One of the best parts of the scriptures revealed in the latter-days is found at the end of Joseph Smith-History in the Pearl of Great Price. It is Oliver Cowdery's account of the restoration, beautifully written, but unversed and printed in a small type-setting at the end of the JSH.
But it is a worthwhile read, as Oliver's testimony confirms Joseph's testimony.
Let's take a paragraph-by-paragraph look at this writing.
PARAGRAPH 1: “These were days never to be forgotten—to sit under the sound of a voice dictated by the inspiration of heaven, awakened the utmost gratitude of this bosom! Day after day I continued, uninterrupted, to write from his mouth, as he translated with the Urim and Thummim, or, as the Nephites would have said, ‘Interpreters,’ the history or record called ‘The Book of Mormon.’
I love how Oliver puts this. His days as the scribe for the Book of Mormons "were days never to be forgotten." This hints of the joy Joseph and Oliver both must have felt, as they read/heard the words of God for the first time in that Great Book of Mormon. And, really, I can understand that joy because it must have been similar to the joy I get now when I read the Book of Mormon, even though I've read it many times before.
And how did Oliver feel when he first heard God's words in the Book of Mormon? Oliver writes that it "awakened the utmost gratitude of this bosom." Oliver's description is perfect. He didn't feel just gratitude. He felt the "utmost" gratitude--he couldn't have been more grateful. And where did that gratitude originate? His bosom. In other words, in his heart. As he heard and transcribed the Book of Mormon, his heart recognized truth and was grateful that God's truths had made their way to Oliver.
PARAGRAPH 2: "No men, in their sober senses, could translate and write the directions given to the Nephites from the mouth of the Savior, of the precise manner in which men should build up His Church, and especially when corruption had spread an uncertainty over all forms and systems practiced among men, without desiring a privilege of showing the willingness of the heart by being buried in the liquid grave, to answer a ‘good conscience by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.’"
Oliver is bearing his testimony of the Book of Mormon hear. If you read Christ's words in the Book of Mormon, how can you doubt, is essentially what Oliver is saying. Oliver sees Christ's beautiful directions to the righteous Nephites, who withstood the filth of their society to build a mighty kingdom of God. Oliver tells us that the people were so wicked in Nephite times that they refused to be baptized (or enter a "liquid grave" as Oliver calls it) and ignored the need to have a clear conscience when resurrected. Oliver admired, as do I, the Nephites' steadfastness living in such circumstances. To Oliver who lived in a day when men, even the wicked ones, all chose to get baptized, the fact that some would refuse baptism must have been a very foreign idea--and Oliver rightly noted the evil in refusing baptism for remission of sins.
PARAGRAPH 3: “After writing the account given of the Savior’s ministry to the remnant of the seed of Jacob, upon this continent, it was easy to be seen, as the prophet said it would be, that darkness covered the earth and gross darkness the minds of the people. On reflecting further it was as easy to be seen that amid the great strife and noise concerning religion, none had authority from God to administer the ordinances of the Gospel. For the question might be asked, have men authority to administer in the name of Christ, who deny revelations, when His testimony is no less than the spirit of prophecy, and His religion based, built, and sustained by immediate revelations, in all ages of the world when He has had a people on earth? If these facts were buried, and carefully concealed by men whose craft would have been in danger if once permitted to shine in the faces of men, they were no longer to us; and we only waited for the commandment to be given ‘Arise and be baptized.’"
Here, Oliver tells us that as he and Joseph read about the Savior giving authority to his disciples on the American continent, they realized that no one had authority on the Earth at that time. Oliver explains it beautifully: The priesthood is an authority built on revelation, and if the churches of the day were denying revelation, then how could they have the priesthood? If you deny there's revelation, then how could you bless the sick or give a blessing to the downtrodden in heart? Moreover, if God has given revelations to his people in all ages, then why would he stop now? I love the way Oliver says it: "His [God's]religion [is] based, built, and sustained by immediate revelations." Oliver points us that these true facts about the priesthood were buried by those priests who sought to profit from false doctrines.
PARAGRAPH 4: "This was not long desired before it was realized. The Lord, who is rich in mercy, and ever willing to answer the consistent prayer of the humble, after we had called upon Him in a fervent manner, aside from the abodes of men, condescended to manifest to us His will. On a sudden, as from the midst of eternity, the voice of the Redeemer spake peace to us, while the veil was parted and the angel of God came down clothed with glory, and delivered the anxiously looked for message, and the keys of the Gospel of repentance. What joy! what wonder! what amazement! While the world was racked and distracted—while millions were groping as the blind for the wall, and while all men were resting upon uncertainty, as a general mass, our eyes beheld, our ears heard, as in the ‘blaze of day’; yes, more—above the glitter of the May sunbeam, which then shed its brilliancy over the face of nature! Then his voice, though mild, pierced to the center, and his words, ‘I am thy fellow-servant,’ dispelled every fear. We listened, we gazed, we admired! ’Twas the voice of an angel from glory, ’twas a message from the Most High! And as we heard we rejoiced, while His love enkindled upon our souls, and we were wrapped in the vision of the Almighty! Where was room for doubt? Nowhere; uncertainty had fled, doubt had sunk no more to rise, while fiction and deception had fled forever!"
Oliver tells us that the Lord responded to their prayers for priesthood authority quickly. In this paragraph, Oliver tells us about how the Lord answers prayers: "The Lord, who is rich in mercy, and ever willing to answer the consistent prayer of the humble." The nature of the Lord, Oliver says, is to be rich in mercy, and as such, he is always there to answer the prayers of the humble. Oliver tells us that the answer to their prayers started with the voice of Christ speaking to him and Joseph; the veil parted, and an angel (John the Baptist) came down to answer their prayer--or, as Oliver eloquently puts it: the angel "delivered the anxiously looked for message."
I love how Oliver responds to receiving his priesthood authority: "What joy! what wonder! what amazement!" Well, Oliver was excited! And can you blame him? The priesthood authority, absent from Earth, for over a thousand years, had now been restored to him and his friend, Joseph. Oliver didn't miss the significance. He tells us that while the rest of the world's inhabitants were like the blind groping for the wall, he and Joseph could see in a light as bright as the blaze of day. It's a stirring contrast, but a true one. The light that was to be beamed to mankind through the restoration of the priesthood has in millions of lives given people the direction they need to get through the darkness. In that sense, this is an appropriate and deeply profound metaphor.
Oliver tells us the thrill he had when John the Baptist addressed he and Joseph as his fellow servants: "We listened, we gazed, we admired! ’Twas the voice of an angel from glory, ’twas a message from the Most High! And as we heard we rejoiced, while His love enkindled upon our souls, and we were wrapped in the vision of the Almighty! Where was room for doubt? Nowhere; uncertainty had fled, doubt had sunk no more to rise, while fiction and deception had fled forever!"
Can you imagine what that moment must have been like for Oliver and Joseph?! Do be called a "fellow servant" by John the Baptist? Do hear the voice of the Redeemer? To receive the Holy Priesthood? To feel God's love? To hear a message from an angel?
No wonder Oliver says what he does in the next paragraph:
PARAGRAPH 5: “But, dear brother, think, further think for a moment, what joy filled our hearts, and with what surprise we must have bowed, (for who would not have bowed the knee for such a blessing?) when we received under his hand the Holy Priesthood as he said, ‘Upon you my fellow-servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer this Priesthood and this authority, which shall remain upon earth, that the Sons of Levi may yet offer an offering unto the Lord in righteousness!’"
I love what Oliver says here: "Who would not have bowed the knee for such a blessing?" More than that, Oliver wants us to ponder what this moment was like for he and Joseph. He wants us to consider the joy they must have felt on this occasion.
PARAGRAPH 6: “I shall not attempt to paint to you the feelings of this heart, nor the majestic beauty and glory which surrounded us on this occasion; but you will believe me when I say, that earth, nor men, with the eloquence of time, cannot begin to clothe language in as interesting and sublime a manner as this holy personage. No; nor has this earth power to give the joy, to bestow the peace, or comprehend the wisdom which was contained in each sentence as they were delivered by the power of the Holy Spirit! Man may deceive his fellow-men, deception may follow deception, and the children of the wicked one may have power to seduce the foolish and untaught, till naught but fiction feeds the many, and the fruit of falsehood carries in its current the giddy to the grave; but one touch with the finger of his love, yes, one ray of glory from the upper world, or one word from the mouth of the Savior, from the bosom of eternity, strikes it all into insignificance, and blots it forever from the mind. The assurance that we were in the presence of an angel, the certainty that we heard the voice of Jesus, and the truth unsullied as it flowed from a pure personage, dictated by the will of God, is to me past description, and I shall ever look upon this expression of the Savior’s goodness with wonder and thanksgiving while I am permitted to tarry; and in those mansions where perfection dwells and sin never comes, I hope to adore in that day which shall never cease.”
After asking for us to ponder what it was like, Oliver tells us it was an indescribable moment. Oliver says it so well: "I shall not attempt to paint to you the feelings of this heart, nor the majestic beauty and glory which surrounded us on this occasion." He tells that no man can match the eloquence of the words John the Baptist used on that occasion, nor can man comprehend the wisdom of his words. That must have been some visit!
Then Oliver tells us the sum effect of this visit:
"Man may deceive his fellow-men, deception may follow deception, and the children of the wicked one may have power to seduce the foolish and untaught, till naught but fiction feeds the many, and the fruit of falsehood carries in its current the giddy to the grave; but one touch with the finger of his love, yes, one ray of glory from the upper world, or one word from the mouth of the Savior, from the bosom of eternity, strikes it all into insignificance, and blots it forever from the mind."
I read so much hope into that one sentence. No matter how much evil is promulgated against me in quest to follow the Savior; it will all be worth it, if I am proven worthy of his grace and love at that last day. Oliver, who had endured much, tells us that one touch with the finger of his love--or one ray of glory from heaven, makes all the persecutions he suffered insignificant.
No wonder that Oliver concludes with these words:
"The assurance that we were in the presence of an angel, the certainty that we heard the voice of Jesus, and the truth unsullied as it flowed from a pure personage, dictated by the will of God, is to me past description, and I shall ever look upon this expression of the Savior’s goodness with wonder and thanksgiving while I am permitted to tarry; and in those mansions where perfection dwells and sin never comes, I hope to adore in that day which shall never cease."
What a beautiful testimony; it is one worth studying and understanding. How grateful I am to be the beneficiary of the work the Lord did through his great servants Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. How grateful I am for my testimony of the restored church, this gospel, the priesthood restored, which I am blessed to hold. Most of all, how grateful I am for Christ. May his atonement be applied to my sins, that I may be washed clean and found worthy to stand. I pray in His Holy name. Amen.
Sunday, August 21, 2005
RELIGION: Teaching to Gain vs. Teaching to Edify: August 21, 2005
The first chapter of Alma illustrates an important difference between teaching for gain and teaching to edify. And it also shows the net effect of both.
TEACHING FOR GAIN
Nehor is the cause of a great contention among the Nephites. His preaching causes a sharp division among the
people.
And it's not hard to see why it would when you examine what Nehor's purpose in preaching was:
Nehor went among the Nephites "bearing down against the church; declaring unto the people that every priest and teacher ought to become popular; and they ought not to labor with their hands, but that they ought to be supported by the people" (Alma 1:3).
Nehor's purpose, therefore, was threefold:
(1) To get people to leave the Church of God.
You can see why that would upset the people who belonged to the church.
(2) To become popular
A self-serving purpose--clearly, a very unChristian pursuit. Christ did not seek his own popularity; rather, he sought the salvation of all. His prime purpose was to lift all, and for that, he caused that he himself should be lifted upon the cross. If Christ sought not glory for himself, neither should those who preach in Christ's name.
That is why part of the qualifications for teaching the gospel is "an eye single to the glory of God" (D&C 4:4). A teacher's singular purpose should be to help all come closer to Christ.
(3) To get money
This shows again Nehor's quest for an exalted place in society. Rather than laboring with the rest of the Nephites, he esteemed himself to be to good for labor. A preacher shouldn't be involved in commoner's work, he must have thought. So by taking their money, he wouldn't have to work, and he'd still have the ease of life that he desired.
A real problem with Nehor's pursuit for money and popularity is this: In order to get such, he had to preach what the people wanted to hear, not what they needed to hear.
On this point, Nehor was quick to sell out his God for a buck and a pack of friends.
So instead of teaching repentance as he should have, Nehor taught that all mankind had been already been saved; therefore, there was no need for the people to shed their ungodliness. They could cleave to their sins and not worry about the judgment. Such teachings put those who accept them on a road to destruction.
Nehor was rewarded handsomely for his efforts. They people paid him. Money which he happily spent:
"And he began to be lifted up in the pride of his heart, and to wear very costly apparel, yea, and even began to establish a church after the manner of his preaching" (Alma 1:6).
Nehor's pride swelled to the point that when he faced an honest challenge to his false teachings, he chose to silence his accuser with the sword rather than discuss the merits of the argument.
The man Nehor slew was Gideon, a mighty man of God.
For this act of murder, Nehor was put to death. Before his execution, Nehor acknowedged "that what he had taught to the people was contrary to the word of God" (Alma 1:15).
Nehor's dubious legacy lived on. Nehor had introduced priestcraft--preaching to get gain--to the Nephites, and his followers, despite his actions and admission, glommed onto priestcraft and upheld it.
These "preachers" are described this way:
"There were many who loved the vain things of the world, and they went forth preaching false doctrines; and this they did for the sake of riches and honor" (Alma 1:16).
This practice causes the followers of Nehor to persecute the people of the Church of God (Alma 1:19) and eventually it cause contentions between the groups to even come to blows (Alma 1:21), despite the Church of God's stance that its members shouldn't behave in such a manner. Many people eventually left the church, abandoning the strait and narrow for the ease of not being persecuted (Alma 1:24).
So we can see the effects of teaching for gain, and we can see that they aren't the kind of effects one wants in a society.
TEACHING TO EDIFY
Now, comes the contrast.
Remember Nehor's three purposes for preaching? Let's see how they contrast with the Nephites' purpose.
NEHOR: Sought to destroy the church of God
CHURCH PREACHERS: "They did establish the affairs of the church" (Alma 1:28).
NEHOR: Sought popularity
CHURCH PREACHERS: Viewed themselves as equals with their listeners:
"The priest, not esteeming himself above his hearers, for the preacher was no better than the hearer, neither was the teacher any better than the learner; and thus they were all equal" (Alma 1:26).
In other words, these preachers had an eye single to the glory of God. And they were humble--allowing themselves to be instruments in the hands of God. And for this, they took no glory to themselves, for they realized they had done nothing.
Isaiah explained why one who is used an instrument in God's hand shouldn't elevate himself in his mind:
"Shall the ax boast itself against him that heweth therewith? Shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? As if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself as if it were no wood!" (2 Nephi 20:15).
So we see the contrast. The preachers of the Church of God were the ax in the Master's hand. The preachers of the order of Nehor provided no ax for the Master.
NEHOR: Sought money
PREACHERS: Didn't seek compensation.
"And when the priests left their labor to impart the word of God unto the people, the people also left their labors to hear the word of God. And when the priest had imparted unto them the word of God they all returned again diligently unto their labors" (Alma 1:26).
When the hearers went back to work, so did the priests.
Perhaps the most telling factor on this point is what the people, including the preachers of the Church of God, did when blessed with riches:
"And they did impart of their substance, every man according to that which he had, to the poor, and the needy, and the sick, and the afflicted; and they did not wear costly capparel, yet they were neat and comely.
"And thus, in their prosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who were naked, or that were hungry, or that were athirst, or that were sick, or that had not been nourished; and they did not set their hearts upon riches; therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need" (Alma 1:27,29).
For this, the people of the church of God were blessed. And they, even though they did not seek riches, become more prosperous than those who did seek riches, because the people of the Church were blessed by God.
Plus, their needy had their needs met, and they were unified. The divisions caused by the people who followed Nehor were stymied.
For this were the preachers popular? Probably not, but they fulfilled the work their Master, who loved them most, gave them to do. Were they rich? Yes, they had been blessed for their service. But more importantly, they and their flock found the treasures of the word of God. And because of the sacrifices of these preachers, the church was stronger.
So you can see how sharply the effects of righteous preachers differ from the effects brought on the people by those who preach wickedness.
TEACHING FOR GAIN
Nehor is the cause of a great contention among the Nephites. His preaching causes a sharp division among the
people.
And it's not hard to see why it would when you examine what Nehor's purpose in preaching was:
Nehor went among the Nephites "bearing down against the church; declaring unto the people that every priest and teacher ought to become popular; and they ought not to labor with their hands, but that they ought to be supported by the people" (Alma 1:3).
Nehor's purpose, therefore, was threefold:
(1) To get people to leave the Church of God.
You can see why that would upset the people who belonged to the church.
(2) To become popular
A self-serving purpose--clearly, a very unChristian pursuit. Christ did not seek his own popularity; rather, he sought the salvation of all. His prime purpose was to lift all, and for that, he caused that he himself should be lifted upon the cross. If Christ sought not glory for himself, neither should those who preach in Christ's name.
That is why part of the qualifications for teaching the gospel is "an eye single to the glory of God" (D&C 4:4). A teacher's singular purpose should be to help all come closer to Christ.
(3) To get money
This shows again Nehor's quest for an exalted place in society. Rather than laboring with the rest of the Nephites, he esteemed himself to be to good for labor. A preacher shouldn't be involved in commoner's work, he must have thought. So by taking their money, he wouldn't have to work, and he'd still have the ease of life that he desired.
A real problem with Nehor's pursuit for money and popularity is this: In order to get such, he had to preach what the people wanted to hear, not what they needed to hear.
On this point, Nehor was quick to sell out his God for a buck and a pack of friends.
So instead of teaching repentance as he should have, Nehor taught that all mankind had been already been saved; therefore, there was no need for the people to shed their ungodliness. They could cleave to their sins and not worry about the judgment. Such teachings put those who accept them on a road to destruction.
Nehor was rewarded handsomely for his efforts. They people paid him. Money which he happily spent:
"And he began to be lifted up in the pride of his heart, and to wear very costly apparel, yea, and even began to establish a church after the manner of his preaching" (Alma 1:6).
Nehor's pride swelled to the point that when he faced an honest challenge to his false teachings, he chose to silence his accuser with the sword rather than discuss the merits of the argument.
The man Nehor slew was Gideon, a mighty man of God.
For this act of murder, Nehor was put to death. Before his execution, Nehor acknowedged "that what he had taught to the people was contrary to the word of God" (Alma 1:15).
Nehor's dubious legacy lived on. Nehor had introduced priestcraft--preaching to get gain--to the Nephites, and his followers, despite his actions and admission, glommed onto priestcraft and upheld it.
These "preachers" are described this way:
"There were many who loved the vain things of the world, and they went forth preaching false doctrines; and this they did for the sake of riches and honor" (Alma 1:16).
This practice causes the followers of Nehor to persecute the people of the Church of God (Alma 1:19) and eventually it cause contentions between the groups to even come to blows (Alma 1:21), despite the Church of God's stance that its members shouldn't behave in such a manner. Many people eventually left the church, abandoning the strait and narrow for the ease of not being persecuted (Alma 1:24).
So we can see the effects of teaching for gain, and we can see that they aren't the kind of effects one wants in a society.
TEACHING TO EDIFY
Now, comes the contrast.
Remember Nehor's three purposes for preaching? Let's see how they contrast with the Nephites' purpose.
NEHOR: Sought to destroy the church of God
CHURCH PREACHERS: "They did establish the affairs of the church" (Alma 1:28).
NEHOR: Sought popularity
CHURCH PREACHERS: Viewed themselves as equals with their listeners:
"The priest, not esteeming himself above his hearers, for the preacher was no better than the hearer, neither was the teacher any better than the learner; and thus they were all equal" (Alma 1:26).
In other words, these preachers had an eye single to the glory of God. And they were humble--allowing themselves to be instruments in the hands of God. And for this, they took no glory to themselves, for they realized they had done nothing.
Isaiah explained why one who is used an instrument in God's hand shouldn't elevate himself in his mind:
"Shall the ax boast itself against him that heweth therewith? Shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? As if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself as if it were no wood!" (2 Nephi 20:15).
So we see the contrast. The preachers of the Church of God were the ax in the Master's hand. The preachers of the order of Nehor provided no ax for the Master.
NEHOR: Sought money
PREACHERS: Didn't seek compensation.
"And when the priests left their labor to impart the word of God unto the people, the people also left their labors to hear the word of God. And when the priest had imparted unto them the word of God they all returned again diligently unto their labors" (Alma 1:26).
When the hearers went back to work, so did the priests.
Perhaps the most telling factor on this point is what the people, including the preachers of the Church of God, did when blessed with riches:
"And they did impart of their substance, every man according to that which he had, to the poor, and the needy, and the sick, and the afflicted; and they did not wear costly capparel, yet they were neat and comely.
"And thus, in their prosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who were naked, or that were hungry, or that were athirst, or that were sick, or that had not been nourished; and they did not set their hearts upon riches; therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need" (Alma 1:27,29).
For this, the people of the church of God were blessed. And they, even though they did not seek riches, become more prosperous than those who did seek riches, because the people of the Church were blessed by God.
Plus, their needy had their needs met, and they were unified. The divisions caused by the people who followed Nehor were stymied.
For this were the preachers popular? Probably not, but they fulfilled the work their Master, who loved them most, gave them to do. Were they rich? Yes, they had been blessed for their service. But more importantly, they and their flock found the treasures of the word of God. And because of the sacrifices of these preachers, the church was stronger.
So you can see how sharply the effects of righteous preachers differ from the effects brought on the people by those who preach wickedness.
Monday, August 08, 2005
POLITICS: PETA Hypocrisy: August 8, 2005
We interrupt our regular programming to bring you the following ...
THE HYPOCRISY AT PETA
The following story is from This is True dated 17 July 2005. It is Copyright 2005 Randy Cassingham, all rights reserved, and reprinted here with permission:
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Adding to Mr. Cassingham's story, I would like to offer the following commentary:
For the few of you who have followed my writings from my days as a college newspaper editor, you know that I have little tolerance for PETA.
I have long thought this organization was a few fries short of a Happy Meal. Or more accurately, a hamburger short of a Happy Meal. Their antics are degrading, self-centered propaganda designed to focus attention on ... on what ... Their cause? No. They want the attention to fall on themselves. They are happiest in the spotlight. They pretend to be martyrs for a cause because they want the spotlight to be on them and their lettuce bikinis or their throwing pies in the faces of rodeo princesses or whatever. They want the spotlight.
The animals are merely a ploy, a means to an end, to get the attention they want. PETA has done nothing to contribute to the politic dialogue. How could they? How can you talk to someone who'd rather throw bricks (figuratively speaking) than think?!
And now we learn this.
And it proves that animals really are just a means to an end. Once they've got their attention, the PETA people no longer need animals, so they can do with them what they please.
Now, I could be wrong, but this is the perception that PETA has always put forward with their silly antics. And I know there's hypocrites in every organization and blah blah blah. But these were PETA employees, disposing of pets PETA picked up to distribute to "loving homes." If these two were just rogue agents of PETA, then why didn't any other PETA employee confront the pair? Really, if this had happened at McDonald's that McDonald's had been taking pets from a local shelter, killing them and then dumping them in a dumpster, don't you think PETA would've been protesting? Heck, who wouldn't be protesting that? So why aren't protesting this?!
They've always been outlandish, and it just seems that their bizarreness is nothing more than shouting "Hey, Look at ME! Hey, Look at ME" into a microphone.
It's time that we all did ourselves a favor. It's time for all of us, especially those in the media, to ignore these attention-starved fools. That way, we'll be doing ourselves and the animals a real favor.
If you're an animal lover, you've been betrayed by PETA. It won't be the last time.
THE HYPOCRISY AT PETA
The following story is from This is True dated 17 July 2005. It is Copyright 2005 Randy Cassingham, all rights reserved, and reprinted here with permission:
"Ethical" Defined
After more than 100 dead dogs were dumped in a trash dumpster over
four weeks, police in Ahoskie, N.C., kept an eye on the trash receptacle behind a supermarket. Sure enough, a van drove up and officers watched the occupants throw in heavy plastic bags. They detained the two people in the van and found 18 dead dogs in plastic bags in the dumpster, including puppies; 13 more dead dogs were still in the van. Police say the van is registered to the headquarters of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and the two occupants, Andrew B. Cook, 24, and Adria Joy Hinkle, 27, identified themselves as PETA employees. An autopsy performed on one of the dogs found it was healthy before it was killed.
Police say PETA has been picking up the animals -- alive -- from North Carolina animal shelters, promising to find them good homes. Cook and Hinkle have been charged with 62 felony counts of animal cruelty. In response to the arrests PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said it's against the group's policy for employees to dump animals in the trash, but "that for some animals in North Carolina, there is no kinder option than euthanasia." (Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald) ...Oops, my mistake: that's "Playing God" Defined.
In his author's notes section, Cassingham had more to say about this story:
The more I learn about PETA, the less I think of them. The story of them killing animals isn't even unusual. According to PETA's own filings, in 2004 PETA killed 86.3 percent of the animals entrusted to its care -- a number that's rising, not falling.
Meanwhile, the SPCA in PETA's home town (Norfolk, Va.) was able to find loving homes for 73 percent of the animals put in its care. A shortage of funds? Nope: last year PETA took in $29 million in tax-exempt donations. It simply has other priorities for the funds, like funding terrorism (yes, really). But don't take my word for it: I got my figures from http://www.PETAkillsAnimals.com -- and they have copies of PETA's state and federal filings to back it up. The bottom line: if you donate money to PETA because you think they care for and about animals, you need to think some more. PETA literally
yells and screams about how others "kill animals" but this is how they operate? Pathetic.And you know what I wonder? PETA's official count of animals they kill is 86.3 percent. But if they're going around picking up animals, killing them while they drive around and not even giving them a chance to be adopted, and then destroying the evidence by dumping the bodies in the trash, are those deaths being reported? My guess: no. While 86.3 percent is awful, the actual number is probably much, much higher. How dare they lecture anyone about the "ethical" treatment of animals!
(This is True is a weekly column featuring
weird-but-true news stories from around the world, and has been published since 1994. Click the link for info about free subscriptions.)
---
Adding to Mr. Cassingham's story, I would like to offer the following commentary:
For the few of you who have followed my writings from my days as a college newspaper editor, you know that I have little tolerance for PETA.
I have long thought this organization was a few fries short of a Happy Meal. Or more accurately, a hamburger short of a Happy Meal. Their antics are degrading, self-centered propaganda designed to focus attention on ... on what ... Their cause? No. They want the attention to fall on themselves. They are happiest in the spotlight. They pretend to be martyrs for a cause because they want the spotlight to be on them and their lettuce bikinis or their throwing pies in the faces of rodeo princesses or whatever. They want the spotlight.
The animals are merely a ploy, a means to an end, to get the attention they want. PETA has done nothing to contribute to the politic dialogue. How could they? How can you talk to someone who'd rather throw bricks (figuratively speaking) than think?!
And now we learn this.
And it proves that animals really are just a means to an end. Once they've got their attention, the PETA people no longer need animals, so they can do with them what they please.
Now, I could be wrong, but this is the perception that PETA has always put forward with their silly antics. And I know there's hypocrites in every organization and blah blah blah. But these were PETA employees, disposing of pets PETA picked up to distribute to "loving homes." If these two were just rogue agents of PETA, then why didn't any other PETA employee confront the pair? Really, if this had happened at McDonald's that McDonald's had been taking pets from a local shelter, killing them and then dumping them in a dumpster, don't you think PETA would've been protesting? Heck, who wouldn't be protesting that? So why aren't protesting this?!
They've always been outlandish, and it just seems that their bizarreness is nothing more than shouting "Hey, Look at ME! Hey, Look at ME" into a microphone.
It's time that we all did ourselves a favor. It's time for all of us, especially those in the media, to ignore these attention-starved fools. That way, we'll be doing ourselves and the animals a real favor.
If you're an animal lover, you've been betrayed by PETA. It won't be the last time.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
The Third Place I'm Going When they Invent Time Travel
The third place I'm visiting when they invent time travel. If time travel ever gets invented the first place I'm going is to the 1984 Holiday Bowl to relive BYU winning the national championship. Go Cougars!! Then I'm off to Philadelphia on July 4, 1776 to see those brave Founding Fathers pledge their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor when they sign the Declaration of Independence (maybe I'll ask if I can sign it too).
The third place I'm going is a Nephite city called Ammonihah. I don't know the exact date, but it's around 82 B.C., and it will be the day that Alma and Amulek boldly testify in front of the hostile crowd at Ammonihah.
Also, I'd prefer to be invisible that day (they should probably have invisibility figured out before time travel, don't you think?), as I don't wish to interfere at all with what these two legendary missionaries are doing. But the first place I want to see them is in Amulek's home, eating breakfast (or not eating breakfast, in case they're fasting, which they probably were). I would like to look into Amulek's eyes to see if there's any nervousness or whether he is calmly confident. I'd want to know if he has inkling that this will be the last time he'll be in his house. And probably also that last time he'd be with his family on this Earth. I wonder if he had any idea how much he would have to sacrifice for his testimony of Jesus Christ that day.
Amulek's involvement in the mission started many days before. An angel visited Amulek and instructed him to receive Alma into his house. Then, Alma, who had been fasting for many days, encountered Amulek and meekly said: "Will ye give to an humble servant of God something to eat?" (Alma 8:19)
Amulek's response is beautiful in the way it shows his knowledge of Alma's divine calling: "I am a Nephite, and I know that thou art a holy prophet of God, for thou art the man whom an angel said in a vision: Thou shalt receive. Therefore, go with me into my house and I will impart unto thee of my food; and I know that thou wilt be a blessing unto me and my house" (Alma 8:20).
Alma is so hungry that he takes up a policy of eat first, introductions later. Only after he is full does Alma tell
Amulek what his name is.
Alma knew why he had returned to Ammonihah: to preach the gospel.
But it wasn't initially clear at first that Amulek was to join him. Perhaps Amulek hoped to join Alma on his mission or perhaps he'd even asked Alma to pray to find out the Lord's will concerning him, like many of the early Saints asked Joseph Smith to do. Whatever the case, after Alma had spent "many days" (Alma 8:27) at Amulek's house, the call came from the Lord that Alma and Amulek were preach the gospel (Alma 8:28).
Given the way Alma was treated the first time he preached both Alma and Amulek had to know they were risking their lives to preach in front of the people of Ammonihah. Amulek, though, was risking even more. This was his city; these were his friends; this was his home. He was risking not just his life, but his comfortable life and reputation to preach with Alma.
So whether the call was expected, and whether it was desired may be unknown. But this we do know: Amulek was called, so he went. High risk? Yes. But Amulek wanted to serve God first, and then let the consequence follow.
Alma wasn't much different. After being cast out of Ammonihah, his response was to fast and pray that he could go back. And when he was instructed he could go back, he did walk back slowly, he sprinted toward the city he'd been thrown out of; he ran toward his persecutors because he was on the Lord's errand.
In this way, Alma and Amulek were, like the Lamanites converted by the sons of Mosiah, saying, "If the Lord saith unto us go, we will go."
It's that kind of conviction and dedication that would be worth traveling 2,100 years through time to see--to see such men of Christ, willing to say, "I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord."
The third place I'm going is a Nephite city called Ammonihah. I don't know the exact date, but it's around 82 B.C., and it will be the day that Alma and Amulek boldly testify in front of the hostile crowd at Ammonihah.
Also, I'd prefer to be invisible that day (they should probably have invisibility figured out before time travel, don't you think?), as I don't wish to interfere at all with what these two legendary missionaries are doing. But the first place I want to see them is in Amulek's home, eating breakfast (or not eating breakfast, in case they're fasting, which they probably were). I would like to look into Amulek's eyes to see if there's any nervousness or whether he is calmly confident. I'd want to know if he has inkling that this will be the last time he'll be in his house. And probably also that last time he'd be with his family on this Earth. I wonder if he had any idea how much he would have to sacrifice for his testimony of Jesus Christ that day.
Amulek's involvement in the mission started many days before. An angel visited Amulek and instructed him to receive Alma into his house. Then, Alma, who had been fasting for many days, encountered Amulek and meekly said: "Will ye give to an humble servant of God something to eat?" (Alma 8:19)
Amulek's response is beautiful in the way it shows his knowledge of Alma's divine calling: "I am a Nephite, and I know that thou art a holy prophet of God, for thou art the man whom an angel said in a vision: Thou shalt receive. Therefore, go with me into my house and I will impart unto thee of my food; and I know that thou wilt be a blessing unto me and my house" (Alma 8:20).
Alma is so hungry that he takes up a policy of eat first, introductions later. Only after he is full does Alma tell
Amulek what his name is.
Alma knew why he had returned to Ammonihah: to preach the gospel.
But it wasn't initially clear at first that Amulek was to join him. Perhaps Amulek hoped to join Alma on his mission or perhaps he'd even asked Alma to pray to find out the Lord's will concerning him, like many of the early Saints asked Joseph Smith to do. Whatever the case, after Alma had spent "many days" (Alma 8:27) at Amulek's house, the call came from the Lord that Alma and Amulek were preach the gospel (Alma 8:28).
Given the way Alma was treated the first time he preached both Alma and Amulek had to know they were risking their lives to preach in front of the people of Ammonihah. Amulek, though, was risking even more. This was his city; these were his friends; this was his home. He was risking not just his life, but his comfortable life and reputation to preach with Alma.
So whether the call was expected, and whether it was desired may be unknown. But this we do know: Amulek was called, so he went. High risk? Yes. But Amulek wanted to serve God first, and then let the consequence follow.
Alma wasn't much different. After being cast out of Ammonihah, his response was to fast and pray that he could go back. And when he was instructed he could go back, he did walk back slowly, he sprinted toward the city he'd been thrown out of; he ran toward his persecutors because he was on the Lord's errand.
In this way, Alma and Amulek were, like the Lamanites converted by the sons of Mosiah, saying, "If the Lord saith unto us go, we will go."
It's that kind of conviction and dedication that would be worth traveling 2,100 years through time to see--to see such men of Christ, willing to say, "I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord."
Thursday, June 23, 2005
RELIGION: Understanding Abinadi: His prophecies, their fulfillment and why the people didn't listen
I finished reading the Book of Mormon a few weeks ago. Now I've decided to start a new project. I'm going through the index, and finding the names of people in the Book of Mormon and studying their lives. And then I write about them in my scripture journal.
I just finished Abinadi--so I'm not very far in. But I'm learning a lot, by just tapping on the brakes and trying to figure out what made each person tick, what turned each situation they were in, etc. Abinadi was fun. Well, unless you were Abinadi (his story is told in Mosiah 11 through 17). But this time, I discovered his prophecies he made, and how they were fulfilled.
Here's a few of them:
Prophecies: The life of King Noah shall be as valued as a garment in a hot fire (Mosiah 12:3); what they do with Abinadi will be a type of things to come; and how Noah killed Abinadi would be the way Noah died.
Result: Abinadi made the three prophecies at different times, but they were all fulfilled when King Noah got burned by his men.
Prophecy: People of King Noah would be brought into bondage. (Mosiah 11:23)
Result: They became subjects of the Lamanite king.
Prophecy: They would be burdened. (Mosiah 12:5)
Result: They had to pay 50 percent to the Lamanites.
Prophecy: They shall howl all the day long. (Mosiah 12:4)
Result: We are told that they have widows crying all the time because they are so afraid of the Lamanites.
Prophecy: The Lord would be slow to hear their cries. (Mosiah 11:24)
Result: In the passages describing this, it says, "The Lord was slow to hear their cries."
Prophecy: Only the Lord could deliver them. (Mosiah 11:23)
Results: In that same passage, it says they couldn't deliver themselves.
Prophecy: The Lord would only deliver them when they repented.
Results: The people escaped in two groups. One, was Alma's followers, who escaped the Lamanites, when the Lord caused a deep sleep to come upon the guards.
The other group were the ones who stayed in the town. Their escape started when the prophet-king Mosiah sent a band of men to locate them. After they arrived, the people made a covenant with God. After that, Gideon, an inspired man, devised a plan to get the Lamanite guards drunk and then escape. It worked.
Prophecy: Except the repent, they shall be destroyed (Mosiah 12:8)
Result: They repented.
---
So every word Abinadi prophesied was fulfilled. And as the people of King Noah were suffering through these awful conditions, they probably remembered Abinadi's words and wished they had repented and kept the commandments and had been spared of the difficulties they experienced.
So if you look at why they didn't listen.
Take a look at some of their attitudes.
1. Dismissal of God and his servant
King Noah says: "Who is Abinadi, that I and my people should be judged of him, or who is the Lord, that shall bring upon my people such great afflictions."
King Noah had, in his own warped mind, come to believe that he was above reproach--and even God himself couldn't control him. How wrong he was! Many today try to say God doesn't exist; saying so doesn't make it so, and believing there is no God, does not liberate you from his judgments. Dismissing his servants is not a good idea either, since the Lord has said, "Whether by my own voice or the voice of my servants, it is the same." One thing you should really never do, if you want to have a long life, is burn one of God's prophets. One thing you should really never do, if you want eternal life, is shut your ears to the messages of God's prophets. You should receive every message, even those that require you to make a change in your life.
2. The people of King Noah say, "He [Abinadi]pretendeth the Lord hath spoken it." - Mosiah 12:12
Another common rationalization is to say the prophets don't really speak for God. This is also always a mistake. And a pretty fateful made by this people.
3. Then they add, "And now, O king, what great evil hast thou done, or what great sins have thy people committed, that we should be condemned of God or judged of this man.
"And now, O king, behold, we are guiltless." - Mosiah 12:13-14.
These people did not honestly search their souls to find that which was ungodly and root it out. If they had been honest in their search--and Abinadi later tells them you know I'm right what I'm saying about you being evil--then maybe they would have seen the need to repent.
Their fate came, in part, because they were not honest about who they really were.
4. "We are strong, we shall not come into bondage." - Mosiah 12:15
This is the most common rationalization, and one with dire consequences. A drug addict might have started his habit by saying, "One hit won't affect me; I'm too strong to be addicted."
Other people say, "I'm strong enough; I can handle pornography/cigarettes/or whatever the vice without it leaving its stain on me." And they are proven wrong. And like these people, who thought they were strong enough, they are brought into bondage.
I just finished Abinadi--so I'm not very far in. But I'm learning a lot, by just tapping on the brakes and trying to figure out what made each person tick, what turned each situation they were in, etc. Abinadi was fun. Well, unless you were Abinadi (his story is told in Mosiah 11 through 17). But this time, I discovered his prophecies he made, and how they were fulfilled.
Here's a few of them:
Prophecies: The life of King Noah shall be as valued as a garment in a hot fire (Mosiah 12:3); what they do with Abinadi will be a type of things to come; and how Noah killed Abinadi would be the way Noah died.
Result: Abinadi made the three prophecies at different times, but they were all fulfilled when King Noah got burned by his men.
Prophecy: People of King Noah would be brought into bondage. (Mosiah 11:23)
Result: They became subjects of the Lamanite king.
Prophecy: They would be burdened. (Mosiah 12:5)
Result: They had to pay 50 percent to the Lamanites.
Prophecy: They shall howl all the day long. (Mosiah 12:4)
Result: We are told that they have widows crying all the time because they are so afraid of the Lamanites.
Prophecy: The Lord would be slow to hear their cries. (Mosiah 11:24)
Result: In the passages describing this, it says, "The Lord was slow to hear their cries."
Prophecy: Only the Lord could deliver them. (Mosiah 11:23)
Results: In that same passage, it says they couldn't deliver themselves.
Prophecy: The Lord would only deliver them when they repented.
Results: The people escaped in two groups. One, was Alma's followers, who escaped the Lamanites, when the Lord caused a deep sleep to come upon the guards.
The other group were the ones who stayed in the town. Their escape started when the prophet-king Mosiah sent a band of men to locate them. After they arrived, the people made a covenant with God. After that, Gideon, an inspired man, devised a plan to get the Lamanite guards drunk and then escape. It worked.
Prophecy: Except the repent, they shall be destroyed (Mosiah 12:8)
Result: They repented.
---
So every word Abinadi prophesied was fulfilled. And as the people of King Noah were suffering through these awful conditions, they probably remembered Abinadi's words and wished they had repented and kept the commandments and had been spared of the difficulties they experienced.
So if you look at why they didn't listen.
Take a look at some of their attitudes.
1. Dismissal of God and his servant
King Noah says: "Who is Abinadi, that I and my people should be judged of him, or who is the Lord, that shall bring upon my people such great afflictions."
King Noah had, in his own warped mind, come to believe that he was above reproach--and even God himself couldn't control him. How wrong he was! Many today try to say God doesn't exist; saying so doesn't make it so, and believing there is no God, does not liberate you from his judgments. Dismissing his servants is not a good idea either, since the Lord has said, "Whether by my own voice or the voice of my servants, it is the same." One thing you should really never do, if you want to have a long life, is burn one of God's prophets. One thing you should really never do, if you want eternal life, is shut your ears to the messages of God's prophets. You should receive every message, even those that require you to make a change in your life.
2. The people of King Noah say, "He [Abinadi]pretendeth the Lord hath spoken it." - Mosiah 12:12
Another common rationalization is to say the prophets don't really speak for God. This is also always a mistake. And a pretty fateful made by this people.
3. Then they add, "And now, O king, what great evil hast thou done, or what great sins have thy people committed, that we should be condemned of God or judged of this man.
"And now, O king, behold, we are guiltless." - Mosiah 12:13-14.
These people did not honestly search their souls to find that which was ungodly and root it out. If they had been honest in their search--and Abinadi later tells them you know I'm right what I'm saying about you being evil--then maybe they would have seen the need to repent.
Their fate came, in part, because they were not honest about who they really were.
4. "We are strong, we shall not come into bondage." - Mosiah 12:15
This is the most common rationalization, and one with dire consequences. A drug addict might have started his habit by saying, "One hit won't affect me; I'm too strong to be addicted."
Other people say, "I'm strong enough; I can handle pornography/cigarettes/or whatever the vice without it leaving its stain on me." And they are proven wrong. And like these people, who thought they were strong enough, they are brought into bondage.
Thursday, June 16, 2005
RELIGION: Fireside Talk: June 13, 2005: Jesus, What Would You Have Me to Do
One of my favorite stories in Church history occurred in Kirtland in March of 1837. John Taylor, a new convert to the Church had emigrated from Canada to Kirtland. Upon arriving in Kirtland, Brother Taylor went to see the missionary who had converted him six months earlier, Parley P. Pratt, but John Taylor was shocked to find that Elder Pratt had lost his testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Now, you can imagine how unsettling it must have been for a new convert to hear the missionary who converted him speak against the Prophet. It would have been easy for Brother Taylor to keep his mouth shut and say nothing. Worse, he could have questioned whether anything Elder Pratt had taught him was true; he could have lost his faith and returned to Canada, free of the Church.
But Brother Taylor had not joined the church because of Parley P. Pratt. He had joined the church because he had a testimony—in his study of the gospel, Brother Taylor had had the Spirit confirm truth.
And that was a fact he was not going to forget, nor let Elder Pratt forget.
So after Parley P. Pratt listed some of his grievances against Joseph, this new convert boldly corrected him. John Taylor said to him: “Now Brother Parley, it is not the man I am following, but the Lord.”
And then Brother Taylor added this testimony: “The principles you have taught me have led me to [Christ], and I now have the same testimony you then rejoiced in. If the work was true six months ago, it is true now. If Joseph was then a prophet, he is now a prophet.”
That testimony reminded Elder Pratt of Joseph’s divine mission, and Elder Pratt from that forth had and stayed true to his testimony of the Prophet. Elder John H. Groberg wrote of this moment: “In tears, Parley acknowledged his error and received full forgiveness from the Prophet.”
I love that testimony of President Taylor: “It is not the man I am following, but the Lord.” It is an awesome and true principle of this restored Church.
I know that when I follow the counsel of President Gordon B. Hinckley, that I am following the Lord!
President Hinckley is more than just a cute, little old man, who’s the head of a major religion and sometimes makes funny jokes. He is the Lord’s servant. Jesus Christ speaks through him.
And you can tell that it is God speaking through President Hinckley because the Spirit strongly accompanies his every word.
How grateful I am that the Spirit has burned into my heart time and time and time again a testimony that Gordon B. Hinckley is a prophet of God. I … know … he is!
What a blessing it is to live in a day when there is a prophet of God on the Earth!
What an even greater blessing it is to live in a day when it’s so easy to hear the words that God places into the mouth of his prophet.
I feel so sorry for the people who lived in the days of the Great Apostasy. These were the people who lived through a great famine, foretold the Prophet Amos, and that famine was of hearing the words of the Lord.
Through his servant Amos, the Lord described the people of this era like this:
“And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.”
In that Apostasy, plain and precious truths were craftily exterminated from man’s understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This erosion of truth, administered by Satan, aimed to curb man’s understanding of himself and his relation to God. By selectively removing selected passages of truth, Satan hoped to hide from mankind the truth of why we are here, where we are going and what we can become. Indeed, Satan’s purpose was squash out in every soul the great hope of the Atonement, of miracles, of a loving Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ. Instead of teaching Christ as a merciful being whose arms are stretched out to all continually, Satan rearranged, corrupted and warped man’s understanding of the gospel to the point that some foolishly believed God would not help them at all.
What a sad condition that must have been to live in—to not be able to find the comfort that comes from knowing the fullness of the gospel. We can see how perilous and how brutal that awful famine must have been.
In hearing of the awfulness of that time, are you not glad that you live now and not then.
And, if knowing that the misery of the aptly-named Dark Ages, came because there were no prophets, will you not then rejoice that we now have a prophet, and listen and hearken to his words?
What a blessing it is to have the Light that comes from the Conference Center every six months. As many of you know, directly above the pulpit on the roof flows a fountain going in four directions to symbolize how the word of God flows from that place to every corner of the Earth.
And one of the places it flows is, if you take the time to listen, is to your ears. And one of the places it also flows, if you allow it, is into your heart. And if you allow the word of God to enter into your heart, and you feel the Spirit confirm the truth of it, and you change your life however you need to change your life to be on God’s course, then the blessing of having a living prophet on Earth is not wasted on you.
But what if you don’t listen to the prophet? What if you don’t hearken to the prophet? Well, simply put, you’re not walking the right path. You’re not on the path that leads you back to the Celestial Kingdom, which is where you really want to go. You’re on path that goes elsewhere. Where exactly, I don’t know, perhaps it’s the Telestial or Terrestrial. But I pray that you will never find out which of the Lesser Kingdoms you’re headed to. Instead, I hope that you will correct the path of your feet, and come walk on the strait-and-narrow.
In the early days of the church, there were some leaders who were not walking the strait-and-narrow, to put it kindly. They had started meeting in secret to figure out how to remove the Prophet Joseph Smith from his office.
Of this, President Ezra Taft Benson writes, “They made the mistake of inviting Brigham Young to one of these secret meetings. He rebuked them after he had heard the purpose of their meeting. This is part of what he said: “You cannot destroy the appointment of a prophet of God, but you can cut the thread that binds you to the prophet of God and sink yourselves to hell.”
Don’t you just love Brigham Young! Once he had a testimony of Joseph Smith, he was committed. He was perhaps Joseph’s most loyal follower. Another story illustrates Brigham’s commitment to Joseph Smith, told by Truman Madsen.
One day, Brigham was sitting in a meeting, when he was asked by the Prophet to stand up. And, once Brigham was standing, the Prophet began to rebuke him, for something that apparently Brigham hadn’t done.
Brother Madsen writes: “Every eye turned to Brother Brigham. He was not known as a weak man. What would he say. He could have said, ‘You shouldn’t do that in public.’ He could have said, ‘You are wrong?’ He could have said, ‘What about Doctrine and Covenants 121, which tells us to deal with others in kindness, persuasion and long-suffering?’ What he said, in a tone that everyone knew was genuine, was, ‘Joseph, what would you have me to do?’ Then, the Prophet Joseph burst into tears, came down from the stand, embraced him, and said, ‘Brigham, you have passed.””
I think in there, we learn something about our relationship to the prophet. It is not our spot to tell them what they should say; that’s the Lord’s job. It’s our job to listen to them, with that thought in our mind, “President Hinckley, what would you have me to do?”
And, really, “What would you have me to do,” is not that different from Christ’s humble answer when he volunteered to be our Savior and so beautifully said to the Father, “Here am I; send me.” In doing so, Christ accepted his Atoning mission from the Lord. By doing the same, we accept our mission from the Lord that he has handed down to us from his servants, the prophets.
In addition to having a living prophet, we are blessed in this day to have the precious Book of Mormon.
Now, there are many ways to read the Book of Mormon. You can read it as a testimony of Christ, and, if you do, you will notice, how many of the prophets in that Book saw and heard Christ. You can read it as a history of the Nephites. You can read it as a book that shows how God deals with mankind. You can view it as a history of covenants that God made with a people. All are great ways to read that sacred book.
But the one of the ways you can read it—and the way we’ll focus on tonight—is a history of following (or not following) God’s prophet. The Book of Mormon is stacked with example after example of what happened when people followed the prophet vs. what happened when they did not.
In each case that they followed the prophet, the people were blessed. Indeed, the Lord each time that happened fulfilled his end of the common covenant of the Book of Mormon
“And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land.”
And, indeed, that’s what happened every time, and that’s why the Nephites were always richer than the Lamanites.
But each time, the people failed to heed the prophet’s admonitions, the Lord fulfilled the other part of that covenant:
“But inasmuch as they will not keep my commandments, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.”
And, indeed, that also happened every time. And each time, it did, the Nephites suffered the consequences; and, in time, their disobedience so divorced them from God’s aid that they were victims of a great genocide and became an extinct race.
Let’s look at some examples of those who heeded the prophet’s advice.
First, let’s look at Captain Moroni, the skilled leader of the Nephite armies through a terrible war. The war starts when the leader of the Lamanites, Zemnarihah, marches his army to land of Jershon, where he is met by Captain Moroni’s army. But when the Lamanites saw that Moroni, no doubt acting under inspiration, had dressed his soldiers in armor, the Lamanites decided to take another tactic and fled out of there.
So Moroni sends his spies to follow after them and learn of their plans, which is a good tactic. But had he done this alone, the Lamanites would have prevailed, because his spies didn’t get the information they needed.
But the spies’ failure didn’t matter because Moroni had wisely taken another action:
“Moroni, also, knowing of the prophecies of Alma, sent certain men unto him, desiring him that he should inquire of the Lord whither the armies of the Nephites should go to defend themselves against the Lamanites.
And it came to pass that the word of the Lord came unto Alma, and Alma informed the messengers of Moroni, that the armies of the Lamanites were marching round about in the wilderness, that they might come over into the land of Manti, that they might commence an attack upon the weaker part of the people. And those messengers went and delivered the message unto Moroni” (Alma 43:23-24).
Now, look at the faith of Moroni. With the knowledge he had gained from his spies conflicting with the knowledge he had gain from the prophet, Moroni chose to follow the prophet.
He took his army to Manti, concealed some of his army in strategic places, and when the Lamanites marched by, the Nephite army fell on them from behind, as Moroni marched with the main army to meet the Lamanites head-on. The result was decisive, and it was All-Nephites.
Just as the prophet Alma warned Moroni of the enemy’s sneak attack, the prophet Gordon B. Hinckley today warns of the Enemy’s subtles plans to drag us down to hell.
And just like Moroni, if we have the faith to follow the prophet, we will be victorious.
Some of the subtle plans of Satan that President Hinckley has lately exposed are gambling and pornography, which I am going to call spiritual serpents, because, if tried, they can bite you and their poison can be spiritually fatal.
I read a verse recently in Ether 8:33 that I found very interesting:
“And it came to pass that the Lord did cause the serpents … that they should hedge up the way that the people could not pass, that whoso should attempt to pass might fall by the poisonous serpents.”
What I find interesting about that verse is that these snakes had already been among the Jaredites; they knew they were fatally poisonous. Still, in order for the people to know that you couldn’t get by the serpents, it seems someone had to try. And that person paid with their life.
So we go back to gambling and pornography. Perhaps you think you are strong or swift enough to not be infected the poison of these vices.
I’ve got news for you: you aren’t.
And the poison of these spiritual serpents is not physical death; it’s spiritual death. So don’t try to run past the snakes and hope you don’t get bit. Stay away from the snakes!
These are not activities for the Latter-day Saints! Just because they are popular and legal, doesn’t make them right! Alma once said to his son Corianton, after he had “visited” the harlot Isabel: “Yea, she did steal away the hearts of many; but this was no excuse for thee, my son.” The popularity of a sin doesn’t make it justifiable. We know better.
Besides, prophets are never popular. Just look at Abinadi.
Called to warn King Noah to repent, Abinadi paid with his life. But he made a promise to king Noah that however the king chose to execute Abinadi would be the same way the King died.
Sure enough, after burning Abinadi to death, King Noah found himself and some of his constituents fleeing from before the Lamanite army. The men wanted to stop and go back and rescue their wives and children. The king refused. So they bound the king and, true to Abinadi’s prophesy, burned him.
In likening Noah’s fate to our own lives, we see that the consequence of not listening to the prophet is spiritual death.
Another example is either, who prophesied to Coriantumr, the last Jaredite king, this warning in Ether 13:21-22:
“And in the second year the word of the Lord came to Ether, that he should go and prophesy unto Coriantumr that, if he would repent, and all his household, the Lord would give unto him his kingdom and spare the people—
“Otherwise they should be destroyed, and all his household save it were himself. And he should only live to see the fulfilling of the prophecies which had been spoken concerning another people receiving the land for their inheritance; and Coriantumr should receive a burial by them; and every soul should be destroyed save it were Coriantumr.”
“Coriantumr didn’t listen, and he did prove to be the only Jaredite (besides Ether) to survive that war. And, later, he is found, true to Ether’s word, by the Nephites, wandering around as a vagabond rather than as a king.”
Again, we see the consequences of not following the prophet. The Book of Mormon is full of them. The people at Ammonihah imprisoned Alma and Amulek and burned all their followers. What happened? As Alma prophesied, their city was destroyed. The people in Mormon’s time did not heed his words, so the prophecies concerning their destruction were fulfilled.
In contrast, the sons of Mosiah asked their father if they could preach until the Lamanites—he prayed about it, found out it was the Lord’s will and sent them, and they converted half a nation. The prophet Helaman told his sons Nephi and Lehi to go preach to the Lamanites. They did and they converted a nation.
Perhaps the best example is Nephi. After breaking his bow, Nephi and his family were in a tough spot. As so many of us are prone to do, the rest of his family murmured and complained and couldn’t find a way out of their situation. They didn’t see what they could do to solve the problem; they didn’t ask the Lord what He could do to solve the problem.
Nephi, however, just built a new bow. And then he went to his father, the prophet and asked, where should I go hunt!
Nephi found a solution. That solution was a common sense one: solve what part of the problem he could and turn to the Lord to fix the rest. In that way, Nephi was really saying, “Lehi, what would you have me to do.” And Lehi then sought the Lord’s direction and found the answer.
I hope you can see how the Book of Mormon is, in part, a great history of the consequences of following the prophet.
What a great blessing that we have this precious record among us.
And to that, we also have the beautiful words of the Prophets of the Restoration.
In remembering the frustration of those humble seekers of truth in the Age of the Apostasy, I cannot say enough how grateful I am that, before us, God has laid a great feast of gospel knowledge.
We have the words of a prophet before us almost continually. With General Conferences, Ensigns, Books, TV appearances, etc., there is simply no need to be spiritually famished.
The prime rib of this feast is our living prophet, for his words are of prime importance to us.
Ezra Taft Benson taught the truth of following the living prophet:
“God’s revelations to Adam did not instruct Noah how to build the ark. Noah needed his own revelation. Therefore, the most important prophet, so far as you and I are concerned, is the one living in our day and age to whom the Lord is currently revealing his will for us.”
The most important prophet to us is not Moses; it’s not Peter; it’s not even Joseph Smith; it’s Gordon B. Hinckley.
That’s why it’s important to study what he has said. And what he has said recently. Let me ask you this: “Did you take the time last April to listen to General Conference? And if so, then what did President Hinckley talk about?”
So with that in mind we’re going to take a detour here from our main topic of following the prophet to revisit what he said in General Conference.
In the Saturday morning session, he gave an accounting of what has happened in his 10 years as president of the Church.
President Hinckley started by reminding us of quote he made when he became President of the church on March 12, 1995:
“Now, my brethren and sisters, the time has come for us to stand a little taller, to lift our eyes and stretch our minds to a greater comprehension and understanding of the grand millennial mission of this The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is a season to be strong. It is a time to move forward without hesitation, knowing well the meaning, the breadth, and the importance of our mission. It is a time to do what is right regardless of the consequences that might follow. It is a time to be found keeping the commandments. It is a season to reach out with kindness and love to those in distress and to those who are wandering in darkness and pain. It is a time to be considerate and good, decent and courteous toward one another in all of our relationships. In other words, to become more Christ-like.”
Then, after recounting what has happened in the church in the last 10 years, President Hinckley said: “We know that we have scarcely scratched the surface of that which will come to pass in the years that lie ahead.”
In the priesthood session, he spoke out against gambling. President Hinckley started with this story:
“The story is told that one Sunday Calvin Coolidge, onetime president of the United States and a man noted for few words, returned from church. His wife asked him what the preacher spoke about. He replied, "Sin." "What did he say?" she asked. "He was against it," was his reply.
“I think I could answer the question concerning gambling just that briefly. We are against it.”
Specifically, President Hinckley, while condemning all forms of gambling, focused mainly on poker tournaments.
And, in contrast to gambling, President Hinckley showed the righteous principle of tithing.
“I am so grateful that when the Lord established this Church He gave us the law of tithing,” President Hinckley said. “I talked at one time with an officer of another church which, I understand, relies on the playing of bingo for a substantial part of its income. I said to this man, "Have you ever considered tithing to finance your church?" He replied, "Yes, and oh, how I wish that we might follow this practice instead of playing bingo. But I do not expect this change in my lifetime.’”
Then, after listing quote after quote by church leaders from Joseph Smith to Elder Dallin H. Oaks condemning gambling, President Hinckley added his own condemnation:
“To these statements of the position of the Church I add my own. The pursuit of a game of chance may seem like harmless fun. But there attaches to it an intensity that actually shows on the faces of those who are playing. And in all too many cases this practice, which appears innocent, can lead to an actual addiction. The Church has been and is now opposed to this practice. If you have never been involved in poker games or other forms of gambling, don't start. If you are involved, then quit now while you can do so.
“There are better ways to spend one's time. There are better pursuits to occupy one's interest and energy. There is so much of wonderful reading available. We are not likely to ever get too much of it. There is music to be learned and enjoyed. There is just having a good time together—in dancing, in hiking, in cycling, or in other ways—boys and girls together enjoying one another's company in a wholesome way.”
On Sunday morning, President Hinckley taught of Joseph Smith and bore his testimony of the First Prophet of the Restoration.
President Hinckley recounted some of the revelations that came through Joseph, saying:
“For centuries men gathered and argued concerning the nature of Deity. Constantine assembled scholars of various factions at Nicaea in the year 325. After two months of bitter debate, they compromised on a definition which for generations has been the doctrinal statement among Christians concerning the Godhead.
“I invite you to read that definition and compare it with the statement of the boy Joseph. He simply says that God stood before him and spoke to him. Joseph could see Him and could hear Him. He was in form like a man, a being of substance. Beside Him was the resurrected Lord, a separate being, whom He introduced as His Beloved Son and with whom Joseph also spoke.
“I submit that in the short time of that remarkable vision Joseph learned more concerning Deity than all of the scholars and clerics of the past.
“In this divine revelation there was reaffirmed beyond doubt the reality of the literal Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
“This knowledge of Deity, hidden from the world for centuries, was the first and great thing which God revealed to His chosen servant.
“And upon the reality and truth of this vision rests the validity of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
In that same talk, President Hinckley bore testimony of the Book of Mormon, saying: “This sacred book, which came forth as a revelation of the Almighty, is indeed another testament of the divinity of our Lord.”
And he also taught of the Priesthood: “If the [priesthood] authority of [the Primitive] Church was lost, how was it to be replaced?
“Priesthood authority came from the only place it could come, and that is from heaven. It was bestowed under the hands of those who held it when the Savior walked the earth.”
President Hinckley also spoke of the restored truths regarding the family:
“Through the revelations of God to His Prophet came the doctrine and authority under which families are sealed together not only for this life but for all eternity.
“I think that if we had the capacity to teach effectively this one doctrine, it would capture the interest of millions of husbands and wives who love one another and who love their children, but whose marriage is in effect only "until death do you part.’”
Finally, in that same Sunday morning talk, President Hinckley taught of the doctrine of salvation for the dead:
“Men boast that they are "saved," and in the same breath admit that their forebears have not been and cannot be saved.
“Jesus's Atonement in behalf of all represents a great vicarious sacrifice. He set the pattern under which He became a proxy for all mankind. This pattern under which one man can act in behalf of another is carried forward in the ordinances of the house of the Lord. Here we serve in behalf of those who have died without a knowledge of the gospel. Theirs is the option to accept or reject the ordinance which is performed. They are placed on an equal footing with those who walk the earth. The dead are given the same opportunity as the living. Again, what a glorious and wonderful provision the Almighty has made through His revelation to His Prophet.”
On Sunday Afternoon, in his closing remarks, President Hinckley gave us this counsel:
“Wherever we may live we can be friendly neighbors. Our children can mingle with the children of those not of this Church and remain steadfast if they are properly taught. They can even become missionaries to their associates.
“We commend our wonderful youth who for the most part stand up to the evils of the world, who push these evils aside and live lives pleasing to the Lord. We constantly pray that their parents will likewise live worthily in every respect.
“We repeat what we have said before: make a habit of going to the house of the Lord. There is no better way to ensure proper living than temple attendance. It will crowd out the evils of pornography, substance abuse, and spiritual atrophy. It will strengthen marriage and family relations.”
So that is what President Hinckley said in the last general conference. These are the words which the Prophet of God presented to us for our study.
President Benson taught that “the general conference addresses are our marching orders for the next six months.”
So we can look at President Hinckley’s remarks as our marching orders.
But we are also blessed to still have with us what President Hinckley has said before.
First of all, he has written two books that are of great worth to us: “Standing for Something” and “Way to Be.”
In “Standing for Something,” he reminds us of “10 Neglected virtues that will heal our hearts and homes,” and those 10 virtues are Love, Honesty, Morality, Learning, Forgiveness and Mercy, Thrift and Industry, Gratitude, Optimism and Faith.” In “Way to Be,” he instructs in “9 Ways to be happy and make something of your life,” and those ways are to Be Grateful, Be Smart, Be Involved, Be Clean, Be True, Be Positive, Be Humble, Be Still, Be Prayerful.
Also, there are so many great talks he has given over the years that we can turn to and look to for guidance.
May I suggest that in the coming days, you try to find a talk or two of his, and, in it, find a message for you. Find something you can improve about yourself. Find a way you can better follow the prophet. For, in doing so, you will be following the Lord and finding out his will concerning you.
And in that way, what you are really saying is this, “Jesus, what would you have me to do?”
Is there any question more important than that one? In recent weeks, I have had a scripture running through my head. It’s the one where Jesus, after some of his followers have left and sought their own paths, he turns and asks his disciples— brokenheartedly—“Will ye also go away?”
Christ wants us in the Celestial Kingdom. He wants us there so much, that he gave His life for us. And for us, he suffered immeasurable and incomprehensible pain in Gethsemane and on the Cross. He wants us there so badly because he knows that’s where will be the happiest.
Having paid that price for us, Christ looks at us, and asks, “Will ye also go away?” I hope our answer is no. I hope I don’t wander away. I want to be saved. Christ wants me and all of us to be saved also.
For that cause, Christ not only gave us his life, but he has also given us prophets to remind us of the dangers ahead. We have seen tonight many examples of the good that comes from putting aside our wants and following the prophet. After John Taylor’s rebuke, Parley P. Pratt returned to the fold and became a legendary missionary and leader of the Church. Brigham’s humble, “Joseph, what will you have me to do,” statement was symbolic of the devotion to righteousness that he had, and why the Lord could trust Brigham with His church. After receiving Alma’s help, Moroni thereafter always sought the Lord’s guidance and blessing; the Nephites triumphed because of it. Because of Nephi’s diligence to righteous principles, his family reached the Promised Land.
In considering such examples, can you really then brush aside the words of the prophets and go your own way? I hope not. Instead, I hope you listen and heed to every word that the Lord places in the mouth of his prophets.
I know this church is true. I know Christ came and sacrificed himself to rescue me. And I know His church has been restored on the Earth again today, and is truly led by a prophet of God, Gordon B. Hinckley. How grateful I am that I live in the Age of Gordon B. Hinckley, one of the great prophets of God. What a precious gift it is to have him as our prophet. What a special blessing it has been for me to hear with my own ears his words, the words the Lord wants his prophet to speak to the ends of the Earth. I love him so much. I love how the goodness of the Savior reflects through him, and all can see that Gordon B. Hinckley is a man of God. I love the counsel he gives. It has helped me in my life, as I’m sure it has yours. And I know the counsel the Lord will yet give through his prophets will always bless our lives, if we heed to it.
And this I say in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Now, you can imagine how unsettling it must have been for a new convert to hear the missionary who converted him speak against the Prophet. It would have been easy for Brother Taylor to keep his mouth shut and say nothing. Worse, he could have questioned whether anything Elder Pratt had taught him was true; he could have lost his faith and returned to Canada, free of the Church.
But Brother Taylor had not joined the church because of Parley P. Pratt. He had joined the church because he had a testimony—in his study of the gospel, Brother Taylor had had the Spirit confirm truth.
And that was a fact he was not going to forget, nor let Elder Pratt forget.
So after Parley P. Pratt listed some of his grievances against Joseph, this new convert boldly corrected him. John Taylor said to him: “Now Brother Parley, it is not the man I am following, but the Lord.”
And then Brother Taylor added this testimony: “The principles you have taught me have led me to [Christ], and I now have the same testimony you then rejoiced in. If the work was true six months ago, it is true now. If Joseph was then a prophet, he is now a prophet.”
That testimony reminded Elder Pratt of Joseph’s divine mission, and Elder Pratt from that forth had and stayed true to his testimony of the Prophet. Elder John H. Groberg wrote of this moment: “In tears, Parley acknowledged his error and received full forgiveness from the Prophet.”
I love that testimony of President Taylor: “It is not the man I am following, but the Lord.” It is an awesome and true principle of this restored Church.
I know that when I follow the counsel of President Gordon B. Hinckley, that I am following the Lord!
President Hinckley is more than just a cute, little old man, who’s the head of a major religion and sometimes makes funny jokes. He is the Lord’s servant. Jesus Christ speaks through him.
And you can tell that it is God speaking through President Hinckley because the Spirit strongly accompanies his every word.
How grateful I am that the Spirit has burned into my heart time and time and time again a testimony that Gordon B. Hinckley is a prophet of God. I … know … he is!
What a blessing it is to live in a day when there is a prophet of God on the Earth!
What an even greater blessing it is to live in a day when it’s so easy to hear the words that God places into the mouth of his prophet.
I feel so sorry for the people who lived in the days of the Great Apostasy. These were the people who lived through a great famine, foretold the Prophet Amos, and that famine was of hearing the words of the Lord.
Through his servant Amos, the Lord described the people of this era like this:
“And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.”
In that Apostasy, plain and precious truths were craftily exterminated from man’s understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This erosion of truth, administered by Satan, aimed to curb man’s understanding of himself and his relation to God. By selectively removing selected passages of truth, Satan hoped to hide from mankind the truth of why we are here, where we are going and what we can become. Indeed, Satan’s purpose was squash out in every soul the great hope of the Atonement, of miracles, of a loving Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ. Instead of teaching Christ as a merciful being whose arms are stretched out to all continually, Satan rearranged, corrupted and warped man’s understanding of the gospel to the point that some foolishly believed God would not help them at all.
What a sad condition that must have been to live in—to not be able to find the comfort that comes from knowing the fullness of the gospel. We can see how perilous and how brutal that awful famine must have been.
In hearing of the awfulness of that time, are you not glad that you live now and not then.
And, if knowing that the misery of the aptly-named Dark Ages, came because there were no prophets, will you not then rejoice that we now have a prophet, and listen and hearken to his words?
What a blessing it is to have the Light that comes from the Conference Center every six months. As many of you know, directly above the pulpit on the roof flows a fountain going in four directions to symbolize how the word of God flows from that place to every corner of the Earth.
And one of the places it flows is, if you take the time to listen, is to your ears. And one of the places it also flows, if you allow it, is into your heart. And if you allow the word of God to enter into your heart, and you feel the Spirit confirm the truth of it, and you change your life however you need to change your life to be on God’s course, then the blessing of having a living prophet on Earth is not wasted on you.
But what if you don’t listen to the prophet? What if you don’t hearken to the prophet? Well, simply put, you’re not walking the right path. You’re not on the path that leads you back to the Celestial Kingdom, which is where you really want to go. You’re on path that goes elsewhere. Where exactly, I don’t know, perhaps it’s the Telestial or Terrestrial. But I pray that you will never find out which of the Lesser Kingdoms you’re headed to. Instead, I hope that you will correct the path of your feet, and come walk on the strait-and-narrow.
In the early days of the church, there were some leaders who were not walking the strait-and-narrow, to put it kindly. They had started meeting in secret to figure out how to remove the Prophet Joseph Smith from his office.
Of this, President Ezra Taft Benson writes, “They made the mistake of inviting Brigham Young to one of these secret meetings. He rebuked them after he had heard the purpose of their meeting. This is part of what he said: “You cannot destroy the appointment of a prophet of God, but you can cut the thread that binds you to the prophet of God and sink yourselves to hell.”
Don’t you just love Brigham Young! Once he had a testimony of Joseph Smith, he was committed. He was perhaps Joseph’s most loyal follower. Another story illustrates Brigham’s commitment to Joseph Smith, told by Truman Madsen.
One day, Brigham was sitting in a meeting, when he was asked by the Prophet to stand up. And, once Brigham was standing, the Prophet began to rebuke him, for something that apparently Brigham hadn’t done.
Brother Madsen writes: “Every eye turned to Brother Brigham. He was not known as a weak man. What would he say. He could have said, ‘You shouldn’t do that in public.’ He could have said, ‘You are wrong?’ He could have said, ‘What about Doctrine and Covenants 121, which tells us to deal with others in kindness, persuasion and long-suffering?’ What he said, in a tone that everyone knew was genuine, was, ‘Joseph, what would you have me to do?’ Then, the Prophet Joseph burst into tears, came down from the stand, embraced him, and said, ‘Brigham, you have passed.””
I think in there, we learn something about our relationship to the prophet. It is not our spot to tell them what they should say; that’s the Lord’s job. It’s our job to listen to them, with that thought in our mind, “President Hinckley, what would you have me to do?”
And, really, “What would you have me to do,” is not that different from Christ’s humble answer when he volunteered to be our Savior and so beautifully said to the Father, “Here am I; send me.” In doing so, Christ accepted his Atoning mission from the Lord. By doing the same, we accept our mission from the Lord that he has handed down to us from his servants, the prophets.
In addition to having a living prophet, we are blessed in this day to have the precious Book of Mormon.
Now, there are many ways to read the Book of Mormon. You can read it as a testimony of Christ, and, if you do, you will notice, how many of the prophets in that Book saw and heard Christ. You can read it as a history of the Nephites. You can read it as a book that shows how God deals with mankind. You can view it as a history of covenants that God made with a people. All are great ways to read that sacred book.
But the one of the ways you can read it—and the way we’ll focus on tonight—is a history of following (or not following) God’s prophet. The Book of Mormon is stacked with example after example of what happened when people followed the prophet vs. what happened when they did not.
In each case that they followed the prophet, the people were blessed. Indeed, the Lord each time that happened fulfilled his end of the common covenant of the Book of Mormon
“And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land.”
And, indeed, that’s what happened every time, and that’s why the Nephites were always richer than the Lamanites.
But each time, the people failed to heed the prophet’s admonitions, the Lord fulfilled the other part of that covenant:
“But inasmuch as they will not keep my commandments, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.”
And, indeed, that also happened every time. And each time, it did, the Nephites suffered the consequences; and, in time, their disobedience so divorced them from God’s aid that they were victims of a great genocide and became an extinct race.
Let’s look at some examples of those who heeded the prophet’s advice.
First, let’s look at Captain Moroni, the skilled leader of the Nephite armies through a terrible war. The war starts when the leader of the Lamanites, Zemnarihah, marches his army to land of Jershon, where he is met by Captain Moroni’s army. But when the Lamanites saw that Moroni, no doubt acting under inspiration, had dressed his soldiers in armor, the Lamanites decided to take another tactic and fled out of there.
So Moroni sends his spies to follow after them and learn of their plans, which is a good tactic. But had he done this alone, the Lamanites would have prevailed, because his spies didn’t get the information they needed.
But the spies’ failure didn’t matter because Moroni had wisely taken another action:
“Moroni, also, knowing of the prophecies of Alma, sent certain men unto him, desiring him that he should inquire of the Lord whither the armies of the Nephites should go to defend themselves against the Lamanites.
And it came to pass that the word of the Lord came unto Alma, and Alma informed the messengers of Moroni, that the armies of the Lamanites were marching round about in the wilderness, that they might come over into the land of Manti, that they might commence an attack upon the weaker part of the people. And those messengers went and delivered the message unto Moroni” (Alma 43:23-24).
Now, look at the faith of Moroni. With the knowledge he had gained from his spies conflicting with the knowledge he had gain from the prophet, Moroni chose to follow the prophet.
He took his army to Manti, concealed some of his army in strategic places, and when the Lamanites marched by, the Nephite army fell on them from behind, as Moroni marched with the main army to meet the Lamanites head-on. The result was decisive, and it was All-Nephites.
Just as the prophet Alma warned Moroni of the enemy’s sneak attack, the prophet Gordon B. Hinckley today warns of the Enemy’s subtles plans to drag us down to hell.
And just like Moroni, if we have the faith to follow the prophet, we will be victorious.
Some of the subtle plans of Satan that President Hinckley has lately exposed are gambling and pornography, which I am going to call spiritual serpents, because, if tried, they can bite you and their poison can be spiritually fatal.
I read a verse recently in Ether 8:33 that I found very interesting:
“And it came to pass that the Lord did cause the serpents … that they should hedge up the way that the people could not pass, that whoso should attempt to pass might fall by the poisonous serpents.”
What I find interesting about that verse is that these snakes had already been among the Jaredites; they knew they were fatally poisonous. Still, in order for the people to know that you couldn’t get by the serpents, it seems someone had to try. And that person paid with their life.
So we go back to gambling and pornography. Perhaps you think you are strong or swift enough to not be infected the poison of these vices.
I’ve got news for you: you aren’t.
And the poison of these spiritual serpents is not physical death; it’s spiritual death. So don’t try to run past the snakes and hope you don’t get bit. Stay away from the snakes!
These are not activities for the Latter-day Saints! Just because they are popular and legal, doesn’t make them right! Alma once said to his son Corianton, after he had “visited” the harlot Isabel: “Yea, she did steal away the hearts of many; but this was no excuse for thee, my son.” The popularity of a sin doesn’t make it justifiable. We know better.
Besides, prophets are never popular. Just look at Abinadi.
Called to warn King Noah to repent, Abinadi paid with his life. But he made a promise to king Noah that however the king chose to execute Abinadi would be the same way the King died.
Sure enough, after burning Abinadi to death, King Noah found himself and some of his constituents fleeing from before the Lamanite army. The men wanted to stop and go back and rescue their wives and children. The king refused. So they bound the king and, true to Abinadi’s prophesy, burned him.
In likening Noah’s fate to our own lives, we see that the consequence of not listening to the prophet is spiritual death.
Another example is either, who prophesied to Coriantumr, the last Jaredite king, this warning in Ether 13:21-22:
“And in the second year the word of the Lord came to Ether, that he should go and prophesy unto Coriantumr that, if he would repent, and all his household, the Lord would give unto him his kingdom and spare the people—
“Otherwise they should be destroyed, and all his household save it were himself. And he should only live to see the fulfilling of the prophecies which had been spoken concerning another people receiving the land for their inheritance; and Coriantumr should receive a burial by them; and every soul should be destroyed save it were Coriantumr.”
“Coriantumr didn’t listen, and he did prove to be the only Jaredite (besides Ether) to survive that war. And, later, he is found, true to Ether’s word, by the Nephites, wandering around as a vagabond rather than as a king.”
Again, we see the consequences of not following the prophet. The Book of Mormon is full of them. The people at Ammonihah imprisoned Alma and Amulek and burned all their followers. What happened? As Alma prophesied, their city was destroyed. The people in Mormon’s time did not heed his words, so the prophecies concerning their destruction were fulfilled.
In contrast, the sons of Mosiah asked their father if they could preach until the Lamanites—he prayed about it, found out it was the Lord’s will and sent them, and they converted half a nation. The prophet Helaman told his sons Nephi and Lehi to go preach to the Lamanites. They did and they converted a nation.
Perhaps the best example is Nephi. After breaking his bow, Nephi and his family were in a tough spot. As so many of us are prone to do, the rest of his family murmured and complained and couldn’t find a way out of their situation. They didn’t see what they could do to solve the problem; they didn’t ask the Lord what He could do to solve the problem.
Nephi, however, just built a new bow. And then he went to his father, the prophet and asked, where should I go hunt!
Nephi found a solution. That solution was a common sense one: solve what part of the problem he could and turn to the Lord to fix the rest. In that way, Nephi was really saying, “Lehi, what would you have me to do.” And Lehi then sought the Lord’s direction and found the answer.
I hope you can see how the Book of Mormon is, in part, a great history of the consequences of following the prophet.
What a great blessing that we have this precious record among us.
And to that, we also have the beautiful words of the Prophets of the Restoration.
In remembering the frustration of those humble seekers of truth in the Age of the Apostasy, I cannot say enough how grateful I am that, before us, God has laid a great feast of gospel knowledge.
We have the words of a prophet before us almost continually. With General Conferences, Ensigns, Books, TV appearances, etc., there is simply no need to be spiritually famished.
The prime rib of this feast is our living prophet, for his words are of prime importance to us.
Ezra Taft Benson taught the truth of following the living prophet:
“God’s revelations to Adam did not instruct Noah how to build the ark. Noah needed his own revelation. Therefore, the most important prophet, so far as you and I are concerned, is the one living in our day and age to whom the Lord is currently revealing his will for us.”
The most important prophet to us is not Moses; it’s not Peter; it’s not even Joseph Smith; it’s Gordon B. Hinckley.
That’s why it’s important to study what he has said. And what he has said recently. Let me ask you this: “Did you take the time last April to listen to General Conference? And if so, then what did President Hinckley talk about?”
So with that in mind we’re going to take a detour here from our main topic of following the prophet to revisit what he said in General Conference.
In the Saturday morning session, he gave an accounting of what has happened in his 10 years as president of the Church.
President Hinckley started by reminding us of quote he made when he became President of the church on March 12, 1995:
“Now, my brethren and sisters, the time has come for us to stand a little taller, to lift our eyes and stretch our minds to a greater comprehension and understanding of the grand millennial mission of this The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is a season to be strong. It is a time to move forward without hesitation, knowing well the meaning, the breadth, and the importance of our mission. It is a time to do what is right regardless of the consequences that might follow. It is a time to be found keeping the commandments. It is a season to reach out with kindness and love to those in distress and to those who are wandering in darkness and pain. It is a time to be considerate and good, decent and courteous toward one another in all of our relationships. In other words, to become more Christ-like.”
Then, after recounting what has happened in the church in the last 10 years, President Hinckley said: “We know that we have scarcely scratched the surface of that which will come to pass in the years that lie ahead.”
In the priesthood session, he spoke out against gambling. President Hinckley started with this story:
“The story is told that one Sunday Calvin Coolidge, onetime president of the United States and a man noted for few words, returned from church. His wife asked him what the preacher spoke about. He replied, "Sin." "What did he say?" she asked. "He was against it," was his reply.
“I think I could answer the question concerning gambling just that briefly. We are against it.”
Specifically, President Hinckley, while condemning all forms of gambling, focused mainly on poker tournaments.
And, in contrast to gambling, President Hinckley showed the righteous principle of tithing.
“I am so grateful that when the Lord established this Church He gave us the law of tithing,” President Hinckley said. “I talked at one time with an officer of another church which, I understand, relies on the playing of bingo for a substantial part of its income. I said to this man, "Have you ever considered tithing to finance your church?" He replied, "Yes, and oh, how I wish that we might follow this practice instead of playing bingo. But I do not expect this change in my lifetime.’”
Then, after listing quote after quote by church leaders from Joseph Smith to Elder Dallin H. Oaks condemning gambling, President Hinckley added his own condemnation:
“To these statements of the position of the Church I add my own. The pursuit of a game of chance may seem like harmless fun. But there attaches to it an intensity that actually shows on the faces of those who are playing. And in all too many cases this practice, which appears innocent, can lead to an actual addiction. The Church has been and is now opposed to this practice. If you have never been involved in poker games or other forms of gambling, don't start. If you are involved, then quit now while you can do so.
“There are better ways to spend one's time. There are better pursuits to occupy one's interest and energy. There is so much of wonderful reading available. We are not likely to ever get too much of it. There is music to be learned and enjoyed. There is just having a good time together—in dancing, in hiking, in cycling, or in other ways—boys and girls together enjoying one another's company in a wholesome way.”
On Sunday morning, President Hinckley taught of Joseph Smith and bore his testimony of the First Prophet of the Restoration.
President Hinckley recounted some of the revelations that came through Joseph, saying:
“For centuries men gathered and argued concerning the nature of Deity. Constantine assembled scholars of various factions at Nicaea in the year 325. After two months of bitter debate, they compromised on a definition which for generations has been the doctrinal statement among Christians concerning the Godhead.
“I invite you to read that definition and compare it with the statement of the boy Joseph. He simply says that God stood before him and spoke to him. Joseph could see Him and could hear Him. He was in form like a man, a being of substance. Beside Him was the resurrected Lord, a separate being, whom He introduced as His Beloved Son and with whom Joseph also spoke.
“I submit that in the short time of that remarkable vision Joseph learned more concerning Deity than all of the scholars and clerics of the past.
“In this divine revelation there was reaffirmed beyond doubt the reality of the literal Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
“This knowledge of Deity, hidden from the world for centuries, was the first and great thing which God revealed to His chosen servant.
“And upon the reality and truth of this vision rests the validity of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
In that same talk, President Hinckley bore testimony of the Book of Mormon, saying: “This sacred book, which came forth as a revelation of the Almighty, is indeed another testament of the divinity of our Lord.”
And he also taught of the Priesthood: “If the [priesthood] authority of [the Primitive] Church was lost, how was it to be replaced?
“Priesthood authority came from the only place it could come, and that is from heaven. It was bestowed under the hands of those who held it when the Savior walked the earth.”
President Hinckley also spoke of the restored truths regarding the family:
“Through the revelations of God to His Prophet came the doctrine and authority under which families are sealed together not only for this life but for all eternity.
“I think that if we had the capacity to teach effectively this one doctrine, it would capture the interest of millions of husbands and wives who love one another and who love their children, but whose marriage is in effect only "until death do you part.’”
Finally, in that same Sunday morning talk, President Hinckley taught of the doctrine of salvation for the dead:
“Men boast that they are "saved," and in the same breath admit that their forebears have not been and cannot be saved.
“Jesus's Atonement in behalf of all represents a great vicarious sacrifice. He set the pattern under which He became a proxy for all mankind. This pattern under which one man can act in behalf of another is carried forward in the ordinances of the house of the Lord. Here we serve in behalf of those who have died without a knowledge of the gospel. Theirs is the option to accept or reject the ordinance which is performed. They are placed on an equal footing with those who walk the earth. The dead are given the same opportunity as the living. Again, what a glorious and wonderful provision the Almighty has made through His revelation to His Prophet.”
On Sunday Afternoon, in his closing remarks, President Hinckley gave us this counsel:
“Wherever we may live we can be friendly neighbors. Our children can mingle with the children of those not of this Church and remain steadfast if they are properly taught. They can even become missionaries to their associates.
“We commend our wonderful youth who for the most part stand up to the evils of the world, who push these evils aside and live lives pleasing to the Lord. We constantly pray that their parents will likewise live worthily in every respect.
“We repeat what we have said before: make a habit of going to the house of the Lord. There is no better way to ensure proper living than temple attendance. It will crowd out the evils of pornography, substance abuse, and spiritual atrophy. It will strengthen marriage and family relations.”
So that is what President Hinckley said in the last general conference. These are the words which the Prophet of God presented to us for our study.
President Benson taught that “the general conference addresses are our marching orders for the next six months.”
So we can look at President Hinckley’s remarks as our marching orders.
But we are also blessed to still have with us what President Hinckley has said before.
First of all, he has written two books that are of great worth to us: “Standing for Something” and “Way to Be.”
In “Standing for Something,” he reminds us of “10 Neglected virtues that will heal our hearts and homes,” and those 10 virtues are Love, Honesty, Morality, Learning, Forgiveness and Mercy, Thrift and Industry, Gratitude, Optimism and Faith.” In “Way to Be,” he instructs in “9 Ways to be happy and make something of your life,” and those ways are to Be Grateful, Be Smart, Be Involved, Be Clean, Be True, Be Positive, Be Humble, Be Still, Be Prayerful.
Also, there are so many great talks he has given over the years that we can turn to and look to for guidance.
May I suggest that in the coming days, you try to find a talk or two of his, and, in it, find a message for you. Find something you can improve about yourself. Find a way you can better follow the prophet. For, in doing so, you will be following the Lord and finding out his will concerning you.
And in that way, what you are really saying is this, “Jesus, what would you have me to do?”
Is there any question more important than that one? In recent weeks, I have had a scripture running through my head. It’s the one where Jesus, after some of his followers have left and sought their own paths, he turns and asks his disciples— brokenheartedly—“Will ye also go away?”
Christ wants us in the Celestial Kingdom. He wants us there so much, that he gave His life for us. And for us, he suffered immeasurable and incomprehensible pain in Gethsemane and on the Cross. He wants us there so badly because he knows that’s where will be the happiest.
Having paid that price for us, Christ looks at us, and asks, “Will ye also go away?” I hope our answer is no. I hope I don’t wander away. I want to be saved. Christ wants me and all of us to be saved also.
For that cause, Christ not only gave us his life, but he has also given us prophets to remind us of the dangers ahead. We have seen tonight many examples of the good that comes from putting aside our wants and following the prophet. After John Taylor’s rebuke, Parley P. Pratt returned to the fold and became a legendary missionary and leader of the Church. Brigham’s humble, “Joseph, what will you have me to do,” statement was symbolic of the devotion to righteousness that he had, and why the Lord could trust Brigham with His church. After receiving Alma’s help, Moroni thereafter always sought the Lord’s guidance and blessing; the Nephites triumphed because of it. Because of Nephi’s diligence to righteous principles, his family reached the Promised Land.
In considering such examples, can you really then brush aside the words of the prophets and go your own way? I hope not. Instead, I hope you listen and heed to every word that the Lord places in the mouth of his prophets.
I know this church is true. I know Christ came and sacrificed himself to rescue me. And I know His church has been restored on the Earth again today, and is truly led by a prophet of God, Gordon B. Hinckley. How grateful I am that I live in the Age of Gordon B. Hinckley, one of the great prophets of God. What a precious gift it is to have him as our prophet. What a special blessing it has been for me to hear with my own ears his words, the words the Lord wants his prophet to speak to the ends of the Earth. I love him so much. I love how the goodness of the Savior reflects through him, and all can see that Gordon B. Hinckley is a man of God. I love the counsel he gives. It has helped me in my life, as I’m sure it has yours. And I know the counsel the Lord will yet give through his prophets will always bless our lives, if we heed to it.
And this I say in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
June 16, 2005: Letter to Amber and Megan
Dear Amber and Megan,
I don't know if you remember our conversation on Sunday, but I do. I was so encouraged by it, and how adamantly you stood up for righteous principles to Datsun [name changed], and demanded he treat the girls he dates with respects.
I was deeply impressed by your commitment to values. I think it's a wonderful commitment. And I was thrilled by it, because, in talking to Datsun, I was starting to get the impression that no one your age had any commitment to any kind of standards. It's sickening to hear how so many have forsaken those standards for a few moments of foolish fun. It's a gross habit to try to live outside the standards of the church.
So, it was a great relief to see how committed you two are to keeping yourselves pure and treating yourselves with honor.
Seriously, it's a way cool thing to do for yourselves. I think you're both wonderful girls and both of you have awesome lives ahead of you, if you continue to respect the standards of the church.
Anyhow, that got me thinking about dating, and here is my little guide that I hope will help you out.
Norm’s Guide to Dating
THE NORM PRINCIPLE: In order to win the heart of someone great, you must first be someone great.
Norm’s Rule #1: If you’re going to kiss a boy, make him earn it.
Don’t be one of these girls who seek opportunities to make out with boys. In other words, don’t go around trying to find a different boy to kiss each night. Girls who do this are sending this message: “I’m not worth having; any run-of-the-mill guy can have me; I’m not holding out for someone special.”
Hold out for someone special because you are someone special. Don’t be just another hashmark in some guy’s kissing tally. Make your kisses mean something. Make the guy earn the right to kiss you. By being extra-selective about who you kiss, you are honoring yourself and your future husband.
It’s like this. I talked with some friends recently who claim to have kissed 300 girls in their lifetime. And it ticked me off. So I e-mailed a couple of my friends about it to see if I was just being a prude or if I should really be upset about this.
This is what my friend, Camilla, wrote:
“300 is far too many!! I don't even know if it's possible; can he name them all? I like your tally [mine stands at two] much more. Dustin [her husband] has only kissed 2 girls, and I'm his second. I was the first girl he ever told that he loved her; those are the kind of things you'll be glad you can tell your wife instead of ‘You're number 311.’”
I think that’s wise advice. And you can also see what Dustin’s low tally means to his wife; keep yours that low and it will mean something to your husband. No one wants a girl who has kissed hundreds of guys. Keep your tally low, so that kissing you is a special experience reserved for a select few! Don’t sell out the privilege of kissing you to someone who has not earned that right.
With that in mind …
NORM RULE #2: Don’t kiss on the first date.
He should at least have bought you dinner twice before you even considering kissing him. And don’t misread this. I’m not saying kiss the guy on the second date every time. You can feel free to make him wait longer. Just make him earn it.
All I’m saying is after one date, a guy hasn’t earned that right to kiss you. So don’t let him.
NORM RULE #3: Let your parents know about your date.
Your parents should (1) meet every boy you date, (2) know what you’re going to do on you’re date, and (3) know when you’ll be home.
I like a little parable that Elder Boyd K. Packer made on this point, that goes something like this:
Say your parents gave you a Ferrari. Wouldn’t that be awesome? Can you imagine the fun you’d have zooming around town in that? Surely, it would be an attention-getter and a prized possession.
But what if one day, you came home and your Ferrari wasn’t there, and you asked your parents where it was. And your dad said, “Oh, I lent it to one of the kids down the street.”
“Who?” you would demand.
“Oh, I don’t know his name, but he drops by here occasionally.”
Wouldn’t you be appalled that your dad lent the Ferrari to some guy he barely knows? Wouldn’t you be worried that this guy would crash the car or mistreat it in some way? Worse, what if he kept, and didn’t bring it back when he said he would?
Now look at it this way. You are a prized possession of your parents. When they “lend” you out to some guy for a date, they’re going to want to meet him. They’re going to want to know what you’re doing. They’re going to want to know when you’re going to be back.
They have a right to expect that, and you should allow them that right. And, also, you should take their advice if they tell you that someone isn’t right for you, or if they impose a curfew. Don’t argue over these points; parents can see and understanding things better than you can.
NORM RULE #4: Only date someone who can be trusted with you.
I just remember when Spain went on his mission, and he left his little instructions to his girlfriend Mallory on who she could date. One of them was don’t date anyone who’s not a virgin.
That’s solid advice. Only date young men who do not have a history of making mistakes with girls. If you can’t trust a guy to behave, then don’t be around him.
NORM RULE #5: Only date someone who respects you and enjoys your company.
If a guy ignores who you are as a person and focuses only on what you look like, then he’s just simply not worth dating. If he can’t see what a great person you are, if he doesn’t take an interest in discovering what makes you tick and finding out what you like and don’t like, etc., then he’s not worth the time.
Dating is the method by which we choose a companion. So it’s good to set an early habit, that you’ll only seriously consider those boys who like you not just for what you look like, but for who you are. That second component is of more importance because you’ll want your companion to love every aspect of you. If he just loves looking at you, then he’ll quit loving you, when you’re looks fade later in life. But if he loves you the person, he’ll still love you after the looks fade, and he’ll still find you attractive.
Well, that convoluted paragraph leads to this point: A guy who can see the wonderfulness in you as a person simply isn’t worth dating.
You need demand that your man loves every bit of you.
NORM RULE #6: No serious dating until you’re out of high school.
Going back to the dating is the method by which we choose a companion idea, you shouldn’t get serious with a guy until you’re old enough to start making a decision like marriage.
And that means you have to be out of high school.
High school is a time to have fun and hang out; it’s not a time to be getting serious with anyone. So instead of dating just one guy, date lots of them, and just enjoy being in high school.
NORM RULE #7: Any guy who asks you out, deserves at least one date.
Exception: See Rule #4.
For some guys, it’s easy to ask girls out. For others, like me, it’s extremely difficult. To be fair and to encourage the guys in the latter category, accept every first date offer. Then, if you’re not interested, you can turn down their offer for a second date.
But by just being kind enough to accept every first date offer, you’ll build the confidence of even the shiest fellow and help him have the courage to ask out the next girl he’s interested in.
Accepting such invitations is just a wonderful consideration. Because let me tell you: when I’ve spent days working up the courage to ask out a girl, and she says no, it’s a worlds-are-collapsing catastrophe.
NORM RULE #8: Keep The Temple in Sight
Ultimately, you're goal is to be to married for time and all eternity in the temple of our God to a young man you love.
Keep that goal in mind with your dating. Keep yourself and those you date on target for a temple marriage.
Encourage the young men you date to go on missions. Don't do anything with them that might prevent them from going on those missions or prevent you from entering the temple.
Keep the standards of the church. You'll always be glad that you did. You'll always regret when you've deviated from those standards.
I don't know if you remember our conversation on Sunday, but I do. I was so encouraged by it, and how adamantly you stood up for righteous principles to Datsun [name changed], and demanded he treat the girls he dates with respects.
I was deeply impressed by your commitment to values. I think it's a wonderful commitment. And I was thrilled by it, because, in talking to Datsun, I was starting to get the impression that no one your age had any commitment to any kind of standards. It's sickening to hear how so many have forsaken those standards for a few moments of foolish fun. It's a gross habit to try to live outside the standards of the church.
So, it was a great relief to see how committed you two are to keeping yourselves pure and treating yourselves with honor.
Seriously, it's a way cool thing to do for yourselves. I think you're both wonderful girls and both of you have awesome lives ahead of you, if you continue to respect the standards of the church.
Anyhow, that got me thinking about dating, and here is my little guide that I hope will help you out.
Norm’s Guide to Dating
THE NORM PRINCIPLE: In order to win the heart of someone great, you must first be someone great.
Norm’s Rule #1: If you’re going to kiss a boy, make him earn it.
Don’t be one of these girls who seek opportunities to make out with boys. In other words, don’t go around trying to find a different boy to kiss each night. Girls who do this are sending this message: “I’m not worth having; any run-of-the-mill guy can have me; I’m not holding out for someone special.”
Hold out for someone special because you are someone special. Don’t be just another hashmark in some guy’s kissing tally. Make your kisses mean something. Make the guy earn the right to kiss you. By being extra-selective about who you kiss, you are honoring yourself and your future husband.
It’s like this. I talked with some friends recently who claim to have kissed 300 girls in their lifetime. And it ticked me off. So I e-mailed a couple of my friends about it to see if I was just being a prude or if I should really be upset about this.
This is what my friend, Camilla, wrote:
“300 is far too many!! I don't even know if it's possible; can he name them all? I like your tally [mine stands at two] much more. Dustin [her husband] has only kissed 2 girls, and I'm his second. I was the first girl he ever told that he loved her; those are the kind of things you'll be glad you can tell your wife instead of ‘You're number 311.’”
I think that’s wise advice. And you can also see what Dustin’s low tally means to his wife; keep yours that low and it will mean something to your husband. No one wants a girl who has kissed hundreds of guys. Keep your tally low, so that kissing you is a special experience reserved for a select few! Don’t sell out the privilege of kissing you to someone who has not earned that right.
With that in mind …
NORM RULE #2: Don’t kiss on the first date.
He should at least have bought you dinner twice before you even considering kissing him. And don’t misread this. I’m not saying kiss the guy on the second date every time. You can feel free to make him wait longer. Just make him earn it.
All I’m saying is after one date, a guy hasn’t earned that right to kiss you. So don’t let him.
NORM RULE #3: Let your parents know about your date.
Your parents should (1) meet every boy you date, (2) know what you’re going to do on you’re date, and (3) know when you’ll be home.
I like a little parable that Elder Boyd K. Packer made on this point, that goes something like this:
Say your parents gave you a Ferrari. Wouldn’t that be awesome? Can you imagine the fun you’d have zooming around town in that? Surely, it would be an attention-getter and a prized possession.
But what if one day, you came home and your Ferrari wasn’t there, and you asked your parents where it was. And your dad said, “Oh, I lent it to one of the kids down the street.”
“Who?” you would demand.
“Oh, I don’t know his name, but he drops by here occasionally.”
Wouldn’t you be appalled that your dad lent the Ferrari to some guy he barely knows? Wouldn’t you be worried that this guy would crash the car or mistreat it in some way? Worse, what if he kept, and didn’t bring it back when he said he would?
Now look at it this way. You are a prized possession of your parents. When they “lend” you out to some guy for a date, they’re going to want to meet him. They’re going to want to know what you’re doing. They’re going to want to know when you’re going to be back.
They have a right to expect that, and you should allow them that right. And, also, you should take their advice if they tell you that someone isn’t right for you, or if they impose a curfew. Don’t argue over these points; parents can see and understanding things better than you can.
NORM RULE #4: Only date someone who can be trusted with you.
I just remember when Spain went on his mission, and he left his little instructions to his girlfriend Mallory on who she could date. One of them was don’t date anyone who’s not a virgin.
That’s solid advice. Only date young men who do not have a history of making mistakes with girls. If you can’t trust a guy to behave, then don’t be around him.
NORM RULE #5: Only date someone who respects you and enjoys your company.
If a guy ignores who you are as a person and focuses only on what you look like, then he’s just simply not worth dating. If he can’t see what a great person you are, if he doesn’t take an interest in discovering what makes you tick and finding out what you like and don’t like, etc., then he’s not worth the time.
Dating is the method by which we choose a companion. So it’s good to set an early habit, that you’ll only seriously consider those boys who like you not just for what you look like, but for who you are. That second component is of more importance because you’ll want your companion to love every aspect of you. If he just loves looking at you, then he’ll quit loving you, when you’re looks fade later in life. But if he loves you the person, he’ll still love you after the looks fade, and he’ll still find you attractive.
Well, that convoluted paragraph leads to this point: A guy who can see the wonderfulness in you as a person simply isn’t worth dating.
You need demand that your man loves every bit of you.
NORM RULE #6: No serious dating until you’re out of high school.
Going back to the dating is the method by which we choose a companion idea, you shouldn’t get serious with a guy until you’re old enough to start making a decision like marriage.
And that means you have to be out of high school.
High school is a time to have fun and hang out; it’s not a time to be getting serious with anyone. So instead of dating just one guy, date lots of them, and just enjoy being in high school.
NORM RULE #7: Any guy who asks you out, deserves at least one date.
Exception: See Rule #4.
For some guys, it’s easy to ask girls out. For others, like me, it’s extremely difficult. To be fair and to encourage the guys in the latter category, accept every first date offer. Then, if you’re not interested, you can turn down their offer for a second date.
But by just being kind enough to accept every first date offer, you’ll build the confidence of even the shiest fellow and help him have the courage to ask out the next girl he’s interested in.
Accepting such invitations is just a wonderful consideration. Because let me tell you: when I’ve spent days working up the courage to ask out a girl, and she says no, it’s a worlds-are-collapsing catastrophe.
NORM RULE #8: Keep The Temple in Sight
Ultimately, you're goal is to be to married for time and all eternity in the temple of our God to a young man you love.
Keep that goal in mind with your dating. Keep yourself and those you date on target for a temple marriage.
Encourage the young men you date to go on missions. Don't do anything with them that might prevent them from going on those missions or prevent you from entering the temple.
Keep the standards of the church. You'll always be glad that you did. You'll always regret when you've deviated from those standards.
Monday, June 06, 2005
SPORTS: U-S-A; U-S-A; U-S-A
The soccer game was great.
The USA totally thronged Costa Rica, 3-0. The place was pretty full: 40,585 fans, and I made it 40,586. We had good seats about 20 rows up in the North end zone, just to the left of the goal. The first goal happened right in front of us. A pass got deflected and just rolled slowly to the top of the box, and everyone in the crowd just gasped, waiting to see who'd get to the free ball first. The USA's Landon Donovan won the race and deposited it in the upper right corner. Then it was mayhem. I swear the place was louder than Cougar Stadium after a BYU touchdown. And the noise lasted for minutes. Huge American flags, covering eight rows of fans, were unfurled. People threw red, white and blue streamers onto the field; I mean, they were strewn all over the place, and they kept playing with streamers on the field for about three minutes, until one of the players slipped on one; then they cleared them off. And, just in case the Costa Rican fans had missed the goal, the gracious American fans let them know the score with a loud chant of "uno-cero."
The whole first half, the USA had opportunity-after-opportunity, and it was exciting each time they came down and took a shot. The American strategy was this: As soon as they won the ball, they would kick it downfield to a midfielder, and then on to Landon Donovan, who would decide who would take the shot. Only some remarkable play the Costa Rican keeper kept the Americans from adding to their lead.
Right as the second half began, it was really quiet, and American keeper Kasey Keller was warming up right in front of us, so I yelled as loud as I could, "You're the man, Kasey Keller!" We were close enough and it was quiet enough that I think there's a chance he heard me. And over the next 15 minutes, he proved he was the man, making some of the best saves I've ever seen: Practically cart-wheeling to somehow keep out a point-blank shot, diving to his right and fully extending to just punch out a would-be goal, etc. But the Costa Ricans kept pressuring until ...
The Americans got a counter-attack, and Brian McBride, one of my favorite U.S. players, sent a wicked header toward goal. The Costa Rican keeper dove and knocked it down ... but right to the feet of Donovan, who scored his second goal. It was great to see Donovan get two goals in Salt Lake, since he loves Utah so much.
After that, it was all U.S. And McBride capped the day with a goal in the 87th minute.
The final three minutes were just awesome, as 40,000 people chanted U-S-A, U-S-A at the top of their lungs. It sent shivers up my spine. Really, it's one thing to go to a game to root on your high school or your college or your favorite pro team; but it's quite another to go to a game to root for your country.
And right before the game ended, a Costa Rican player got sent off for a cheap shot on the USA's Steve Cherundolo. And this guy kept wanting to shove people before he left. So it was quite exciting to see someone (1) get a red card, and (2) refuse to leave.
One of the best parts was watching Damarcus Beasley, dance around Costa Ricans with the ball. That guy is amazing. I just can't believe how can spin so effortlessly past a defender with the ball at his feet. Every time, he got the ball; I expected him to use some exceptional move to elude a defender; and almost every time he got the ball, he did just that.
Of course, it was also nice whenever Eddie Pope, the one Real Salt Lake player in the U.S. lineup, did anything, because the crowd just loved it.
So three U.S. goals and a red card for Costa Rica--not a bad day!
All-in-all, one of the best sporting experiences I've ever been to, and I hope they come back.
The USA totally thronged Costa Rica, 3-0. The place was pretty full: 40,585 fans, and I made it 40,586. We had good seats about 20 rows up in the North end zone, just to the left of the goal. The first goal happened right in front of us. A pass got deflected and just rolled slowly to the top of the box, and everyone in the crowd just gasped, waiting to see who'd get to the free ball first. The USA's Landon Donovan won the race and deposited it in the upper right corner. Then it was mayhem. I swear the place was louder than Cougar Stadium after a BYU touchdown. And the noise lasted for minutes. Huge American flags, covering eight rows of fans, were unfurled. People threw red, white and blue streamers onto the field; I mean, they were strewn all over the place, and they kept playing with streamers on the field for about three minutes, until one of the players slipped on one; then they cleared them off. And, just in case the Costa Rican fans had missed the goal, the gracious American fans let them know the score with a loud chant of "uno-cero."
The whole first half, the USA had opportunity-after-opportunity, and it was exciting each time they came down and took a shot. The American strategy was this: As soon as they won the ball, they would kick it downfield to a midfielder, and then on to Landon Donovan, who would decide who would take the shot. Only some remarkable play the Costa Rican keeper kept the Americans from adding to their lead.
Right as the second half began, it was really quiet, and American keeper Kasey Keller was warming up right in front of us, so I yelled as loud as I could, "You're the man, Kasey Keller!" We were close enough and it was quiet enough that I think there's a chance he heard me. And over the next 15 minutes, he proved he was the man, making some of the best saves I've ever seen: Practically cart-wheeling to somehow keep out a point-blank shot, diving to his right and fully extending to just punch out a would-be goal, etc. But the Costa Ricans kept pressuring until ...
The Americans got a counter-attack, and Brian McBride, one of my favorite U.S. players, sent a wicked header toward goal. The Costa Rican keeper dove and knocked it down ... but right to the feet of Donovan, who scored his second goal. It was great to see Donovan get two goals in Salt Lake, since he loves Utah so much.
After that, it was all U.S. And McBride capped the day with a goal in the 87th minute.
The final three minutes were just awesome, as 40,000 people chanted U-S-A, U-S-A at the top of their lungs. It sent shivers up my spine. Really, it's one thing to go to a game to root on your high school or your college or your favorite pro team; but it's quite another to go to a game to root for your country.
And right before the game ended, a Costa Rican player got sent off for a cheap shot on the USA's Steve Cherundolo. And this guy kept wanting to shove people before he left. So it was quite exciting to see someone (1) get a red card, and (2) refuse to leave.
One of the best parts was watching Damarcus Beasley, dance around Costa Ricans with the ball. That guy is amazing. I just can't believe how can spin so effortlessly past a defender with the ball at his feet. Every time, he got the ball; I expected him to use some exceptional move to elude a defender; and almost every time he got the ball, he did just that.
Of course, it was also nice whenever Eddie Pope, the one Real Salt Lake player in the U.S. lineup, did anything, because the crowd just loved it.
So three U.S. goals and a red card for Costa Rica--not a bad day!
All-in-all, one of the best sporting experiences I've ever been to, and I hope they come back.
Monday, May 16, 2005
SPORTS: Randomized ESPN Draft Study
ESPN Randomized Lottery Study
On ESPN, you can “play the NBA draft lottery.” With the click of a button, ESPN randomly picks the top three picks, with each team having the same chance they will have in the NBA draft. Then, after the draft order has been selected, ESPN makes a guess on who each team will draft in that draft slot.
I conducted 25 such randomized mock drafts on ESPN.com, and came up with the following statistics:
The number one pick goes to …
Charlotte - 24 percent
Atlanta - 20 percent
Utah - 16 percent
New Orleans - 16 percent
Portland - 12 percent
New York - 8 percent
Toronto - 4 percent
Charlotte, by netting 24 percent of the top picks with a 17.7 percent chance, had a net gain of +6.3 percent. The Jazz, meanwhile, had a net gain of 4.1 percent. Atlanta, however, had a net loss of 5 percent.
So who was the No. 1 pick in these 25 mock drafts …
Andrew Bogut - 60 percent
Chris Paul - 24 percent
Marvin Williams - 16 percent
Paul was Charlotte’s top pick each time it won the draft, and Marvin Williams was the Hornets’ selection each time New Orleans had the top spot. All other teams used the No. 1 pick to select Andrew Bogut.
As for the Jazz, this is where they drafted …
Top pick - 16 percent
2nd pick - 12 percent
3rd pick - 16 percent
4th pick - 0 percent
5th pick - 36 percent
6th pick - 20 percent
7th pick - 0 percent
The Jazz can finish 1 through 7. To be fourth, the three teams ahead of them all have to get one of the top three picks; not very likely as you can see. To be seventh, the three teams ahead of them all have to fail to get a lottery pick, a virtual impossibility.
So that really leaves the Jazz with this: a top three pick or the fifth or sixth spot. It’s more likely that the Jazz don’t get in the top three, at a rate of 56 percent. Still, according to this randomized study, there’s a 44 percent chance that the Jazz do get a top three pick.
So who did the Jazz draft in these randomized drafts …
Deron Williams - 52 percent
Andrew Bogut - 20 percent
Marvin Williams - 12 percent
Chris Paul - 8 percent
Fran Vasquez - 4 percent
When the Jazz had the top pick, they selected Andrew Bogut each time.
When the Jazz had the second pick, they selected Chris Paul twice, and Andrew Bogut once (the Bobcats had made Paul the top pick in that scenario).
When the Jazz had the third pick, they selected Marvin Williams three times and Andrew Bogut once (the Bobcats made Paul the top selection, and the Hornets then selected Marvin Williams).
All nine times the Jazz had the fifth pick, they selected Deron Williams. And only once with the sixth pick did they not select Deron Williams. That time, he was off the board, and they selected Fran Vasquez.
So if ESPN is to be believed, we can conclude this …
- Andrew Bogut will be the top pick, unless Charlotte or New Orleans win the lottery.
- If the Jazz win, they will take Bogut.
- If the Jazz get the second slot, they will take Chris Paul.
- If the Jazz get the third pick, they’ll get Marvin Williams.
- If the Jazz aren’t in the top three, they’ll take Deron Williams.
So based on my study, this is how I predict the NBA draft will turn out:
1. Chris Paul – Charlotte
2. Andrew Bogut -- Atlanta
3. Marvin Williams – Portland
4. Gerald Green – New Orleans
5. Deron Williams – Utah
On ESPN, you can “play the NBA draft lottery.” With the click of a button, ESPN randomly picks the top three picks, with each team having the same chance they will have in the NBA draft. Then, after the draft order has been selected, ESPN makes a guess on who each team will draft in that draft slot.
I conducted 25 such randomized mock drafts on ESPN.com, and came up with the following statistics:
The number one pick goes to …
Charlotte - 24 percent
Atlanta - 20 percent
Utah - 16 percent
New Orleans - 16 percent
Portland - 12 percent
New York - 8 percent
Toronto - 4 percent
Charlotte, by netting 24 percent of the top picks with a 17.7 percent chance, had a net gain of +6.3 percent. The Jazz, meanwhile, had a net gain of 4.1 percent. Atlanta, however, had a net loss of 5 percent.
So who was the No. 1 pick in these 25 mock drafts …
Andrew Bogut - 60 percent
Chris Paul - 24 percent
Marvin Williams - 16 percent
Paul was Charlotte’s top pick each time it won the draft, and Marvin Williams was the Hornets’ selection each time New Orleans had the top spot. All other teams used the No. 1 pick to select Andrew Bogut.
As for the Jazz, this is where they drafted …
Top pick - 16 percent
2nd pick - 12 percent
3rd pick - 16 percent
4th pick - 0 percent
5th pick - 36 percent
6th pick - 20 percent
7th pick - 0 percent
The Jazz can finish 1 through 7. To be fourth, the three teams ahead of them all have to get one of the top three picks; not very likely as you can see. To be seventh, the three teams ahead of them all have to fail to get a lottery pick, a virtual impossibility.
So that really leaves the Jazz with this: a top three pick or the fifth or sixth spot. It’s more likely that the Jazz don’t get in the top three, at a rate of 56 percent. Still, according to this randomized study, there’s a 44 percent chance that the Jazz do get a top three pick.
So who did the Jazz draft in these randomized drafts …
Deron Williams - 52 percent
Andrew Bogut - 20 percent
Marvin Williams - 12 percent
Chris Paul - 8 percent
Fran Vasquez - 4 percent
When the Jazz had the top pick, they selected Andrew Bogut each time.
When the Jazz had the second pick, they selected Chris Paul twice, and Andrew Bogut once (the Bobcats had made Paul the top pick in that scenario).
When the Jazz had the third pick, they selected Marvin Williams three times and Andrew Bogut once (the Bobcats made Paul the top selection, and the Hornets then selected Marvin Williams).
All nine times the Jazz had the fifth pick, they selected Deron Williams. And only once with the sixth pick did they not select Deron Williams. That time, he was off the board, and they selected Fran Vasquez.
So if ESPN is to be believed, we can conclude this …
- Andrew Bogut will be the top pick, unless Charlotte or New Orleans win the lottery.
- If the Jazz win, they will take Bogut.
- If the Jazz get the second slot, they will take Chris Paul.
- If the Jazz get the third pick, they’ll get Marvin Williams.
- If the Jazz aren’t in the top three, they’ll take Deron Williams.
So based on my study, this is how I predict the NBA draft will turn out:
1. Chris Paul – Charlotte
2. Andrew Bogut -- Atlanta
3. Marvin Williams – Portland
4. Gerald Green – New Orleans
5. Deron Williams – Utah
Thursday, March 31, 2005
RELIGION: Sacrament Talk 12-12-04: Christmas is A Promise Kept
Two years ago, my roommates at BYU decided that we should draw names for Christmas and have a sort of roommate Christmas before we went our separate ways for the Holidays. We’d all been living together for a couple years, so we knew each other pretty well by then. So we all put a lot of thought into finding the perfect gift for the roommate we were shopping for.
On the night finals ended, we had our little present-opening party. My roommate Jeff Dance had my name, and he got exactly the right present for me. When I opened his present, this is what I found … this picture of Christ and Peter. Such a nice present to receive. I thanked Jeff again and again. Later that night, after Jeff came back from dropping off his soon-to-be fiancée, we were talking about this picture.
Jeff was telling that he had been walking through the bookstore a few weeks earlier when he saw the picture and just knew he had to get it for me.
“Why?” I asked.
“Well, What do you see when you look at it?” Jeff asked me.
“I see Christ lifting me out of the water.”
“That’s what I was hoping you’d see,” he said.
I think we’ve all had times when we felt like we were drowning emotionally and spiritually. I know have. I’ve certainly had my times when I felt overwhelmed, lonely, or even hopeless. I’ve certainly had times when I felt my sins were too great to be forgiven. Times when I felt I didn’t have a way out.
I’ve learned from such experiences that Christ is always my way out. I may be falling under the water, far away from the security of the boat. But Christ has always been there for me, even when my life has strayed from him.
I like two scriptures found in second Nephi, one at the start of the Isaiah chapters, the other at the end. In the first, Christ asks us this question: “O house of Israel, is my hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem or have I no power to deliver?” (2 Nephi 7:2) Then, after dedicating chapter after chapter to the woes of the last days, Christ then answers the question with this statement: “Notwithstanding, mine arm is lengthened out all day long.” Christ’s arm is not shortened. He can redeem. He can comfort. Cast your sins on Him, and He will bear them. Cast your burdens on Him, and He will bear them. The more I experience, the more episodic setbacks I experience, the more convinced I become of Christ’s divinity. The more I learn, the more I know that when I can’t cope, Jesus offers hope.
There are two things we must each know about Christ: (1) He is our Atoner, and (2) He is our Friend. In the first role, He liberates us from sin. In the second, He is there for us when needed. In each role is His arm lengthened. And in each role, He does have the power to deliver.
And that, more than anything, is the Reason for the Season. When we celebrate Christmas, we aren’t celebrating just a birth—We are celebrating the life, ministry, and Great Sacrifice of our Christ. We are celebrating His acceptance of His role in the plan of salvation. The rest of us came to Earth to prove ourselves; He came to redeem.
In between Gethsemane and the Cross, Christ stood before Pilate, a Roman Leader who would decide whether to crucify Jesus. Jesus begged not for his life. Rather, he simply said, “To this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world” (John 18:37). He came to redeem, and no Roman leader or any man would interfere with Christ fulfilling the awful requirements of being our Redeemer.
He was fulfilling a promise made long ago to our Father in Heaven and to each of us. There, we were standing in that Grand Council, and when we heard the Father’s plan, we shouted for joy. The role of Atoner was the central part of that plan; No man would come unto the Father but by Him; He would be the one who set the way; therefore, we had to—had to—pick the right person for the job. I’m sure it didn’t take anyone long to figure out who it would be; who it had to be—for there was only one of us who could do it.
Can you imagine the joy you must have felt, sitting in that Grand Council, when Christ arose, and meekly said, “Here Am I. Send me!”
And with the Savior in place, the plan began to be put into effect. Christ came and organized our Earth. He was the God of the Old Testament. And then, in a stable, He came … He came to fulfill his greatest responsibility that of Atoner. And, in that way, Christmas is a promise kept.
For 33 years, the Creator of this Earth dwelt on this Earth. For 33 years, he lived a spotless life, keeping Himself qualified to be our Savior. 33 years of sinless living. That’s incredible. I doubt I could live a spotless life for 33 minutes, if my life depended on it. And he lived a virtuous life for 33 years, and my life did depend on it.
For three years, He ministered. In those three years, He gave us the wonderful teachings found in the Gospels, and set his life as an example to all those would follow. He established His church and organized its priesthood.
But his greatest work came in Gethsemane and on the Cross.
One LDS scholar put it this way:
“Human nature makes us want to quantify, to measure the atonement of Christ, but his ordeal is off any scale; it is beyond our comprehension. Jesus bore not just the sins of the world, but the sorrow, pains, and sicknesses of the world.
“All the negative aspects of human existence brought about by the Fall, Jesus Christ absorbed into himself. He experienced vicariously in Gethsemane all the private griefs and heartaches, all the physical pains and handicaps, all the emotional burdens and depressions of the human family. He knows the loneliness of those who don’t fit in or who aren’t handsome or pretty. He knows what it’s like to choose up teams and be the last one chosen. He knows the anguish of parents who children go wrong … He knows all these things personally and intimately because He lived them in the Gethsemane experience. Having personally lived a perfect life, he then chose to experience our imperfect lives. In that infinite Gethsemane experience, the meridian of time, the center of eternity, he lived a billion billion lifetimes of pain, disease and sorrow.
“God uses no magic wand to simply wave bad things into nonexistence. The sins that he remits, he remits by making them his own and suffering them. The pain and heartaches that he relieves, he relieves by suffering them himself. Those things can be shared and absorbed, but they cannot be simply washed or wished away. They must be suffered. Thus we owe him not only for our spiritual cleansing from sin, but for our physical, mental and emotional healings as well, for he has borne these infirmities for us also. All that the Fall put wrong, the Savior in his atonement puts right. It is all part of his infinite sacrifice—of his infinite gift” (Stephen E. Robinson).
All of that was experienced by Christ for you. For me. For all of us. Indeed, the Son of Man hath descended below them all. Can we hear such a description of Christ’s Atonement and doubt that He loves us? We know he does. He has proven it. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). No description can come close to quantifying the awfulness of that night—the dreadful sufferings Christ had to make on our behalf. But we can see that in order to make an infinite atonement, Christ’s love for us also had to be infinite.
Can you read about Christ, can you study his life, can you study Gethsemane and the Cross and not come away with the knowledge that He loves you. And can you not also see that those experiences did indeed qualify him to be both your Redeemer and your Friend?
The more you study and learn of Christ, the more you will want to celebrate Christ. And that, my Friends, is the reason for this season. President Ezra Taft Benson once said: “Without Christ there would be no Christmas, and without Christ there can be no fulness of joy.” President Hinckley elaborated on that, when he said, “We honor His birth. But without His death that birth would have been but one more birth. It was the redemption which He worked out in the Garden of Gethsemane and upon the cross of Calvary which made His gift immortal, universal, and everlasting.”
President Hinckley said: “This is the wondrous and true story of Christmas. The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem of Judea is preface. The three-year ministry of the Master is prologue. The magnificent substance of the story is His sacrifice, the totally selfless act of dying in pain on the cross of Calvary to atone for the sins of all of us. The epilogue is the miracle of the Resurrection, bringing
the assurance that “as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive”
Indeed, the story of Christ did not end on the cross; it, like He, lives on. He was resurrected, breaking the bands of death and bestowing immortality upon mankind. “There would be no Christmas if there had not been Easter,” President Hinckley once said. Christ’s story goes beyond Easter; its storyline goes to the Americas where he visited after His resurrection; it goes to a grove in New York where He, along with the Father, appeared to Joseph Smith, to restore His church to the Earth. His story is best experienced within the hearts of His followers, who reverence His name, rejoice over His life and seek to wash their garments clean in the blood of the Lamb. And His story will yet take us to the Second Coming, when all knees shall bow before Him. O what it would be, to greet that day with gladness, having been washed clean of our sins through Him.
So you can see the merits of His life, the Greatest Life ever lived. And you can see what great cause we all have to celebrate Him, to emulate Him, and to become like Him. And we can see the Greatest Gift we’ll ever get was given to us 2,000 years ago.
As you dash about this Christmas season, take some time to reflect on the Reason. Take some time to think about Jesus and all He has done for you. Think about His matchless Gift. Think about how indebted you are to him. And perhaps before you crowd into the mall and stand in long lines, put Christ on the top of your Christmas gift list. Elder John A. Widtsoe, a member of the Quorum of Twelve five decades ago, once taught: “Our first gift at Christmas should be to the Lord.”
Elder Widtsoe then explained how to give Christ a Christmas gift: “Every kind word to our own, every help given them, is as a gift to God, whose chief concern is the welfare of his children. Every gentle deed to our neighbor, every kindness to the poor and suffering, is a gift to the Lord, before whom all mankind are equal. Every conformity to the Lord’s plan of salvation—and this is of first importance—is a direct gift to God, for thereby we fit ourselves more nearly for our divinely planned destiny.”
Christ once explained who His friends are. “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:14). The best way to be His Friend is to be like Him. In that way, you will lose your life for His sake, as you help others, just as he did.
President David O. McKay explained how aiding others is the spirit of Christmas, when he said: “True happiness comes only by making others happy—the practical application of the Savior’s doctrine of losing one’s life to gain it. In short, the Christmas spirit is the Christ spirit, that makes our hearts glow in brotherly love and friendship and prompts us to kind deeds of service. It is the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ, obedience to which will bring ‘peace on earth,’ because it means—good will toward all men.”
Most of all, as you serve like Christ did, as you try to live as Christ did, you qualify yourself to be a recipient of every blessing of His atonement, so that His sacrifice for you is not wasted. Indeed, you qualify for eternal life.
And, finally, Elder Widtsoe explained how that kind of living is the perfect gift for your Redeemer this Holiday season, as he taught: “The desire and the effort to give to the Lord, born of the surrender of man to the plan of salvation, stamp every Christmas gift with genuine value. They who identify themselves with the plan, who do not resist it, who earnestly seek to tread the path of the plan, are true givers to the Lord, and their gifts to men come with the flavor of heaven. The Lord and his plan must have place in our Christmas celebration.”
I want you to know that I know Christ did volunteer to be our Savior. He did come to Earth. He did live the perfect life. He did perform the atonement on our behalf in the Garden and on the Cross. In doing so, He blazed our trail back to our Father in Heaven. And if we will follow in his path, we will, like Him, return to live with our Father. He lives. And because He lives, so we will also live beyond this life. He did appear to Joseph Smith. He did restore His church and His priesthood through the Prophet Joseph. He continues to guide His church today through His prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley. I know all of that to be true. Most of all, I know this to be true: Christ loves us. Every one of us. He will take upon Him your burdens and your sins, as He has mine. His arm is not shortened; he can redeem; he can comfort. When you feel yourself sinking, when you feel you’ve lost hope, when you feel you’ve lost your way, there you will see, like Peter saw that day on the sea, your Savior looking down at you, extending his arm to pull you out. Please draw near unto Him. Your life, both now and eternally, will be blessed because of it. And this I say humbly in His Holy name, Jesus Christ. Amen.
On the night finals ended, we had our little present-opening party. My roommate Jeff Dance had my name, and he got exactly the right present for me. When I opened his present, this is what I found … this picture of Christ and Peter. Such a nice present to receive. I thanked Jeff again and again. Later that night, after Jeff came back from dropping off his soon-to-be fiancée, we were talking about this picture.
Jeff was telling that he had been walking through the bookstore a few weeks earlier when he saw the picture and just knew he had to get it for me.
“Why?” I asked.
“Well, What do you see when you look at it?” Jeff asked me.
“I see Christ lifting me out of the water.”
“That’s what I was hoping you’d see,” he said.
I think we’ve all had times when we felt like we were drowning emotionally and spiritually. I know have. I’ve certainly had my times when I felt overwhelmed, lonely, or even hopeless. I’ve certainly had times when I felt my sins were too great to be forgiven. Times when I felt I didn’t have a way out.
I’ve learned from such experiences that Christ is always my way out. I may be falling under the water, far away from the security of the boat. But Christ has always been there for me, even when my life has strayed from him.
I like two scriptures found in second Nephi, one at the start of the Isaiah chapters, the other at the end. In the first, Christ asks us this question: “O house of Israel, is my hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem or have I no power to deliver?” (2 Nephi 7:2) Then, after dedicating chapter after chapter to the woes of the last days, Christ then answers the question with this statement: “Notwithstanding, mine arm is lengthened out all day long.” Christ’s arm is not shortened. He can redeem. He can comfort. Cast your sins on Him, and He will bear them. Cast your burdens on Him, and He will bear them. The more I experience, the more episodic setbacks I experience, the more convinced I become of Christ’s divinity. The more I learn, the more I know that when I can’t cope, Jesus offers hope.
There are two things we must each know about Christ: (1) He is our Atoner, and (2) He is our Friend. In the first role, He liberates us from sin. In the second, He is there for us when needed. In each role is His arm lengthened. And in each role, He does have the power to deliver.
And that, more than anything, is the Reason for the Season. When we celebrate Christmas, we aren’t celebrating just a birth—We are celebrating the life, ministry, and Great Sacrifice of our Christ. We are celebrating His acceptance of His role in the plan of salvation. The rest of us came to Earth to prove ourselves; He came to redeem.
In between Gethsemane and the Cross, Christ stood before Pilate, a Roman Leader who would decide whether to crucify Jesus. Jesus begged not for his life. Rather, he simply said, “To this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world” (John 18:37). He came to redeem, and no Roman leader or any man would interfere with Christ fulfilling the awful requirements of being our Redeemer.
He was fulfilling a promise made long ago to our Father in Heaven and to each of us. There, we were standing in that Grand Council, and when we heard the Father’s plan, we shouted for joy. The role of Atoner was the central part of that plan; No man would come unto the Father but by Him; He would be the one who set the way; therefore, we had to—had to—pick the right person for the job. I’m sure it didn’t take anyone long to figure out who it would be; who it had to be—for there was only one of us who could do it.
Can you imagine the joy you must have felt, sitting in that Grand Council, when Christ arose, and meekly said, “Here Am I. Send me!”
And with the Savior in place, the plan began to be put into effect. Christ came and organized our Earth. He was the God of the Old Testament. And then, in a stable, He came … He came to fulfill his greatest responsibility that of Atoner. And, in that way, Christmas is a promise kept.
For 33 years, the Creator of this Earth dwelt on this Earth. For 33 years, he lived a spotless life, keeping Himself qualified to be our Savior. 33 years of sinless living. That’s incredible. I doubt I could live a spotless life for 33 minutes, if my life depended on it. And he lived a virtuous life for 33 years, and my life did depend on it.
For three years, He ministered. In those three years, He gave us the wonderful teachings found in the Gospels, and set his life as an example to all those would follow. He established His church and organized its priesthood.
But his greatest work came in Gethsemane and on the Cross.
One LDS scholar put it this way:
“Human nature makes us want to quantify, to measure the atonement of Christ, but his ordeal is off any scale; it is beyond our comprehension. Jesus bore not just the sins of the world, but the sorrow, pains, and sicknesses of the world.
“All the negative aspects of human existence brought about by the Fall, Jesus Christ absorbed into himself. He experienced vicariously in Gethsemane all the private griefs and heartaches, all the physical pains and handicaps, all the emotional burdens and depressions of the human family. He knows the loneliness of those who don’t fit in or who aren’t handsome or pretty. He knows what it’s like to choose up teams and be the last one chosen. He knows the anguish of parents who children go wrong … He knows all these things personally and intimately because He lived them in the Gethsemane experience. Having personally lived a perfect life, he then chose to experience our imperfect lives. In that infinite Gethsemane experience, the meridian of time, the center of eternity, he lived a billion billion lifetimes of pain, disease and sorrow.
“God uses no magic wand to simply wave bad things into nonexistence. The sins that he remits, he remits by making them his own and suffering them. The pain and heartaches that he relieves, he relieves by suffering them himself. Those things can be shared and absorbed, but they cannot be simply washed or wished away. They must be suffered. Thus we owe him not only for our spiritual cleansing from sin, but for our physical, mental and emotional healings as well, for he has borne these infirmities for us also. All that the Fall put wrong, the Savior in his atonement puts right. It is all part of his infinite sacrifice—of his infinite gift” (Stephen E. Robinson).
All of that was experienced by Christ for you. For me. For all of us. Indeed, the Son of Man hath descended below them all. Can we hear such a description of Christ’s Atonement and doubt that He loves us? We know he does. He has proven it. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). No description can come close to quantifying the awfulness of that night—the dreadful sufferings Christ had to make on our behalf. But we can see that in order to make an infinite atonement, Christ’s love for us also had to be infinite.
Can you read about Christ, can you study his life, can you study Gethsemane and the Cross and not come away with the knowledge that He loves you. And can you not also see that those experiences did indeed qualify him to be both your Redeemer and your Friend?
The more you study and learn of Christ, the more you will want to celebrate Christ. And that, my Friends, is the reason for this season. President Ezra Taft Benson once said: “Without Christ there would be no Christmas, and without Christ there can be no fulness of joy.” President Hinckley elaborated on that, when he said, “We honor His birth. But without His death that birth would have been but one more birth. It was the redemption which He worked out in the Garden of Gethsemane and upon the cross of Calvary which made His gift immortal, universal, and everlasting.”
President Hinckley said: “This is the wondrous and true story of Christmas. The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem of Judea is preface. The three-year ministry of the Master is prologue. The magnificent substance of the story is His sacrifice, the totally selfless act of dying in pain on the cross of Calvary to atone for the sins of all of us. The epilogue is the miracle of the Resurrection, bringing
the assurance that “as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive”
Indeed, the story of Christ did not end on the cross; it, like He, lives on. He was resurrected, breaking the bands of death and bestowing immortality upon mankind. “There would be no Christmas if there had not been Easter,” President Hinckley once said. Christ’s story goes beyond Easter; its storyline goes to the Americas where he visited after His resurrection; it goes to a grove in New York where He, along with the Father, appeared to Joseph Smith, to restore His church to the Earth. His story is best experienced within the hearts of His followers, who reverence His name, rejoice over His life and seek to wash their garments clean in the blood of the Lamb. And His story will yet take us to the Second Coming, when all knees shall bow before Him. O what it would be, to greet that day with gladness, having been washed clean of our sins through Him.
So you can see the merits of His life, the Greatest Life ever lived. And you can see what great cause we all have to celebrate Him, to emulate Him, and to become like Him. And we can see the Greatest Gift we’ll ever get was given to us 2,000 years ago.
As you dash about this Christmas season, take some time to reflect on the Reason. Take some time to think about Jesus and all He has done for you. Think about His matchless Gift. Think about how indebted you are to him. And perhaps before you crowd into the mall and stand in long lines, put Christ on the top of your Christmas gift list. Elder John A. Widtsoe, a member of the Quorum of Twelve five decades ago, once taught: “Our first gift at Christmas should be to the Lord.”
Elder Widtsoe then explained how to give Christ a Christmas gift: “Every kind word to our own, every help given them, is as a gift to God, whose chief concern is the welfare of his children. Every gentle deed to our neighbor, every kindness to the poor and suffering, is a gift to the Lord, before whom all mankind are equal. Every conformity to the Lord’s plan of salvation—and this is of first importance—is a direct gift to God, for thereby we fit ourselves more nearly for our divinely planned destiny.”
Christ once explained who His friends are. “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:14). The best way to be His Friend is to be like Him. In that way, you will lose your life for His sake, as you help others, just as he did.
President David O. McKay explained how aiding others is the spirit of Christmas, when he said: “True happiness comes only by making others happy—the practical application of the Savior’s doctrine of losing one’s life to gain it. In short, the Christmas spirit is the Christ spirit, that makes our hearts glow in brotherly love and friendship and prompts us to kind deeds of service. It is the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ, obedience to which will bring ‘peace on earth,’ because it means—good will toward all men.”
Most of all, as you serve like Christ did, as you try to live as Christ did, you qualify yourself to be a recipient of every blessing of His atonement, so that His sacrifice for you is not wasted. Indeed, you qualify for eternal life.
And, finally, Elder Widtsoe explained how that kind of living is the perfect gift for your Redeemer this Holiday season, as he taught: “The desire and the effort to give to the Lord, born of the surrender of man to the plan of salvation, stamp every Christmas gift with genuine value. They who identify themselves with the plan, who do not resist it, who earnestly seek to tread the path of the plan, are true givers to the Lord, and their gifts to men come with the flavor of heaven. The Lord and his plan must have place in our Christmas celebration.”
I want you to know that I know Christ did volunteer to be our Savior. He did come to Earth. He did live the perfect life. He did perform the atonement on our behalf in the Garden and on the Cross. In doing so, He blazed our trail back to our Father in Heaven. And if we will follow in his path, we will, like Him, return to live with our Father. He lives. And because He lives, so we will also live beyond this life. He did appear to Joseph Smith. He did restore His church and His priesthood through the Prophet Joseph. He continues to guide His church today through His prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley. I know all of that to be true. Most of all, I know this to be true: Christ loves us. Every one of us. He will take upon Him your burdens and your sins, as He has mine. His arm is not shortened; he can redeem; he can comfort. When you feel yourself sinking, when you feel you’ve lost hope, when you feel you’ve lost your way, there you will see, like Peter saw that day on the sea, your Savior looking down at you, extending his arm to pull you out. Please draw near unto Him. Your life, both now and eternally, will be blessed because of it. And this I say humbly in His Holy name, Jesus Christ. Amen.
RELIGION: Sacrament Talk 1-30-05: Lachoneus, Gidgiddoni & Their Quest for Inspiration
NOTE: This isn’t how I gave the actual talk. What happened was, I was sitting in Sunday School when the Elder’s Quorum president asked if I could go and help out with the Sacrament Meeting the ward was putting on for the senior citizens’ home. I said, “Sure.”
He said, “Oh, can you talk to?”
“Okay. When are we going?”
“Right now.”
So I had to basically come up with a 10-minute talk on the spot, so I just scribbled down some notes. And gave my talk based on those notes. Now, I’m reconstructing those notes into prose, for the purposes of getting the talk down on paper.
You’ll notice some strong similarities to this talk and the one I helped Amber write (shown below) because they are based on the same story. The story of Lachoneus and Gidgiddoni has really struck me as I’ve read the Book of Mormon this time. In fact, I had just spent the last week in my personal study in reading, re-reading, pondering and writing about their story.
So I felt, in a way, very fortunate, to have this outlet to express what I had been studying the week prior.
The Holy Ghost has been a great guide for me in my life. I have learned that by following its inspiration, I will benefit. Furthermore, I am blessed to live in a day when the Church is restored, and righteous leaders seek and follow guidance.
The blessing of seeking, receiving and following inspiration is not unique to our time. In any time, when the people have sought God’s help, have sought to be inspired by His spirit, they have received such a blessing.
Such was the case with Lachoneus and Gidgiddoni.
Their story starts with a threat, made by the leader of the Gadianton Robbers, Giddianhi.
Giddianhi had garnered much power, and the Gadianton Robbers had become a real threat to the freedom of the Nephite. Now, in a letter, Giddianhi, spelled out to Lachoneus, the chief judge of the Nephites, his plans to overthrow the Nephites and take complete control. He asks Lachoneus to surrender.
Lachoneus’ response in 3 Nephi 3:12 is instructive:
“Now behold, this Lachoneus, the governor, was a just man, and could not be frightened by the demands and the threatenings of a robber; therefore he did not hearken to the epistle of Giddianhi, the governor of the robbers, but he did cause that his people should cry unto the Lord for strength against the time that the robbers should come down against them.”
Couple that with what the Nephite Army does as soon as they see the Robber army on the battlefield, told in 3 Nephi 4:8:
“And it came to pass that the armies of the Nephites, when they saw the appearance of the army of Giddianhi, had all fallen to the earth, and did lift their cries to the Lord their God, that he would spare them and deliver them out of the hands of their enemies.”
The Nephites’ first and last preparation, and their habit in-between, to this war with the Gadianton Robbers was to pray.
But the Nephites were doing more than just praying. Lachoneus pleaded with his people to reconcile their lives with Christ’s. We read this heartfelt plea from the Nephite chief judge in 3 Nephi 3:15:
“Yea, he [Lachoneus] said unto them: As the Lord liveth, except ye repent of all your iniquities, and cry unto the Lord, ye will in nowise be delivered out of the hands of those Gadianton robbers.”
Under these desperate circumstances, Lachoneus’ leadership was inspiring. And, as he leaned upon the Lord, so did his people:
“And so great and marvelous were the words and prophecies of Lachoneus that they did cause fear to come upon all the people; and they did exert themselves in their might to do according to the words of Lachoneus” (3 Nephi 3:16).
In these conditions, it is becoming apparent that the Nephites are on the right track. Not only are they seeking guidance, they are trying to live their lives in a manner that qualify themselves for such guidance. In our lives, we must not only seek the Holy Ghost, we must be worthy of its presence.
And, in such a condition of seeking and living worthily of inspiration, is it really a surprise that the Nephites received such?
There were two revelations that really saved the Nephite nation.
The first came to Lachoneus almost immediately after receiving Giddianhi’s threatening letter:
“Yea, he [Lachoneus] sent a proclamation among all the people, that they should gather together their women, and their children, their flocks and their herds, and all their substance, save it were their land [obviously, you can’t pack your land with you], unto one place.”
Once there, Lachoneus had his people toil in preparing defenses, just as we ought to defend ourselves against Satan. Keeping Satan out of our hearts enables us to have free communion with the Spirit.
Then, one of the more intelligent things Lachoneus did was to appoint God-inspired men to lead his army. He chose Gidgiddoni to lead the Nephites in battle. The Nephite men thought it wise to take the battle to the Robbers, to fight the Robbers in their own land, instead, of bringing the battle to Zarahemla.
In considering the plan, Gidgiddoni consulted the Lord. It is here that Gidgiddoni got the second instruction that saved the Nephite nation:
“Now the people said unto Gidgiddoni: Pray unto the Lord [note the emphasis the Nephites had put on praying], and let us go up upon the mountains and into the wilderness, that we may fall upon the robbers and destroy them in their own lands.
“But Gidgiddoni saith unto them: The Lord forbid; for if we should go up against them the Lord would deliver us into their hands; therefore we will prepare ourselves in the center of our lands, and we will gather all our armies together, and we will not go against them, but we will wait till they shall come against us; therefore as the Lord liveth, if we do this he will deliver them into our hands” (3 Nephi 3:20-21).
These two instructions, the one to gather and the one to wait for the Robbers to arrive, may not have made much sense to the Nephites when they were received. Regardless, the Nephites followed the inspiration they received.
The reasons behind the Lord’s instructions to gather and wait soon became apparent. The Robbers were, in a sense, nomadic. They traveled lightly, with the intent to steal their substance along the way. But in calling the Nephites to gather not just themselves, but all their substance into one place, the Lord had taken away the Robbers source of substance.
Unable to steal their food, the Robbers arrived at Zarahemla, already weary, half-starved, and in ready-to-be-defeated condition. This is why the decision to stay in Zarahemla proved pivotal. The Robbers were not in good condition to fight; whereas, the Nephites were well-rested. Indeed, the promise the Lord gave to Gidgiddoni, that if they would stay-put, the Lord would deliver the Robbers into the Nephites’ hands was fulfilled:
“And notwithstanding the threatenings and the oaths which Giddianhi had made, behold, the Nephites did beat them, insomuch that they did fall back from before them” (3 Nephi 4:12).
In the middle of the battle, Giddianhi fell, and his Robbers fled.
Later, they would regroup, under a new leader, Zemnarihah.
Zemnarihah was convinced that the Robbers could still win, if they cut the Nephites off from their supplies. “But behold, this was an advantage to the Nephites; for it was impossible for the robbers to lay siege sufficiently long to have any effect upon the Nephites, because of their much provision which they had laid up in store” (3 Nephi 4:18).
So once again, the Nephites were prepared, and the Robbers were unprepared for the Nephites’ preparations. While the Nephites were well-fed inside the city, the Robbers had to rely on wild meat for their food. But the animals were soon scarce, and once again, the Robbers starved. In this condition, the Robbers were then slain by small battalions that Gidgiddoni sent out each night.
So we can see the difference between inspired leaders and uninspired leaders. Lachoneus and Gidgiddoni had sought the Lord; Giddianhi and Zemnarihah had not. We can see how the Nephites (1) sought inspiration, (2) lived to qualify for that inspiration, and (3) upon receiving that inspiration, they followed it. The Nephites were, therefore, victorious. And the Robbers had no choice but to disband.
And this victory, wrought by prayer, ended with yet another prayer:
“And they did rejoice and cry again with one voice, saying: May the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, protect this people in righteousness, so long as they shall call on the name of their God for protection.
“And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; and they knew it was because of their repentance and their humility that they had been delivered from an everlasting destruction” (3 Nephi 4:30, 33).
He said, “Oh, can you talk to?”
“Okay. When are we going?”
“Right now.”
So I had to basically come up with a 10-minute talk on the spot, so I just scribbled down some notes. And gave my talk based on those notes. Now, I’m reconstructing those notes into prose, for the purposes of getting the talk down on paper.
You’ll notice some strong similarities to this talk and the one I helped Amber write (shown below) because they are based on the same story. The story of Lachoneus and Gidgiddoni has really struck me as I’ve read the Book of Mormon this time. In fact, I had just spent the last week in my personal study in reading, re-reading, pondering and writing about their story.
So I felt, in a way, very fortunate, to have this outlet to express what I had been studying the week prior.
The Holy Ghost has been a great guide for me in my life. I have learned that by following its inspiration, I will benefit. Furthermore, I am blessed to live in a day when the Church is restored, and righteous leaders seek and follow guidance.
The blessing of seeking, receiving and following inspiration is not unique to our time. In any time, when the people have sought God’s help, have sought to be inspired by His spirit, they have received such a blessing.
Such was the case with Lachoneus and Gidgiddoni.
Their story starts with a threat, made by the leader of the Gadianton Robbers, Giddianhi.
Giddianhi had garnered much power, and the Gadianton Robbers had become a real threat to the freedom of the Nephite. Now, in a letter, Giddianhi, spelled out to Lachoneus, the chief judge of the Nephites, his plans to overthrow the Nephites and take complete control. He asks Lachoneus to surrender.
Lachoneus’ response in 3 Nephi 3:12 is instructive:
“Now behold, this Lachoneus, the governor, was a just man, and could not be frightened by the demands and the threatenings of a robber; therefore he did not hearken to the epistle of Giddianhi, the governor of the robbers, but he did cause that his people should cry unto the Lord for strength against the time that the robbers should come down against them.”
Couple that with what the Nephite Army does as soon as they see the Robber army on the battlefield, told in 3 Nephi 4:8:
“And it came to pass that the armies of the Nephites, when they saw the appearance of the army of Giddianhi, had all fallen to the earth, and did lift their cries to the Lord their God, that he would spare them and deliver them out of the hands of their enemies.”
The Nephites’ first and last preparation, and their habit in-between, to this war with the Gadianton Robbers was to pray.
But the Nephites were doing more than just praying. Lachoneus pleaded with his people to reconcile their lives with Christ’s. We read this heartfelt plea from the Nephite chief judge in 3 Nephi 3:15:
“Yea, he [Lachoneus] said unto them: As the Lord liveth, except ye repent of all your iniquities, and cry unto the Lord, ye will in nowise be delivered out of the hands of those Gadianton robbers.”
Under these desperate circumstances, Lachoneus’ leadership was inspiring. And, as he leaned upon the Lord, so did his people:
“And so great and marvelous were the words and prophecies of Lachoneus that they did cause fear to come upon all the people; and they did exert themselves in their might to do according to the words of Lachoneus” (3 Nephi 3:16).
In these conditions, it is becoming apparent that the Nephites are on the right track. Not only are they seeking guidance, they are trying to live their lives in a manner that qualify themselves for such guidance. In our lives, we must not only seek the Holy Ghost, we must be worthy of its presence.
And, in such a condition of seeking and living worthily of inspiration, is it really a surprise that the Nephites received such?
There were two revelations that really saved the Nephite nation.
The first came to Lachoneus almost immediately after receiving Giddianhi’s threatening letter:
“Yea, he [Lachoneus] sent a proclamation among all the people, that they should gather together their women, and their children, their flocks and their herds, and all their substance, save it were their land [obviously, you can’t pack your land with you], unto one place.”
Once there, Lachoneus had his people toil in preparing defenses, just as we ought to defend ourselves against Satan. Keeping Satan out of our hearts enables us to have free communion with the Spirit.
Then, one of the more intelligent things Lachoneus did was to appoint God-inspired men to lead his army. He chose Gidgiddoni to lead the Nephites in battle. The Nephite men thought it wise to take the battle to the Robbers, to fight the Robbers in their own land, instead, of bringing the battle to Zarahemla.
In considering the plan, Gidgiddoni consulted the Lord. It is here that Gidgiddoni got the second instruction that saved the Nephite nation:
“Now the people said unto Gidgiddoni: Pray unto the Lord [note the emphasis the Nephites had put on praying], and let us go up upon the mountains and into the wilderness, that we may fall upon the robbers and destroy them in their own lands.
“But Gidgiddoni saith unto them: The Lord forbid; for if we should go up against them the Lord would deliver us into their hands; therefore we will prepare ourselves in the center of our lands, and we will gather all our armies together, and we will not go against them, but we will wait till they shall come against us; therefore as the Lord liveth, if we do this he will deliver them into our hands” (3 Nephi 3:20-21).
These two instructions, the one to gather and the one to wait for the Robbers to arrive, may not have made much sense to the Nephites when they were received. Regardless, the Nephites followed the inspiration they received.
The reasons behind the Lord’s instructions to gather and wait soon became apparent. The Robbers were, in a sense, nomadic. They traveled lightly, with the intent to steal their substance along the way. But in calling the Nephites to gather not just themselves, but all their substance into one place, the Lord had taken away the Robbers source of substance.
Unable to steal their food, the Robbers arrived at Zarahemla, already weary, half-starved, and in ready-to-be-defeated condition. This is why the decision to stay in Zarahemla proved pivotal. The Robbers were not in good condition to fight; whereas, the Nephites were well-rested. Indeed, the promise the Lord gave to Gidgiddoni, that if they would stay-put, the Lord would deliver the Robbers into the Nephites’ hands was fulfilled:
“And notwithstanding the threatenings and the oaths which Giddianhi had made, behold, the Nephites did beat them, insomuch that they did fall back from before them” (3 Nephi 4:12).
In the middle of the battle, Giddianhi fell, and his Robbers fled.
Later, they would regroup, under a new leader, Zemnarihah.
Zemnarihah was convinced that the Robbers could still win, if they cut the Nephites off from their supplies. “But behold, this was an advantage to the Nephites; for it was impossible for the robbers to lay siege sufficiently long to have any effect upon the Nephites, because of their much provision which they had laid up in store” (3 Nephi 4:18).
So once again, the Nephites were prepared, and the Robbers were unprepared for the Nephites’ preparations. While the Nephites were well-fed inside the city, the Robbers had to rely on wild meat for their food. But the animals were soon scarce, and once again, the Robbers starved. In this condition, the Robbers were then slain by small battalions that Gidgiddoni sent out each night.
So we can see the difference between inspired leaders and uninspired leaders. Lachoneus and Gidgiddoni had sought the Lord; Giddianhi and Zemnarihah had not. We can see how the Nephites (1) sought inspiration, (2) lived to qualify for that inspiration, and (3) upon receiving that inspiration, they followed it. The Nephites were, therefore, victorious. And the Robbers had no choice but to disband.
And this victory, wrought by prayer, ended with yet another prayer:
“And they did rejoice and cry again with one voice, saying: May the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, protect this people in righteousness, so long as they shall call on the name of their God for protection.
“And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; and they knew it was because of their repentance and their humility that they had been delivered from an everlasting destruction” (3 Nephi 4:30, 33).
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