediately said that, “You don’t need to worry about that because you will probably seem old to the students.”
We had a good laugh, and it was the reality check I needed to stay focused. I hope you will stay focused today, not so much on me, but on what the Spirit of God would teach you during this time. I am counting on you to look and listen beyond the limitations of my words and to make the next 25 minutes really matter for yourself. Because of my work here on campus, I see you each day and I know who you are. I know I can trust you to understand my heart if my words aren’t adequate. I hope you will take notes today, but I hope you will note the words that come to your heart and mind not just the words I use.
When I thought about what I should speak on today, a scripture came to my mind quickly and very clearly. It was 2 Nephi 25: 26. These are the words of the prophet Nephi: “And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.” This is a truly wonderful verse that could be greatly expounded upon. The specific thought that came to me was the first two phrases, “we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ.” These words will be the focus of my remarks today. There are so many things that we could speak of when we talk of Christ. I have selected two points; first, the taking of His name upon us through the ordinance of baptism, and second, using repentance and the gift of the Atonement as we try to be like Jesus. After these comments, I will make one point about rejoicing in Christ.
In Mosiah Chapter 18, specifically in verses 7-11 we learn more about the ordinance of baptism through the story of the prophet Alma:
And it came to pass after many days there were a goodly number gathered together at the place of Mormon, to hear the words of Alma. Yea, all were gathered together that believed on his word, to hear him. And he did teach them, and did preach unto them repentance, and redemption, and faith on the Lord.
And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;
Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life.
Now I say unto you if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?
And now when the people had heard these words, they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts.
This can be the desire of our hearts every Sabbath day when we renew our baptismal covenants through the taking of the sacrament. It can be the desire of our hearts every day, all day, to stand as witnesses of God. What are the desires of your heart? Will you take a moment now to answer that in your heart and mind?
When I was younger, I mostly wanted to do what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it. Maybe a few of you can relate to that. Since then, I have come to know more about the importance of the ordinance of baptism and the sacred covenants that are made at that time and the priceless Gift of the Holy Ghost which we receive through priesthood authority. I have come to know more about the importance of offering a broken heart and a contrite spirit to the Lord, and I understand better the value of renewing my covenants by taking the sacrament each week. I still want to do what I want to do, but the desires of my heart have changed. I want to serve my Father in Heaven; I want to seek and understand his will; I want to be obedient and faithful in all that He would have me do; I want to follow Jesus Christ; I want to be like Him; I want to love each of you as my brothers and my sisters the way He does; I want to show Him that I am grateful for what He has done for me; and, I want to always remember that I have taken His name upon me. I want to stand as a witness for him “at all times and in all things, and in all places.”
I ask you again, “What are the desires of your heart?” I know your lives are busy, but we can’t allow ourselves to be distracted from the really important things in life. The verses we have read in Mosiah can teach us so much and they deserve our consideration. I hope you will make the time to consider these verses more very soon. If you do, I’m sure you’ll learn much more that will be a blessing to you.
I would like to talk a little more about the taking of Christ’s name upon us and what that can do to the desires of our hearts. The words of the scriptures do this better than I can, so turn with me to Mosiah Chapter 5, looking at several verses starting with verse 2. This is the response of the people to the words of the prophet, King Benjamin, after he has preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to them:
And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.
Reading on in verse 5,
And we are willing to enter into a covenant with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things that he shall command us, all the remainder of our days….
Here is King Benjamin’s response to the people, starting in verse 6 and continuing on,
…the covenant which ye have made is a righteous covenant.
And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and daughters.
Now a little further into verse 8 we read,
…There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.
And, continuing in verse 15,
Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things in heaven and in earth, who is God above all. Amen.
These verses help us understand what can happen when we take the name of Christ upon ourselves and what the end results will be if we keep our covenants.
A thought expressed in the last verse leads me into my second point about using repentance and the gift of the Atonement to help us try to be more like Jesus. Jesus Christ is “steadfast and immovable.” He is the perfect example for us to follow, and we can try to be like him every day. In this, I am aware that I fall far short. Our Savior is perfectly loving, patient, and kind, and I am not. He is complete in every way, and I am not. This comparison could go on and on but it would all end with the words, “and I am not.” But, I can be, someday, if I am true and faithful to my covenants and remain steadfast. Because I’m trying to be like Jesus, I am a better person than I once was and I hope to become better still.
When I was quite young, I heard a talk given by a leader in the Church. I do not remember who he was or even the setting of the talk. Although I cannot give proper credit to him, I think he would be glad to know that an idea remained with me. He said he asked for forgiveness from the Lord every day and that he needed to repent every day. It may surprise you to know that I just did not get that, at all. I couldn’t really comprehend that the person who was speaking would actually be doing anything for which he needed to repent of every day. At the time, I had a very simple understanding of sin and I thought repentance was just for serious problems. I also thought that it was very uncomfortable and unpleasant to go through, so I certainly did not want to subject myself to it on a daily basis; I cringed at the thought. Even though I could not really accept what I had heard, the idea didn’t go away. It bugged me from time to time through my teenage years and into my early twenties, and I’m using the term “bugged” intentionally. I would like you to think about what it feels like to have a little ant or bug crawling somewhere on your skin. It’s not harmful, but it really gets your attention, and then you swat it away as fast as you can. That is what this idea was like for me. Then I learned more about Jesus Christ, the gift of his Atonement, the purpose of repentance, and the miracle of forgiveness. I learned more about a lot of things. I came to know that my Heavenly Father does live and he loves me and wants me to be able to return to him. I came to know that Jesus Christ does live and he loves me so much that he would atone for my sins and he would redeem me. I learned more about the gift of the Holy Ghost and why this is a truly priceless gift. The Holy Ghost can reveal to us the truth of our actions so that we may see every day the things we need to correct and the faults within ourselves that we must mend as we try to be like Jesus. The longer and more consistently we invite the tutoring of the Holy Ghost, the more refined our vision of ourselves becomes and our sensitivity to what is right and what is wrong is greatly increased.
So, in this life we may never run out of things to correct through repentance as the Holy Ghost diligently works to help us try to become more and more like Jesus. The idea that speaker left with me doesn’t “bug” me anymore. It comes back to me all the time, but now I welcome it like a brilliant little butterfly landing on my outstretched hand. In other words, I don’t swat it away but take great delight in it. The concept of frequent, sincere repentance and personal reflection has become beautiful to me. And, I do need it daily because I am mindful of things now that I didn’t used to be mindful of. I think when I am a little white-haired and wrinkly lady that I will still be refining myself through repentance. I hope by then I’ll be a righteous example in everything I do and say and think, but I’ll probably still have things to work on within myself. I’m sure I’ll still be learning the things we have all come here to learn. I hope I will make progress and prepare every day of my life for the moment when I meet my elder brother and Savior again. I don’t know when that moment will come. I want to be ready. I don’t want to be afraid to see him. I just want to be happy to see him again. I want to be able to look into his eyes and see joy. What do you want that moment to be like?
In trying to be like Jesus, we will often be very aware of how far short we fall from his example. The ability to see this gap between ourselves and how we could be and should be is a gift from God. If we can’t see what separates us from where we want to be, how will we ever overcome the obstacles to get there? The adversary would try to use our awareness of this gap to depress and discourage us. He would whisper a lie to us that we will never be able to overcome the obstacles or the distance. He would like nothing better than for us to drown in defeat and cringe at the thought of frequently, humbly, prayerfully going to our loving Father in Heaven in the name of the Savior to ask, specifically and mindfully, for forgiveness, and to ask for help and strength to do better. Jesus Christ will help us bridge the gap. He will help us overcome the obstacles. It will require our most honest effort, but He will bring us to stand steadfast with him someday if we will turn to him and apply the power of the Atonement in our lives every day. When we talk of Christ there are so many things that merit our attention; I hope you will understand why I’ve chosen these points.
Now, I’m going to make one point about rejoicing in Christ. The callings and assignments that teach and stretch us help us become better able to serve our Father in Heaven. I believe you will find this to be true for yourself. I have been a teacher for Primary and Young Women a number of times and have loved serving in both organizations. These callings have been easy to accept and have felt very natural.
A few years ago, I was called to be a chorister in the Primary. When the counselor in the bishopric extended the call, I was stunned and thought there had been a mistake. I told him I had very little musical training and was not much of a singer. I wasn’t being modest, just very honest. He was quiet for a moment and then he pressed forward and said that sometimes it is good for us to be stretched. I accepted the call and got stretched! I experienced some difficult moments, but there were also wonderful moments, which grew to be more and more frequent and meaningful. I had been serving for about seven months when I really started to love serving in this calling. I was released three weeks later. It was then that I realized I had not served in the way I wished I would have. I realized I could have made the decision to love my calling from the very beginning even though it was sometimes hard and I often felt inadequate. I promised myself never to make that mistake with a calling again. Then ten months ago I got my chance to prove it. In my current calling I serve as the music director in sacrament meeting, and I have loved this calling from the moment it was extended. At first I was so nervous I would run out of breath in the middle of a phrase and would just have to mouth the words while I breathed in. Sometimes I would concentrate so hard on what my hand was doing that I would loose track of the verse we were singing. I freely admit that I am not the most accomplished music director you’ll see, but I love my calling. I wasn’t put in these callings because I had musical talent or training. Instead, I am slowly learning and developing because of the callings. I will be forever grateful for this opportunity, and I sincerely love to study the words of the hymns and the referenced scriptures.
Through this, my understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ has been deepened in a way I did not anticipate. I was not even really aware of what I was missing out on before I began to study and really sing sacred music. I sang every week in church and enjoyed hymns casually, but a whole new world has opened up to me now. The reason I have shared this experience with you is so you will understand that I have just recently discovered that one of the best ways to rejoice in Christ is through the study and singing of hymns. Many of you already know this, but some don’t. For those who haven’t yet discovered a deep appreciation of sacred music, I hope today you will begin to look at the hymns with a desire to learn and understand more. I had no idea the hymns could provide the strength, comfort, and peace that they do. I had no idea how effective an instrument of teaching they could be. Think about the Primary songs we sing as children. If some of you did not experience Primary, you do not have to feel left out. You can still have your own Primary experience. You don’t even have to wait for a Primary calling because all you have to do is put your name on the list of people who are willing to be substitutes. I promise you will get all the opportunities you would ever want. I’m going to read just a few of the titles of Primary songs, so we can see what we learn from them, and how they make us feel, and how they help us rejoice in Christ:
I Am a Child of God
I Lived in Heaven
I Know My Father Lives
Jesus Once Was a Little Child
Tell Me the Stories of Jesus
Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam
Jesus Said Love Everyone
I Feel My Savior’s Love
The Church of Jesus Christ
I’m Trying to Be Like Jesus
When He Comes Again
I Love to See the Temple
Search, Ponder, and Pray
I Will Follow God’s Plan
I Hope They Call Me on a Mission
Teach Me to Walk in the Light
Families Can Be Together Forever
My Heavenly Father Loves Me
Does that bring back some memories for you? Do you remember how you felt when you sang those songs as a child? Try singing them again or for the first time as an adult. The feelings will be there. The best part of being a Primary chorister is seeing the children rejoice in Christ and his gospel through song. It was the part of my calling that I could appreciate from the very start. If you can’t, don’t, or won’t sing, you can still be blessed through listening and rejoicing in what you hear. Think about one of your favorite hymns or sacred songs. Why do you like it? What does it mean to you? How do you feel when you listen to it? And when you sing it? If you don’t have a favorite hymn, you need one. One is an essential start, and then you’ll find your list of favorites will grow and grow. Think about what we are taught in Doctrine and Covenants Section 25: 12-13. These are the words of the Lord:
For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart: yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads.
Wherefore, lift up thy heart and rejoice, and cleave unto the covenants which thou hast made.
These are simply beautiful words for us to hear. I’m going to read a short list of hymn titles and I would like you to think about how we rejoice in Christ through these sacred pieces of music:
The Spirit of God
We Thank Thee, O God, For a Prophet
Joseph Smith’s First Prayer
Come, Come Ye Saints
Where Can I Turn for Peace?
I Believe in Christ
I Know That My Redeemer Lives
I Stand All Amazed
How Great the Wisdom and the Love
Lord, I Would Follow Thee
There is Sunshine in My Soul Today
Love At Home
Many of you are familiar with these songs. As you heard these titles, you may have remembered some of the wonderful feelings the hymns bring. These memories can communicate with you better than my words can. When our hearts are opened by sacred music, the Holy Ghost can teach us about Christ and the truths of his gospel. This truly is rejoicing in Christ.
In conclusion today, would you please consider and answer a few questions:
What has the Holy Ghost taught me today?
What do I need to learn more about?
How can I learn it?
Is there something I need to do differently in my life?
What are the desires of my heart?
Think more about these questions and your answers in the coming week. Think about the things you have felt while you chose to spend your time here.
Now, I am going to give you a second helping of dessert, which you know is my testimony. In Moroni Chapter 10, we are told that “by the power of the Holy Ghost we may know the truth of all things” (Moroni 10:5). I believe that I can obtain a more certain knowledge from the witness of the Holy Ghost than I can from the combined total of my physical senses. I know Jesus Christ lives and that he is our Savior. The Holy Ghost testifies to my heart and mind of this truth. I would talk of Christ and rejoice in him all my life. He loves us, and I love you as my brothers and my sisters. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] 2 Nephi 28:30