Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Maryville Ward Talk


It was my privilege, some years ago, to fill out a missionary recommendation for Bishop and Sister Udy. Now there are a lot of things I could have said and I did not have much room on the application. I decided to add just one line of recommendation to their application.  Here it is:  "This is the couple every Mission President is praying for."

So, that's all I will say about that.

I trusted those to speak before me to give excellent talks on Fathers and Father's Day, and I was not disappointed. Because I had faith in the preceding speakers, I decided to give a little different Father's Day perspective.  I'd like to talk about returning to Heavenly Father and living with him when we leave this life.    
     
We recall the earth was created so we could learn -- learn to BE what we need to be to return to God's presence.  His work and his glory is to bring to pass our eternal life.  In order to do this, we have to become something we were not before we came here. 

This is done by attaining Christ-like attributes, which can be read about in Preach My Gospel, chapter 6.  I recommend this highly for your study.  The approach to God, however, is one which requires us to be worthy to partake of his Glory, which is defined in scripture this way:

            The Glory of God is Intelligence, or in other words, Light and Truth. D&C 93:36. 

So, the scriptures teach us we need light and truth in our lives.   This is headline #1, Light and Truth are crucial to our journey home.  "Light and Truth forsake that evil one." Verse 37

In section 130 we are told that we obtain Intelligence, which we know is Light and Truth, through diligence and obedience. This is headline #2, that we obtain this light and truth through diligence and obedience.  This puts the ball in our court.  We cannot blame circumstance or some sort of spiritual Darwinism for our spiritual circumstances.  We become what we become through our choices, through our diligence and obedience.

An example: A priest in the Aaronic Priesthood was having private discussion with his quorum adviser about his future.  Prominent in these discussions was whether or not he should serve a mission.  After much discussion, the young man finally said, "Brother Pearce, I just don't know if the Book of Mormon is true!"  Brother Pearce asked him a question, and I bet you know what is was: "Well, have you read the Book of Mormon?" You also know the answer: "No, I haven't" Hmmmm.  We can see there has been a lack of diligence here, leading to the very unhappy condition that this young man did not know the truth.

Oliver Cowdery had a similar experience when he took a turn trying to translate the Book of Mormon.  He couldn't, and he was very disappointed.  Why Not?  Through Joseph came the answer – "Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me." D&C 9:7

So let's underscore this point – we do not learn Spiritual things without effort on our part.  Your church leaders are not wise and knowledgeable about spiritual things because they are somehow "Like That."  They have, through obedience and diligence, BECOME that.

Let's look at how we can become "Like That."

The Savior taught (John 7: 17) If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

This says that we can learn the truth by doing it. We normally think that we can learn the truth by studying.  And that is helpful.  But not studying alone.  If all we do is study we are among those who are "ever learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth." (2 Tim 3:7) But here the Lord tells us we can learn the truth by living the principles of the gospel – even if we can't read, even if we think we are not smart, we CAN know the truth.

In fact, the things of God are not known at all by the natural man, because they are foolishness unto him.  The things of God cannot be known only by the Spirit of God, or the Holy Ghost. I Cor 2:11-14.

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth.

In another place (John 8:31-32) the Savior again teaches this principle.
John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Notice here he was teaching those who "believed on Him," that is, people like you and I.  To us he said we must "continue in his word."  That means we have to be diligent with that which we have received.  If not, we can lose the light we already have.

Don't you know people who have become less active and who, as a consequence "lose their testimonies"?  Of course.  You cannot keep light with you when you walk away from the source of the light. Darkness cannot comprehend light.  When we are choosing darkness we lose even our ability to comprehend light – we become as those to whom the wisdom of God is 'foolishness.'  Then, the Lord says, they "love darkness more than light because their deeds are evil." John 3:19.  By disobedience, people lose light.  This makes perfect sense, because by obedience people gain light and truth. And Light and Truth forsake that evil one.

In section 50:24 we read this: 

That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.

Can we see now why the Gift of the Holy Ghost is such a wonderful, special, sacred and desirable gift?  What is the purpose of the Holy Ghost?  To teach us how to return to Father! That is, how to receive eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.

"But," you may yet protest," I'm just not that way."  But you see, we are put here to BECOME 'that way.'  That is our whole purpose for being here.  Nothing else counts. The only scorecard that matters in the game is what you become in the end – based on receiving light and truth through diligence and obedience.  This means we have to change many of the things we do and many of the things we don't do.  And the first step is to believe this is true and you are capable of it.

Let's read an important scripture, Section 93, verses 38 and 39:

38 Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning; and God having redeemed man from the fall, men became again, in their infant state, innocent before God.
39 And that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers.

This scripture says you and I, in the beginning, were innocent before God.  Then when we cam to earth we were again innocent because Christ had redeemed us from the Fall of Adam. He also gave us the gift of the Light of Christ, which is sufficient, if we follow it, to take us to all truth; that is to take us to the gospel and the saving ordinances. (D&C 84:45-47) Now pay attention here, because verse 47 says, "And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God, even the Father."

This is the true Father's Day Gift – that Father has given us the power to return to him.  Every one of us.  It is His intention that every person in this room return to him to live His kind of life and he has given us the spiritual tools to do so.  We have the light we need.  We have the truth. Every one who hearkens unto that light cometh unto God.  And he who receives the light and continueth in God, receives more light and that light grows brighter and brighter until the perfect day – the Perfect Fathers Day when we all return to Father, as He has planned for us.

D&C 6:10 "Be faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God, and I will encircle thee about in the arms of my love."

May we, through our diligence and obedience, receive these marvelous gifts is my prayer.

SCRIPTURES
1 Cor 2:  11 For what man aknoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God bknoweth no man, cbut the dSpirit of God.
 12 Now we have received, not the aspirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s awisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost bteacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
 14 But the anatural man breceiveth not the things of the cSpirit of God: for they are dfoolishness unto him: neither can he eknow them, because they are fspiritually gdiscerned.

Alma 27:18 Now was not this aexceeding joy? Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of bhappiness.

Helaman 3: 35 Nevertheless they did afast and bpray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their chumility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the dpurifying and the esanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their fyielding their hearts unto God.

John 7:  17 If any man will ado his bwill, he shall cknow of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

D&C 50:  24 That which is of God is alight; and he that breceiveth clight, and dcontinueth in God, receiveth more elight; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.

D&C 130:  19 And if a person gains more aknowledge and intelligence in this life through his bdiligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the cadvantage in the world to come.

D&C 93:  36 The aglory of God is bintelligence, or, in other words, clight and truth.
 37 Light and truth forsake that aevil one.
 38 Every aspirit of man was binnocent in the beginning; and God having credeemed man from the dfall, men became again, in their infant state, einnocent before God.
 39 And that awicked one cometh and btaketh away light and truth, through cdisobedience, from the children of men, and because of the dtradition of their fathers.
 40 But I have commanded you to bring up your achildren in blight and truth.

John 8:  31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye acontinue in my word, then are ye my bdisciples indeed;
 32 And ye shall aknow the btruth, and the ctruth shall make you dfree.

D&C 64: 33 Wherefore, be not aweary in bwell-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of csmall things proceedeth that which is great.
 34 Behold, the Lord arequireth the bheart and a cwilling mind; and the willing and dobedient shall eeat the good of the land of Zion in these last days.

D&C 84: 45 For the aword of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is blight, and whatsoever is light is cSpirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
 46 And the aSpirit giveth blight to cevery man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.
 47 And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit acometh unto God, even the Father.

Alma 12:And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying: It is given unto many to aknow the bmysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart conly according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.
 10 And therefore, he that will aharden his heart, the same receiveth the blesser portion of the word; and he that will cnot harden his heart, to him is dgiven the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.
 11 And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser aportion of the word until they bknow nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the cchains of dhell.

TPJS p. 151
A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas, so that by noticing it, you may find it fulfilled the same day or soon; (i.e.) those things that were presented unto your minds by the Spirit of God, will come to pass; and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith p. 151)

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