On Being Willing

Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing

and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days.
Doctrine and Covenants 64:34

I would like to focus my thoughts this week on a question that can be gleaned from the above passage. What does it mean to be "willing?" How do we know that our hearts are in tune with the Lord?
One answer to this is a simple response that I received from one of my home teachees less than two days ago; he said that we know we are on the right track when we receive a confirmation from the Spirit, a peace that is spoken to our mind and hearts (see D&C 6:23). So, perhaps a better question is, how do we get there?

This can be answered as we answer the original question on what it really means to be "willing." First off, we know that willingness precedes some sort of action, as is manifest in many different examples (see Mosiah 18:9, Moroni 4:3, D&C 97:8 for a few). In the scriptures, these actions almost always involve coming closer to God, most often through sacred covenants. Sacred covenants are made effective through our faith to follow them, and therefore willingness must needs be a product of faith; this is a faith that "everything will turn out okay," that Heavenly Father's richest blessings will become manifest in our lives if we serve him, and keep our covenants. In its purest form, this faith sees trials as chances for growth, as trials were always a part of the deal. As an example, take the baptismal covenant, as described by the prophet Alma:

And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;

Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—

Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you? (Mosiah 18:8-10)

Let it be known today that "mourn[ing] with those who mourn," "comfort[ing] those that stand in need of comfort," and "stand[ing] as a witness of God at all times and in all things" takes work, perhaps even more than we ever would have contemplated going into it. I think that this is part of the Plan, however, as our faith is only strengthened as we put it through the refiner's fire.

A tangible example and symbol of this is my CTR ring, pictured above and at left. If one looks closely, one sees gnarled metal and stripped paint. A look at the back side reveals scratches and a misshapen circle as the result of being worn every day for roughly the last seven years. Perhaps the wear and tear that would come upon it were numbered, but most likely not. However, if we look back upon its face, we can see that the ring still portrays the iconic Mormon message, fulfilling the measure of its creation. I still get many people in and outside of the Church who ask me about my ring, and for those not familiar with what it represents, it provides me an opportunity to speak on the beauty that the Gospel brings. There is a great type in this story, being that as we take upon ourselves the name of Christ and enter into covenants, we may not possibly understand what type of commitment that will really entail, but if we have faith the Lord will use us until our time in this mortal sphere has reached its conclusion. His image will still be on our countenances, even if we are stripped of beauty, worn down, and misshapen. I know this to be true, because I experience it every day in my life.

Let us be true to the faith that our parents have cherished, those truths for which martyrs have perished. I know that as we do so we will be blessed, and our willingness to serve and be sons and daughters of Christ will be "manifest by [our] works that [we] have received of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of[our] sins." (D&C 20:37)

Have a great week!

Learning from Those Who Remain

I am grateful for the opportunity to share today from Chapters 8-11 of 3 Nephi. In this passage, we begin with much destruction across the face of the land, as a sign of the death of the Savior, and in part as a sanctification of the land in preparation of His appearance on the American continent. Here is an excerpt from that great and terrible scene:

And it came to pass that when the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the storm, and the tempest, and the quakings of the earth did cease—for behold, they did last for about the space of three hours; and it was said by some that the time was greater; nevertheless, all these great and terrible things were done in about the space of three hours—and then behold, there was darkness upon the face of the land.

And it came to pass that there was thick darkness upon all the face of the land, insomuch that the inhabitants thereof who had not fallen could feel the vapor of darkness;

And there could be no light, because of the darkness, neither candles, neither torches; neither could there be fire kindled with their fine and exceedingly dry wood, so that there could not be any light at all;

And there was not any light seen, neither fire, nor glimmer, neither the sun, nor the moon, nor the stars, for so great were the mists of darkness which were upon the face of the land.

And it came to pass that it did last for the space of three days that there was no light seen; and there was great mourning and howling and weeping among all the people continually; yea, great were the groanings of the people, because of the darkness and the great destruction which had come upon them.

And in one place they were heard to cry, saying: O that we had repented before this great and terrible day, and then would our brethren have been spared, and they would not have been burned in that great city Zarahemla.

And in another place they were heard to cry and mourn, saying: O that we had repented before this great and terrible day, and had not killed and stoned the prophets, and cast them out; then would our mothers and our fair daughters, and our children have been spared, and not have been buried up in that great city Moronihah. And thus were the howlings of the people great and terrible. --3 Nephi 8 : 19-25

In this passage, we can observe a few things that happened to the Nephites, and then make a comparison to our own lives. First and foremost, no one was prepared for the destruction that would ensue; or better said, it is possible that no one fully comprehended the calamity that would stretch across the face of the land, even if they knew it was coming. In Chapter 9 of 3 Nephi, the voice of Christ is heard across the land, declaring the destruction that was caused to come upon them, and why:
And many great destructions have I caused to come upon this land, and upon this people, because of their wickedness and their abominations. 3 Nephi 9:12
But look further, to those who remained:

O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?

Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.

Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name.
...And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings.

And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not.

Behold, I have come unto the world to bring redemption unto the world, to save the world from sin.

Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold, for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved. 3 Nephi 9: 13-15, 19-25


To those who remained, the Savior called to repentance, that they might be sanctified further through the Atonement which he wrought. In this moment, Christ was preparing the Nephites for something greater that would come to pass. This occurs in Chapter 11, when the Savior himself appeared and ministered unto the Nephites who remained in the Land Bountiful, near the temple that was built to worship Him. I know that this happened, as I can feel it in every fiber of my being as I write of it. Christ appeared to them in a pillar of light, and declared himself as the promised Savior.



And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words the whole multitude fell to the earth; for they remembered that it had been prophesied among them that Christ should show himself unto them after his ascension into heaven.

And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto them saying:

Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world.

And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.

And when they had all gone forth and had witnessed for themselves, they did cry out with one accord, saying:

Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God! And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus, and did worship him. 3 Nephi 11: 12-17

In this we see repentance and sanctification. The people were purified that they might behold the Savior of all mankind, resurrected and perfect in all ways. Note, however, that this is far from the end of the story:

And it came to pass that he spake unto Nephi (for Nephi was among the multitude) and he commanded him that he should come forth.

And Nephi arose and went forth, and bowed himself before the Lord and did ^bkiss his feet.

And the Lord commanded him that he should arise. And he arose and stood before him.

And the Lord said unto him: I give unto you power that ye shall baptize this people when I am again ascended into heaven. --3 Nephi 11:19-21

Christ goes on to call upon Nephi to be the chief among a new quorum of apostles, men of God with the authority to act in his name, performing the duties that Christ would perform if he were on the earth. This is the final piece: a call to serve. Although we only receive an account of Christ calling apostles, I believe that there were many other assignments made for the members of the Church to better serve others, and thereby work toward exaltation.

I hope that in reading this story you have seen a pattern, for there surely is one. We can learn from those who remained, and how they went through a progression toward their call to act and serve on behalf of the Savior. It began even before the destruction took place, as God was mindful of those he would spare, having a great love for them, and desire that they not be lost in mortality like those who would not be spared. It then went to the more righteous part of the Nephites, who were still unprepared for the trial that would come upon them. Nevertheless, they were able to endure the storms, tempests, and earthquakes, as well as the great mists of darkness that overcame them. They passed through regret for their sins, and were reassured that there indeed was hope for something greater. They repented of their sins, and were sanctified, and the Savior appeared unto them, and called them to serve. So, in sum:

LACK of PREPARATION
STORMS, TEMPESTS, EARTHQUAKES
SURVIVAL
DARKNESS
REGRET/REASSURANCE
REPENTANCE
SANCTIFICATION
CALLING

May we all think on where we are in this progression, and how we can move forward, diligently serving in the end. Have a great week!

Happy Birthday! A year in review

Today is officially my 52nd post on this blog, which excites me for new conceptualizations to come. I'd like to take the time here to talk a little bit about myself, and where I've gone in the last year. I hope you enjoy this break from protocol, and I hope hearing the story of Weekly Conceptualizations will inspire you to go out and serve.

And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him
in the kingdom of my Father!

And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!
Doctrine & Covenants 18:1-16

The scripture above is the crux of the whole blog. I don't think that I have used the blog to declare repentance unto others, but I hope it has inspired someone somewhere at some time to be better. I created Weekly Conceptualizations because I was looking for a way to be better myself, to get more out of my scripture study, which I have found in the last year to truly be the hinge point upon my level of spirituality on a day-to-day basis. The scriptures are true, as are the words expressed by modern prophets. I chose this arena to express my feelings about the words of prophets old and new because I knew people would see it, and that would provide me the opportunity to serve in a capacity that I as of yet had not experienced. I offer my apology; this blog is truly a selfish pursuit.

With that said, I also apologize for the waxing and waning that has occurred from week to week. Some posts have been grand discourses; others have been simple thoughts and testimonies. It would be my desire to write a grand discourse every week, but I can only write as much as what I prepare for. It is easier to prepare when the Spirit is present, as creativity and talent seem to reach a leading edge, almost seamlessly producing an outcome that can only be described as spiritual. This spiritual "flow" is the ideal; however, it is not always reality.

For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.
2 Nephi 2:11

I have felt opposition in the past year, and it is reflected in my ability to better serve. This blog has endured three time zones, three callings, countless home teaching visits, and many a Sunday too tired to write. Over the last ten months it has endured being relegated to the time in between breakfast and four to five hours of church sandwiched between two or more hours of travel. This blog has endured culture shock, being overworked and underpaid, and long days away from refuge, both spiritual and physical. I have been through a lot over the last year, but I am consoled by this scripture, which I feel I can apply to myself:

My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions
shall be but a small moment;

And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph
over all thy foes.

Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall
hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands.

Thou art not yet as Job; thy friends do not contend against thee,
neither charge thee with transgression, as they did Job.

And they who do charge thee with transgression, their hope shall be blasted, and their prospects shall melt away as the hoar frost melteth before the burning rays of the rising sun;

...

And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.

The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?

Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever.
Doctrine & Covenants 121: 7-11; 122: 7-9

These things give me hope for a brighter day. And yes, my hope is bright. I started this blog with that idea, that hope is measured in brightness, that how bright our hope is reflects the level to which we have the Spirit at any given time. If we have the Spirit in greater abundance, then our hope is brighter. Hope is in future events, based in faith on true principles. Thus, a " Perfect Brightness of Hope" (see 2 Nephi 31:20) can be interpreted to be the level to which the Spirit enlightens one's understanding of the principles in which they already have faith.


It is my prayer that we who are tired, downtrodden, and having a hard time might have hope for a brighter day. I KNOW that brighter days are ahead for all of us. How can I know this in spite of a lack of knowledge of every person's personal circumstances? Simple. It comes through the knowledge that I have that Jesus is the Christ, and that He as a perfect man wrought the Atonement on behalf of the imperfect, which constitutes all of us. I know that if we apply the Atonement in our lives, we will be granted strength to withstand trials and that we will be able to gain that inheritance which we so long for. My message a year ago was much the same, and I reckon it will continue to be the same. Like Nephi, my soul delights in plainness. It is my prayer that ths week and every week we may be simple, looking toward the Savior that we might live.

Have a great week!

How to Teach by the Spirit

Today's conceptualization comes from a talk given by Elder Dallin H. Oaks in the May 1999 Ensign entitled "Teaching and Learning by the Spirit." I know that there is no greater call than to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others, and as such I regret not discussing this topic earlier. Elder Oaks starts out quoting the Lord's command, "If ye receive not the Spirit ye shall not teach" (D&C 42:14).

Elder Oaks further justifies this scripture, noting that "we cannot compete with the world on its terms. If we are to fulfill our calling, we must teach the Lord's way." If we do not teach by the Spirit, we do so by "some other way" (D&C 50:17); although we may have varying degrees of the Spirit to guide us as we teach, it is clear that the "other way" is by our own intellect, which "is nit of God" (D&C 50:20). In quoting Elder Bruce R. McConkie, Elder Oaks relayed:

"...God did not present the message through me because I used the power of intellect instead of the power of the Spirit. Intellectual things—reason and logic—can do some good, and they can prepare the way, and they can get the mind ready to receive the Spirit under certain circumstances. But conversion comes and the truth sinks into the hearts of people only when it is taught by the power of the Spirit."

So how do we accomplish teaching by the Spirit and not our own intellect? First, we must keep the commandments of God, ever following King Benjamin's admonition:

But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not. (Mosiah 4:30)

We must always remember the Son of God. If we do this, as explained in the sacrament prayer which renews the covenant we made at baptism to obey God's commands, we "may always have his Spirit to be with [us]" (D&C 20:77).

We must prepare to teach by the Spirit. As Elder Oaks observed, Hyrum Smith wished to teach the Gospel to others before having received what to teach. We read,

Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men.
(D&C 11:21)

If we do not prepare, we do not have the reservoir from which the Spirit may draw. God does not pull out of us that which is not there. That is simply not how it works. If we want to teach by the Spirit, let us study out that which we want to teach, and prepare our hearts, that the hearts of those we teach may be touched as well.

Lastly, Elder Oaks talks about be willing to receive the Spirit, and to follow its dictates. This is huge. We can keep the commandments and we can prepare what we are going to teach, but we still must be open to being led by the Spirit as we tailor the lesson to those being taught. Elder Oaks noted that the Spirit comes to us in the Lord's way and on His timetable. We are only entitled to invoke the Spirit as far as the Lord sees fit. Let us remember that as we strive to humble ourselves before God, proving to him that we are willing to be instruments in his hands, and not to use the role of teaching to vaunt our own abilities.

In sum, there are three ways that by which we obtain the Spirit to teach:

1. Keep the Commandments of God
2. Prepare to receive the Spirit
3. Be willing to follow that which the Spirit dictates

Ii is my hope that we can remember Elder Oaks' words as we look to fulfill any call to teach. I believe that these principles apply when teaching even the simplest Gospel principles, but also apply when teaching entire lessons, or giving discourses on Gospel-related topics. Have a great week!

Among the Residue of Men

For he hath answered the ends of the law, and he claimeth all those who have faith in him; and they who have faith in him will cleave unto every good thing; wherefore he advocateth the cause of the children of men; and he dwelleth eternally in the heavens.

And because he hath done this, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men.

For behold, they are subject unto him, to minister according to the word of his command, showing themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness.

And the office of their ministry is to call men unto repentance, and to fulfil and to do the work of the covenants of the Father, which he hath made unto the children of men, to prepare the way among the children of men, by declaring the word of Christ unto the chosen vessels of the Lord, that they may bear testimony of him.

And by so doing, the Lord God prepareth the way that the residue of men may have faith in Christ, that the Holy Ghost may have place in their hearts, according to the power thereof; and after this manner bringeth to pass the Father, the covenants which he hath made unto the children of men.
--Moroni 7: 28-32

I am happy to say that I am among the "residue of men." What does this mean, exactly? If we look closer at Moroni's words, he gives us the answer. The first aspect we should note is that miracles have not ceased, and as such angels do not cease to "minister unto the children of men." We already know from 2 Nephi 32:3 that "angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ." This is in accordance with with the next verses above, which state that angels are subject unto Christ to speak His words, foremost being to declare repentance unto the inhabitants of the earth (as an aside, is that not what Christ would do if He were physically on the earth today?). These angels oversee the fulfilling of covenants, as well as appearing unto the Lord's "chosen vessels," that they may bear testimony of Him.

Who are these chosen vessels? I believe it is apparent that they are the ones we sustain as prophets, seers, and revelators: the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. I feel safe adding anyone who declares repentance with the entire globe under his stewardship, and thus include all General Authorities under the blanket of "chosen vessels." I am grateful for them, because it is through them that I may better gain faith in Christ. The word "residue" in the scriptures by my surmising can best be interpreted as "the rest." Just as the Costanza family in NBC's Seinfeld had a "festivus for the restovus," we too should be joyous and glad that Heavenly Father has included us as well in his Plan. We read in Alma 26: 37:

Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen.

We should all be happy to "lift where we stand." We should not try to do too much, and likewise should not try to do too little. President Dieter f. Uchtdorf, in his talk by the same name, said the following to the priesthood brethren of the Church, which I believe may be applied universally:

...we too easily and too often get caught up in seeking the honors of men rather than serving the Lord with all our might, mind, and strength.

Brethren, when we stand before the Lord to be judged, will He look upon the positions we have held in the world or even in the Church? Do you suppose that titles we have had other than “husband,” “father,” or “priesthood holder” will mean much to Him? Do you think He will care how packed our schedule was or how many important meetings we attended? Do you suppose that our success in filling our days with appointments will serve as an excuse for failure to spend time with our wife and family?

The Lord judges so very differently from the way we do. He is pleased with the noble servant, not with the self-serving noble.

Those who are humble in this life will wear crowns of glory in the next.

As the "residue of men," let us seek after those "crowns of glory" that we will wear in the next life, and not seek after those which are but temporal. Let us know when we have reached our limit, but let us also be "diligent, that thereby [we] may win the prize (see Mosiah 4:27). I know that as we do this, being "anxiously engaged in a good cause (see D & C 58:27)" we will give place for the Spirit in our hearts, and we will be continually counted among the Residue of Men.

Have a Great Week!!

Seeing "Things as They Really Are"

Happy Sunday to all, and Happy Mother's Day to most!! Well, everyone should have a happy Mother's Day, but it is my hope that mothers more than anyone else enjoy this day. I too have an "Angel mother" (see quote by Abraham Lincoln), and am grateful for her. Mothers are always there to offer perspective that most often we do not see, helping us to see things as they really are. Mothers in the Gospel, especially, who are closer to the Spirit, are able to point us to eternal truth that oftentimes is so basic, it boggles the mind. I think we need this grounding, however, as it seems human nature to complicate things past what they need to be. Getting back in touch with the "simple truths" in life is the theme of today's post.

Just over a year ago, Elder David A. Bednar gave a CES Fireside talk entitled "Things as They Really Are." He brought to light the now-pervasive problem of people adhering more to the virtual world than the world in which they actually live. He noted that in so doing we are forgetting the sacredness of our physical bodies, thus offering them up to Lucifer, who has none, and would so like for us to defile ours in an ultimate act of revenge. Elder Bednar said that this is one the "ultimate ironies" of eternity.

Going on, Elder Bednar observed that losing touch with reality has adverse effects on our interpersonal relationships, saying that as we love fake things "important opportunities are missed for developing and improving interpersonal skills, for laughing and crying together, and for creating a rich and enduring bond of emotional intimacy. Progressively, seemingly innocent entertainment can become a form of pernicious enslavement...we should not squander and damage authentic relationships by obsessing over contrived ones."

Elder Bednar said that advanced technology is neither good nor bad, but that "the real challenge is to understand [it] within the context of the eternal plan of happiness." As such, I submit that the real issue is not the e-world or any other change in how the world does things; the real issue is how we react to these changes. One may recall that in November I posted some words given by David A. Neeleman (former CEO of JetBlue) in a YSA conference in Boston. At that conference Brother Neeleman described the efforts that we can put forth to share the Gospel using advanced computer technology. There is use for all things in the Great Plan of Happiness, but we must be willing to seek out those opportunities.

How do we get there? How do we see things as God sees them? The principles are the same for any truth we wish to know. Elder Bednar said:

I long have been impressed with the simple and clear definition of truth set forth in the Book of Mormon: “The Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be; wherefore, these things are manifested unto us plainly, for the salvation of our souls” (Jacob 4:13; see also D&C 93:24).

The First Principle: seek the Spirit, for he will show us what is real.

The Second Principle: seek to put God first.
This one takes great faith, but I think we in the Church often have more faith than we wish to give ourselves credit for due to our inability to daily live up to the standard of perfection. Let us start with the simple things, the little truths that testify that Heavenly Father has manifested his hand in our lives. From there, let us be willing to heed the Spirit, being like the Prophet Samuel, even saying "thy servant heareth (see 1 Sam. 3: 9-10)." After we receive direction, let us have the faith necessary to "go and do," taking no thought for our lives, what we shall eat, or what we shall drink (see Matt. 6: 25, 31, 34). I promise that Heavenly Father will take care of us if we put him first. This is a simple truth.

The Third Principle: seek to lift the hearts of others
One of the great realities of eternity is that we are not in it alone, and that everyone else could use our help in some way, even if it is but a simple greeting with a smile. This third principle is directly related to the first two, and with good reason. Although we work out our salvation on our own, we are not meant to be alone, as the family is central to the Plan of the Great Creator (see The Family: A Proclamation to the World). If we abase ourselves, putting others before ourselves, we will be lifted up. Even when it seems that no one cares, that we cannot go another day making such sacrifices, let us remember the great and supernal sacrifice wrought by the Savior, even Jesus Christ. Remember the words of Mormon, written to his son Moroni. They were two of a dwindling race of righteous, surrounded by people seeking their lives for what they knew to be true:

And now, my beloved son, notwithstanding their hardness, let us labor diligently; for if we should cease to labor, we should be brought under condemnation; for we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness, and rest our souls in the kingdom of God. (Moroni 9:6)

It is my prayer that we may adhere to these principles, ever staying in touch what is simple and true. Have a great week!

Preparation Brings Blessings

We have reached the last week of our month-long review. I would like to end with President Thomas S. Monson's talk in Priesthood Session, entitled "Preparation Brings Blessings." I know that President Monson is God's mouthpiece, a true prophet, called by God to warn us of the things to come. I believe that the voice of warning can be heard during General Conference, if we are attuned to the urgency that the prophet conveys. I think President Monson's warning here is clear: it is time now to prepare, to be proactive about doing all we can to receive the blessings Heavenly Father has stored for us. As this talk is relayed, I encourage you to think about those blessings that you seek, and what you can do to better prepare to receive them.

President Monson said:

Young men, I admonish you to prepare for service as a missionary. There are many tools to help you learn the lessons which will be beneficial to you as well as helping you to live the life you will need to have lived to be worthy. One such tool is the booklet entitled For the Strength of Youth, published under the direction of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. It features standards from the writings and teachings of Church leaders and from scripture, adherence to which will bring the blessings of our Heavenly Father and the guidance of His Son to each of us. In addition, there are lesson manuals, carefully prepared after prayerful consideration. Families have family home evenings, where gospel principles are taught. Almost all of you have the opportunity to attend seminary classes taught by dedicated teachers who have much to share.

Begin to prepare for a temple marriage as well as for a mission. Proper dating is a part of that preparation. In cultures where dating is appropriate, do not date until you are 16 years old. “Not all teenagers need to date or even want to. . . . When you begin dating, go in groups or on double dates. . . . Make sure your parents meet [and become acquainted with] those you date.” Because dating is a preparation for marriage, “date only those who have high standards.”²

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How you speak and the words you use tell much about the image you choose to portray. Use language to build and uplift those around you. Profane, vulgar, or crude language and inappropriate or off-color jokes are offensive to the Lord. Never misuse the name of God or Jesus Christ. The Lord said, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”⁴

Our Heavenly Father has counseled us to seek after “anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy.”⁵ Whatever you read, listen to, or watch makes an impression on you.

Pornography is especially dangerous and addictive. Curious exploration of pornography can become a controlling habit, leading to coarser material and to sexual transgression. Avoid pornography at all costs.

Don’t be afraid to walk out of a movie, turn off a television set, or change a radio station if what’s being presented does not meet your Heavenly Father’s standards. In short, if you have any question about whether a particular movie, book, or other form of entertainment is appropriate, don’t see it, don’t read it, don’t participate.

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Let us have faith first, that we may act to work out our salvation. I have met many in my station (myself included) who have been fearful of what the future holds, of what to make of the here and now, and how to fulfill responsibilities. I think it is important for those of us with those questions to look at what we can do now, and let the Lord handle the rest. For if we have faith, we will be anchored, and we will have a greater hope for future blessings. I know this to be true as I see my life being molded in the hands of the Lord day by day. It is my hope and prayer that we may all continue in this vein, preparing our spirits to receive the Lord's choicest blessings.

Have a great week!