Willing to Submit (1 Nephi 15:3)
Russell D. Cheney
July 23, 2002
To introduce my topic I'd like to share a personal experience. I grew up in Bountiful, Utah. One day as a little boy, maybe five, and before I was accountable, I sat in church beside my father. I must have been young because I remember having to lean my big head way back to speak to my dad. My mom dressed in a wool sweater. I hated those sweaters. I said to my dad, "Dad, is church your favortist?" He seeing a great teaching moment replied as any good father would, "Son, church is my favortist." I replied back with the wisdom of a bright five year old, "Well, it's my dumbest!" Since then, Dad, I've tried to submit to the Lord and church is my favortist.
The theme of my talk today centers around this quote by Ezra Taft Benson:
Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that he can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends and pour out peace. Whosoever will lose their life in the service of God will find eternal life.
In the following talk I want to describe the importance submitting to the will of Heavenly Father, and how we submit through our thoughts, actions, and in our heart.
Please turn to Abraham 3:25. One of the purposes of this life is to be tested. "And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them." To whom will we submit?
On my mission I read an article in the December 99, New Era which drew parallel between a craftsman shaping pottery and how our lives become shaped by Our Father in Heaven.
The article begins with this scripture in Isaiah 64: 8. It says, "O Lord, thou art our father; and we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand."
Quoting from the New Era article:
In its natural state, clay is common and far from beautiful but in the hands of a master potter, it takes on a pleasing personality, becoming a thing both of usefulness and unique beauty.
But before clay can be made beautiful and useful, it must be centered on the potter's wheel. As the wheel spins, the potter molds, shapes and lifts the clay into the desired form. If the clay is not centered, it cannot be shaped properly. Eventually, natural forces fling it from the wheel. Our lives are like that.
We must become centered on Christ--and remain centered on Him. Only then can our Father in Heaven shape and mold our lives to His grand design for us.
This is a piece of pottery that I made when I was in kindergarten. When I was five years old, my kindergarten class was given the opportunity to make pottery. Each student in the class was given a lump of sticky clay. As my teacher explained the process of making pottery, she took great care to warn us about removing each air bubbles. At first I didn't understand how an air bubble could be harmful, but my teacher's urgent words soon explained. Any air bubbles left inside the pottery would cause it to explode when placed in the heat of the kiln. I worked and reworked the soft clay to make certain that each bubble was removed. After the kiln, I was relieved to see that my piece had surveyed and was rigid and unchangeable.
We are much like a soft piece of clay. Who will we allow to shape us--will it be the master potter, Our Heavenly Father? I like the words of the prophet Omni in the Book of Mormon. Please turn to Omni 1:26. I believe that he gives us great insight on the subject of submission. He writes: "And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him . . . and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved."
Quoting again:
But a vessel that has integrity comes from the fire stronger and more beautiful than ever. In life, too, we pass through fiery trials that test our faith and integrity. Then if we have remained centered on Christ, and if through true repentance we have let him make us whole and sound, taking from us our flaws and mistakes, we come forth from the fire as beautiful, useful vessels in His hands.
God can make much more out of our lives than we can. To the degree we allow, He will shape our hearts with life's events in the same way the master artisan shapes his clay.
Speaking of the heart, the leading cause of death in United States is cardiovascular disease. Diseases of the heart kill 40% of the 2.4 million Americans who die each year. As serious as it is, I would like to propose an even worse heart condition which affects more than just the physical body--Spiritual Heart Disease.
This is a rock with a heart painted on it. This is a sponge with a heart painted on it. As you have guessed they represent the contrast of a hard heart and a soft heart. Comparing some of Nephi's action with Laman and Lemuels' illustrates these two types of hearts.
Laman and Lemuel ". . . did murmur in many things against their father, because he was a visionary man . . . and had lead them out of Jerusalem . . . because of the foolish imaginations of his heart." (1 Nephi 2:11.)
In contrast, Nephi shows a healthy heart condition. Nephi wrote, "Laman and Lemuel would not hearken unto my words; and being grieved because of the hardness of their hearts, I cried unto the Lord for them" (1 Nephi 2:18.)
Nephi writes further, "I did cry unto the Lord and behold, he did visit me and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words of my father, wherefore, I did not rebel like unto my brothers" (1 Nephi 2:16.) Nephi's counsel given to Laman and Lemuel was "hard to be understood, save a man should inquire of the Lord; and they being hard in their hearts, therefore they did not look unto the Lord as they ought" (1 Ne. 15:3).
If you put a rock in water it absorbs almost nothing. Only the surface gets wet. Laman and Lemuel complained, murmured and rebelled. They had no faith, were negative, depressed and critical of others and being "past feeling" that they could not feel the still small voice. (1 Nephi 17:45.) They weren't interested in praying to find a solution to life's problems. We could liken Nephi's heart to a sponge that when is placed in water, will absorb it.
In The Book of Mormon, here are a few examples from The Book of Mormon that identify references to spiritual trouble:
• The people did harden their hearts in sin and iniquity.
• The people were Lifted up in the pride of their hearts.
• Or the people were "Puffed up in their hearts."
• The people, "Hardened their hearts in unbelief."
The danger of allowing our hearts to experience symptoms of hard-heartedness is limiting our ability to feel the promptings of the spirit. Section 8, of the Doctrine and Covenants verses 2 and 3, is a revelation to Oliver Cowdery given through the prophet Joseph Smith. It states "Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart. Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation."
Can you see the difference between a soft heart (sponge), and a hard heart (rock.)? How much inspiration can a hard heart receive? How much molding or sculpting can the Lord do? Hard hearts, leads to unhappiness, and ultimately to the destruction of the soul and entire nations.
We begin to submit our will to Heavenly Father by controlling our thought. Learning to control our thoughts helps us to control our actions. President Lee said the following, quoting E. D. Boardman:
Sow a thought, reap an act,
Sow an act, reap a habit,
Sow a habit, reap a character,
Sow a character, reap an eternal destiny
(E. D. Boardman, in Conference Report, Apr. 1962, 7)
Our thoughts lead to our actions. When we control our thoughts and actions we are in the process of turning our lives over to God.
In Neal A Maxwell's talk "Willing to Submit," he said, "While events often induce submissiveness, one's development need not be dramatic or tied to a single moment. It can occur steadily in seemingly ordinary, daily settings." Truly turning unto God usually happens ". . . line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little . . ." (2 Nephi 28:30).
In order for our Heavenly Father to mold us to our true potential, our heart has to be right. We must be willing to be tested as Abraham was. We must submit to the will of the Lord. Our best example was the Savior who did the will of the Father in all things.
In Conference 1985 Neal A. Maxwell spoke of how we can get our hearts in the right condition.
The Savior gave the first requirement. (1 Matt 18: 3) 'Except ye . . . become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
To become as a little child, (Mosiah 3: 19), a disciple must be submissive, meek, humble, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.' Hence the softening of the heart-to be flexible to the Lord's will. We cannot do it half-heartedly, for this produces only half the growth, half the blessings, half a life really.
Hugh B. Brown, a member of the Quorum of the twelve who is now deceased, had a pivotal experience that helped him realize the value of submission to the Lord's will. He later told of the experience in the following story:
THE CURRANT BUSH
Quoting:
You sometimes wonder whether the Lord really knows what He ought to do with you. You sometimes wonder if you know better than He does about what you ought to do and ought to become. I am wondering if I may tell you a story. It has to do with an incident in my life when God showed me that He knew best.
I was living up in Canada. I had purchased a farm. It was run-down. I went out one morning and saw a currant bush. It had grown up over six feet high. It was going all to wood. There were no blossoms and no currants. I was raised on a fruit farm in Salt Lake before we went to Canada, and I knew what ought to happen to that currant bush. So I got some pruning shears and clipped it back until there was nothing left but stumps. It was just coming daylight, and I thought I saw on top of each of these little stumps what appeared to be a tear, and I thought the currant bush was crying. I was kind of simpleminded, and I looked at it and smiled and said, "What are you crying about?" You know, I thought I heard that currant bush say this:
"How could you do this to me? I was making such wonderful growth. I was almost as big as the shade tree and the fruit tree that are inside the fence, and now you have cut me down. Every plant in the garden will look down on me because I didn't make what I should have made. How could you do this to me? I thought you were the gardener here."
That's what I thought I heard the currant bush say, and I thought it so much that I answered. I said, "Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be. I didn't intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want you to be a currant bush, and someday, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to say, 'Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down. Thank you, Mr. Gardener.' "
Years passed, and I found myself in England. I was in command of a cavalry unit in the Canadian Army. I held the rank of field officer in the British Canadian Army. I was proud of my position. And there was an opportunity for me to become a general. I had taken all the examinations. I had the seniority. The one man between me and the office of general in the British Army became a casualty, and I received a telegram from London. It said: "Be in my office tomorrow morning at 10:00," signed by General Turner.
I went up to London. I walked smartly into the office of the general, and I saluted him smartly, and he gave me the same kind of a salute a senior officer usually gives--a sort of "Get out of the way, worm!" He said, "Sit down, Brown." Then he said, "I'm sorry I cannot make the appointment. You are entitled to it. You have passed all the examinations. You have the seniority. You've been a good officer, but I can't make the appointment. You are to return to Canada and become a training officer and a transport officer." That for which I had been hoping and praying for 10 years suddenly slipped out of my fingers.
Then he went into the other room to answer the telephone, and on his desk, I saw my personal history sheet. Right across the bottom of it was written, "THIS MAN IS A MORMON." We were not very well liked in those days. When I saw that, I knew why I had not been appointed. He came back and said, "That's all, Brown." I saluted him again, but not quite as smartly, and went out.
I got on the train and started back to my town, 120 miles away, with a broken heart, with bitterness in my soul. And every click of the wheels on the rails seemed to say, "You are a failure." When I got to my tent, I was so bitter that I threw my cap on the cot. I clenched my fists, and I shook them at heaven. I said, "How could you do this to me, God? I have done everything I could do to measure up. There is nothing that I could have done--that I should have done--that I haven't done. How could you do this to me?" I was as bitter as gall.
And then I heard a voice, and I recognized the tone of this voice. It was my own voice, and the voice said, "I am the gardener here. I know what I want you to do." The bitterness went out of my soul, and I fell on my knees by the cot to ask forgiveness for my ungratefulness and my bitterness. While kneeling there I heard a song being sung in an adjoining tent. A number of Mormon boys met regularly every Tuesday night. I usually met with them. We would sit on the floor and have Mutual. As I was kneeling there, praying for forgiveness, I heard their singing:
"But if, by a still, small voice he calls
To paths that I do not know,
I'll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine:
I'll go where you want me to go."
("I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go," Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1985, # 270)
I arose from my knees a humble man. And now, almost 50 years later, I look up to Him and say, "Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for cutting me down, for loving me enough to hurt me." I see now that it was wise that I should not become a general at that time, because if I had I would have been senior officer of all western Canada, with a lifelong, handsome salary, a place to live, and a pension, but I would have raised my six daughters and two sons in army barracks. They would no doubt have married out of the Church, and I think I would not have amounted to anything.
Many of you are going to have very difficult experiences, disappointment, heartbreak, and defeat. You are going to be tested and tried. I just want you to know that if you don't get what you think you ought to get, remember, God is the gardener here. He knows what He wants you to be. Submit yourselves to His will. Be worthy of His blessings, and you will get His blessings.
President Boyd K. Packer had an experience where he had to submit his life to God's will. He had just been called as an Assistant to the Council of the Twelve and moved to Salt Lake City to find a permanent home. He located a home that was ideally suited to his family's needs. Elder Lee was helping President Packer make his choice and advised him "By all means, you are to proceed."
President Packer felt that he could not proceed. He had just completed the course work on his Doctorate Degree and with supporting a wife and eight children, had used all his resources on his education. They could barely get into the house let alone make the payments. And even though he borrowed on his insurance, and after gathering on every resource, he still didn't have enough. Elder Lee continued to insist saying "Go ahead. I know it is right."
President Packer was in deep turmoil because he was being asked to sign a contract without the resources to meet the payments. He had never done this before.
Sensing Brother Packer's feelings, Elder Lee sent him to David O. McKay, the president of the church at that time. Listening very carefully to Elder Packer, Pres. Lee advised him saying "You do this, It is the right thing" without offering any additional resources to meet the payments. This made Elder Packer very uneasy.
Elder Packer said the following "I was still not at peace, and then came the lesson." President Lee taught him the following when he said, "Boyd, do you know what is wrong with you -you always want to see the end from the beginning." President Packer quietly replied that he wanted to see at least a few steps ahead.
President Lee quoted the 12th Chapter of Ether, verse 6. "Wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." Then he added, "My boy, you must learn to walk to the edge of the light, and perhaps a few steps into the darkness, and you will find that the light will appear and move ahead of you."
We will find that we do not always need to see the end from the beginning. If we submit to the will of the Lord, we can trust that he knows the end from the beginning. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways . . .For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Our hearts are shaped by the Lord, if we are willing to submit through our faith in him. One of my favorite bible stories in Daniel verse 3:17-18, is about the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar set up in the plain of Dura. All were commanded to worship when the music was played. It was reported to King Nebuchadnezzar that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego would not worship the golden image. They were summoned before the King and told that they would be thrown into the fiery furnace if they did not worship it. I love the courage and faith that they demonstrate. They responded to the King's reply "Our God is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, BUT IF NOT, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy Gods." These great young men were willing to trust God regardless of the outcome.
I like to think of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego as BYU-I students because they have the same character. They trusted in God because they knew that he could deliver them. They were obedient while facing an unknown outcome, submitting their hearts to God. Elder Maxwell said: "YIELDING ONE'S HEART TO GOD SIGNALS THE LAST STAGE IN OUR SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT." God did more for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego than they ever could have done for themselves.
The Book of Mormon tells of the 2000 stripling warriors who put their trust in God and were protected in the midst of armed conflict. We just celebrated the fourth of July and remembered those who defended our freedom. Our modern day soldiers have had to put their trust in God while going into battle. According to God's plan some did not return and others did. The book, "Saints at War" records the experiences of some of these men. I would like to use a couple of examples of LDS men submitting to the will of the Lord in the face of death.
Alden Maynes was a copilot on a B-17 bomber. He had completed 25 successful missions over Germany when his luck ran out. The crew had just released six bombs over Berlin when the tail of the airplane was shot away, throwing the plane into a barrel roll. As Brother Maynes tried to make his way to the escape hatch, his parachute caught on something and was pulled open. He attempted to close it without success and was forced to bail anyway. At 27,000 feet without oxygen, he lost consciousness as he fell through the air. When he came to, he was still falling and the war was going on around him. Planes were still dropping bombs and antiaircraft guns were still being fired. Falling toward a mass of fire and destruction, with his parachute trailing unopened above him, he gyrated in 25 foot circles. He tried to draw it down in hopes he could force it open, but the effort proved impossible. At this point, he talked to the God and told him that he had done all that he could do and that it was now in God's hands. Alden Maynes submitted completely trusted in the will of the Lord. Immediately a calm and peaceful feeling settled over him and he knew that whatever happened would be all right.
As he continued to fall, he drifted away from the bombed area. As he fell past a six-story building, his chute caught hold of the roof, holding him briefly and then tore loose. Barely missing the building, his parachute caught again, this time on a street lamp--saving his life, suspending him feet three feet above the sidewalk. Though he was taken prisoner, in his heart knew that God had spared his life. God did more for Alden Maynes than he ever could have done for himself.
Joseph Banks was also a B-17 crew member whose plane was shot down over Germany. He was taken prisoner and decided along with three of his buddy's that they would escape. They made their break from the prison, but now had to get out of Germany to obtain freedom. Trusting in the Lord, Joseph Banks made his way through a darkened town. The three had split up and were creeping about ten feet apart when to the left of brother Banks, he heard a voice in the darkness. As he instinctively turned to look, a door opened. The light from inside the house shined on him and blinded him temporarily. He stood like a deer caught in headlights unable to move or do anything. Suddenly a German soldier came striding out of the house straight for him. The darkness hid his companions and they were able to take cover.
As the soldier got closer, his shadow shielded Brother Banks eyes so that he could see a large German tank beside the house. He didn't know whether to run, put his hands up or beg for mercy--so he just stood there in his tattered prison clothes. They had bright white letters painted on his shirt and pants making it very obvious that he was a prisoner of war. At this point all he could do was submit to the will of the Lord. When the soldier reached him he shouted something unintelligible to him in German. Before he could think of what to do, Brother Banks heard himself respond with a calm, confident, German phrase that obviously was appropriate to what he'd asked. The German replied to whatever Brother Banks had said with an almost cheerful, "Ya, Ya, Ya." Then he put his arms around the woman and went back in the house. His buddies asked, "What on earth did he say?" "I don't have a clue", he replied, but in his heart he felt a burning that the Holy Ghost had interpreted what the German said and granted him the gift of tongues to reply. The spirit must have also transformed his appearance to prevent his being recognized as a prisoner of war. The Holy Ghost bore witness to Joseph Banks that his life had been spared as he submitted to the will of the Lord. God did more for Joseph Banks than he ever could have done for himself.
Tomorrow we celebrate the pioneers entering the Salt Lake Valley on the 24th of July, 1847. Many us have ancestors who made that historic trek to the west. My own fourth great Grandfather Cheney came into the valley with a company of Saints, but some of my ancestors stayed behind in Nauvoo. My 5th Great Grandfather was Ezekial Johnson of Nauvoo, Illinois. He and his wife, Julia Hills Johnson, had sixteen children and learned about the church shortly after it was founded. Julia and the children joined the church while Ezekial was away. He was greatly offended so he hardened his heart and remained a nonmember while his family became actively involved in the church. When Joseph Smith was martyred, Ezekial's heart began to soften. As the saints departed Nauvoo, Ezekial and his two sons remained behind to guard the Nauvoo Temple, under direction of Brigham Young. Ezekial saw the injustice of the mobs and decided it was time to join the church. But before he had an opportunity to act on his desire, Ezekial's life took a sudden turn.
During a time there was intense Latter Day Saint persecution. One night Ezekial was guarding the temple, and was all alone. He had only a rifle for protection when he saw a mob coming down the street, determined to burn the temple. He thought quickly, and as they made their way closer, Ezekial stopped them, warning that if they took one step further, he would signal an entire militia of Mormons to attack them. The mob retreated, and again came back, this time using a different route. Again, they met Ezekial standing in their path and again they backed down. Two weeks later after the mob had learned of his bluff, they caught hold of Ezekial and beat him so severely that he was bedridden and eventually died. Though he was never baptized in this life, Brigham Young said upon learning of his death that Ezekial would one day stand at the head of his large and growing posterity. Ezekial's son, my fourth great grandfather wrote the Hymn, High on the Mountain Top" after arriving in Salt Lake and seeing an ensign on the mountain above the city. Other sons settled colonies throughout southern Utah including Santaquinn and St. George just to name a few. Ezekial's heart was softened and he committed himself to submitting to the will of the Lord, giving his life in the process. God has done much more for the posterity of my Great Grandfathers than they ever could have done for themselves.
The Prophet Joseph Smith said the following:
Life is a grindstone and whether it grinds a man down or polishes him up depends on the stuff he is made of.
The administration of this University has been a great example to us, by submitting to the will of the Lord as they have changed this school from a two year College to a four year University. Sacrifices have been made, peoples lives altered, new faculty hired and resources stretched to implement God's plan for BYU-I.
We as students have the opportunity to submit to the will of the Lord to continue to make this University great. Elder Henry B. Eyring emphasized the importance of the students role in making this university great when he visited this campus in September of last year. He said, "I need to talk first to the students because the Lord cares about you and would want me to recognize what has always been recognized at Ricks College, that the institution is largely determined by you."
As a student body, we reflect what BYU-I is. For that reason, we need to analyze our lives and attitudes. Are our hearts right before the Lord? Are we willing to submit to the Lord, obey his commandments, and serve him with all of our hearts? In my very first devotional attendance at this institution, in August of 99, President Bednar said the following:
Quote
Conversely, casualness about or the breaking of covenants and commitments, failing to pray and study the scriptures, and inappropriate thoughts and actions and language and dress cause the Holy Ghost to withdraw or to avoid us altogether. Can you begin to understand why abiding by the Honor and Dress Codes are so important to your success at Ricks College? These codes are not about curfew and clothing; rather, they are about commitments and obedience. Most importantly, the Honor and Dress Codes are about inviting the presence of the Holy Ghost into our lives, into our classrooms, and to this special campus.
I know that it is by abiding the Honor Code we can add to the legacy of this institution.
Remember what President Benson said about how God can shape your life:
QUOTE - Ezra T. Benson
Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that he can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends and pour out peace. Whosoever will lose their life in the service of God will find eternal life.
"O Lord, thou art our father; and we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand" (Isaiah 64:8).
Only by submitting fully to the will of the Lord do we reach our full potential. God can do more for us than we could ever do for ourselves.
May we allow God to sculpt and soften our hearts that we may achieve all that God has planned for us. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.