My Own Story (a short version)

I often like to inquire with others about their beliefs and the foundation of their faith, if they profess any.  I find value in what they say.  I believe it helps open up mutually beneficial conversation.  I learn things from people, and I hope that they'll want to hear from me, because after being given so much from God I certainly have things to share.  The other day, someone in a video comments section asked me about my own experiences.  They didn't ask specifics, so I have to summarize a bit.  I doubt that anyone will ever want to read a full biography that would be drastically longer, but here's a short version of my history with my religious faith and knowledge:

I was born into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  My parents were divorced when I was three years old.  I was baptized at the standard age of eight years old.  As I grew up, I had many positive (if probably very typical) experiences with the Church, including study, friendship, and service opportunities.  Another part of being in the Church was commonly eating food from the Bishop's Storehouse that my mother didn't have to pay for.  When I got older and went off to college, I got a bit lazy when it came to religion.  For example, sometimes I just didn't go to church on Sundays, for no particular reason.  All young latter-day saint men were expected to serve as missionaries upon turning nineteen, but as I thought about it, I knew I didn't want to go just because other people expected me to.  So I went back to college for another year, and then began to serve.  I also began to want more of a relationship with my father, and at my request he supported me financially when I left to serve as a full-time missionary.

Both before and after my missionary service, at times I came across information about Church procedures or Church history, perhaps relating to individual leaders, that seemed strange.  Broadly speaking, I found a way to be patient with not completely understanding some things immediately.  One morning, when I was 18 or 19 and I was playing hymns on the piano in an empty classroom in the Institute of Religion at the college, some words in the second verse of "Be Still, My Soul" really struck me: "Be still, my soul, thy God doth undertake / To guide the future as He has the past. / Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake / All now mysterious shall be bright at last."  As the years have passed, I've had opportunities here and there to learn more or gain better insights from people who have shared them with me, and many things that felt mysterious or strange before turned out to not be worrisome at all.  When dealing with information from opponents of the Church, I also realized that, at least partially because they don't have the Church's best interests in mind, they sometimes promote information that is partially or wholly untrue, but even when only relying on reliable facts they frequently choose the worst possible conclusion from available data instead of the best possible conclusion.  I have found that while seeking truth and answers to questions, sometimes it comes quickly and sometimes not, but I always eventually learn more and I find great reason to trust what God has given me.

Trust in God is one of the great life lessons I learned as a missionary, but I also became much more able to recognize God's influence in my life, particularly through the Holy Ghost.  When at the missionary training center, our teachers (former missionaries themselves) taught us about how important it was to help people to recognize the Holy Ghost as we taught them.  I remember struggling with this; I wasn't sure that I knew how to do this.  I asked one of my teachers about it, and he suggested that because I had grown up with the Church, perhaps I was accustomed to it so much that I sometimes took it for granted.  He spoke to reassure me, and I wasn't fully satisfied, but I hoped to figure it out.  Several days later, as I was being taught again by a different teacher, I thought to myself, "The Spirit of God is very strong here today."  And then I realized what I had just done; I had listened to God in my heart and felt Him there, and recognized it.  As I did so, I realized that it was indeed something I had felt and known many times in my life.  I then gladly taught others about it and have enjoyed God's joy and peace not only during my mission but also many, many times since.

I will share one particular experience I had with the Holy Ghost during my mission.  I lived and taught in the city of Yamoussoukro for five months.  One day, while walking through a corridor of a housing area, I looked to the side and noticed one of the housing units and its number.  (I think it was 157 or 152, but it's been two decades ago and I don't have a great memory.)  That was all, at first; I just noticed it.  Some time later--maybe a few days or weeks--my companion and I had some time available in the evening, and he asked me what I thought we should do.  I mentioned the door I'd seen before and suggested that we could visit the people who lived there.  So we did.  Either that evening or upon making an appointment and returning (I don't remember which), we were greeted by the couple who lived there and we taught the first missionary lesson to them.  The husband was somehow employed by a local church and accommodated us more out of patient courtesy than anything else, and in the end didn't seem particularly interested.  I imagine that he later discouraged his wife; in any event, we didn't end up teaching them further and I don't know the end of her story.  But I do remember very well what happened during the lesson.  We spoke of God, of Jesus Christ, of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, and then of the Holy Ghost.  After teaching, I turned to the woman and asked her (in French, the local national language), "What do you feel right now?"  She paused, with an almost troubled or slightly perplexed look on her face, and I asked her again, "What do you feel inside right now?"  With little more pause, she answered with these exact words: "La joie du cœur."  Translated into English, that means, "joy of heart."  Her husband looked directly at her with evident surprise.  I don't think she was even literate, but she knew what she felt inside.  I told her it was the Holy Ghost, and I knew that she knew that we had spoken truth from God.

One other major life lesson I learned as a missionary was that God is merciful.  I have long considered myself the most blessed person I know, and I realize that while I've tried to do good things in life, nothing I've done could merit the many blessings I've received.  I'm blessed far beyond what I feel I deserve by my own worthiness.

In the decades following my mission, I've had a great many other experiences that continue to shape my faith and knowledge.  I've seen other people grow in faith or abandon faith, I've seen people die, I've witnessed the Church as a worldwide body with the same spirit of fellowship and Spirit of God everywhere, I've had glimpses into Church administration, and I've learned more about Church history.  I have had very difficult trials that would require much more space to write about.  I've been blessed to know many disciples of Christ and many other good people across the United States and the world; I've been served by them and I've done what I could to serve them.  I've seen the Church help people with material needs, and I've been blessed to be able to give now instead of receiving.  I have had witness after witness from God about the truth of the gospel and his desire for me to participate in His Church, despite my many failings and the many failings I've witnessed in other people even as we try to follow our Savior.  I have hoped to be of service to the people around me and I've certainly hoped to show love in everything I do.  I think I'm learning that love better; it sure means a lot to me to learn it.  I am happy to extend an offer of support to anyone, and if you ever think I can help you in any way, whether to answer questions or even just as a listening ear.  If I were without you in person, I would offer a hug also, but alas, that's not possible over the Internet.  But I hope you know that I find myself with the best of reasons to follow the two great commandments, and though I can't express it as perfectly as God can, I am happy to say that I love you, and I hope that you seek and receive God's greatest blessings.

Last thoughts for now:
To anyone who ever cares enough to read these things, please know that I share them with the utmost sincerity and a real, if imperfect, desire to share truth and love.  Reach out to me any time, and as a disciple of Christ, I will reach back out to you.

An Anonymous Act of Sincere and Needed Love

 A long time ago--it must have been in the nineties--I remember seeing a video clip on a TV show that, as I have remembered it, strikes me as one of the most beautiful acts I've ever seen.  Beautiful in a way, that is; I have a hard time thinking of what the best descriptive word could be.  Good?  Loving?  I think it was just shown as part of some series that showed a lot of video clips that fit some sort of theme.  Here's what happened:

There had been a bad car accident, with a survivor stuck partly inside a car.  Perhaps there was more than one person involved, but if so, they were either killed or ejected or safe.  I believe the accident was bad enough that the "jaws of life" rescue tool had to be used to remove the person.  The video clip was very simple; it showed the man with probably only his head, shoulder, and one arm extending outside the vehicle.  The man was clearly in enormous pain and almost but not quite senseless--barely able to speak and mostly unable to move.  Because of the awkward angle he was in after the accident, the extended part of his body was also hanging very uncomfortably over the edge of the vehicle.  This was how he was found, to the best of my recollection.

But by the time a rescue team arrived with a video camera, someone else had already arrived to help in what way he could.  An unidentified second man, seeing the accident victim in great distress and pain, had positioned himself underneath the victim's extended body both to lift it slightly, relieving pain, and to provide the reassurance of close physical touch.  I mostly remember seeing that the victim was utterly defeated by the accident and totally at the mercy of the world--totally powerless and in great pain and desperately seeking relief.  And I remember seeing the other man's face; perhaps the best words I could use to describe his expression would be "concerned" and "intent".  He seemed to be able to feel the anguish of the victim, and he gave no indication of having any concern other than helping the man who was in need.  His presence, and possibly some few words, told the seriously injured man that he wasn't alone.

I suppose it touches me so much, even when poorly remembered after so many years, partly because physical contact means so much to me, but also because I love the idea that we serve and support each other, especially in times of dire need.

The TV show noted that the injured man was eventually freed, and that the mysterious "good Samaritan" disappeared without being identified.  And that strikes a deep chord within me also; I am always glad when I'm able to render a service in anonymity so that I know without any doubt that it was truly a selfless act, with no other reward.

I still remember it, decades after seeing it once on TV.

Last thoughts for now:
In a way, I hope to be that unidentified man for others in the future, many times, even if their distress is not so great as being severely injured and trapped.  I hope to be able to do good for others, and to do it anonymously when possible.  I hope to gain greater love through doing it, and to feel the joy of that love.  I'm grateful for the Church of Jesus Christ that gives me service opportunities.

Practical Preparedness - So Evidently Helpful

Well over a decade ago (in December 2008!) I wrote here about practical preparedness.  At the time, the idea of great need striking huge chunk's of the population felt more hypothetical--something that we expected to see in the future, and perhaps the distant future.

In the last year, we've seen it quite a bit.  Just under a year ago, a global pandemic changed life for essentially everyone in the world.  It was fairly striking to see some of the grocery store shelves empty, such as those for things like canned goods and flour.  Certain high-demand items were rationed to a degree, with limits on purchases, including milk, eggs, and especially--of all things--toilet paper.

We've lived through several other moments with similar circumstances.  A country in a distant part of the world recently experienced a coup, causing great economic difficulty.  I saw a headline tonight about millions of people in Texas lacking drinking water somehow because of a recent heavy snowstorm.

But some of us are well-prepared for difficult times.  A local elders quorum president commented today about being comfortable if water became unavailable because he has 100 gallons stored in his home.

I've never felt any need to justify my actions to others when I'm following prophetic guidance.  But it is good when I am able to experience the blessing of faith turning to knowledge; it is perhaps comforting in a way to see the evidence that would readily justify the words of living prophets.

Last thoughts for now:
I'm grateful for the counsel of prophets in the Church of Jesus Christ.  I know that following them will always lead to greater peace.  I know that doing so brings very practical blessings.

The Word of My Testimony

It has been almost a year since I have posted any spiritual thoughts here.

While studying with the young adults/cadets here, at their Institute of Religion class, we recently discussed the War in Heaven as described by the apostle John.  I was very impressed by a particular verse that describes the victory of the saints over the Devil who was cast out of Heaven; Revelation 12:11 reads, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."  He lists three things that enable victory over Satan: the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the testimony of Christ's disciples, and those disciples' willingness to give up their lives if needed for the cause of truth.

The Atonement of Christ has been accomplished and is a certainty.  Members of the Church of Jesus Christ are not called upon to give up our lives in most circumstances, these days.  But we are often called upon to share the testimonies we've received from God.

Culturally, in the Church, we often use the expression "bear testimony".  It's an interesting expression; I think most people just get used to the phrase and tend to equate it with standing in front of people, saying "I know" a lot, and then following those words with basic spiritual facts.  While there's clearly truth to that, I think we often miss the full meaning of the responsibility we have that is stated in those words.  I've never thought much myself about why we use that expression, but to "bear" means to carry; we are carrying to other people the witness we've received from the God through the Holy Ghost.  Naturally, this means we must first seek and receive a witness from God about the truths of the restored gospel in the first place.  When we say, "I have a testimony," it's really an abbreviated way of saying, "I have received a testimony from God; the Almighty has given a witness of truth to me."  That source of truth, and the echoing witness from that source, is what gives power to our words.

It's not always easy, of course, to bear testimony to others.  It's often difficult, in our daily lives, to know when it's a good time to introduce spiritual or religious thoughts in a conversation.  And by "a good time", I mean that there are simply moments and opportunities when people are desirous or otherwise ready to receive spiritual truth, whereas it seems evident to us that there are also many times when bringing up such things without a listener's desire and readiness simply becomes overbearing and unhelpful for them.

An interesting phenomenon is the way that modern technology enables us to share truth with others.  The Internet is known for having enabled a lot of anonymous vitriol and abuse, but through the great variety of forums it contains, it also provides us with opportunities to give a witness of truth that God can endorse.

As I mentioned above, I haven't been active on this site for quite a while.  Even in the last couple of years, I haven't written much here.  That makes sense, in a way, given that I don't expect to have much of any audience here, but I have still been writing about spiritual topics.  I mentioned a while ago (just over a year ago, evidently) that I've spent quite a bit of time writing to people online in comments for Church videos online.  Specifically, I return to the Now You Know series frequently.  It takes a lot of time.  One reason I return so often is because sometimes people have questions for which I don't receive a notification.  I hope that my words of testimony about the goodness of the restored gospel help people.

It's generally difficult or impossible to anticipate then effect our testimony can have, but I only write because I have real hope for good things to come of it.  I hope that through my words, some people will learn things that strengthen their faith--meaning, that they receive additional witness of truth from God that they recognize.  I hope that some people who really aren't familiar with the Church of Jesus Christ get at least a small taste of the great goodness in it and a sense of the work God is doing through it.  I hope that some people open their hearts a bit and, rather than echoing incorrect and hateful ideas about the Church of Jesus Christ and His disciples, they will consider that perhaps there is understanding for them to gain.  I hope that some people who have turned away from the witness they already received will find reason to reconsider their choices.  And I hope that those who are genuinely hateful and who don't open their hearts are confounded and leave so that others who visit are not distracted from inspiring messages of joy and truth.  I've surely made mistakes, but I've learned much for myself, and despite any mistakes, I really do have these hopes.  (If I didn't, there are definitely other things I could be doing with that time I've been spending.)

Last thoughts for now:
The War in Heaven has continued, and it's clear that the war rages on today.  Jesus Christ, the Anointed, will certainly win in a broad sense, but along the way the ground won or lost comes in the form of individual souls, and "the worth of souls is great in the sight of God" (Doctrine and Covenants 18:10).  The power of Christ is eternally reliable, but there's a part for us to play also in the great War; I hope that the word of my testimony is of use to some people as they use the power and grace of Christ to defeat Satan in their own lives.  I hope, as Alma taught in Mosiah 18:9, to live up to the promise I've made "to stand as a witness of God at all times and in all things, and in all places...even until death".

The Elect

Prophets and Jesus Christ Himself have referred to the covenant people at times as "the elect".  I've written a bit about this before, but I had a particular thought about the word recently.  I saw this in Matthew 24:24 (with the same wording in Joseph Smith--Mathew 1:22).  For those of us who grew up in the Church, hearing the term "the elect" sounds pretty normal, though I think we often associate the wrong meaning with it, though.  I think that we (people in general) have often taken terms like "elect" or "chosen" to mean something like "special".  It's surely very possible for someone to take pride in belonging to "the elect"; sometimes the feeling is more overt, as with the Zoramites in Alma 31, but I think it is sometimes only felt rather subtly.

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ could fall into the trap of thinking that being "the elect" means we have achieved a higher spiritual state and are somehow more or better than other people around us.  But that's not what "elect" means.

Where else do we hear the word "elect" being used?  Perhaps in a governmental election, such as a presidential election.  In this case the "president-elect" has indeed been chosen, but is explicitly *not* the president yet.

He isn't there yet.  And we, as the "elect" aren't either.

Being "the elect" is an indication of being something someday in the future.  Members of the Church have made a covenant with God to follow His Son, and thus, by faith in Him, repentance, and obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel we can one day be exalted.  In the meanwhile, it's good to remember that we haven't reached our goal yet.  We've got a path to follow, and work to do, and only after we follow that path and finish our mortal course will we make a transition from elect to exalted.  That's why we have a warning from the Savior that even the elect can be deceived.

Last thoughts for now:
I hope I keep the right attitude about being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ--that I can keep the duties of my covenants in mind and never set myself above others.  I hope to avoid being deceived.  I hope that one day I will have fulfilled the role of the elect, and that one day the Lord will say to me the same thing spoken in the parable in Matthew 25:21 -- "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."  Until then, I can keep trying to live in a way that will be accepted by Him.

The Will and Unity of the Father and Son

Do God the Father and Jesus Christ have the same desires--the same will?

In recent months, I've been pretty active in the comments for the Now You Know series published by the Church on YouTube.  It's been a very positive experience for me, whether helping to clarify errors stated by other users or answer sincere questions from seekers of truth.  Today the interaction brought me to a thought I'd never had about a subject that I've understood for years.

The interesting comments were in response to a video about the nature of the Godhead.  As could be expected, some Christians of other religions had some disagreements.  Some members of the Church responded and some were more proactive in their comments; one quoted Jesus Christ asking the Father if the metaphoric cup could pass from Him, of course followed by his statement, "Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."  The Church member then suggested that it wouldn't make sense for a being to ask permission of itself and then acquiesce to itself.  I agree.  Then, in a reply, another user (whose religion was not stated), asked: "Interesting... if Jesus knew he was God, why would he ask the Father for permission? Why would he put the Father's will before his own? Do their wills differ?"

One of the major aspects of the nature of the Godhead is that They are united in purpose.  That makes it easy to raise the question, "Do their wills differ?"  If Christ subordinated His will to that of God the Father, then Their wills *must* have differed in some way.

I think the key difference in Their wills comes from the very fact that They are separate entities.  Jesus was nearing the end of His mortal experience, but still mortal, and performing an infinite Atonement for our sins that caused Him more emotional and physical anguish than anyone else has ever known.  His body was subject to pain and a natural desire to avoid or end that pain.  Thus, the Man who was experiencing the pain of the Atonement had, within Him, the will that it should stop.  However, because of His great love for His Father and for us, He put that will beneath the will of His Father, who surely empathized with His Son but yet knew that the Atonement of Christ was necessary for the salvation of all.

So during His mortal life, Jesus' mortal experiences in a physical but imperfect body would have given Him desires that, although supremely tempered and controlled by Him, were a part of His will.  That was what made His selflessness and righteousness so great.

Last thoughts for now:
I'm grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  I'm grateful for His perfect example to us.  I'm also grateful to be able to continually learn through study and testimony.

Borne of Four

Today I was surprised by how much I appreciated our Sunday School lesson about Jesus' miracles in the early chapters of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.  Having heard the stories so many times over the years, I didn't expect anything particularly new or good, but it was really quite sweet.  One of my favorites is the story of the healing of the centurion's servant in Luke 7 (and Matthew 8), but today I was struck very much by the story of the man healed of a "palsy" after being lowered through a roof.

In many of the miraculous healings, individuals approached Jesus and asked for healing for themselves or on behalf of loved ones, but in this case, the person was not able to.  Instead, as we read in Mark 2:3, he was brought by others: "And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four."

We don't know much at all about these four people.  We can assume that they cared a lot about this man, but I think it's more than that.  I imagine that there must have been quite a bit of effort involved, some convincing, and some coordination and ingenuity in order to get a paralyzed person up onto a roof and then lower him down through it.  Their efforts definitely demonstrated faith, and it was their faith that brought about the miracle; see verse 5 where Jesus responded "when [He] saw their faith".

Of course we should seek our own blessings from God.  We've been instructed many times to ask for those things that we need.  I think, though, that sometimes we're unable to do so or perhaps, for some reason or another, not in the best position to seek and receive blessings by our own faith.  Maybe in those cases we need to be "borne of four", or maybe more people than that, who devote time and energy to helping us.

Conversely, I truly believe that sometimes we need to be among the four.  There are often people nearby who are in need.  Sometimes they aren't able to do everything they need; at other times, maybe they can--strictly speaking--but in a practical sense they might not receive blessings if not for our efforts on their behalf.

Last thoughts for now:
I'm grateful for the people have have metaphorically carried me at times in the past.  I'm also grateful for the opportunities I've had to serve others and bring them to blessings of the Gospel.  I especially hope that I will yet have many occasions in which I can be among the "four".

Repenting Early Instead of Regretting Later

A poignant line from John Greenleaf Whittier's poem "Maud Muller" reads: "Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, 'It might have been.'"  What Whittier describes is a fictional account of a judge who loses a potential love for a young woman, because she is of low social status, and both he and the woman throughout their lives remember the other and regret "what might have been".  While the account is fictional, the fact is that we all have only one life to live and as time passes we may well wish that we had made choices differently.

Yesterday, I saw a bit of TV footage of a former celebrity being taken in handcuffs by police officers after receiving a prison sentence for crimes he committed many, many years ago.  The man had been well-known and well-loved almost universally by society for many years, but now he has lost most people's love and respect.  Granted, my basic assumption is that the justice system worked properly and he’s getting a legal punishment that is deserved--I don't doubt that--but it still strikes me as tragic.  Fame and the loss of it is of minor consequence, but what is happening to him personally is something else.  I couldn’t see his face all that well, but he didn’t seem happy or strong.  The man is old, and if anything, the feeling that seemed apparent in his face and his movement was only a recognition of something horrible and an inability to do anything about it.

I imagine that at some point in the past he probably felt guilty about what he’d done, and I think everyone that does wrong either fully repents or finds a way to keep living despite being guilty, whether they feel guilty or not.  That second possibility can be a very bad thing, in that if people find a way to move on without setting things right (as much as is possible), that in itself can prevent them from ever setting things right and restoring the parts of their soul that are damaged.  I can’t help but think that this old man has a very different outlook on life and his own actions, compared to the way he did decades ago, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he felt like it would have been much better to have had this justice attended to much earlier in his life.  I imagine that he has no desire to hurt anyone now, but regardless, he has to deal with the consequences of his actions and I’m sure he regrets all of this happening at this point in his life (for one reason or another).

I could be wrong about his thoughts; whether or not he really feels any of that, I can’t be sure.  But, I am sure that everyone who doesn’t repent will feel that same kind of regret, though when applied to an eternal judgment I think that feeling will be deeper.  At the same time, I think it will be balanced by a sense of God’s perfect justice.  I imagine that understanding God’s justice cannot be a complete comfort to people, but I think it will in some way balance the regret (the foundations of which will be immutable).  That balance isn't something to hope for, though; I would hope that we would be able to approach our final judgment in a different way, because of how we act following our own wrongdoing.  All of the guilt and regret that we feel early in life will be valuable if it leads us to correct our wrongs.

Last thoughts for now:
What might yet be is that we might be able to gain all that our Heavenly Father has, including the greatest joy possible.  We all will commit sin, but we all have an opportunity to right our wrongs.  Thankfully, during this mortal life it's never too late, but with every day that we let slip by without repenting, we are less likely to choose repentance.  May we all show gratitude for Christ's Atonement by examining our lives and determining to set right those things that we have done wrong, and may we find joy and peace in doing so.

Our Covenant to Weep

I've seen some good advice in recent years about helping others who are grieving.  When tragedy strikes, it is very natural that we feel sadness, and it's a mistake to try to avoid feeling that sadness or prevent others from feeling it.  In fact, it is part of our covenant as disciples of Christ to do just the opposite.

Among other things, Alma spoke as part of the baptismal covenant dealing with helping others during their times of trial.  Specifically, (in Mosiah 18:8-9) he listed that those who make the covenant "are willing to":

1. "bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light"
2. "mourn with those that mourn"
3. "comfort those that stand in need of comfort"

We're explicitly given a very interesting instruction in the Doctrine and Covenants (42:45): "Thou shalt live together in love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die".

(So while I think my thoughts before were valid in an earlier post on 07 December 2008, I guess I can cut that one guy in the picture a little bit of slack when he was mourning the loss of President Hinckley.  But only a little, because I think that mourning with others is meaningful when we actually know them and can communicate directly with them about their loss.  Anyway...)

Jesus himself, the ultimate exemplar, wept for someone He knew He was going to raise from the dead.  It's the shortest verse in scripture: "Jesus wept."  (John 11:35)  Even though Jesus knew that Mary and Martha's mourning would not last long, He took the time to weep with them--to mourn with them.

Last thoughts for now:
We all will have cause to mourn at times.  To me, an important way of showing love to others is to recognize that their feelings are real and valid, and we can do so effectively by sharing those feelings.  More than that, taking time to weep with others is also part of being a covenant disciple of Christ.  I hope to always remember that.

Do We Truly Follow the Prophet?

Last week, while visiting another ward, someone from their elders quorum mentioned that the next general conference is approaching.  I'd been contemplating President Nelson's talk from the last general conference (https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/04/revelation-for-the-church-revelation-for-our-lives?lang=eng) and what I should be teaching about it today.  It was an unusual lesson in that I taught the same thing roughly a couple of months ago and the quorum president felt that we should review it again.  As I heard, last week, that the next conference was approaching, it occurred to me that we have little time left to obey President Nelson's instruction to us before he gives us more.

I did take his counsel to heart.  In fact, one of his remarks has struck me possibly more than any other from any general conference in my lifetime: "In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost."  I believe it easily, as I've already seen people I love fall and lose the blessings of their testimony.  But there's a difference between hearing God's word through His prophets, and obeying that word.

I counted the number of direct instructions President Nelson gave us, starting about two thirds of the way into his talk.  By my count, he gave fourteen direct instructions and implicitly directed us to act another seven times.  Specifically, he told us to do the following: "Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses—yes, the very longings of your heart.  And then listen!  Write the thoughts that come to your mind.  Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take."  He then suggested that it should be a daily activity: "As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will 'grow into the principle of revelation.'"

Pray.
Listen!
Write our thoughts.
Record our feelings.
Follow through with actions.

Does our religion mean something?  Does our claim to discipleship mean something?  One method for gauging this would be to ask: are we following the direction of the prophet of God?  Are we seeking revelation from God and then writing down what we receive and acting upon it?

I write this with a bit less focus on just myself, partly because President Nelson's counsel was directed to everyone living on the earth.  Some of us, and likely many of us, are not already doing what he directed us to do.

If not, what are we to do?  The answer is simple: we are to obey.  If we're not doing all that we should, we still have an opportunity.  He told us to "stretch beyond [our] current spiritual ability to receive personal revelation" and again to "increase [our] spiritual capacity to receive revelation."

So we should get some paper and a pen, or open a new computer file where we record revelation regularly.  We should "choose to do the spiritual work required".

Naturally, President Nelson told us of promised blessings, but he also gave a very direct warning, letting us know that some of us will not survive spiritually in the modern world.  That's a thought that merits concern, and his counsel merits the obedience of true discipleship.

Last thoughts for now:
We have a little less than a month left to obey the prophet's counsel before we receive more.  Granted, late obedience will still bring blessings, but by not following the counsel now we risk not following it ever, and God is only telling us these things so that out lives can be better for it.  A while back I picked up a small, fat notebook and began recording what I believe are inspired thoughts and feelings.  I haven't been seeking revelation daily yet, but I know I can improve, and I know that as I follow President Nelson's counsel by seeking revelation I will be better prepared for what God has to give us in the next general conference.