Subtle Coolness

The ninth Article of Faith reads:

We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. [Articles of Faith 1:9]

This statement concisely expresses our belief, as Latter-day Saints, in the pattern God our Eternal Father uses to teach truth to us, his children. Breaking it down into three periods of time testifies that God is the same yesterday (“… all that God has revealed …”), today (“… all that He does now reveal …”), and forever (“… He will yet reveal …”).

It is my purpose today to concentrate on revelation in the present tense: we believe all that God does now reveal.

Revelation can come through various channels. Here are three examples: first, the prophet receives revelation that is meant for the whole Church, and often the entire world; second, our local leaders receive revelation concerning our ward or stake; finally, we can also receive personal revelation for ourselves.

Latter-day Prophets

We live in a time when God has called prophets and apostles to direct his work on the earth. Do we count ourselves truly blessed to have these watchmen on the tower? Do we study and follow their counsel, and seek a testimony that they are indeed men of God? Do we bring their words into our homes, either through the Church magazines or the Church website?

Do we study the scriptures and pray daily? Do we live within our means and strive to get out of or stay out of debt? Do we attend Family Home Evening? Are we doing what we need to do to prepare ourselves to make covenants in the temple? This is only a small example of the counsel we have recently received from our prophets.

If we profess a belief in this Church and the restoration of the Gospel, if we testify of the prophet Joseph Smith and the truthfulness of The Book of Mormon, and we do not abide the counsel of our latter-day prophets, we are no better than the people of Zarahemla to whom Samuel the Lamanite said,

And now when ye talk, ye say: If our days had been in the days of our fathers of old, we would not have slain the prophets; we would not have stoned them, and cast them out.

Behold ye are worse than they; for as the Lord liveth, if a prophet come among you and declareth unto you the word of the Lord, which testifieth of your sins and iniquities, ye are angry with him, and cast him out and seek all manner of ways to destroy him … [Helaman 13:25-26]

Latter-day prophets are a blessing we cannot treat lightly.

Local Leaders

The organization of the Church is divinely inspired. It is as important to heed the counsel of our bishop and stake president as it is for us to follow the prophets. These men are uniquely situated to receive revelation on behalf of our ward and stake.

Personal Revelation

While latter-day prophets and local leaders are an essential part of God’s pattern of revelation, equally essential is the role of personal revelation. The prophets teach us the commandments and the framework of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They give counsel that should be followed by all members of the Church, but they are probably not aware of the personal challenges we face.

Our bishop is closer to home, and it is appropriate to seek his counsel and guidance as we face the challenges of life. But he cannot make our decisions for us, or give us our own testimony that the principles he teaches us are true. We must seek out and receive revelation for ourselves.

How do we prepare ourselves to receive this revelation? Here are nine ways we can prepare to receive the promptings of the Holy Ghost:

1. Pray for guidance,
2. Be reverent,
3. Be humble,
4. Keep the commandments,
5. Partake of the sacrament worthily,
6. Study the scriptures every day,
7. Take time to ponder,
8. Study the matter out in your mind, and
9. Patiently seek God’s will.

If Thou Shalt Ask

First, we pray for guidance. Last night I had a nightmare. I was at church, attending a fireside, sitting in the back of the room. As we were singing the opening hymn, someone came to me and whispered in my ear. I was told that I was responsible for the lesson at that fireside.

This was news to me. I quietly stood up and left the room. Then I began to panic. I was not in a comfortable situation. I began to enter other rooms of the building, frantically searching for something that would help me teach a lesson, or give me an idea of what I should share. Each time I passed the room with everyone else in it, I could hear them singing a different hymn. I was taking too long. They were stalling for me.

I entered the kitchen and discovered piles of large red and yellow napkins. This gave me an idea. Everyone at the fireside could split into pairs. One of each pair would blindfold themselves with a napkin, and the other would guide them around the building with their voice. This would represent our reliance on the promptings of the Holy Ghost as we walk, often blinded, through this life.

But would it work? The napkins were just barely big enough to be used as blindfolds. I left the kitchen, looking for a better idea. After several more minutes I returned to the kitchen, having found nothing better. I grabbed a pile of napkins and made my way back to the room in which the fireside was being held.

I don’t know how many hymns they had to sing as I was bumbling about the meetinghouse, and I don’t know how my lesson turned out; I woke up. But I had two very distinct impressions as I lay there in my bed.

The first thing I thought as I woke up was how great that lesson idea sounded. I should try it sometime.

The second thing that entered my mind was the words of a familiar hymn:

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? [Hymns, Did You Think to Pray?, no. 140]

Why did I not think to pray? Surely, had I taken a moment to ask the Lord for inspiration, would I not have experienced such panic? The Lord has promised,

If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal. [Doctrine and Covenants 42:61]

Reverence Is Love

Second, be reverent.

Rev’rence is more than just quietly sitting:
It’s thinking of Father above,
A feeling I get when I think of his blessings.
I’m rev’rent, for rev’rence is love. [Children’s Songbook, Reverence Is Love, p. 31]

When we are reverent we invite revelation. We open our minds and our hearts to the positive influence of the Spirit of God. As we quietly reflect on and nurture our love for our Heavenly Father and his Son, we prepare to receive revelation that will help us become more like them.

Be Thou Humble

Third, be humble. If we do not recognize our dependence on the Lord, we will be far less likely to receive his help. The Lord pointed out the direct connection between humility and receiving guidance when he stated,

Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers. [Doctrine and Covenants 112:10]

Keep the Commandments

Fourth, keep the commandments. The Lord, through Joseph Smith, has revealed:

But unto him that keepeth my commandments I will give the mysteries of my kingdom, and the same shall be in him a well of living water, springing up unto everlasting life. [Doctrine and Covenants 63:23]

That They May Have His Spirit to Be With Them

Fifth, partake of the sacrament worthily. When we make and keep the sacramental covenant, the Lord promises

… that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. [Doctrine and Covenants 20:77]

The sacramental prayers teach us that we must be willing to take upon us the name of Christ, always remember him, and keep his commandments, if we desire the Spirit of God. We will not receive revelation if we do not have his Spirit with us.

Study the Scriptures

Sixth, study the scriptures every day. From the scriptures we can learn from the examples of others who have sought and received revelation. He can reveal to us the importance of certain passages in relation to our personal life.

When we study the scriptures we are generally more receptive to the promptings of the Holy Ghost. On several occasions as I have studied the scriptures, I have received inspiration and answers to prayer that had nothing to do with the passage I was reading at the time.

I Sat Pondering in Mine Heart

Seventh, take time to ponder. In The Book of Mormon, Nephi tells us,

For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord … [1 Nephi 11:1]

A grand vision unfolded before him because he was pondering the things he had been taught. Pondering takes our thoughts from the trivial things of the world and brings us closer to the Spirit.

Study It Out in Your Mind

Eighth, study it out in your mind. The Lord does not always immediately give us an answer to a question. He expects us to do some work, to study the choices, to decide upon a course of action and ask for confirmation. If we proceed along the right path, the Lord

… will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.

But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong … [Doctrine and Covenants 9:8]

In His Own Time

Ninth, patiently seek God’s will. Revelation cannot be rushed.

Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will. [Doctrine and Coventants 88:68]

Let the Holy Spirit Guide

Let the Holy Spirit guide;
Let him teach us what is true.
He will testify of Christ,
Light our minds with heaven’s view.

Let the Holy Spirit guard;
Let his whisper govern choice.
He will lead us safely home
If we listen to his voice.

Let the Spirit heal our hearts
Thru his quiet, gentle pow’r.
May we purify our lives
To receive him hour by hour. [Hymns, Let the Holy Spirit Guide, no. 143]

identity-of-christ.mp3 (13:14, 32kbps, 3.0M)

Come Unto Christ

In our most recent General Conference, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles reminded us of a constant invitation given by the Savior Jesus Christ:

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [Matthew 11:28]

The admonition to come unto the Savior is repeated again and again in ancient and modern scripture, by Christ Himself as well as by His authorized representatives. Prophets and apostles have repeatedly taught the importance of following the Son of God and coming unto Him.

Elder Holland poses the question,

So how does one “come unto Christ” in response to this constant invitation? [Jeffrey R. Holland, “Broken Things to Mend,” Ensign, May 2006, 69]

and he gave several answers. The third answer that Elder Holland gave was, to quote him,

… in as many ways as possible, we try to take upon us His identity, and we begin by taking upon us His name. [Holland]

Taking Upon Us His Name

In a revelation given to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, the Lord taught:

Behold, Jesus Christ is the name which is given of the Father, and there is none other name given whereby man can be saved;

Wherefore, all men must take upon them the name which is given of the Father, for in that name shall they be called at the last day;

Wherefore, if they know not the name by which they are called, they cannot have place in the kingdom of my Father. [D&C 18:23-25]

Then Elder Holland continues. He says,

That name is formally bestowed by covenant in the saving ordinances of the gospel. These start with baptism and conclude with temple covenants, with many others, such as partaking of the sacrament, laced throughout our lives as additional blessings and reminders. [Holland]

Being able to partake of the sacrament is a blessing and a reminder.

I Would Ask If All Is Done?

But taking upon ourselves the name of Christ through covenant alone is not sufficient to come unto Christ. It is only the first step, as we learn from the prophet Nephi in the Book of Mormon:

And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. [2 Nephi 31:19]

Another apostle, Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin said this:

Through baptism we covenant to take upon us the Lord’s name and honor it by keeping His commandments.

As we take His name upon us, we most certainly are Christians, for we bear the name of Christ. Each week as we partake of the emblems of bread and water, we do it in remembrance of Him. We renew our covenant that we “are willing to take upon [us] the name of [the] Son [of God], and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given [us] (D&C 20:77).” [Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Christians in Belief and Action,” Ensign, Nov. 1996, 70]

Christ’s own words are these:

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. [Matthew 7:21]

In 1991 President Gordon B. Hinckley, who at the time was the First Counselor in the First Presidency, observed,

It is easy to be a Mormon and accept the theology. It is difficult to be a Christian and follow Christ in word and deed. [Rex D. Pinegar, “Follow Christ in Word and Deed,” Ensign, Nov. 1991, 39]

When the Savior asks us to come unto Him, He asks us to talk as He talks, to walk as He walks, to serve as He serves, and to live as He lives. He asks us to follow Him in word and in deed.

Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be?

the Savior asked.

Verily I say unto you, even as I am. [3 Nephi 27:27]

Learning About Jesus Christ

In our quest to come unto Christ by taking upon us His identity, we have a wealth of resources available to us so that we can know exactly what that identity is.

We have in the scriptures the revelations of ancient prophets that prophecy of the Christ and describe His character and His mission to us:

For behold I say unto you there be many things to come; and behold, there is one thing which is of more importance than they all—for behold, the time is not far distant that the Redeemer liveth and cometh among his people.

…

And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sickness of his people.

And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. [Alma 7:7,11-12]

We have in the scriptures the direct teachings of the Savior Himself:

Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do; [3 Nephi 27:21]

We have prophets today that guide us through a dangerous world and point the way to the Savior. They have declared:

We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son. [The Living Christ]

Heed and Obey

With all this instruction that is available to us, all that is left for us is to heed and obey. This is fundamentally how we come unto Christ and take upon us His name.

The great King Benjamin of the Book of Mormon said it like this:

I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts, that ye are not found on the left hand of God, but that ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be called, and also, the name by which he shall call you.

For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart? [Mosiah 5:12-13]

One night a man had a dream. He found himself in a large, brightly lit room. There was one door in the far corner, and a row of chairs along the far wall, starting near the door. Most of the chairs were occupied.

He waited, unsure of what to do. He watched as the door opened. The person sitting in the chair nearest to the door stood up and entered, and the door closed. Each person in line moved down one seat.

The man walked to the end of the line and sat down. He turned to his neighbor and asked where he was.

“You’re dead,” the neighbor replied. “We all are. We’re waiting for our exit interview.”

Time passed and the dreaming man drew closer to the door, wondering the entire time what awaited him inside. Finally, he was sitting at the chair nearest the door. He discovered that he could overhear the conversation on the other side of the door.

Through the door, he heard an interviewer say, “I just have three questions for you. First, could you please tell me, who is Jesus Christ?”

“Jesus Christ is the Son of God,” was the answer that came.

“Good,” the interviewer continued. “Next question: what did Jesus Christ do?”

“He taught His gospel, the plan of salvation. He miraculously healed many sick people. He organized a church so his teachings could continue after he left.”

“Good,” the interviewer continued. “Final question: what did Jesus Christ do for you?”

After a pause, the man heard through the door, “He paid the price for my sins. He suffered and died so that I could be forgiven and live forever with God.”

“Thank you very much,” the interviewer responded. “You may go.”

The door opened, and the dreaming man wondered how he would answer those same questions when he was asked them. He stood up and entered the room.

He looked the interviewer in the eyes for a split second, then fell to his knees and cried out, “My Lord and my God!”

For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart? [Mosiah 5:13]

By serving Christ, by keeping His commandments, we come unto Him, we honor His name that we have taken upon us, and we come to know him personally.

Help and Blessings Await

Remember the words of President Hinckley:

It is easy to be a Mormon and accept the theology. It is difficult to be a Christian and follow Christ in word and deed. [Pinegar]

Commenting on President Hinckley’s observation, Elder Rex D. Pinegar, who at the time was serving in the Presidency of the Seventy, said,

Yes, “it is difficult to be a Christian and follow Christ in word and deed.” When we do follow Him, however, we will feel the peace and assurance that come from making right choices. He will provide the courage necessary for those times when we have to stand alone. [Pinegar]

This promise is an echo of Alma’s testimony from the Book of Mormon. He tells his son,

… I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions … [Alma 36:3]

and he was speaking from experience.

With this promise of support in our trials comes an equally amazing assurance of blessings that await those who come unto Christ. Ezra Taft Benson, the thirteenth president of the Church, taught the following:

That man is greatest and most blessed and joyful whose life most closely approaches the pattern of the Christ. This has nothing to do with earthly wealth, power, or prestige. The only true test of greatness, blessedness, joyfulness is how close a life can come to being like the Master, Jesus Christ. He is the right way, the full truth, and the abundant life. [Ezra Taft Benson, “Jesus Christ—Gifts and Expectations,” Ensign, Dec. 1988, 2]

I know that the Savior lives. I know that He was sent by His Father, and by our Father, to provide the way for us to return to live with them both. I have felt His love, and this blessedness and joyfulness that President Benson speaks about as I strive to draw closer to Him, and you will, too.

We must the onward path pursue
As wider fields expand to view,
And follow him unceasingly,
Whate’er our lot or sphere may be.

For thrones, dominions, kingdoms, pow’rs,
And glory great and bliss are ours,
If we, throughout eternity,
Obey his words, “Come, follow me.” [Hymns, Come, Follow Me, no. 116]

If you’re Mormon, you know what a calling is. And you know what a second counselor in the elders quorum presidency is. So you don’t have to read any more of this.

(more…)

I like to sing. I have many friends that also like to sing.

I am a student at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Institute of Religion in Austin. I have many friends that are also students here.

When you put these two together, you get something called the Institute choir. We’ve got everything we need.

Except for a director.

If you want to direct our choir every Tuesday night from 6:00 to 7:30, let me know. I’ll love you forever.