A Prophet's Farewell

What parting words could a prophet give that might leave the desired final emphasis after a lifetime of faithful service? President Thomas S. Monson provided important words pertinent to the reading of The Book of Mormon in his second and final talk in the April 2017 General Conference, a talk that might well be his final one to the church as a whole: “This morning I speak about the power of the Book of Mormon and the critical need we have as members of this Church to study, ponder, and apply its teachings in our lives. The importance of having a firm and sure testimony of the Book of Mormon cannot be overstated. My dear associates in the work of the Lord, I implore each of us to prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day. As we do so, we will be in a position to hear the voice of the Spirit, to resist temptation, to overcome doubt and fear, and to receive heaven’s help in our lives.” Moroni shared a similar final message in the last chapter he wrote in The Book of Mormon, reflecting an almost identical emphasis:

 Moroni 10:2 And I seal up these records, after I have spoken a few words by way of exhortation unto you.
 3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

LESSON LEARNED: Final messages from prophets both past and present are pertinent ones, and often pertain to a faithful study of The Book of Mormon.

FEEDBACK: WHAT IS YOUR IMPRESSION OF PROPHETS EMPHASIZING THE REGULAR STUDY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON?

Goliath and Distance

The prospect of facing Goliath must have been an awe-inspiring one for David. Being the youngest of all his brothers, what we know of David is that he stayed home from war to tend sheep because of his age and size, while his older and likely more muscular brothers battled it out. And Goliath? We know he stood out among men because of his great stature. Recorded at being just over 6 cubits (9 feet tall), he likely had what we might in our day term as medical giantism or Marfan syndrome. An interesting thing about Marfan syndrome: the individuals who have it often don’t see very well because their rapid growth causes a detachment of the lenses in their eyes. Perhaps it is no wonder that Goliath wanted David to “come to him” so he could destroy him. This may also infer he needed David to come close to order to even see him. Our Goliaths in life often need us to come close enough to them so that they can crush us in their grips.  But David was wise, and held fast to the iron rod by keeping a healthy separation between himself and real danger. He therefore picked­­ the sling as his weapon of choice, and came off conqueror by slaying Goliath from a safe distance.

1 Nephi 15:24 And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction.

LESSON LEARNED:  Like David of old, we should hold fast to the word of God and keep a healthy distance between ourselves and temptation.  This is the surest way to come off conqueror from sin.

FEEDBACK: WHAT APPLICATION OF THIS SCRIPTURE AND ANALOGY HAVE YOU SEEN IN YOUR LIFE?

No Such Thing

It’s funny how we can become our own worst enemy. A heart full of doubt is a terrible stumbling block to overcome.  For without faith in the Lord and in our subsequent potential, there is little hope for meaningful spiritual progression. It becomes especially futile when we fail to remember and appreciate the blessings the Lord has already given us. It is almost like drawing a circle on the ground around ourselves, and then keeping the Lord outside of it by restricting Him through our doubts and denial. Laman and Lemuel, sons of Lehi and brother to Nephi in The Book of Mormon, fell victim to this trap. In spite of seeing an angel of God, in spite of being delivered by the Lord from the evil Laban, and in spite of miraculously obtaining the plates of brass in Jerusalem, they still attempted to limit God’s influence and power in their lives by doubting Him in their hearts and by trying to restrict His ability to bless them.

 1 Nephi 15:2 And it came to pass that I beheld my brethren, and they were disputing one with another concerning the things which my father had spoken unto them.
 
 1 Nephi 15:8 And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord?
 9 And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us.
 10 Behold, I said unto them: How is it that ye do not keep the commandments of the Lord? How is it that ye will perish, because of the hardness of your hearts?
 11 Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you.

LESSON LEARNED: A doubting heart leads to spiritual damnation. This is a very subtle but effective tool of Satan, and is a trap exposed in The Book of Mormon.

FEEDBACK: HOW DOES THIS REALIZATION HELP YOU IN SEEING YOUR OWN SPIRITUAL POTENTIAL AND THE LIMITS WE OFTEN PLACE ON THE LORD AND OURSELVES?

Having Good Parents

With this being the midpoint between Father’s Day and Mother's Day, my thoughts have been turning again to both Dad and Mom. It has been just over a year since Mom passed, with Dad preceding her by just ten months. There is hardly a day that goes by that I’m not thinking about one or both of them and the positive influence they had on my life. How grateful I am for good parents who taught me by their loving examples to choose good over evil. The Book of Mormon begins with a reflection on the role that the example of goodly parents can be on each of us. Not all are so lucky, though most are still able to learn from the examples of others I think of Abraham in the Old Testament, whose own father was an idol worshipper. He even turned Abraham over to the priests of his false gods, presumably to become a human sacrifice unto them. But Abraham was spared and delivered by an angel of the Lord. This lack of proper parental leadership had no negative impact on Abraham and his subsequent ability to choose good over evil. In fact, he was eventually so beloved of God that he was promised that through his seed, all the families of the earth be blessed (see Gen 17:7, Abraham 2:11). Such a dichotomy should give everyone hope in the goodness of life that awaits them, regardless of the level of parental support and love they may or may not have received in their childhood.

 1 Nephi 1:1  I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days.

 1 Nephi 22:9 And it shall also be of worth unto the Gentiles; and not only unto the Gentiles but unto all the house of Israel, unto the making known of the covenants of the Father of heaven unto Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

LESSON LEARNED: Regardless of the influence our parents made on us for good or evil, we are still free agents and are expected to make proper choices for ourselves. The level of blessings we obtain in life will be a direct result of these choices we make.

FEEDBACK: HOW DID YOUR PARENTS' INFLUENCE AFFECT YOUR UPBRINGING, AND HOW DOES THIS IMPACT YOUR DECISION-MAKING TODAY?

Knowing For Sure

I was afraid when I started college. I was afraid because I didn’t know The Book of Mormon was true yet. I was afraid because I would be going out on a mission soon to testify about a book when I still had questions about it. Sure, it felt good to read it. But I didn’t know. It troubled my soul so deeply. So for weeks on end as a freshman at college I read from its pages in my dorm room. I would kneel and beg the Lord to know if what I had just read was true. Then I would sit up and read some more. Then I would kneel and pray again. I did this day after day for weeks. One evening while I was walking alone through campus, it happened. As I was praying again in my heart to know the truthfulness of The Book of Mormon, the clouds in my heart and in my head suddenly lifted. A warm feeling burst through my soul and pierced my heart, just like an exploding star. I started to cry. I knew immediately it was a personal revelation from the Lord. It was as real as I sit here and type this entry. All my senses were suddenly accentuated by the wave that had just enveloped me. The warmth and its penetration stayed with me for days. I gloried in the Lord for the gift I had been given. It was equally real for me as it was for Alma or Nephi to see an angel, as real as Joseph Smith having the First Vision. It was real because it was so physical, and there was no room for doubt. Like Joseph Smith, I knew it, I knew God knew that I knew it, and I could not deny it. The feelings of this personal revelation slowly faded after a couple of weeks. But it has never fully gone away. It guides me in all truth, for my spiritual antenna recognizes and knows what to look for. It continues to do so to this day.

  Moroni 10:4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
 5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

LESSON LEARNED:  A personal witness of The Book of Mormon, received through the Holy Ghost, is a real and obtainable thing.

FEEDBACK:  HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED THIS TO SOME DEGREE IN YOUR LIFE YET?

So Many Witnesses

Mr. Bergquist was a gentle old man, but he had a prideful heart. When the missionaries first knocked on his door in Stockholm, Sweden, he allowed them in to hear the message of the restored gospel on a whim. His own story was one of prior faith, of regular church attendance, of even having served missionary time in his own Pentecostal church. But Mr. Bergquist had become cynical towards God, and had left the faith of his youth. The missionaries bore humble testimony, and Mr. Bergquist felt the Spirit. Still, though, his attitude was one of all-knowing, of having “been there, done that,” and he expressed to the missionaries that they too would someday reach that point. Regardless, he continued to allow the missionaries to teach him and he slowly progressed in the gospel. One Sunday, when his spirituality reached a crisis, he cried out to the Lord for guidance. He asked the Lord for a sign, and asked that if this church was true, that he wanted the missionaries to come visit him now, that very day. Little did he know that far across town, the Stockholm First Ward services had just concluded. It was fast Sunday, and we office elders were hungry and just wanted to get home. But Elder Thompson had a different feeling, and he steered the mission-office van the distance to Mr. Bergquist’s apartment. I can still see his shock and stunned face when, one at a time, eight missionaries entered his apartment and each shock his hand. He didn’t know there were more than two in the area, but his answer was quick and intense. He was soon baptized and remained faithful the rest of his life.

 Alma 34:30  And now, my brethren, I would that, after ye have received so many witnesses, seeing that the holy scriptures testify of these things, ye come forth and bring fruit unto repentance.

LESSON LEARNED: Be mindful of what you ask the Lord, for He will answer all those who diligently seek Him. This will often come with unexpected intensity and with multiple witnesses.

FEEDBACK: HAVE YOU EVER HAD AN EXPERIENCE WITH AN INTENSE ANSWER TO PRAYER?