Holy Ghost talk (unfinished)

Written 10/17/10 (unfinished)

I suppose after my expression of gratitude for the Holy Ghost last week that it is fitting that I should be asked to speak on the role and mission of the Holy Ghost this week. Actually, that very topic had been on my mind the days leading up to the night that I was given the assignment. I had been feeling the influence of the Spirit directing me and giving me the courage to stand up for what is right and good. So, with this in mind, let me proceed.

The 1st of AoF statates that "We believe in God the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost." "“… there are three,” says John the Beloved, “that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” (1 Jn. 5:7), signifying, of course, they are one in understanding and purpose. Of them the Prophet Joseph said:

“… these three are one; or, in other words, these three constitute the great, matchless, governing and supreme power over all things; by whom all things were created and made … and these three constitute the Godhead, and are one.” (Quoted in Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed., Bookcraft, Inc., 1966, p. 320.)

As a member of the Godhead, and being one with the Father and the Son, the Holy Ghost is, as are the Father and the Son, omniscient. He comprehends all truth having a “knowledge of [all] things.” (D&C 93:24.)" (Marion G. Romney, “The Holy Ghost,” Ensign, May 1974, 90)

We learn in the D&C section 130:22-23 that "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us. A man may receive the Holy Ghost, and it may descend upon him and not tarry with him."

Role of the Holy Ghost

The Bible Dictionary says this about the Holy Ghost:

"The Holy Ghost is manifested to men on the earth both as the power of the Holy Ghost and as the gift of the Holy Ghost. The power can come upon one before baptism, and is the convincing witness that the gospel is true. It gives one a testimony of Jesus Christ and of his work and the work of his servants upon the earth. The gift can come only after proper and authorized baptism, and is conferred by the laying on of hands, as in Acts 8: 12-25 and Moroni 2: 1-3. The gift of the Holy Ghost is the right to have, whenever one is worthy, the companionship of the Holy Ghost. More powerful than that which is available before baptism, it acts as a cleansing agent to purify a person and sanctify him from all sin."

The Holy Ghost plays a vital part in the plan of Salvation. He is the Comforter and testifier of truth. He sanctifies and purifies our hearts. After we are baptized, we are confirmed members of the church and receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost. When I stop to comprehend what that means, I am amazed at the knowledge that I am able to have a member of the Godhead as a constant companion.

The gift of the Holy Ghost includes the right to constant companionship, that we may “always have his Spirit to be with [us]” (D&C 20:77).
The blessings available through the gift of the Holy Ghost are conditioned upon worthiness. “The Spirit of the Lord doth not dwell in unholy temples” (Hel. 4:24; see also Mosiah 2:36–37; 1 Cor. 3:16–17). Even though we have a right to his constant companionship, the Spirit of the Lord will dwell only with us when we keep the commandments. He will withdraw when we offend him by profanity, uncleanliness, disobedience, rebellion, or other serious sins.
Elder Bednar offered these warnings:
King Benjamin’s address... Mosiah 2:1-6

Faith in Jesus Christ

March 17, 2010

You have to be careful what you think because the Lord does hear your thoughts. Over the last few weeks I have felt such an overwhelming sense of gratitude for all that the Lord has done for us/me that I found myself thinking that if the next week were Fast Sunday I'd share my testimony. Well, apparently the Lord prepared a way around the calendar for me - and I am indeed grateful for the opportunity.

The topic is the first principle of the gospel: Faith in Jesus Christ. Overall I think of Faith in Jesus Christ as being our willingness to act on the Lord's commands because of our trust and belief that Jesus Christ did what he said he would do - which is atone for our sins and be resurrected,- and that the Lord continues to act as an influence in our lives. Scripturally, faith as discussed in Alma 32:21 "is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true." Paul also testifies in Hebrews 11:1 that "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." So faith is not knowing all the answers, but you act according to the belief in the answers you do have.

In Moroni 7, Mormon asks:

41 And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.
42 Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope.
43 And again, behold I say unto you that he cannot have faith and hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart.
44 If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity.

It is not enough for us to believe in the Savior and hope that we'll make it back to live with Him. We can gauge the quality of our faith and testimony by the love we feel for others and how we treat them. I have found in my own life that when I am in the midst of a good relationship with the Savior, an innate desire to share the gospel grows because I feel confident in my beliefs and a kinship with the people I come in contact with. I am able to see them as a child of God and I literally feel love for them even though I may not know them. There have been a few times in my life when I felt true charity. Once such time was part of the mantle of stewardship from a leadership position as a youth. Another time was in my college years. I don't remember all the details, only that I was praying about missionary work. I do remember that feeling of love for others so strongly, but it is fleeting when we don't nurture or maintain our testimony and relationship with the Savior.

So, how do we increase our faith in the Savior? It is a process that must be studied, practiced and worked at just like any other skill. The prophet Alma in the Book of Mormon likened increasing our faith to planting a seed.

27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.
28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.
29 Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge.
30 But behold, as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, then you must needs say that the seed is good; for behold it swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow. And now, behold, will not this strengthen your faith? Yea, it will strengthen your faith: for ye will say I know that this is a good seed; for behold it sprouteth and beginneth to grow.

It begins with a desire to have faith in Jesus. We can learn who He is by studying His life in the scriptures, praying to develop a relationship with Him, and then acting on the things we learn. This is the great experiement. We will soon discover for ourselves what is truth. As we learn truth and seek greater understanding, our faith will grow.

Alma 32:26-43
36 Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither must ye lay aside your faith, for ye have only exercised your faith to plant the seed that ye might try the experiment to know if the seed was good.
37 And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit.
38 But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.
39 Now, this is not because the seed was not good, neither is it because the fruit thereof would not be desirable; but it is because your ground is barren, and ye will not nourish the tree, therefore ye cannot have the fruit thereof.
40 And thus, if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree of life.
41 But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.
42 And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.
43 Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.

When we were in the trenches of the trial of infertility, there came a point where I was literally putting one spiritual foot in front of the other to make it through each day. My faith and testimony was shaken. I couldn't discern my own thoughts from the Lord's voice anymore. I read my scriptures and prayed without feeling because I knew there was a level of blessing that came from going through the motions even though my heart wasn't in it. I knew I couldn't afford to stop moving altogether. It was a dark time for me. I came to a point where I knew I needed to learn the voice of the Lord again. I relied on Alma's process of experimenting on the word. It was a simple, small experiment but it made all the difference. I needed to buy new shoe laces for Matthew. I went to Dollar Tree to hunt for them and found them. I had this feeling though that I shouldn't buy them. I had a choice to make. I could either listen to the feeling or brush it off. I decided to test the feeling and went to Wal-Mart to price them. Wal-Mart's shoe laces were 88 cents and had an extra set in them. At that moment, I knew I'd felt the promptings of the Spirit. I reveled in that feeling and committed that feeling of the voice to memory so that I would be able to recognize it again. Another opportunity came for something that I don't even remember at this point, but I felt that warning voice again and told Matthew what I felt. We decided to follow my prompting. Again we were blessed. Out of that small 12 cent experiment, my faith and testimony was nourished and allowed to grow and blossom again. Our trial of infertility did not end immediately after that just because I learned the voice of the Lord again, but it gave me an anchor of hope. I received reassurances through Priesthood blessings that the desires of my heart would soon be fulfilled. Soon is relative, but I knew the Lord keeps His promises. I was able to find happiness and peace again.

As we pray for the Lord's help, we have to be willing to do our part. President Spencer W. Kimball said: "In faith we plant the seed, and soon we see the miracle of the blossoming. Men have often misunderstood and reversed the process." He continued by explaining that many of us want to have health and strength without keeping the health laws. We want to have prosperity without paying our tithes. We want to be close to the Lord but don't want to fast and pray. We want to have rain in due season and to have peace in the land without observing the Sabbath as a holy day and without keeping the other commandments of the Lord. (See Faith Precedes the Miracle, p. 4)

For us in our experience with infertility, I had to show the Lord I was willing and committed to do my part by putting my life in the hands of medical technology. This was a hard thing for me to do because I don't even like taking medicine for a headache. I still remember clearly the night that I made that decision and the feeling of relief and peace and excitement I felt. That decision was the beginning of many miracles and blessings for us.

I testify that the Lord knows us individually and intimately. He loves us, and if we let Him, He will direct our lives in a manner that will enable us to be better than we could ever be alone. He will prepare a way for us to overcome our trials and temptations.

As I prayed about this talk, I was strongly impressed to share this experience with you. The more I've thought about this, the more I see the Lord's hand in our lives. We are so blessed. When Matthew's father died, we were blessed with an amount of inheritance that we had earmarked for certain things like a family vacation, repairs for the house, and savings. At the time Matthew was working and going to school full-time and rarely had a Sunday off. Such a schedule is challenging on many levels, so after much discussion we decided that he would approach his manager about getting Sundays off. The result was a two-day work week that allowed Sundays off and more time to focus on school. We planned to supplement our income for a few months with our savings until Matthew graduated and could pursue a full-time military career. Unfortunately more time passed than we'd have liked and the only thing that changed was the amount of money in our savings account. Job hunting was yielding no return. I suggested to Matthew that it was time we started really praying about our situation. As we prayed that evening, I could tell that Matthew received direction from the Lord. The answer he received was Matthew 6:31-34

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself...."

My inner response was, 'Great. I'll keep praying.'

From this vantage point, I can see the Lord's hand in preparing a way long ago. In 2007 I received my first request to teach piano lessons. I was in my last trimester of pregnancy with Aaron and was in no way ready to teach, but it did plant a seed. The Christmas program the choir prepared in 2008 really challenged my level of piano skills and by the end of that experience I was a better player (and a better person). As a result of that program, I again began getting requests to teach piano lessons. I did research about teaching and felt completely unqualified and inadequate. One of my friends would not give up on me though, so I took the matter to the Lord. His response was that I should do it. So I did. I held my first piano lesson at the end of last April and by the end of May had eight students. By Christmas my students numbered 12. In January it became obvious that we would need to start utilizing my piano earnings to supplement Matthew's income. We had enough savings left to make it through two more months. I began wondering if I should try to take on more students and try to work with more advanced students even though I've limited my students to beginners. The two months passed and two of my students decided they no longer wanted to pursue piano, but two days later I received a phone call from a young man who wanted to take lessons. A week after that I received another call for a current student to go from twice a month lessons to weekly. What a blessing! These calls truly were answers to prayer. The Lord continues to prepare the way as He directs me with new avenues in my piano teaching.

At the beginning of March, Matthew got a call from his Army Reserve unit asking him to come in and work for two days that week. And three days the week after. And two days before his drill weekend. Spring break is a busy time on the river, so Matthew received a call from his supervisor asking if he would be willing to work this Sunday. Matthew told him no, but he could work Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The end result was 13 straight days of working plus two days of double shifts. The Lord has provided a way for us.

We had a discussion with Jared recently about what makes Sunday special. In that talk we told him that when we choose to go to the store on Sunday or ride the tour boats on the river walk (in Matthew's case), we make it so others have to work and not be able to keep the Sabbath day holy. In this discussion I learned that the only way that Matthew was able to get Sundays off was to go part time. It is an exercise of faith to give up your full-time status and its benefits so that you can have Sundays off. The Lord promised us that 'if ye first seek the kingdom of God, all these things shall be added unto you'. I testify that He has clothed us through the generosity of others; He has fed us with a generous gift card received at Christmas through his work and with an effort to prepare our meals using our food storage, the morrow has been taken care of with the talents and skills He blessed us with and we developed along the way. My heart overflows with gratitude as my eyes are opened up to even more ways that He has helped us for this moment. And I recognize now that the expression of gratitude also increases our faith. Over the last few weeks my prayers have been ones of gratitude with little asking in return. As I think about it, those have been the weeks when the Lord has poured His blessings on us. Perhaps there is a lesson in that.

As my eyes are opened to all the moments where the Lord touched and blessed our lives even in sorrow and hardship, how can I not dedicate my life to Him? How can I not say, Thy will be done? How can I not trust that His way is the best way?

Again I testify, the Lord knows us. He loves us. Jesus is the Christ. He atoned for our sins and paid the price for the ends of the law to be satisfied that mercy may have effect. As we exercise faith in Jesus, He will meet us and magnify us. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Talk thoughts

Sunday morning as I prayed about my talk, I received the impression that the most important thing I could do was share my testimony and experiences with the Book of Mormon. As I finished typing up my talk, I remembered an experience I had while we were teaching seminary and started to add it in, but took it out. I couldn't shake that memory though and felt that it needed to be shared as well. I was afraid by the time I got to the testimony portion of my talk I'd forget or run out of time. So, I began with the end.

I began my talk basically stating what I just did and then shared the following (roughly):

When Matthew and I taught seminary, I was preparing a lesson on 2 Nephi 2 where Lehi is teaching his children about Jesus Christ and the Atonement. I came to verse 7 and wanted to understand what was meant by 'the ends of the law'

7 Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.

As I kept reading, I discovered verse 10 had the answer:

10 And because of the intercession for all, all men come unto God; wherefore, they stand in the presence of him, to be judged of him according to the truth and holiness which is in him. Wherefore, the ends of the law which the Holy One hath given, unto the inflicting of the punishment which is affixed, which punishment that is affixed is in opposition to that of the happiness which is affixed, to answer the ends of the atonement—

The Spirit offered me clarity and the realization that the ends of the law are punishment and happiness. In order to answer the ends, Jesus had to experience it during the Atonement. As I realized the depths he experienced, I felt so humbled and understood why He was worthy for us to kneel at His feel and WANTED to kneel to. I am grateful for that moment with the Spirit. I am so grateful for my Savior and the love he feels that he would be willing to do that for each of us.

**************

A lot of people seemed to fall asleep during my talk, and I felt like I was mostly reading and that it was really boring. Several people told me afterwards that they really liked and it was good. I hope that it really was helpful for someone along the way. It was good for me to reflect on my experiences with the Book of Mormon. It has strengthened my testimony to remember.

The Book of Mormon is the Keystone of our Religion

In the 1986 October General Conference, Pres Ezra Taft Benson gave a talk called The Book of Mormon: Keystone of Our Religion and is the most widely sourced talk on the topic. I also draw my words mostly from his. 

The Prophet Joseph Smith testified that “the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion” (Introduction to the Book of Mormon). A keystone is the central stone in an arch. It holds all the other stones in place, and if removed, the arch crumbles.

There are three ways in which the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. It is the keystone in our witness of Christ. It is the keystone of our doctrine. It is the keystone of testimony.

Keystone in our Witness of Christ

President Benson continues:

The Book of Mormon is the keystone in our witness of Jesus Christ, who is Himself the cornerstone of everything we do. It bears witness of His reality with power and clarity. Unlike the Bible, which passed through generations of copyists, translators, and corrupt religionists who tampered with the text, the Book of Mormon came from writer to reader in just one inspired step of translation. Therefore, its testimony of the Master is clear, undiluted, and full of power. But it does even more. Much of the Christian world today rejects the divinity of the Savior. They question His miraculous birth, His perfect life, and the reality of His glorious resurrection. The Book of Mormon teaches in plain and unmistakable terms about the truth of all of those. It also provides the most complete explanation of the Atonement. Truly, this divinely inspired book is a keystone in bearing witness to the world that Jesus is the Christ. (See title page of the Book of Mormon.)

In the title page of the Book of Mormon, it states that one of the purposes of the record is "to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations." In fact, Nephi, the first author we hear from in the Book of Mormon tells us in 1 Nephi 6:4 "the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved." Towards the end of Nephi's life as we read in 2 Nephi 25:23-30, Nephi mentions the name of Christ 16 times!!

 In the middle of the Book of Mormon we have the record of the teachings of Alma and Amulek. Beginning in chapter 32 while attempting to teach the people of Ammonihah, only the poor are willing to hear them. He teaches them how to have faith and nourish it. In chapter 33 the people are taught how to pray, and in 34 the people are taught the word is in Jesus Christ and why an Atonement is necessary. Beginning in verse 5, Amulek says:

5 And we have beheld that the great question which is in your minds is whether the word be in the Son of God, or whether there shall be no Christ.
6 And ye also beheld that my brother has proved unto you, in many instances, that the word is in Christ unto salvation.
7 My brother has called upon the words of Zenos, that redemption cometh through the Son of God, and also upon the words of Zenock; and also he has appealed unto Moses, to prove that these things are true.
8 And now, behold, I will testify unto you of myself that these things are true. Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

Towards the end of the Book of Mormon we have accounts of the signs of his birth and death, as well as a visit from the resurrected Jesus. In 3 Nephi 11, the people have just spent three days in total darkness following a major upheaval and destruction resulting from earthquakes, tempests, and fires that were the signs given of Christ's death. Those who survived and were gathered in the land of Bountiful  

2 And they were also conversing about this Jesus Christ, of whom the sign had been given concerning his death.
3 And it came to pass that while they were thus conversing one with another, they heard a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard;
4 And it came to pass that again they heard the voice, and they understood it not.
5 And again the third time they did hear the voice, and did open their ears to hear it; and their eyes were towards the sound thereof; and they did look steadfastly towards heaven, from whence the sound came.
6 And behold, the third time they did understand the voice which they heard; and it said unto them:
7 Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him.
8 And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw a Man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe; and he came down and stood in the midst of them; and the eyes of the whole multitude were turned upon him, and they durst not open their mouths, even one to another, and wist not what it meant, for they thought it was an angel that had appeared unto them.
9 And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people, saying:
10 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.
11 And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.
12 And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words the whole multitude fell to the earth; for they remembered that it had been prophesied among them that Christ should show himself unto them after his ascension into heaven.

Keystone of Our Doctrine

Again from Pres Benson:

The Book of Mormon is also the keystone of the doctrine of the resurrection. As mentioned before, the Lord Himself has stated that the Book of Mormon contains the “fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” (D&C 20:9.) That does not mean it contains every teaching, every doctrine ever revealed. Rather, it means that in the Book of Mormon we will find the fulness of those doctrines required for our salvation. And they are taught plainly and simply so that even children can learn the ways of salvation and exaltation. The Book of Mormon offers so much that broadens our understandings of the doctrines of salvation. Without it, much of what is taught in other scriptures would not be nearly so plain and precious.

One year for an Institute class, as we read the Book of Mormon we found teachings, insights, or information that was unique to the Book of Mormon. It was amazing. Recently the Church Education System has created a new course called The Teaching of the Book of Mormon. I think the class outline gives a really great indication of the doctrines and lessons of the Book of Mormon:
 (see page)

Keystone of Testimony

From Pres Benson:

Finally, the Book of Mormon is the keystone of testimony. Just as the arch crumbles if the keystone is removed, so does all the Church stand or fall with the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. 

Pres James E Faust expounded on this concept in his talk The Keystone of Our Religon:

The Book of Mormon is a keystone because it establishes and ties together eternal principles and precepts, rounding out basic doctrines of salvation. It is the crowning gem in the diadem of our holy scriptures.

It is a keystone for other reasons also. In the promise of Moroni … —namely, that God will manifest the truth of the Book of Mormon to every sincere inquirer having faith in Christ—we have a key link in a self-locking chain.

A confirming testimony of the Book of Mormon convinces ‘that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God’ and also spiritually verifies the divine calling of Joseph Smith and that he did see the Father and the Son. With that firmly in place, it logically follows that one can also receive a verification that the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price are true companion scriptures to the Bible and the Book of Mormon.

All of this confirms the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the divine mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, led by a living prophet enjoying continuous revelation. From these basic verities, an understanding can flow of other saving principles of the fulness of the gospel.

In addition, the Book of Mormon is a necessary keystone of our own individual faith. An understanding of the Book of Mormon can really help lock into place an individual’s faith in Jesus Christ.

Over and over in the Book of Mormon we see the pattern for receiving revelation or a testimony of God's word, beginning with Nephi who wanted to see what his father saw to the end with Moroni's promise that 

4 ... 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.

President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, shared his personal experience and counsel for those seeking a testimony:
“When I first read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover, I read the promise that if I ‘would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if [the things I had read were] true; and if [I would] ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he [would] manifest the truth of it unto [me], by the power of the Holy Ghost’ (Moroni 10:4). I tried to follow those instructions as I understood them.

If I expected a glorious manifestation to come at once as an overpowering experience, it did not happen. Nevertheless, it felt good, and I began to believe. …

My experience has been that a testimony does not burst upon us suddenly. Rather, it grows, as Alma said, from a seed of faith. ‘It will strengthen your faith: for ye will say I know that this is a good seed; for behold it sprouteth and beginneth to grow’ (Alma 32:30). If you nourish it, it will grow; and if you do not nourish it, it will wither (see Alma 32:37–41).

Do not be disappointed if you have read and reread and yet have not received a powerful witness. You may be somewhat like the disciples spoken of in the Book of Mormon who were filled with the power of God in great glory ‘and they knew it not’ (3 Nephi 9:20).
Do the best you can. Think of this verse: ‘See that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order’ (Mosiah 4:27)” (in Conference Report, Apr. 2005, 6–7; or Ensign, May 2005, 6, 8).

When I was a youth, we had a home teacher that challenged our family - specifically us children - to read the Book of Mormon. I took his challenge seriously and did it. My memories are foggy enough at this point that I don't remember if this was the first time I'd read it all the way through, but I was hungry for understanding, knowledge about gospel topics, and a testimony. I looked up every footnote and cross reference for each verse. It took me a long time to finish my study, but by the end my desires were met. And in the reading, I found answers to questions and situations I was facing as a youth. President Benson said

There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called “the words of life” (D&C 84:85), and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon. When you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you will find life in greater and greater abundance.

I found his words to be true. It certainly gave me the strength to resist temptation as a youth, and continues to give me the strength to meet the challenges I face as an adult. I love the writers of the Book of Mormon. I am so grateful for their strength and courage to do what is right even when it was hard.

Our beloved brother, President Marion G. Romney, testified of the blessings that can come into the lives of those who will read and study the Book of Mormon. He said:

“I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity—the pure love of Christ—will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness” (Ensign, May 1980, p. 67).

These promises—increased love and harmony in the home, greater respect between parent and child, increased spirituality and righteousness—are not idle promises, but exactly what the Prophet Joseph Smith meant when he said the Book of Mormon will help us draw nearer to God.

It is my hope and prayer that we see that promise come to fruition in our home and family. I leave my testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon with you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

How to show faith in the face of Obstacles and Challenges

So today was the day of my talk. I had read and prayed and worried and thought for days. Just as a refresher, my topic was how to show faith in the face of obstacles and challenges. Earlier this week I knelt in sincere prayer and my mind was enlightened to this:

Have faith in the Savior, believe him and act according to his commands. Breaks down to taking care of the poor and needy = service.
ex Neighbor hurricane Sandy going from house to house seeing if there was a need he could help with ex reaching out to a new member of the ward 

I turned to Alma 34 and saw this:

17 Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your ^afaith unto repentance, that ye begin to ^bcall upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you;
28 And now behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, do not suppose that this is all; for after ye have done all these things, if ye^aturn away the ^bneedy, and the ^cnaked, and visit not the sick and afflicted, and ^dimpart of your substance, if ye have, to those who stand in need—I say unto you, if ye do not any of these things, behold, your ^eprayer is ^fvain, and availeth you nothing, and ye are as ^ghypocrites who do deny the faith.
 29 Therefore, if ye do not remember to be ^acharitable, ye are as dross, which the refiners do cast out, (it being of no worth) and is trodden under foot of men.

I spent the next several days reading and studying chapters 31 - 34 and saw and felt so much from this study, I had no idea how to convey it in a coherent form. I realized I was spending a lot of time on the faith portion of it that I had not even taken into account the part about challenges. I looked up adversity in the lds.org database and discovered Elder Ballard's talk from this last conference and felt that it was everything I was trying to convey. Unfortunately I can't just re-read his talk. As I looked at other talks I discovered one from Elder Eyring that was a lesson on Alma 31 - 34. Again, just what I was thinking!! There were a few other talks that seemed especially relevant like Elder Anderson's on repentance.

Yesterday I was able to spend a good portion of my morning studying and trying to flush it out. I have pages of notes from my study of the Alma chapters. I could see that there was a connection regarding prayer between the Zoramites, Alma and the teachings of Amulek. I also felt like what I was looking for was a lesson on charity. My family responsibilities kept me from spending more time on it until the evening when the boys were in bed. I continued to go in circles until I made a promise to work until the laundry was done then go to bed and figure it out in the morning.

By the time I went to bed Aaron was awake. I got him taken care of and then went to bed. As soon as I laid down he was at the door asking for me to snuggle with him otherwise he wouldn't be able to go  back to sleep. So I went to bed with Aaron at 2 am and was woken by Matthew at 6 am to go our bed. I did NOT want to get up this morning. I finally managed to pull myself up about 8:30. I spent the morning continuing to make notes. It helped to print all the pages I was looking at online because then I could highlight the thoughts that seemed most relevant. Soon I had to refresh for my  Primary lesson too and all I could do was pray and hope something came out good. I mentioned to Matthew I thought it would be nice if I could have someone sit with my class during sharing time so I could finish thinking. He was supposed to teach that hour but no one showed up so he surprised me and took over the class so I could go work again. By the end of that hour I had a coherent talk.

I was feeling so nervous and shaky today. Part of the pressure I felt was knowing this was my first talk in the ward - my introduction of sorts. Since the assignment came by email, I am betting that the Bishopric member who asked me didn't even know me by sight because he passed me several times while I sat in the hall and never said a word. I had made a comment about speaking today on FB so I had several people comment to me about being ready and encouraging me. When I sat down on the stand I was trembling! I was relieved to see I was the second speaker. The men I sat beside were very kind and offered a somewhat calming presence. As the meeting began, I could see the tender mercies of the Lord unfolding. The opening hymn was How Great Thou Art - one of my favorite and very communing one for me - and the Sacrament hymn was In Humility Our Savior - another favorite. Music is so vital to me as a centering force. The next tender mercy was that our housemate offered the opening prayer. He was aware I had sat at that table for hours and knew I was struggling with the talk. He offers very heart felt prayers and this one was no different. He prayed for us as the speakers and for them as a congregation. He also happened to mention the need to serve each other - the very point I hoped to get across. During the sacrament I prayed some more and let my mind just open up and try to imagine what I was going to say. The ideas flowed and felt right. I took a few notes and hoped I could get them out of my head and into the microphone.

The other pressure was wondering if our topics would overlap. Remember how I said I didn't feel that my old talk was quite right? I kept feeling like it was the basics and I needed to take it a step further. The youth speaker covered faith - and quite well. (Good thing his was a short talk too b/c I made up for it) I was impressed with his ability to cover the topic clearly and concisely. He used the quotes from Alma 32:21. Interestingly, the closing speaker gave the rest of my old talk - the experiment on the word and even used their own experience with infertility.  He did take it a step beyond and covered repentance which was one of the topics I kept feeling I should harp on a bit but never quite made it in my talk.

So what did I actually say? I have no idea what all I said. I just got up and started talking and touched on just a few of the quotes I'd pulled! ha :) As Matthew and I were pulling up into the parking lot before church I had told him of the concern I felt about what kind of impression I was going to make with this first talk. He said it couldn't be any worse than his after he first arrived here (I have never heard him give a bad talk) and then he said he thinks it may have even been a similar topic. I told him that my initial thought had been to talk about the challenge of the last year but didn't really know how to and tie it in or if I even wanted to. He understood. I told him that in case it comes out anyway, would he mind if I shared details. He of course did mind and said he'd prefer I didn't. I said ok and that was that. Well I kept my promise but I also was true to my feeling.

I began by introducing myself and sharing that I grew up in TX and lived there until we arrived here in August. I told them my first thought when I received the topic was our recent experience with the move. I mentioned that Matthew had lived here for a year while I stayed behind to sell the house so I got to be a single parent for a year to our two boys. I shared the opposition and resistance I experienced from family and friends at the reality of me moving. I shared the vision the Lord gave me of the garden as I mourned the friendships I would not make with those moving into the ward as I prepared to leave. I didn't blog about this vision but I journaled it. Basically each of us is a plant in a garden and sometimes transplants have to be made for the mutual benefit of everyone. I told the members that I had visited the ward once when we dropped Matthew off a year ago and yet I felt a homesickness for them. I don't know why, but obviously we need each other. I thanked them for their examples and fellowshipping.  Then I started moving into the rest of my talk.

My second impression about the topic was that our faith is in Jesus Christ.  What does that mean and how does it influence our life?  Even in our hardest and darkest times and circumstances, do our actions and thoughts reflect our belief or faith and hope that Jesus is the Son of God who came to earth,”suffering pains and ^aafflictions and^btemptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will ^ctake upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

 12 And he will take upon him ^adeath, that he may ^bloose 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 ^csuccor his people according to their infirmities.”? (Alma 7:11-12)

Elder Eyring said

My purpose today is to assure you that our Heavenly Father and the Savior live and that They love all humanity. The very opportunity for us to face adversity and affliction is part of the evidence of Their infinite love. God gave us the gift of living in mortality so that we could be prepared to receive the greatest of all the gifts of God, which is eternal life. Then our spirits will be changed. We will become able to want what God wants, to think as He thinks, and thus be prepared for the trust of an endless posterity to teach and to lead through tests to be raised up to qualify to live forever in eternal life.

It is clear that for us to have that gift and to be given that trust, we must be transformed through making righteous choices where that is hard to do. We are prepared for so great a trust by passing through trying and testing experiences in mortality. That education can come only as we are subject to trials while serving God and others for Him.

I think at this point I gave a nod to our housemate about his prayer and his example of service. 

I then told them that I was studying Alma 31 - 34 and wanted them to compare the prayers of these groups of people. First the Zoramites and then Alma:

Alma and his teaching companion Amulek had gone to the land of the Zoramites – people who once had the fullness of the gospel and turned away from it. If you recall, these are the people who built the tower called Rameumptom (meaning the holy stand) and offered the same prayer once a week about how they were separated from their brethren as the chosen people of God and how grateful they were to know there should be no Christ because no one could know the future. Then they went home and never spoke of God again until they returned to their pulpit and offered the same prayer the following week. Their hearts were set on the things of the world and thus turned away the poor and the needy.

Contrast the Zoramite prayer with that of Alma as he prepared himself for the challenges he faced as a missionary. The italics are an emphasis of things prayed for that we can emulate.

 31 O Lord, my heart is exceedingly sorrowful; wilt thou comfort my soul ^ain Christ. O Lord, wilt thou grant unto me that I may have strength, that I may suffer with patience these ^bafflictions which shall come upon me, because of the iniquity of this people. (I emphasized that Alma recognized affliction would come because of the choices of these people and that sometimes our trial is the result of other people's actions)

 32 O Lord, wilt thou comfort my soul, and give unto me success, and also my fellow laborers who are with me…yea, even all these wilt thou comfort, O Lord. Yea, wilt thou comfort their souls in Christ.

 33 Wilt thou grant unto them that they may have strength, that they may ^abear their afflictions which shall come upon them because of the iniquities of this people.

 34 O Lord, wilt thou grant ^aunto us that we may have success in bringing them again unto thee in Christ.

 35 Behold, O Lord, their ^asouls are precious, and many of them are our brethren; therefore, give unto us, O Lord, power and wisdom that we may bring these, our brethren, again unto thee. (I pointed out that Alma prayed for these wicked people and recognized that they were of worth even though they would cause them afflictions). 

At this point I could feel the Spirit strong and could tell others felt it as well. There was power in that part of my message. 

I should have left it at those two prayers but then I read Amulek's teaching on prayer in Alma 34:17-30 (people started falling asleep here. I should have gone straight from vs 17 to 29 & 30. I pointed out that unless we taking care of the poor and the needy - not just physically by emotionally and spiritually, then our prayers are in vain. We could be praying like Alma but unless we serve others it is of no worth) and then the Ammonites example as they took in the poor of the Zoramites in 35:9: 

And he breathed out many threatenings against them. And now the people of Ammon did not fear their words; therefore they did not cast them out, but they did receive all the poor of the Zoramites that came over unto them; and they did ^anourish them, and did clothe them, and did give unto them lands for their inheritance; and they did administer unto them according to their wants.

I asked them who do they most identify with? Are they like the Zoramites who come to church once a week and feel great about themselves and take no thought the rest of the week? Or are they like Alma? or even the people of Ammon who took care of the poor and then provided lands of inheritance - our land of inheritance is eternal life.

I think at this point I moved to Elder Ballard's talk:

 Only when our testimony transcends what is in our mind and burrows deep into our heart will our motivation to love and to serve become like unto the Savior’s. It is then, and only then, that we become deeply converted disciples of Christ empowered by the Spirit to reach the hearts of our fellowmen.

When our hearts are no longer set upon the things of this world, we will no longer aspire to the honors of men or seek only to gratify our pride (see D&C 121:35–37). Rather, we take on the Christlike qualities that Jesus taught:

• • 
  We are gentle and meek and long-suffering (see D&C 121:41).
• • 
  We are kind, without hypocrisy or guile (see D&C 121:42).
• • 
  We feel charity toward all men (see D&C 121:45).
• • 
  Our thoughts are always virtuous (see D&C 121:45).
• • 
  We no longer desire to do evil (see Mosiah 5:2).
• • 
  The Holy Ghost is our constant companion, and the doctrines of the priesthood distill upon our souls as the dews from heaven (see D&C 121:45–46).
• ...
• How do we make this change? How do we ingrain this love of Christ into our hearts? There is one simple daily practice that can make a difference for every member of the Church, including you boys and girls, you young men and you young women, you single adults, and you fathers and mothers.
  That simple practice is: In your morning prayer each new day, ask Heavenly Father to guide you to recognize an opportunity to serve one of His precious children. Then go throughout the day with your heart full of faith and love, looking for someone to help. Stay focused, just like the honeybees focus on the flowers from which to gather nectar and pollen. If you do this, your spiritual sensitivities will be enlarged and you will discover opportunities to serve that you never before realized were possible.
  President Thomas S. Monson has taught that in many instances Heavenly Father answers another person’s prayers through us—through you and me—through our kind words and deeds, through our simple acts of service and love.
  And President Spencer W. Kimball said: “God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs. Therefore, it is vital that we serve each other” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball [2006], 82)."
  I shared a time when I was feeling really low and realized I was too much in myself and needed to get outside my box, so I started making phone calls and reaching out to others. In turn, I was lifted as well.
  My final thought came from Alma 33:21-23

  21 O my brethren, if ye could be healed by merely casting about your eyes that ye might be healed, would ye not behold quickly, or would ye rather harden your hearts in ^aunbelief, and be ^bslothful, that ye would not cast about your eyes, that ye might perish?
   22 If so, wo shall come upon you; but if not so, then cast about your eyes and ^abegin to believe in the Son of God, that he will come to redeem his people, and that he shall suffer and die to ^batone for their sins; and that he shall ^crise again from the dead, which shall bring to pass the ^dresurrection, that all men shall stand before him, to be ^ejudged at the last and judgment day, according to their^fworks.
   23 And now, my brethren, I desire that ye shall ^aplant this word in your hearts, and as it beginneth to swell even so nourish it by your faith. And behold, it will become a tree, ^bspringing up in you unto ^ceverlasting life. And then may God grant unto you that your^dburdens may be light, through the joy of his Son. And even all this can ye do if ye ^ewill. Amen.
  

  
  

I would like to say I felt a relief when I sat down but I didn't stop shaking for awhile after church. I was told that it was a good talk and I think my experience with moving resonated with several people because this a transient ward and long hours away from spouses is pretty typical. I feel like I covered what I was supposed to. The only quote I wished I had remembered to give was this from Elder Anderson's talk:

For most, repentance is more a journey than a one-time event. It is not easy. To change is difficult. It requires running into the wind, swimming upstream. Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.” ¹⁸ Repentance is turning away from some things, such as dishonesty, pride, anger, and impure thoughts, and turning toward other things, such as kindness, unselfishness, patience, and spirituality. It is “re-turning” toward God.

Sometimes in our repentance, in our daily efforts to become more Christlike, we find ourselves repeatedly struggling with the same difficulties. As if we were climbing a tree-covered mountain, at times we don’t see our progress until we get closer to the top and look back from the high ridges. Don’t be discouraged. If you are striving and working to repent, you are in the process of repenting.

As we improve, we see life more clearly and feel the Holy Ghost working more strongly within us.

But, the closing speaker covered repentance well enough that I really didn't need to. When I looked at the clock as I sat down, there was 15 min left of the meeting and we still needed to sing an intermediate hymn. I had heard the closing speaker mention to the Bishopric member that his talk wasn't very long. It wasn't really but we ended about 5 minutes late because I had eaten into his time.

I am so grateful for the prayers offered on my behalf today. I needed them and I felt them. The Lord offered his mercies and I can honestly say I felt more like myself today than I have in awhile. I've missed that companionship with Heavenly Father. I needed this talk and the opportunity to "re-turn toward God."