Swing!

Today we went to see the film The Boys in the Boat, about the 1936 Olympic winners from Washington State. It was wonderful.

I first heard about this team when Sharon Eubank, 1st Counselor Relief Society General Presidency spoke of them in her talk titled By Union of Feeling We Obtain Power With God. I was intrigued by the story, love good non-fiction and when I came across a copy of the book at a thrift store I purchased and read the book. Wow! It is one of the most well written stories I've read. I couldn't put the book down! I highly recommend it. The film is good too. Even Noble, who isn't drawn to those stories enjoyed it. I think you will too.

Individual Responsibility

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Priesthood session of the October 2003 conference.

Even though then Elder Russell M. Nelson's talk was to the priesthood I think what he said was, and is, appropriate for all members of the church. ". . . the strength of the faith within each of us is developed individually, not as a group."

Through the parable of the ten virgins Jesus taught us that we each need to be prepared and can't rely on the supply of others to get us through. Elder Nelson said, ". . . the responsibility to develop power in the priesthood is personal. Only as an individual can you develop a firm faith in God and a passion for personal prayer. Only as an individual can you keep the commandments of God. Only as an individual can you repent. Only as an individual can you qualify for the ordinances of salvation and exaltation." 

Even the phrase "power in the priesthood" echos what we are taught in the temple about our relationship with God and it applies to both men and women. And Elder Nelson says, "Now is the time to prepare for your own ultimate interview." 

Elder Nelson talks a lot about responsibility, which is the opposite of what we hear in the news and on social media, where the clamoring is for "rights" without any personal responsibility or consequences. Elder Nelson says, "You cannot exercise agency and escape accountability and responsibility for each choice." What a message for today!

The Standard of Truth

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Saturday afternoon session of the October 2003 conference.

Opening up my November 2003 Ensign I was surprised to find that I had written something about Elder Boyd K. Packer's talk and left the pages in the magazine. I didn't date the pages but I suspect that it was early 2004.

"I finally watched the film 'Lord of the Rings'. I liked it so much I bought the books and have been reading them. They are fascinating and so well written. In the preface the author states that he did not write the story as an allegory. He wrote it simply as a story that had welled up from within him.

"I believe the reason many would think it allegorical is because the theme of good versus evil is an eternal one, and many elements of the story are applicable to our day and circumstances. He tells of the shadow which is spreading over the land, which is a tangible evidence of the evil designs and domination of Sauron, the Lord of the Ring, the one who made the ring so he could rule all of Middle Earth. It reminds me of the shadow of immorality that is spreading over the earth.

"When my sister was here in August we talked about her experiences at school and work and how she answers questions about her beliefs. On the topic of abortion she's never had trouble explaining her beliefs and positions; but when the subject of homosexual marriage comes up, she didn't know how to respond so she would try to stay out of any discussion of that topic.

"I thought of her when I heard Elder Packer's talk about standards. What a blessing to have prophets to speak the truth. 

"Hugh B. Brown's famous talk 'Profile of a Prophet' outlines several characteristics distinguishing a true prophet.

C. Any man claiming to be a prophet of God would declare his message without fear and without making any weak concessions to public opinions.

D. If he were speaking for God he could not make concessions although what he taught would be new and contrary to the accepted teachings of the day. A prophet bears witness to what he has seen and heard and seldom tried to make a case by argument. His message and not himself is important.

I. Such a man would denounce wickedness fearlessly. He would generally be rejected or persecuted by the people of his time, but later generations, the descendants of his persecutors, would build monuments in his honor. 

Elder Packer said, "We do not set the Standards, but we are commanded to teach them and maintain them. . . . However out of step we may seem, however much the standards are belittled, however much others yield, we will not yield, we cannot yield."

I think this next paragraph is as relevant today as when Elder Packer said it in Conference. 

Now words can be used as weapons against you. If they throw the word diversity at you, grab hold of it and say, "I am already diverse, and I intend to stay diverse." If the word is tolerance, grab that one too, saying, "I expect you to be tolerant of my lifestyle--obedience, integrity, abstinence, repentance." If the word is choice, tell them you choose good, old-fashioned morality, You choose to be a worthy husband or wife, a worthy parent.

I love the strength of his testimony! Some thought him too harsh, but he was doing exactly what an apostle is supposed to do--preach truth! 

I can tell how closely I'm aligned with the prophets and apostles by what I feel when they speak. If their subject brings feelings of contentment and peace I know I doing well in that area. If I start to squirm and feel uncomfortable I know I'd better pay attention and do some repenting.

 

Marilyn at light-in-leaves also blogs weekly about General Conference.

 

Today's Talk in Sacrament Meeting

 Christmas Gifts

Christmas time! The most wonderful time of the year, according to one song. Do you have the Christmas spirit? You know, feelings of love and generosity, joy and happiness, laughter and good times with family and friends,? That Christmas spirit? Sometimes I feel more like old Ebenezer Scrooge. Curmudgeony, wanting to be left alone and not bothered with all the work of preparations for a few minutes of a gift opening frenzy, a huge meal consumed in ten minutes, only to be left with all the clean-up. It's not really like that, only sometimes do those negative thoughts and feelings well up. Mostly Christmas is a happy time of good cheer with family and friends.

But speaking of Ebenezer, he is the main character in my favorite Christmas book and movie. His transformation represents the real gifts we are given at Christmas from Our Father in Heaven through His son Jesus Christ, and the gifts that we can give back to Him.

Christmas is the celebration of a birthday. Generally in our culture we give gifts to the person whose birthday we're celebrating. But Jesus isn't physically present today so it's rather difficult to give Him physical gifts. To explain this concept to our children I used to tell them that Jesus taught that, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matt 25:40) And, ". . . when you are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." (Mosiah 2:17) For almost thirty years now we have used a manger with a baby Jesus doll to help us remember just whose birthday we're celebrating. The gifts are piled around the manger as if we're giving them to Him. I found that the large, visual reminder helped our children focus more on who and why we were celebrating.

We usually give birthday or other gifts because we love the person and want to please him or her. I like to listen for clues all year long as to what my loved ones need or want so I can give just the perfect thing. One year I heard my sister say in casual conversation that Emily Dickinson was her favorite poet. I surprised her that year with a book of her complete works. It moved my sister to tears; she asked, "How did you know?" I don't tell you this to brag--I've given my share of complete flops over the years. I tell you this because of the principle involved, that listening with ears to hear can lead to more meaningful gifts. 

What clues has Jesus given us about the gifts he would like to receive? 

To the ancient prophet Malachi He said, "Prove me now herewith. . . " and asked us to pay tithing. (Malachi 3:10)  The first recorded words of Jesus after He was baptized are, "Repent ye!" (Matt. 4:17) He called His disciples saying, "Follow me!" And at the last supper with them He said, "If any man serve me, let him follow me;" (John 12:26) After washing their feet, performing that lowly act of service in a loving manner, He instructed them, ". . . I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you." (John 13:15) And "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." (John 13:17) Later that evening He told His apostles, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15) and "Love one another" (John 15:12) After His resurrection He asked His chief Apostle, Peter, to feed His sheep and lambs. (John 21:15-17) And to the Nephites gathered at the temple in Bountiful He said, ". . . will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted that I may heal you? . . . And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit." (3 Nephi 9:13, 20) These are just some of the many clues He gave us.

Now back to my friend Ebenezer. As a fictional character, he could represent any of us, going about our days without any thought of eternity, just trying to slog our way through this mortal life the best we can, accumulating worldly treasure of one kind or another. God was merciful to old Scrooge though, and sent Spirits to open his eyes to the purpose of life, and the law of the harvest, that what we sow in life we will reap. 

Our current prophet, Russell M. Nelson reminds us to "think celestial"! Make decisions based on where we want to live in eternity and with whom.

 

Each spirit that visited Ebenezer opens his eyes further in understanding until at last he realizes his predicament, begs for mercy, and believing that he will die before the next Christmas pleads: "Spirit! Hear me! I am not the man I was. I will not be the man I must have been but for this intercourse. Why show me this if I am past all hope? . . . Good Spirit, Your nature intercedes for me, and pities me. Assure me that I yet may change these shadows you have shown me by an altered life!" He pledges to the Spirit of Christmas Future saying "I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach." When he awakes in the morning he realizes that he did not die and he has been given a second chance. "I don't know what to do! . . . I'm as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a school-boy. . . . A merry Christmas to Everybody! A happy New Year to all the world!"

Ebenezer's fictional experience is similar to that of Alma the Younger in The Book of Mormon. After being visited by an angel of the Lord and in a coma for a time he was revived and began to speak to his father and the priests gathered around him. Alma bid "them to be of good comfort, for, said he, I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit. And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; And thus they become new creatures!" (Mosiah 27:24-26)

At another telling of his story, Alma said, 

And now, for three days and for three nights was I racked, even with the pains of a damned soul. And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world. Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death. And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more. And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain! Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy. (Alma 36:18-21)

The amazing thing in both of these stories is that neither of these men were forced to change. They were given the opportunity to choose to change.

Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door. and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Rev. 3:20)

Elder W. Craig Zwick of the Seventy said, "The Lord will provide sustenance and support if we are willing to open the door and receive His hand of divine assistance." (Oct 2003)

Charles Dickens wrote of Ebenezer, "Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; . . . He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew. . . . Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; . . . His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him. . . . and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge."

Alma spent the rest of his life preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, and keeping the sacred records. Some of the best sermons in the Book of Mormon were given by Alma. Think of his sermons on Faith, the Atonement, Judgement, Resurrection, and more. It is from Alma that we get the best explanation of why evil deeds are allowed to happen. After his conversion he was a mighty father, prophet and leader.

We are celebrating the birth of the One who would grow up to accomplish the mission of the Great Atoning Sacrifice. Jesus is our Brother, our Spiritual Father, our Exemplar, our Healer, our Lord and Savior. We celebrate his mortal birth in gratitude for his love and mercy in coming to save us from the bonds of death and sin. His gifts to us of repentance and resurrection mean that we can be cleansed from our sin and be spiritually born again, and then instead of mortal death being the end of our existence, we will be reunited body and spirit to live eternally.

I think His gifts to us far outweigh any we can give to Him. But let's not let that discourage us. He asks us to repent!

Elder Dallin H. Oaks, then of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said, "Repenting means giving up all your practices--personal, family, ethnic, and national--that are contrary to the commandments of God." (Oct. 2003)

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, "For some, to think of repentance as the pathway to joy might seem contradictory. Repentance, at times, can be painful and difficult. It requires admitting that some of our thoughts and actions—even some of our beliefs—have been wrong. Repentance also requires change, which, at times, can be uncomfortable. But joy and comfort are not the same thing. Sin—including the sin of complacency—limits our joy." (April 2023)

The spirits who visited Ebenezer Scrooge used his own words to help him see the error of his ways. 

Alma taught, "For our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his presence. But this cannot be; we must come forth and stand before him in his glory, and in his might, majesty and dominion, and acknowledge to our everlasting shame that all his judgements are just; that he is just in all his works, and that he is merciful unto the children of men, and that he has all power to save every man that believeth on his name and bringeth forth fruit meet for repentance." (Alma 12:14-15)

Do you think Alma knew what he was talking about? Do you think his experience built his testimony? It sure sounds like it to me.

Jesus asks us to love and serve others. Often the "others" are as close as our own family. The family is the heavenly pattern; we prepare to live in a Zion society, and in the Celestial Kingdom by practicing in our own imperfect earthly families. 

Jesus taught, "I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12) We are not left to try to figure things out by ourselves. We who have been baptized and confirmed have the gift of the Holy Ghost to guide us. We have a prophet and apostles, seventies and other church leaders who regularly give us instructions and guidance. We have scripture, ancient and modern. We have the vast resources of the church and the miracles of technology to access them. We can repent and follow Jesus! We can receive the gifts He has to offer us.

This Christmas season, may we invite the Spirit of the Lord into our homes and lives by repenting, obeying the commandments, loving and serving others, and sharing the Light of the Savior near and far.

I know that God, Our Heavenly Father lives and loves us enough to send His Son, our eldest brother, Jesus, to be Our Savior and Redeemer. I know that Jesus Christ restored His church through the prophet Joseph Smith and gave him the power to translate the Book of Mormon, Another testament of Jesus Christ. I know that Russell M. Nelson is the Lord's authorized prophet on earth today. We have so many gifts from God! May we acknowledge and appreciate them each day.

My Other Blog

On my other blog, PFCMom, I've begun a Christmas ABC's series. Hop on over and give it a look.