President Thomas S. Monson, First Presidency Christmas Devotional 2013

“May we give as the Savior gave. To give of oneself is a holy gift. We give as a remembrance of all the Savior has given. May we also give gifts that have eternal value, along with our gifts that eventually break or are forgotten. How much better the world would be if we all gave gifts of understanding and compassion, of service and friendship, of kindness and gentleness.

“As the Christmas season envelops us with all its glory, may we, as did the Wise Men, seek a bright, particular star to guide us in our celebration of the Savior’s birth. May we all make the journey to Bethlehem in spirit, taking with us a tender, caring heart as our gift to the Savior.”

Ezra Taft Benson, "Pray Always," Life of Ezra Taft Benson, 54

"Prayer will open doors; prayer will remove barriers; prayer will ease pressures; prayer will give inner peace and comfort during times of strain and stress and difficulty. Even during hours of trial and anxiety, it is possible to draw close to the Lord, to feel of his influence and of his sustaining power--that one is never alone, if he will only humble himself before the Almighty."

Sister Bonnie H. Cordon, April 2017

In Proverbs 3:5–6, we read this counsel:

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

“In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

This scripture comes with two admonitions, a warning, and a glorious promise. The two admonitions: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart” and “in all thy ways acknowledge him.” The warning: “Lean not unto thine own understanding.” And the glorious promise: “He shall direct thy paths.”

Let’s first discuss the warning. The visual image gives us much to ponder. The warning comes in the words “lean not”—“lean not unto thine own understanding.” In English the word lean has a connotation of physically listing or moving to one side. When we physically lean toward one side or another, we move off center, we are out of balance, and we tip. When we spiritually lean to our own understanding, we lean away from our Savior. If we lean, we are not centered; we are not balanced; we are not focused on Christ….

Jesus Christ has overcome the world. And because of Him, because of His infinite Atonement, we all have great cause to trust, knowing that ultimately all will be well.

Sisters, each of us can trust in the Lord and lean not. We can center our lives on the Savior by coming to know Him, and He will direct our paths.

We are on earth to demonstrate the same trust in Him that allowed us to stand with Jesus Christ when He declared, “Here am I, send me.”My dear sisters, President Thomas S. Monson testified that “our promised blessings are beyond measure. Though the storm clouds may gather, though the rains may pour down upon us, our knowledge of the gospel and our love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us … as we walk uprightly. … There will be nothing in this world that can defeat us.”

I add my testimony to that of our beloved prophet. If we trust in our Heavenly Father and in our Savior and lean not to our own understanding, They will direct our paths and will extend the arm of mercy toward us.

Elder Craig C. Christensen, 2016 First Presidency Christmas Devotional

“President Thomas S. Monson has taught: “Because He came to earth, … we [can] have joy and happiness in our lives and peace each day of the year. … Because He came, there is meaning to our mortal existence.”1

“This meaning becomes clearer when we consider the fulness of the Christmas story. As President Gordon B. Hinckley explained: “There would be no Christmas if there had not been Easter. The babe Jesus of Bethlehem would be but another baby without the redeeming Christ of Gethsemane and Calvary, and the triumphant fact of the Resurrection.”2

“Ultimately, the fulness of the story of Christmas culminates with the last three days of the Savior’s life. In that pivotal period, the Savior passed from the Garden of Gethsemane to the cross of Calvary to the Garden Tomb. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught, the “impact and efficacy” of that moment would “reach back … to the beginning of time, and forward … throughout all eternity.” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Atonement of Jesus Christ,” Encyclopedia of Mormonism, eom.byu.edu/index.php/Atonement_of_Jesus_Christ.)

Elder Dallin H. Oaks, BYU Graduation, August 13, 2015

“During his journey across Samaria, Jesus rested at Jacob’s well. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water from that deep well, He asked her for a drink. She marveled that a Jew would speak to a Samaritan. Jesus replied that if she knew who He was, she would ask Him for living water. Seeing that He had no implement to draw water, she questioned how He could obtain any water to give her.

“Before we remind ourselves of His answer, we should note the similarity of this incident to our present circumstance. The Savior is in our midst, sometimes personally, frequently through His servants, and always by His Spirit. His power is such that He could obtain anything on this earth. He need not ask for water at the well, for tithes and offerings at the Church, or for service to His children. He asks us for these temporal things, just as He sought a drink from the woman at Jacob’s well, so He can bless us with something of far greater importance than what we give.”

16 Feb 1988 - Devotionals

Trials of Faith Certain

Bishop Henry B. Eyring

First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric

26 Jan 2016 - Devotionals

Jump Out of the Boat

Sister Susan K. Bednar

Commentary from Book of Mormon Institute Manual, 2 Nephi 1:10-11

     "Disobedience to the Lord’s commandments allows Satan to deceive us, and we forget the light and truth we have previously learned. 

     "President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency described this dangerous condition: “One of the effects of disobeying God seems to be the creation of just enough spiritual anesthetic to block any sensation as the ties to God are being cut. Not only [does] the testimony of the truth slowly erode, but even the memories of what it was like to be in the light [begin] to seem … like a delusion” (“A Life Founded in Light and Truth,” Brigham Young University 2000–2001 Speeches [2001], 81)."

Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles emphasized our need to learn gospel truths by the power of the Holy Ghost: “Living the Lord’s standards requires that we cultivate the gift of the Holy Ghost. That gift helps us understand doctrine and apply it personally. Because truth that is given by revelation can be understood only by revelation, our studies need to be prayerful” (in Conference Report, Oct. 2000, 19; or Ensign, Nov. 2000, 17).

Elder Russell M. Nelson taught,

“I have learned not to put question marks but to use exclamation points when calls are issued through inspired channels of priesthood government” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1984, 76–77; or Ensign, May 1984, 52).

Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave this explanation: “Nephi made God his partner. If he failed to get the plates, it meant God had failed. And because God does not fail, it was incumbent upon Nephi to get the plates or lay down his life in the attempt” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1982, 49–50; or Ensign, May 1982, 33).

Brett Sampson, “Ye Ought to Forgive”, October 7 2014, BYU-I Devotional

Let's first consider what it means to forgive all men and women, generally. To be a forgiving person, we have a sensitive, empathetic, and charitable heart toward everyone around us. We look at others the way Jesus sees us all.

Not long ago, from this same pulpit, our university president, Kim B. Clark, said that after being cut off on the roads many times while driving, he concluded he would be much better off just deciding that the person in the other car must be having a heart attack--or a baby--and that they must be focused on that concern as they so carelessly rush to what must be the hospital.

My version of that same perspective is that when someone around me makes any form of unkind or careless gesture, I think, How terrible is their day--or their life--that they would be so inconsiderate or that they would be so quick to lose their temper?

We are all on a journey of perfection, yet far from it. You and I have our shortcomings, and we should be grateful others are willing to overlook ours. Spencer W. Kimball said:

So long as mortality exists we live and work with imperfect people; and there will be misunderstandings, offenses, and injuries to sensitive feelings. The best of motives are often misunderstood. It is gratifying to find many who, in their bigness of soul have straightened out their thinking, swallowed their pride, forgiven what they had felt were personal slights. (Spencer W. Kimball,Conference Report, Apr. 1955, 98)

One thing I have learned in my years as a bishop is that everyone has burdens. Whether we have sickness in our own hearts or our hearts ache for someone we love who is suffering, each one of us has pain in our lives and needs the charity Jesus has taught us to have as His disciples. The essence of the gospel is to love one another as He loves us. I believe that means when we look around, we see in every face a child of God who deserves to be loved.

I hope you will receive this next example as reverently as I intend it to be. Often as I am in any group of people, like today, this is how I see the crowd. Imagine with me that: he just failed a test; she just learned her mother has cancer; she feels her roommates don't like her; he wonders if God hears his prayers; she just had a fight with her brother; his fiancé just broke up with him; he is terribly homesick; and she is struggling with repentance. We could go on, but you get the idea.

When I look at any gathering, I really do see my brothers and sisters--individuals whom God loves and whom I love--men and women who certainly have hurt in their lives and who deserve my respect and immediate forgiveness, if necessary. As the children's Primary song says, "Jesus said love everyone; Treat them kindly too. When your heart is filled with love, others will love you" ("Jesus Said Love Everyone,"Children's Songbook, 61).

How Do We Forgive?

So after considering what forgiveness is (and is not), why we must forgive, and all of those we should forgive, how do we go about forgiving?

There are wonderful, specific, and practical tools to be learned from a little study online, from books, and from working with our bishop or with a trained counselor; but at the center of our efforts to forgive should be what I shared at the beginning of my message today. We must look to God in faith and let go of the unnecessary burden we put on our own backs if we unforgivingly cling to pain, resentment, or worse. To borrow a phrase from our fellow Christian brothers and sisters, we should, "Let go and let God."

We can forgive by unloading the rocks from our pockets as we allow those we perceive to have wronged us to work out their own salvation with the Savior. Their forgiveness really is between them and the Lord. So we should let them wrestle through their own repentance, and instead perhaps repent of judging them ourselves.

In Luke 6:41 we read, "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" Just imagine what the world would be like if everyone followed this gospel teaching and was careful to first be concerned with their own hearts, along with their treatment of others. Spencer W. Kimball proposed:

If we would sue for peace, taking the initiative in settling differences--if we would forgive and forget with all our hearts--if we would cleanse our own souls of sin, bitterness, and guilt before we cast a stone or accusation at others--if we would forgive all real or fancied offenses before we asked forgiveness for our own sins--if we would pay our own debts, large or small, before we pressed our debtors--if we would manage to clear our own eyes of the blinding beams before we magnified the motes in the eyes of others--what a glorious world this would be! (Faith Precedes the Miracle, Spencer W. Kimball,195-96).

The Lord knows our hearts; he knows our intentions and our potential, just as He knows the same things about those who may have hurt us. We can forgive by understanding God's role in our lives and by letting Him be the eternal keeper of justice while we focus our energies on loving Him and loving our neighbor. On a number of occasions, Gordon B. Hinckley said variations of the following:

May God help us to be a little kinder, showing forth greater forbearance, to be more forgiving, more willing to walk the second mile, to reach down and lift up those who may have sinned but have brought forth the fruits of repentance, to lay aside old grudges and nurture them no more. (Gordon B. Hinckley, "Forgiveness," Ensign, Oct. 2005)

“Lessons from the Savior’s Young Adult Life”, Elder Kent F. Richards, BYU Devotional, 3/10/15

“Please note that your growth is not defined by external circumstances or appearances. Your growth is personal and comes from within. You are defined by how you discover your own path and then overcome all of the obstacles that seem to make it hard to progress. Elder Neal A. Maxwell often taught about our “customized curriculum” (Neal A. Maxwell, “But for a Small Moment,” BYU fireside address, 1 September 1974) —that which we personally need to learn and experience. I remember during those difficult years of medical training working more than 100 hours a week at the hospital, trying to support a little family; serving in heavy Church assignments; and hearing Elder Boyd K. Packer talk about “packages of provisions” (Boyd K. Packer, “That They May Be Redeemed,” address delivered at regional representative seminar, 1 April 1977)  provided personally for us at critical times along the way. The Father knows our needs and knows our future. He sends us sustaining blessings just as we need them—but, in our experience, only as we are doing our best. Increasing in wisdom, stature, and favor requires our moral agency and action.”

"When the servants of the Lord determine to do as He commands, we move ahead. As we proceed, we are joined at the crossroads by those who have been prepared to help us. They come with skills and abilities precisely suited to our needs. And, we find provisions; information, inventions, helps of various kinds, set along the way waiting for us to take them up. It is as though someone knew we would be traveling that way. We see the invisible hand of the Almighty providing for us... When we are ready, there will be revealed whatever we need—we will find it waiting at the crossroads." - Boyd K. Packer ("That They May Be Redeemed," address delivered Regional Representative Seminar, April 1, 1977).

“In the Strength of the Lord”, Henry B. Eyring, April 2004

     “When I was a young man, I served as counselor to a wise district president in the Church. He tried to teach me. One of the things I remember wondering about was this advice he gave: ‘When you meet someone, treat them as if they were in serious trouble, and you will be right more than half the time.’

      I thought then that he was pessimistic. Now, more than 40 years later, I can see how well he understood the world and life. As time passes, the world grows more challenging, and our physical capacities slowly diminish with age. It is clear that we will need more than human strength. The Psalmist was right: ‘But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble.’

“The Fuel We Need to Power Our Lives”, by LDS.org Blog Staff September 7, 2017

Loneliness, worry, apathy, and uncertainty. These are just some of the feelings that accompany the challenges of the human experience—things like old age, struggling children, natural disasters, suicide, questions about God, and providing for the needs of a family. 

They are challenges bigger than us. Bigger than the advice we can get from the best books. Bigger than the assistance we can get from people and programs. They are the obstacles for which God promised, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matthew 7:7). We may not find that our difficulties are taken away, but through prayer we learn to walk through our trials with God and, line upon line, find greater peace, hope, and understanding.

Prayer Fuels Our Daily Activities

Jesus taught us that we should look to God each day for the direction and help we need in that particular day. But do we?

Like a popular hymn asks:

Ere you left your room this morning,

Did you think to pray?

In the name of Christ, our Savior,

Did you sue for loving favor

As a shield today?

Prayer can fuel our daily activities as a shield from temptation, a rest from the weariness of fear and uncertainty, and a vehicle to “change our night into day” as His light and love more fully fill our hearts.

Author C. S. Lewis described it this way: “God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other."

 Through prayer, God will fuel our marriages, our children, our jobs, our decisions, our testimonies, our feelings, and our goals. His fuel may come in such forms as wisdom, eternal perspective, courage, or peace. And His fuel not only helps us with our problems, it helps us to be our best selves, “to repent, improve, and eventually reach ‘the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.’” Elder D. Todd Christofferson reminds us that it is because we can appeal to God for the help we need each day that we can become better.

Prayer Fuels Our Remembrance

Prayer reminds us that we are children of a loving Heavenly Father who grants us personal access to Him and His eternal realities.

As President Henry B. Eyring said: “It is not a matter so much of which words to use. … It is an approach to your Heavenly Father with the intent to be recognized by Him personally. He is the God above all, the Father of all, and yet willing to give undivided attention to one of His children.”

An example of this is when Joseph Smith, while in Liberty Jail, pleaded in desperate prayer, “O God, where art thou?” A loving Father replied, “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment” (D&C 121:1, 7; emphasis added).

That personal acknowledgment likely gave Joseph needed fuel to endure a little longer.

From Joseph Smith to Moses and Mary the mother of Jesus, there are numerous examples in the scriptures of God using His voice or the voice of His servants to speak to His children by name. Each communication was personal. Each communication was special. Because God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, those personal communications continue still. They can fuel our remembrance that each of us has a personal relationship with God.

It is both simple and profound, something President Gordon B. Hinckley reminds us of in a few short sentences:

You are in very deed a child of God. He is your Eternal Father.

He loves you.

You can go to Him in prayer.

He has invited you to do so.

What a wonderful thing this is.

He is the greatest of All.

He is the Creator and Governor of the universe.

And yet He will listen to your prayers.

  

It is that personal relationship with God that gives us the strength we need to weather the storms of life. Every joy is a blessing, and every trial is an invitation to draw closer to Him and rely on His grace as we move forward.

Prayer Powers Our Progression

With God, through prayer, all things are possible, and without prayer we lack the power to progress. Prayer is the portal to progression. As Elder Kevin W. Pearson taught: “Without prayer, there is no possible return to the Father. Without prayer, repentance, forgiveness, and the cleansing power of the Atonement are unattainable. Without prayer, sufficient faith to understand and keep the commandments is impossible. Without prayer, the necessary spiritual power to avoid temptation and overcome trials and adversity would be unavailable.”

  

As we navigate the obstacles and opportunities of this earthly experience, we can do so in partnership with God, who said, “This is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” Prayer is the vehicle through which He fuels our lives, grants us His personal and undivided attention, and makes our progression possible. All we need to do to “fill up” is ask of God.

“It Was as If a Blanket of Love Was Flowing over Me” Kevin J. Worthen ,

This address was given Thursday, May 2, 2013 at the BYU Women’s Conference

“My message today is simple. God loves us. God loves each one of us. He loves us whoever we are and wherever we are. He wants us to feel that love more fully. And He wants us to be changed by that love. Indeed, God commands us to be changed by His love. “A new

commandment I give unto you,” Christ said. “That ye love one another; as I have loved you.”17

God wants His love to be such a part of our lives that we love others with that same perfect love. That standard is so high that I believe we won’t fully comply with this commandment in this life. But, emboldened by Nephi’s testimony that “the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them,”18 let me suggest four things we can do to enhance both our ability to more fully feel God’s love for us and our ability to allow that love to increase our love for others. First, in order to feel more fully God’s love for us, we need to understand more fully the purpose of His love—His plan of salvation for His children. Unless we understand God’s love in the context of His plan, we can unintentionally reverse the order of Christ’s commandment to his ancient apostles. The commandment is for our love to become like God’s. But if we do not understand God’s plan for us, we can too easily believe that God’s love has become like ours. As strange as that statement may sound, there are some who, not understanding God’s purposes, measure His love for us by the standards of the less-than-perfect and less-demanding love we feel for our fellow beings, thereby figuratively dragging God’s celestial love down to the telestial level at which our love operates.

“This reversal manifests itself in the mistaken belief that if God really loved us, our lives would be free from much of the turmoil we experience—or in the related erroneous belief that our struggles in life are a sign that either God’s love for us is diminished or that we have failed to

merit it. This misunderstanding is so common that for some it is a stumbling block to believing

that there is a God. If God loves His children, some assert, and if He is all powerful, why do so

many of His children suffer? To these skeptics, the existence of pain, sorrow and injustice in the

world conclusively establishes that not only does God not love us, He does not exist at all.

C. S. Lewis’s response to this assertion is instructive. Said he: “The problem of reconciling human suffering with the existence of a God who loves, is only insoluble so long as we attach a trivial meaning to the word ‘love.”19 Too often we confuse God’s love with human kindness. To quote Lewis again: “There is kindness in love, but Love and kindness are not coterminous. …

Kindness merely as such, cares not whether its object becomes good or bad, provided only that it escapes suffering.”20 Many of us want a God who is kind, by which kindness we mean “the desire to see others … happy; not happy in this way or in that, but just happy. What would really satisfy us would be a God who said of anything we happened to like doing, ‘What does it matter so long as they are contented?’ We want, in fact, not so much a Father in Heaven as a grandfather in heaven—a senile benevolence who, as they say, ‘liked to see young people

enjoying themselves’ and whose plan for the universe was simply that it might be truly said at

the end of the day, ‘a good time was had by all.’”21

“But that is not God’s plan for us. He wants us to become like Him. He wants us to experience the fullness of joy He enjoys—eternal joy, not merely temporary contentedness. And He loves us enough that He will do whatever it takes for us to reach that goal, including allowing us to experience things that are difficult and soul-stretching. And He does it not because He doesn’t love us, but precisely because He does.

“But even when we have to learn things from our extremities in order to fulfill God’s plan for us, His love will be there to sustain us if we will understand the purpose of that love.”

17 John 13:34. See also John 15:12. Because both have perfect love for us, references to Christ’s

            love apply equally to the love of His Father for us. See John 15:9 (“As the Father hath

            loved me, so have I loved you …”).

18 1 Nephi 3:7.

19 C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain (Harper/San Francisco 2001), 40.

20 Lewis, The Problem of Pain, 32.

21 Lewis, The Problem of Pain, 31.

Carol F. McConkie March 10, 2017, lds.org

“As a little girl I remember learning the parable of the good Samaritan and asking myself, “When will I ever find someone lying on the road robbed and wounded that would need my help?” In my protected world and literal understanding of this beautiful story, I felt that I never would see such a thing. Somehow it didn’t apply to me.

“During my teen years my parents were separated and then divorced. This experience broke our home and shattered my world. I felt that I was different from everyone else. I had learned that families are forever, and now I no longer belonged with the community of Saints for whom that was true. Keeping the commandments no longer seemed as relevant. My faith in God and my belief about whether His gospel really works in our lives came into question. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I had become emotionally and spiritually robbed and wounded.

“Since that time, I have learned that my experience is actually no different than so many others who, for a variety of reasons, are clinging to their faith. Every week, sons and daughters of God come to church feeling wounded with overwhelming challenges—struggling children, overpowering temptations, damaged reputations, unintended offenses, insecurities, and a multitude of experiences, behaviors, and attitudes that cause them to feel removed from the mainstream members of the Church. They honestly feel like they do not belong, that there is no place for them in the gospel of Christ.

“For many it is a leap of faith just to go to church on Sunday. Just to walk in the door often requires a great deal of courage. Perhaps they hold out hope that people will be kind and that they will come away feeling stronger and more able to cope with their challenges.

“Can we understand why it is so important that members of the Church reach out to others in loving kindness?
I have spent some time thinking about the man who lay suffering along the road to Jericho. The ministry of the good Samaritan saved him. The Samaritan did not stop to consider whether he approved of the man’s actions or attitudes. He did not avoid or ignore the need. He did not judge the man or assume that his suffering was caused by his own foolish decisions. The Samaritan simply cared. He acted to preserve the well-being of a precious son of God who was in need, to lift and to nurture just as the Savior would have done. He exemplified the love of God and was a true disciple of Christ. I was the recipient of many who reached out to me in Christlike love and who helped me feel that I had a place on the covenant path. The young women who invited me to join in their weekend activities; the bishop who reached out to help me and my family integrate into a new ward; the Young Women leader who taught the doctrine of eternal families with sensitivity, love, and pure testimony; and so many others were among those who walked with me as I rediscovered God’s plan for me and rekindled my hope for the future.

“There is no mistake about the significance of our influence in the lives of those around us, wherever we are. Everyone is on a different part of the path to return to God, and we need to develop an awareness of the people who are around us. We can start by being deeply aware of what the purpose of coming to church on Sunday is and make sure that everyone who comes feels loved, needed, accepted, and lifted. When anyone walks out the door, they should be inspired to go and be better because they know the Lord loves them and because they have friends in their faith.

“With sincere kindness and gentle concern, and often with a good dose of wholesome humor, we may help those who are struggling to feel the Savior’s love. I know personally that the capacity to be the good Samaritan in the heart of another is within us as we listen to the Spirit and learn to love as the Savior did.
________________________________________
Carol F. McConkie has traveled the world meeting with Saints and leaders as the First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency. She has a degree in English education from Arizona State University, where she met her husband. They are the parents of seven children and enjoy spending time with their grandchildren.

Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson, September 2016

“Our youth are being exposed to difficult questions on a daily basis, and many of us have loved ones who are struggling to find answers. The good news is that there are answers to the questions being asked. Listen to the recent messages from our leaders. We are being urged to study and understand our Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness. We have been reminded of the principles in the family proclamation. We are encouraged to teach and use these resources as the measuring sticks to keep us on the strait and narrow path….

“I worry that we live in such an atmosphere of avoiding offense that we sometimes altogether avoid teaching correct principles. We fail to teach our young women that preparing to be a mother is of utmost importance because we don’t want to offend those who aren’t married or those who can’t have children, or to be seen as stifling future choices. On the other hand, we may also fail to emphasize the importance of education because we don’t want to send the message that it is more important than marriage. We avoid declaring that our Heavenly Father defines marriage as being between a man and woman because we don’t want to offend those who experience same-sex attraction. And we may find it uncomfortable to discuss gender issues or healthy sexuality.

“Certainly, sisters, we need to use sensitivity, but let us also use our common sense and our understanding of the plan of salvation to be bold and straightforward when it comes to teaching our children and youth the essential gospel principles they must understand to navigate the world in which they live. If we don’t teach our children and youth true doctrine—and teach it clearly—the world will teach them Satan’s lies.

“I love the gospel of Jesus Christ, and I am eternally grateful for the direction, power, and daily help I receive as a covenant daughter of God. I testify that the Lord has blessed us, as women who live in these perilous times, with all of the power, gifts, and strength that are needed in order to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that we may all see our true potential and rise up to become the women of faith and courage our Father in Heaven needs us to be.”

Elder Boyd K. Packer has stated, "Some people think a miracle is only a miracle if it happens instantaneously, but miracles can grow slowly and patience and faith can compel things to happen that otherwise never would have come to pass."

“Covenants”, Elder Boyd K. Packer, April 1987

“A covenant is a sacred promise, as used in the scriptures, a solemn, enduring promise between God and man. The fulness of the gospel itself is defined as the new and everlasting covenant (see D&C 22:1; D&C 66:2).

“Several years ago I installed a stake president in England. In another calling, he is here in the audience today. He had an unusual sense of direction. He was like a mariner with a sextant who took his bearings from the stars. I met with him each time he came to conference and was impressed that he kept himself and his stake on course.

“Fortunately for me, when it was time for his release, I was assigned to reorganize the stake. It was then that I discovered what that sextant was and how he adjusted it to check his position and get a bearing for himself and for his members.

“He accepted his release, and said, “I was happy to accept the call to serve as stake president, and I am equally happy to accept my release. I did not serve just because I was under call. I served because I am under covenant. And I can keep my covenants quite as well as a home teacher as I can serving as stake president.”

“This president understood the word covenant.

“While he was neither a scriptorian nor a gospel scholar, he somehow had learned that exaltation is achieved by keeping covenants, not by holding high position.

“The mariner gets his bearing from light coming from celestial bodies—the sun by day, the stars by night. That stake president did not need a mariner’s sextant to set his course. In his mind there was a sextant infinitely more refined and precise than any mariner’s instrument.

“The spiritual sextant, which each of us has, also functions on the principle of light from celestial sources. Set that sextant in your mind to the word covenant or the word ordinance. The light will come through. Then you can fix your position and set a true course in life.

“No matter what citizenship or race, whether male or female, no matter what occupation, no matter your education, regardless of the generation in which one lives, life is a homeward journey for all of us, back to the presence of God in his celestial kingdom.

“Ordinances and covenants become our credentials for admission into His presence. To worthily receive them is the quest of a lifetime; to keep them thereafter is the challenge of mortality.”

“To Love Is to Lift”, LDS.org Blog Staff, February 13, 2017

Everywhere He Went, He Lifted

When Jesus said to “love thy neighbor,” He didn’t mean simply to think nice thoughts about them, to like their Instagram posts, and to engage in friendly small talk at the grocery store now and then. Sure, those things are important. But there’s so much more to it.

To love others, He showed us, is to lift others.

Jesus spent His life “lift[ing] up the hands which hang down.” He gave hope to the hopeless and befriended the friendless. He cared for the sick and fed the hungry. He prayed for those who crucified Him, so selfless was His concern for others.

Everywhere Jesus went, crowds clamored for His time and attention. He never turned them away and said, “Sorry, I have more important things to do.”

When He saw someone who was down, He reached out a hand. He lifted up.

“His life was a legacy of love,” Thomas S. Monson has said. “The sick He healed; the downtrodden He lifted.”

Someone Needs You Today

That’s what it all comes down to, isn’t it? Loving others. And not just with our hearts, but with our hands. Not just in word or in feeling, but in deed. To love is to lift.

And though we’ve heard the call to “love one another” a million times already, we still need that reminder every day.

Because life isn’t easy for anyone. There are countless ways it can knock a person down. But if we follow Jesus’s example and lift one another back up, we can make this world a kinder, better place.

Today, we may be the ones standing strong and doing the heavy lifting. Tomorrow, we may be the ones who need the lift—and those we once lifted will lift us.

Lift Here (A Place to Start)

All the flowery talk and good intentions we can muster, though, won’t do any good unless they lead to action. Where do we start? How do we do a better job of following Jesus’s example and lifting others?

As usual, the answer is in the small things. They may not change the world in a day or in a lifetime. But they will move the needle in the right direction.

Be prayerful: Thoughts and prayers alone won’t do the heavy lifting. They’re a great place to start, though. God knows each one of His children’s needs. He also knows each of our unique personalities and abilities. If we ask, He will show us places where “in the quiet heart is hidden sorrow that the eye can’t see,” where we can do the most good. Ask, then act. 

Be involved: Chances are there are several organizations in your community already dedicated to lifting the lives of others. Seek them out and see how you can help. Resources such as JustServe.org can be a good jumping-off point.

Be present: Service projects and organized initiatives are great ways to make a difference. Yet most chances to love and lift others will come in quieter, less expected ways. We’ll notice them if we’re watching and listening. We would do well to remember that “those mortals we meet in parking lots, offices, elevators, and elsewhere are that portion of mankind God has given us to love and to serve.” Let’s not get so wrapped up in our own lives and our own entertainment as we go about our days that we fail to notice small opportunities to lift along the way.

Be positive: We can remember that “choosing to say only that which is positive about—and to—others lifts and strengthens those around us.” There’s enough negativity in the world. Help tip the scales in the other direction by keeping interactions positive and loving, whether in person or online.

Be patient: As individuals we can do a lot of good for others, but we can’t do it all—and definitely not in a day. Instead of feeling guilty for all the things we feel like we should be doing to help but aren’t, let’s focus on the few things we can do today. The question to ask is “Have I done any good in the world today?”—not “all the good.”

Love Will Lift Us Higher

We are surrounded by people who desperately need someone to lift them. Some may be friends. Some may be strangers. All are our brothers and sisters.

So let’s try a little harder. Let’s reach out a little farther. Let’s lift a little higher. They are depending on us. God is depending on us, for “we are the Lord’s hands here upon the earth, with the mandate to serve and to lift His children.”

Our individual efforts may seem small—a kind act here, a selfless sacrifice there—but collectively our small efforts can make a big difference in the lives of others. And in the end, those who spend their lives lifting others will themselves be “lifted up at the last day.”

Elder Christofferson's "Advice for When We Feel Our Patriarchal Blessing Will Not Be Fulfilled", by LDS Living | Feb. 16, 2017

“Some of you may have wondered about the value and significance of your life and what the Lord thinks of you. There are things that may have happened or may not have happened in your life. You may worry about parts of your patriarchal blessing that are not yet fulfilled or it seems will not be fulfilled. Please know there is a great deal still to happen in your life before your resurrection. Much more can happen than you expect! Mortal life is not the beginning or the end. The key for all of us is to accomplish all that we can now.

“Remember “the word” that Alma taught us needs to be planted in our heart. He defined “the word” as this central truth: “Believe in the Son of God, that he [has] come to redeem his people, and that he shall suffer and die to atone for their sins; and that he shall rise again.” Everything flows from that truth. Prepare good, deep ground for that seed to grow in you. Don’t let the thorns and cares of the world choke it out, but be very fruitful.

Cultivate and apply your talents. Develop your God-given spiritual gifts. Don’t be content with where you are.

“Try new things. Keep going. Remember in the parable of the talents that the reward is the same for the person who increased their five talents to ten and the person who increased their two talents to four: “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” It is good to admire a virtuous quality in someone and seek to incorporate it in your life, but don’t compare yourself to others. The Lord simply expects you to be diligent with what you have. Even with a little you can do much. Anything, if you’re diligent, is sufficient.

“Live with gratitude for all that you have—the answers to your prayers, the talents you’ve been given, and the ways the Lord manifests His hand in your life. Be aware and acknowledge His hand and express gratitude. He wants to give you more. Sometimes when I’m not feeling inspired in my prayers, I start with gratitude, thanking God for specific blessings in my life. And then the Spirit comes and brings me closer to God.

“Pray. Spend time with the Lord. Remember that you’re no stranger to your Heavenly Father. He couldn’t love you better. His love is perfect and complete. Don’t worry about lost time and opportunities. Live productively, faithfully, and gratefully. Rejoice in all that’s to come and all that already has. God can make you whole and will grant you, in His time, all that He’s prepared for you and all that He has promised to the faithful.”

CES New Testament Institute Manual

            When Paul declared that we must “suffer with Christ,” he did not mean that we would suffer what the Savior did as part of His atoning sacrifice, but rather that we would go through our own suffering with Him (see Matthew 11:28–30).

Elder Keith R. Edwards of the Seventy explained that approaching suffering in this way allows us to know the Savior better:

            “We can learn spiritual lessons if we can approach suffering, sorrow, or grief with a focus on Christ. Anciently Paul wrote that our suffering may give us an opportunity to know the Savior better. Paul wrote to the Romans:  “‘The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.’ [Romans 8:16–17.]

“Now, lest anyone go looking for hardship and suffering, that is not what is taught. Rather, it is the attitude with which we approach our hardships and trials that allows us to know the Savior better. …

           

“As we are called upon to endure suffering, sometimes inflicted upon us intentionally or negligently, we are put in a unique position--if we choose, we may be allowed to have new awareness of the suffering of the Son of God. …

“… We can have a greater appreciation for that which He did, and we can feel His spirit succoring us, and we can know the Savior in a very real sense” (“That They Might Know Thee,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2006, 99–101).

Elder James B. Martino of the Seventy spoke about the meaning of Paul’s words found in Romans 8:28, “All things work together for good to them that love God”:

            “The Apostle Paul taught an interesting lesson only a few years before the Saints in Rome were to face some of the most violent persecution of any Christian era. Paul reminded the Saints that ‘all things work together for good to them that love God’ [Romans 8:28]. Our Heavenly Father, who loves us completely and perfectly, permits us to have experiences that will allow us to develop the traits and attributes we need to become more and more Christlike. Our trials come in many forms, but each will allow us to become more like the Savior as we learn to recognize the good that comes from each experience. As we understand this doctrine, we gain greater assurance of our Father’s love. We may never know in this life why we face what we do, but we can feel confident that we can grow from the experience” (“All Things Work Together for Good,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2010, 101).

From CES New Testament Institute Manual

In Romans 8:29–30, the Greek term translated as predestinate means “to appoint beforehand” and refers to the foreordination some people receive, based on God’s foreknowledge, to follow Jesus Christ and become like Him (see also Ephesians 1:3–4; 1 Peter 1:2).

“Foreordination does not guarantee that individuals will receive certain callings or responsibilities. Such opportunities come in this life as a result of the righteous exercise of agency, just as foreordination came as a result of righteousness in the premortal existence” (“Foreordination,” True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference [2004],

“I Call you to be a Christian”, Elder Allan Wilkins, BYU-Idaho Devotional, October 18 2011

“In one ward we attended, we observed a couple, Sandy and Nancy, who seemed to know everyone in the ward and were involved in helping them though neither was involved in a calling in which they would be expect them to do so. When we asked Sandy about this he told us an interesting story. At the end of a year when he served as elders quorum president in a BYU ward, his bishop thanked him for his service and told him that he wanted to give others the opportunity to serve so he was recommending that the stake president release Sandy.

Furthermore, he explained, “I’m not going to give you a formal calling, Sandy. But I call you to be a Christian. I call you to notice those who sit alone in church and sit with and get to know them. I call you to walk with those who walk alone and find those who need help and pray for inspiration to see how you or others can help them.”

Sandy explained how awkward it felt initially to put himself forward in those ways. However, he related that this was the most meaningful year of Church service he had ever had. He met people he would never have known and found the Lord inspiring him to see needs he had been unaware of as an elder’s quorum president. He was involved in reactivating several people, doing missionary work as he helped others to change a flat tire, and giving blessings to others in the hospital. His life was full and more meaningful than ever. When they married, he and Nancy had committed they would continue to be Christians thereafter.

Brothers and sisters, we have all covenanted to be Christians. As President Eyring reminded us in the recent General Conference, Alma taught his people that baptism is a covenant to 1) be charitable (for example, “to bear one another’s burdens”); 2) “stand as witnesses of God at all times, in all things, and in all places that ye may be in…”; and 3) to endure to the end in doing these things.

We don’t have to have a “significant” or even a formal calling in the Church to be of service and to live the gospel. Life is so much richer when we learn the great Christian paradox: only those who are willing to lose their lives in the service of the Savior will find themselves. And paradoxically, those who forget themselves in these ways feel more fulfilled as emerging adults.

New Testament LDS Institute Manual

Acts 27:10–44. Safety in Following Prophetic Counsel

            Paul’s warnings of impending danger were ignored. President Henry B. Eyring spoke of people today who choose to disregard prophetic counsel: “Every time in my life when I have chosen to delay following inspired counsel or decided that I was an exception, I came to know that I had put myself in harm’s way. Every time that I have listened to the counsel of prophets, felt it confirmed in prayer, and then followed it, I have found that I moved toward safety. Along the path, I have found that the way had been prepared for me and the rough places made smooth. God led me to safety along a path which was prepared with loving care, sometimes prepared long before” (“Finding Safety in Counsel,” Ensign, May 1997, 25).

Acts 27:11–12. Rejecting the Counsel of Apostles

            Acts 27:11–12 illustrates several reasons why individuals sometimes choose to reject the counsel of Apostles or other Church leaders. (1) Worldly experience and training. Just as “the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship” (Acts 27:11) rather than the counsel of Paul, a tentmaker, people today sometimes reject the words of seers or other Church leaders because their counsel does not coincide with the opinions of “experts” in the world. (2) Convenience. The ship’s crew contended that they should continue their journey because “the haven was not commodious to winter in” (Acts 27:12), meaning it was not a convenient location to spend the winter months. Likewise, adhering to the counsel of Church leaders is not always convenient. (3) Majority mentality. “The more part” of the passengers advised the centurion “to depart” (Acts 27:12). For many individuals, it makes more sense to agree with the majority than to agree with a servant of God, whose words are not meant to be popular.

President Ezra Taft Benson taught the following regarding prophetic teachings:

            “The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time.

            “Sometimes there are those who feel their earthly knowledge on a certain subject is superior to the heavenly knowledge which God gives to His prophet on the same subject. They feel the prophet must have the same earthly credentials or training which they have had before they will accept anything the prophet has to say that might contradict their earthly schooling. …

            “… The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know. …

            “How we respond to the words of a living prophet when he tells us what we need to know, but would rather not hear, is a test of our faithfulness. …

            “… The prophet can receive revelation on any matter--temporal or spiritual” (“Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet,” in Brigham Young University 1980 Speeches [1981], 3–4; speeches.byu.edu).

New Testament LDS Institute Manual

Acts 26:19. “Not Disobedient unto the Heavenly Vision”

Paul declared to Agrippa that he had been true to the heavenly vision he received. Like Paul, we should obey the directions we receive from the Lord, whether they come in the form of promptings from the Holy Ghost, the words of scriptures, or the voice of living prophets.

President Ezra Taft Benson taught:

“The great test of life is obedience to God. ‘We will prove them herewith,’ said the Lord, ‘to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them’ (Abraham 3:25).

“The great task of life is to learn the will of the Lord and then do it.

“The great commandment of life is to love the Lord”  (“The Great Commandment--Love the Lord,” Ensign, May 1988, 4).

Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles counseled Church members to make decisions based on more than mere convenience:

            “Sometimes we are tempted to let our lives be governed more by convenience than by covenant. It is not always convenient to live gospel standards and stand up for truth and testify of the Restoration. It usually is not convenient to share the gospel with others. It isn’t always convenient to respond to a calling in the Church, especially one that stretches our abilities. Opportunities to serve others in meaningful ways, as we have covenanted to do, rarely come at convenient times. But there is no spiritual power in living by convenience. The power comes as we keep our covenants” 

(“Like a Flame Unquenchable,” Ensign, May 1999, 86).

“Healing = Courage + Action + Grace”, Jonathan G. Sandberg, BYU Devotional, Jan 21, 2014

            “My hope today is to encourage you that healing is possible if you apply the principles that lead to healing. I will try to explain clearly—and I ask for your prayers that we can understand one another by the Spirit—three principles that can lead to healing and to knowing that all healing is a gift from Jesus Christ, for, as Isaiah said, “with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

            “My talk is entitled “Healing = Courage + Action + Grace.” And in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., who was recently listed in Ted Stewart’s The Mark of a Giant² as one of seven people who changed the world, I start with an example from his life that so clearly highlights these principles. Look for courage, action, and grace as I read his words:

            Almost immediately after the [bus boycott] started we had begun to receive threatening telephone calls and letters. They increased as time went on. . . .

One night . . . I couldn’t sleep. It seemed that all of my fears had come down on me at once. . . .

            . . . I had heard these things before, but for some reason that night it got to me. . . . I went to the kitchen and . . . I sat there and thought about a beautiful little daughter who had just been born. . . . I started thinking about a dedicated and loyal wife, who was over there asleep. And she could be taken from me, or I could be taken from her. And I got to the point that I couldn’t take it any longer. . . . With my head in my hands, I bowed over the kitchen table and prayed aloud . . . : “Lord, I’m down here trying to do what’s right. I think I’m right. I am here taking a stand for what I believe is right. But Lord, I must confess that I’m weak now, I’m faltering. I’m losing my courage. Now, I am afraid. . . . I have nothing left. I’ve come to the point where I can’t face it alone.”

It seemed as though I could hear the quiet assurance of an inner voice saying: “Martin Luther, stand up for righteousness. Stand up for justice. Stand up for truth. And lo, I will be with you. Even until the end of the world.”

            I tell you . . . I heard the voice of Jesus saying still to fight on. He promised never to leave me alone. At that moment I experienced the presence of the Divine as I had never experienced Him before. Almost at once my fears began to go. My uncertainty disappeared. I was ready to face anything.

            Can you see in this example the pathway to healing? Courage to face a difficult situation and stand for truth, acting in faith by turning to God in prayer, and peace and strength from the Lord through His grace—courage, action, grace.

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/jonathan-g-sandberg_healing-courage-action-grace/

            “Notwithstanding my emotional or physical condition during this talk, please remember as I speak today that it is never about the messenger; it is about the message. I pray I can remember what Martin Luther King Jr. said to himself before his first speech at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church: “Keep Martin Luther King in the background and God in the foreground and everything will be all right. Remember you are a channel of the gospel and not the source.” ( Martin Luther King Jr., The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr., ed. Clayborne Carson (New York: Intellectual Properties Management in association with Warner Books, 2001), 42–43. This book was compiled thirty years after Martin Luther King Jr.’s death and is a beautiful representation of his words and thoughts.)

“Evidences of the Heart”, Rodger Sorensen, BYU Devotional,  July 29, 2008

The Seating Area--Elder Carlos H. Amado spoke of service. He said:

Those who serve with devotion, even when things don’t turn out the way they would like, are not easily discouraged, fatigued, or frustrated because the promise of peace of mind and the companionship of the Holy Spirit will never abandon them.  (Carlos H. Amado, “Service, a Divine Quality,” Ensign, May 2008, 37.)

There is something in service and sacrifice, especially in the face of adversity, that prepares the heart for hearing the Holy Spirit.

Seven years ago I was standing at the crest of the Hill Cumorah. It was before the sets were up and before the cast arrived, and I was visiting with a group of tourists. One of them asked where the audience would sit. I pointed to the empty field at the foot of the hill where, in two weeks, 8,000 chairs would be arranged. Looking closely, I noticed something I had not seen before: there was a pattern on the field showing where the seats go—the aisles in between subtly imprinted in the grass. Later I talked to Brother Paine, who, year after year, was in charge of marking out the location of the chairs and supervising their setup. I asked if he had noticed that the grass in the aisles was darker and hardier than the grass where the seats were located. He told me the grass in the aisles was so distinct he could almost mark the field for the chairs without measuring.

On the day it is marked and the cast members set up the 8,000 chairs, the field is lush and green. During the run of the pageant, thousands and thousands of feet tramp down those aisles. Eleven days later, when those same chairs are placed back into their storage trailers, the field is a modified checkerboard of long green grass where the chairs have been sitting and 10-foot-wide strips of either matted, brown, seemingly dead grass in dry years or muddy bogs in wet years. It grows back stronger every year.

I believe service and sacrifice, especially when performed in the arms of adversity, strengthen our souls and soften our hearts. Mighty struggle prepares us to hear and follow promptings and enlarges our capacity to follow Christ. We experience peace of mind and the assurance that the Holy Spirit will be our constant companion.

“Children and the Family”, Elder W. Eugene Hansen, April 1998

          “So crucial in strengthening families is the realization that strong family relationships don’t just happen. It takes time. It takes commitment, it takes prayer, and it takes work. Parents must realize their responsibility and willingly assume it. The joy and happiness that will result is indescribable.

          “Our beloved prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley, has counseled: “Keep nurturing and loving your children. … Among all the assets you possess nothing is so precious as your children” (quoted in Church News, 3 Feb. 1996, 2).”

Ever since reading a talk by Elder Oaks about "Judge Not and Judging" I have had thoughts about Mary and Martha.   http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=2548  Elder Oaks talks about Mary and Martha towards the end of his talk.  After hearing his talk, I went to the Devotional address that he mentions in his talk and that speaker gave some more insights.

One thing that has stuck in my mind is that Jesus' rebuke to Martha wasn't necessary about the work she was doing--it was because she was being negative about Mary.  Then later when Lazarus had died, it was Martha who had the faith to say to the Savior, “But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.” (John 11:22.)

“Duet, Mary & Martha” bronze sculpture by Annette Everett, artist

            “I was called as Red Cliffs Stake Relief Society president in 2006. I went to training in Salt Lake City, and as I sat taking notes, the picture came into my mind of the two women [Mary and Martha] back to back, one looking up with scriptures which is one way we sit at the feet of the Savior today, and the other focused down to this Earth and her chores. Both look content and happy. One focused on the Lord, one on serving family and friends, but tied together in movement and inseparable. How could we separate them? We cannot. We are both. I flipped my notebook to the back, drew the picture, and went back to training. It was a gift.

            “In my sculpture, Mary’s gaze is directed upward toward heaven, representing her spiritual and creative intent. One foot is elevated, ascending. Her hair is a crown. There is a feather etched into her skirts, meant to show her elevated attention. The book she holds represents her personal communication with her Father in heaven. Martha’s gaze is directed down, earthward, her arms full of chores that must be done, her offerings of nourishment to the people she cares about. There is a leaf etched into her skirts, showing her earthly intent. She has a pleasant look on her face because there is satisfaction and comfort in accomplishing our daily chores and seeing to the comfort of loved ones.

            “The sculpture is about the Mary and the Martha in each of us. Every woman is both Mary and Martha. Our life is a balance. Our dual concerns may demonstrate “an opposition” in all things, giving us the opportunity to make daily choices. If we neglect either part of ourselves, we are incomplete and unhappy. Both qualities are necessary and both are noble—caring for our loved ones, as well as our spiritual and creative selves. The two figures are tied together with their flowing skirts. Together they form a single whole, graceful and dancing. I hope that this piece will speak to everyone viewing it and that each person will come away with his or her own understanding. “ (Annette Everett, St. George, Utah.  Please follow this link to additional photos and more information about “Duet, Mary and Martha http://www.annette-everett.com/pages/duet.html )

Orson F. Whitney, in Spencer W. Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle (1972), 98.

             “No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God . . . and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we came here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven.”

"How to Discourage Discouragement", Elder Gene R. Cook, New Era, January 2003.

Link:
https://www.lds.org/new-era/2003/01/how-to-discourage-discouragement?lang=eng

“Bind on Thy Sandals”, President Howard W. Hunter, April 1978 general conference address, reprinted New Era, May 2002.

Some years ago I read an article that told of the less-than-spectacular career of a quarterback on the football team of a small rural high school. This young man managed to make the team, but it was clear he was not going to be all-state or all-American. Indeed, it didn’t look like he was going to be all-anything, except perhaps all battered and bruised. He was the fourth of the four quarterbacks.

By season’s end he had never been called into a game and had given up hope. During the final game of the year he pulled off his shoes, wrapped himself in a blanket, and settled on the bench to watch his buddies play.

Midway through the game he heard the coach shout his name. He was startled and wondered if he had been mistaken. Then it came again, right from the coach’s lips, “Hey, you! Get in there and move the ball!”

What should he do? His first impulse was to lapse into a coma. His second was to pretend he didn’t hear. His third was to say, “Wait, coach. Wait while I put on my shoes.” He did the only manly thing. Strapping on his helmet as he ran, he made straight for the huddle; his white-stockinged feet were conspicuous to the players on both teams, as well as to the spectators and the coach, who also must have been ready to lapse into a coma.

He called the play, but the shock of his first game was obviously a little disconcerting. By the time he took the snap from center he had forgotten the play he had called. His teammates moved to the right, but he gamely went left. There, alone against the world, he met the opposition head-on and was swallowed up in the snarl of the onrushing linemen.

He said later, “No one expected me to make a touchdown. Even running the wrong way was understandable. But there was no excuse for a quarterback without shoes” (Improvement Era, Sept. 1969, 44).

Be prepared

I want to invite the young men to keep their gospel shoes on, to believe in the opportunities that lie ahead. I am reminded of what Abraham Lincoln said when he sat on the sidelines for a long time, losing election after election and struggling to make a professional contribution. He said simply, “I will prepare, and perhaps my chance will come.” He lived long enough to learn what everyone learns—that chance always favors the prepared life.

As surely as I know anything, I know you young men are needed and will be called on to help the kingdom in the years ahead. Indeed, we call upon you now. We need your company and your friendship and your service and your standards. Some of your assignments may seem small to you, but they are very important and they prepare you for greater service to come.

Oliver Cowdery was one who, for just a moment, slipped his shoes off while the game was still going, and it led to one of the great disappointments in Church history. He had been serving as scribe for the Prophet Joseph Smith as the Book of Mormon was being translated, and the Lord told him that he, too, would be granted the gift of translation (see D&C 6:25).

Oliver was not as ready as he might have been—or as he once had been. His belief in himself and in this great latter-day work had faltered just a bit, and he cried out, “Wait while I get ready.” But he learned that eternal work can seldom wait for long. The Lord eventually replied to him, “Because … you did not continue as you commenced, … I have taken away this privilege. … You feared, and the time is past, and it is not expedient now” (D&C 9:5, 11). The opportunity of a lifetime had not been seized, and it was gone forever.

President Kimball

Certainly President Spencer W. Kimball was not ambitious to be President of the Church, but when the call came, unexpected as it may have been, he was ready. He never slipped off his shoes while the game was still on—not ever.

Let me cite just one example of that preparation which started many years ago, when President Kimball was the age of many of you. When he was 14 years old, a Church leader visited a conference of the stake over which his father presided and told the congregation that they should read the scriptures.

President Kimball, in recalling that experience, said: “I recognized that I had never read the Bible, [so] that very night at the conclusion of that very sermon I walked to my home a block away and climbed up in my little attic room in the top of the house and lighted a little coal-oil lamp that was on the little table, and I read the first chapters of Genesis. A year later I closed the Bible, having read every chapter in that big and glorious book. … It was formidable, but I knew if others did it that I could do it.

“I found,” said President Kimball, “that there were certain parts that were hard for a 14-year-old boy to understand. There were some pages that were not especially interesting to me, but when I had read the 66 books and the 1,189 chapters and 1,519 pages, I had a glowing satisfaction that I had made a goal and that I had achieved it.

“Now I am not telling you this story to boast,” President Kimball concluded, “I am merely using this as an example to say that if I could do it by coal-oil light, you can do it by electric light. I have always been glad I read the Bible from cover to cover” (Ensign, May 1974, 88). In this and a thousand other ways, young Spencer Woolley Kimball silently and efficiently prepared, never dreaming of what lay ahead.

Be ready

I say once more to the youth of the Church—prepare, believe, be ready, have faith. Do not say or do or be that which would limit your service or render you ineffective in the kingdom of God. Be ready when your call comes, for surely it will come. Keep your gospel shoes on, or as Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “Stand therefore, having … your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (Eph. 6:14–15). The Lord would say to you tonight what the angel said long ago to Simon Peter: “Arise. … Bind on thy sandals. … Follow me” (Acts 12:7–8).

What a glorious thing it is to have the privilege of bearing the priesthood. God does live and Jesus Christ is His Son—our Lord and Savior.

I have had conversations with several people about "loud laughter".  I love to laugh and enjoy the joyous laughing of others.  So these conversations have been about the quesiton--"What does the expression "loud laughter" mean?"  This article was sent to me to aid in answering the question.

“A Serious Look at Humor”, Peter B. Rawlins, New Era, August 1974

Since ancient times it has been recognized that “a merry heart doeth good like a medicine.” (Prov. 17:22.) Humor is used in many situations, and anyone who has ever laughed should be able to recognize the intrinsic worth of mirth. Sharing witty remarks or humorous experiences can ease tense, uncomfortable situations and can create a subtle bond of fellowship between strangers. This may grow into the special kind of private joke that friends share.

The suffering, the discouraged, and those who mourn can be cheered through humor. Thus, it becomes a means of fulfilling our commitment to “comfort those that stand in need of comfort.” (Mosiah 18:9.)

Puns, exaggeration, understatement, irony, and clever twists on common situations teach profound lessons on life, stimulate the imagination, school the emotions, and reveal hidden relationships.

The fact that these good effects flow from wise use of humor argues for the Lord’s acceptance of this medium of communication.

As with all gifts, however, humor can be misused and abused, and the Lord has seen fit to caution us in its use. We are counseled to live with “cheerful hearts and countenances,” but to avoid “much laughter, for this is sin.” (D&C 59: 15.)

Again, we are told to “cease from all … light speeches, from all laughter … and light-mindedness” (D&C 88:121) and to “cast away … your excess of laughter far from you” (D&C 88:69). It would not be wise to attempt to define “excess of laughter” or “much laughter” in terms of decibel levels or time limits. It would also be presumptuous to define the line between the sublime and the ridiculous. However, we may profitably consider types of humor that may detract from spirituality.

Loud laughter, light-mindedness, and flippancy often betray a state of mind that is lacking in seriousness. “Empty levity,” as Brigham Young called it, detracts from the dignity of those who indulge in it to excess. Such people “have little sense, and know not the difference between a happy smile of satisfaction to cheer the countenance of a friend, or a contemptuous sneer that brings the curses of man upon man.” (Journal of Discourses 9:290.) A person given to such frivolity would find it difficult to follow the Lord’s counsel to “look unto me in every thought” (D&C 6:36) or to “let the solemnities of eternity rest upon your minds” (D&C 43:34). He would be impaired in receiving revelation and would be weakened in the hour of temptation. C. S. Lewis has written that “if prolonged, the habit of flippancy builds up around a man the finest armour plating against [God] that I know. It is a thousand miles from joy; it deadens, instead of sharpening, the intellect; and it excites no affection between those who practise it.” (Screwtape Letters [New York: The MacMillan Co., 1962], p. 52.)

A key in judging the propriety of humor is given by Brigham Young, who seemed to approve of “joy and gladness that is full of meat and marrow, or, in other words, full of meaning and sense” as opposed to “vain” or meaningless laughter. (JD 9:290.)

Closely akin to flippancy is irreverence. Making light of sacred things indicates a lack of affection for and faith in God. President McKay had much to say about reverence and often quoted John Ruskin, who said:

“Reverence is the noblest state in which a man can live in the world. Reverence is one of the signs of strength; irreverence, one of the surest indications of weakness. No man will rise high who jeers at sacred things. The fine loyalties of life must be reverenced or they will be foresworn in the day of trial.” (John Ruskin in David O. McKay, Man May Know for Himself [Deseret Book Co., 1967], p. 18.)

Irreverence differs from profanity and taking the name of the Lord in vain only in degree, not in quality. Carried to the extreme, this form of humor is manifest among those hardhearted people who speak contemptuously against the prophets of the Lord, who revile, persecute, and reject them. This nature was demonstrated among the mourners who laughed Christ to scorn when he stated that Jairus’ daughter was not dead, but sleeping. (Luke 8:53.) Such a faithless spirit spews forth as sneers, jeers, revilings, and ridicule. This can hardly be considered humor but is instead a cruel form of berating.

The weakening aspect of humor in the time of temptation is illustrated best in the area of dirty jokes, which relate to irreverence in that they make light of the sanctity of the body and the holy relationship of marriage. Humor hides a multitude of sins. Lust and perversion, for example, are normally shameful, but under the guise of humor, many people can laugh without blushing. Off-color stories are an effective tool in weakening a persons’s resistance to temptation, for virtue is one of those “fine loyalties of life” that “must be reverenced or they will be foresworn in the day of trial.” Even pure minds, when exposed to such filthiness, must struggle to avoid its recurring memory, and he who tempts another by exposing him to unclean stories must share in the guilt if the victim falls.

As with lust, cruelty becomes acceptable to the world when cloaked as a practical joke. Practical jokes are commonplace and are usually well received by the victim. Caution must be exercised, however, that the victim is not injured emotionally, spiritually, or physically. The effects of practical jokes have ranged from embarrassment to actual death in some instances. Pranks and malicious mischief are merely extensions of this same spirit. It would be well to consider the Golden Rule when planning such jokes.

A most damaging form of humor is sarcasm, or cutting, hostile, or contemptuous remarks. Such humor is usually based on inordinate pride and is usually aimed at some person or group thought to be inferior, such as minority races, ethnic groups, and the physically handicapped. Occasionally some good comes from these jokes when taken in good humor by the object of the joke—tense race relations have been relaxed and physical handicaps have been placed in proper perspective. But this occurs only when the feelings of all concerned are considered.

Though often meant to be harmless, sarcasm denotes insensitivity to the feelings of others, stemming either from thoughtlessness or maliciousness. Recall the perverted brand of humor of the soldiers who mocked our Savior by putting a crown of thorns on his head, clothing him in a purple robe, and saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” (John 19:2–3.) It is interesting to note that in prophesying of his death, the Lord included the mental torture of mocking with the physical tortures of scourging and crucifixion. (Mark 10:34.) How does a “humorous” remark designed to degrade or hurt another person differ from this? Remember, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matt. 25:40.)

To avoid using humor as a dangerous weapon, we must be compassionately considerate of all that is frail, and humbly mindful of all that is sublime. Would it not be better to “lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees” (D&C 81:5) than to humiliate and disgrace one of our neighbors? When humor is such a powerful tool in building subtle bonds of brotherhood, in cheering those who suffer, and in teaching profound and memorable lessons, why should it be used to belittle and discourage? Those who profess belief in Christ should shape their humor in the light of Christ’s teachings. Being rejected from His kingdom because of a warped sense of humor would not be funny.