Zion in the Midst of Babylon

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Sunday afternoon session of the April 2006 conference.

Today we had a severe storm pass through including a tornado. My first clue was the sound of the sirens blasting away, and then an emergency notice on my phone to take cover now! I quickly gathered a few things and descended to the basement, set up my camp chair, sat down and cried. Severe weather is the only thing that really scares me. Cell service ceased for a time and I felt rather alone. Fortunately, the storm passed and we were spared any damage.

Spiritual storms swirl around us without much physical warning. Wickedness increases as does the darkness. It reminds me of what Gandalf said in Lord of the Rings about a darkness descending over the lands. It's very real!

I was impressed with Elder David R. Stone's talk about building Zion in the midst of Babylon. I didn't remember him and couldn't place his accent so I looked up information. He was born in Argentina, moving to Utah sometime in his teens. He lived and worked all over the world, and died in 2014. 

He could have been describing today's social media when he said, "People in every culture move within a cocoon of self-satisfied self-deception, fully convinced that the way they see things is the way things really are." This is probably nowhere more true than in our politically polarized time. Elder Stone said, "There is, of course, a zeitgeist to which we should pay attention, and that is the ethos of the Lord, the culture of the people of God." When the prophet talks to us of being peacemakers, and thinking Celestial, we should give heed and do what he asks of us. We are supposed to be preparing for the Savior's Second Coming, not building bridges to Babylon. "We can create the real Zion among us by limiting the extent to which Babylon will influence our lives. . . . Seduced by our culture, we often hardly recognize our idolatry, as our strings are pulled by that which is popular in the Babylonian world." 

Doesn't this sound like good advice: "We do not need to adopt the standards, the mores, and the morals of Babylon. We can create Zion in the midst of Babylon. We can have our own standards for music and literature and dance and film and language. We can have our own standards for dress and deportment, for politeness and respect. We can live in accordance with the Lord's moral laws. We can limit how much of Babylon we allow into our homes by the media of communication."

I have long admired the Amish and Mennonite peoples for their courage to live differently and follow their consciences without regard to fitting in with the rest of the world. They are recognizable and so inspiring because of their modestly and virtue. Their courage to be different is admirable. "If we are to have Zion in the midst of Babylon, we will need courage." 

Elder Stone finishes, "We do not need to become puppets in the hands of the culture of the place and time. We can be courageous and can walk in the Lord's paths and follow His footsteps. And if we do, we will be called Zion, and we will be the people of the Lord. . . . We seek Zion because it is the habitation of our Lord, who is Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. In Zion, and from Zion, His luminous and incandescent light will shine forth, and He will rule forever." Yes! I'm looking forward to that day.

Elizabeth aka Noble

Prophetic Counsel and Warnings

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Sunday morning session of the April 2006 conference.

Some real jewels shone in the talks of this session. I'll share what I think are the highlights.

President James E. Faust: "We believe that the fulness of the gospel of Christ has been restored, but this is no reason for anyone to feel superior in any way toward others of God's children. Rather, it requires a greater obligation to invoke the essence of the gospel of Christ in our lives--to love, serve, and bless others."

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: "Are you confused with gender identity or searching for self-esteem? . . . I testify that the Savior's Atonement lifts from us not only the burden of sins but also the burden of our disappointments. . . . Considering the incomprehensible cost of the Crucifixion and Atonement, I promise you He is not going to turn His back on us now. . . . He knows the way because He is the way."

Elder Earl C. Tingey: "Christ's suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane epitomizes the most magnificent of all the attributes of Christ, His perfect love. Here we see that He truly loved all of us. . . . The word atonement, or 'at-one-ment', means to restore or to come back. In terms of family, it means to be reunited with one another and with God and His Son, Jesus Christ. It means sadness through separation will become happiness through reuniting."

Sister Anne C. Pingree: Speaking of a pair of senior sister missionaries, "They demonstrated true spiritual maturity. . . . Daily prayer and scripture study, adherence to commandments and to covenants made at baptism and in the temple are at the core of growing up unto the Lord. . . . determined service to others, even in difficult circumstances, is required of those who truly desire 'to grow up unto the Lord.'"

Elder Dallin H. Oaks: "But what about 'bond and free?' Bond--the opposite of free--means more than slavery. It means being bound (in bondage) to anything from which it is difficult to escape. Bond includes those whose freedom is restricted by physical or emotional afflictions. Bond includes those who are addicted to some substance or practice. Bond surely refers to those who are imprisoned by sin--'encircled about' by what another teaching of the Book of Mormon calls 'the chains of hell' (Alma 5:7). Bond includes those who are held down by traditions or customs contrary to the commandments of God (see Matthew 15:3-6; Mark 7:7-9; D&C 74:4-7; 93:39). Finally, bond also includes those who are confined within the boundaries of other erroneous ideas. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that we preach to 'liberate the captives.' Our Savior 'inviteth . . . all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; . . . he denieth none that come unto him . . . ; and all are alike unto God.'"

And this little gem of humor from President Gordon B. Hinckley: "I trust that you will not regard what I have said as an obituary. I look forward to the opportunity of speaking to you again in October."

I so love that the messages of General Conference are both timely and timeless. The messengers are not called prophets for no reason. They truly are God's spokesmen on earth. We would be wise to heed their counsel and warnings.

Warning!

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Priesthood session of the April 2006 conference.

From President James E. Faust:

I counsel all of you brethren to avoid every kind of addiction. At this time Satan and his followers are enslaving some of our choicest young people through addiction to alcohol, all kinds of drugs, pornography, tobacco, gambling, and other compulsive disorders. Some people seem to be born with a weakness for these substances so that only a single experimentation will result in uncontrollable addiction. Some addictions are actually mind-altering and create a craving that overpowers reason and judgment. These addictions destroy the lives not only of those who do not resist them but also their parents, spouses, and children. As the prophet Jeremiah lamented, "The inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates." The Lord in His wisdom has warned us that substances that are not good for us should be totally avoided.

Oh how I wish our son had listened and obeyed, rather than ending as a causality in the war of good versus evil. 

James' last birthday, 17 September 2022, age 26

God Decides

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Saturday afternoon session of the April 2006 conference.

In an age when people want to do their own thing it is good to be reminded that God sets the standards, entrance requirements, and rewards. Elder Bednar's talk on always having His Spirit to be with us resonated with me.

You and I do not decide the nature or elements of a covenant. Rather, exercising our moral agency, we accept the terms and requirements of a covenant as our Eternal Father has established them.

I find that comforting and encouraging. I can rely on Him because He is not capricious and fallible. Rather He is steadfast, reliable, eternal and unchanging. 

Spiritual Gifts

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Saturday morning session of the April 2006 conference.

Sister Julie B. Beck's talk "An Outpouring of Blessings" touched my heart. I looked up my notes from this conference and saw that I had only written down her major theme, nothing specific. But hearing her words and reading along opened my eyes this time around.

She was addressing concerns that were just coming over the horizon in the culture. That is, women seeking equality in holding and exercising the priesthood. Sister Beck taught eternal truths that we all are equal in God's sight and He pours out His blessings equally upon His sons and daughters. 

What interested me most was her description of Spiritual Gifts. I have struggled to know what my gifts are because they are not mentioned directly as such in my patriarchal blessing. One, in her talk, stood out to me.

I know people who are given the spiritual gift of a believing spirit. When they hear the gospel, it rings true in their hearts.

My patriarchal blessing says that ". . . as soon as [I] heard the gospel, it rang true to [me] and [I] accepted it readily." I always thought that line odd because I was born into a covenant family and raised by faithful, covenant keeping parents. I have always known that the church is the true church of Jesus Christ, and that Joseph Smith was who he said he was, and did what he says he did. So I guess that answers the question of whether or not I would have accepted the gospel if I hadn't been so blessed.

I'm so grateful for the Plan of Salvation and Happiness; for the Restoration of the Fullness of Christ's Gospel; and for modern prophets and apostles to lead and guide us as we prepare for the Second Coming of Our Savior, Jesus Christ.