Stories of the Old Testament

This post is composed mostly of other posts on this blog and was written as a sacrament meeting talk to follow the ward primary program and given on September 11, 2022.

Although it was written thousands of years ago, the lessons of the Old Testament are as relevant for you and I today as they were for the people who lived upon its pages. Through these ancient writings we are privileged to observe the lives of the faithful in a very different time, a very different place, and a very different culture. Yet, in their experiences we can identify eternal principles that can guide us as we strive to be faithful in our time, in this place, and surrounded by the society that exists today.

For example, one of the first stories every primary child learns is about Noah and the ark. In Noah’s time, the sons of men were not honoring the covenants the Lord had given them, particularly the marriage covenant, and the “thoughts of [their] heart[s] [were] only evil continually” (Genesis 5:2, 5). Noah was righteous and “found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 5:8). The Lord gave the people 120 years to repent and sent Noah to preach to them.

The people did not repent despite a lifetime of opportunity. What follows in the scriptures is a great chiasm describing the building of the ark, a promised covenant, gathering food and animals, a forty-day flood, waiting 150 days for the waters to subside (symbolic of the completion of a priestly blessing), then the abatement of the flood, the commandment to leave the ark, finding food in the new land, receiving a covenant with a token, and the end of the ark.

We often associate Noah’s experience with baptism. The earth was immersed in water and the Lord made a covenant with all of mankind in the process. Perhaps this is also why the story resonates so well with our children. It is fun to recount the many animals that gathered on the ark, but the spirit also testifies in its retelling of the baptism ordinance we all need to return to our eternal home.

The lesson that the author of Genesis most wanted us to learn, embedded in the very center of the chiasm, is this sentence: “And God remembered Noah, and every living thing” (Genesis 8:1).

Even when the Lord shut Noah and his family in the ark (Genesis 7:16), he did not leave them in the dark. The scriptures speak of a window, though some rabbis believe that the window was really a precious stone that shone in the ark. This insight reminds me that even when I feel like I am helpless and in the deepest of waters, the Lord will always send his light to comfort me. He will remember you and I and he is the in “the details of the details of the details of our lives” (Elder Chi Hong Wong, April 2021).

My favorite Old Testament biography is the account of Abraham. At the tender age of 75, Abraham found himself on an altar about to be sacrificed to an idol god. At the last moment, an angel appeared, untied him from the altar and helped him escape.

In perhaps the greatest understatement in scripture, Abraham reflected that he “saw that it was needful… to obtain another place of residence.” Abraham’s insight about preventing future abuse was also a resolve to spend more time seeking for the things of God. He had been faithful—that’s how he ended up on an altar in the first place—yet he reflected that he desired “greater happiness and peace and rest” that he knew he could receive by seeking “the blessings of the fathers.” These blessings included knowledge, a greater capacity to obey the commandments, being the father of many nations, and being a holder of the priesthood (Abraham 1:1-2).

With renewed resolve, and over many years of diligent preparation, Abraham’s search ultimately led him to the temple and the covenants that each of us can make in the House of the Lord. Along the way he made smaller covenants and his faith was tested and expanded. He moved his family several times, risked his life in Egypt, endured famines, knew prosperity, resisted the evils of Sodom and Gomorrah, rescued his nephew from a foreign army, paid tithing, experienced the disappointment of infertility, and dealt with many emotional and relationship challenges. Through it all, Abraham “believed in the Lord; and the Lord counted it unto him for righteousness” (JST Genesis 15:12).

It is important to note that Abraham’s covenant was not made in isolation. Genesis 17 clearly shows that Abraham’s wife, Sarah, also covenanted with the Lord. She also endured these many tribulations and was blessed, through her covenant, that she would be the mother of nations and kings. Her temple experience also included the very personal promise that, though she had been barren 100 years, she would yet have her desire to give birth to a son. It was her covenant, together with Abraham’s, that secured covenant blessings for her posterity who were born into that covenant.

For Abraham, fulfilling the terms of his covenant required more than thirty years of additional tests and trials. He fought an uphill battle to save the wicked city of Sodom, experienced the loss of members of his family, and was compelled to exile his second wife and oldest son. Then Abraham, who had nearly been sacrificed to idols by his own father, who wanted posterity most of all and had worked for decades to have that blessing, was asked to do the unthinkable. He was asked to sacrifice Isaac, his son of miraculous birth, the symbol of his covenant posterity and the son Abraham called his “beloved.”

The Lord has said that, if we are to receive blessings and glory like Abraham, we must also “be chastened and tried, even as Abraham” (D&C 101:4-5). President John Taylor taught these words that he heard from the Prophet Joseph Smith:

You will have all kinds of trials to pass through. And it is quite as necessary for you to be tried as it was for Abraham and other men of God, and God will feel after you, and He will take hold of you and wrench your very heart strings, and if you cannot stand it you will not be fit for an inheritance in the Celestial Kingdom of God… If God had known any other way whereby he could have touched Abraham’s feelings more acutely and more keenly he would have done so (Journal of Discourses, 24:197; 24:264).

In giving his will to the Lord, and being refined by Him, Abraham found the blessings of happiness, peace, posterity, and priesthood that he desired. He undoubtedly learned about how to deal with family problems, how to follow spiritual promptings, and the importance of love, humility, sacrifice and obedience. He learned that there is not anything that is too hard for the Lord (Genesis 18:14) and that the Lord will keep His promises. I don’t often enjoy the trials in my life, but I hope that I can have the faith of Abraham to seek the blessings I desire, keep the covenants I have made, and learn to be a little better along the way.

Another temple experience, not unlike Abraham’s, begins in the ancient city of Babel, a predecessor to Babylon in modern-day Iraq. A play on the Hebrew balal, which means “to mix or confound,” ancient tradition states that Babel was known as “the gate of God.” Here at the symbolic gates of heaven, Nimrod, the power-hungry grandson of Ham and great-grandson of Noah, sought to build a tower to reach the heavens.

By virtue of its goal, Nimrod’s tower was likely some version of a temple. Aware of the floods that had previously destroyed the wicked, the Tower of Babel was built high and thick and from bricks and mortar so as to be watertight. Its construction was a mockery of God, to whom Nimrod preached it was cowardice to submit, and many traditions hold that it was Nimrod’s satanic desire to use the tower to break into heaven, dethrone God, avenge mankind of the flood that destroyed it, and place himself as the new ruler of the heavens and of earth.

It was in this wicked society that a man named Jared and his brother pleaded with the Lord for unity, or at-one-ment, for their family and a small band of believers. The Lord answered each prayer with compassion and, when the Brother of Jared had cried “this long time,” the Lord ultimately promised to go before the Brother of Jared’s face, deliver him and his friends from the evil around them, lead them to a promised land, and make Jared and his brother the heads of a great nation (Ether 1:33-43).

Of course, the story of the Jaredites is recorded in the Book of Mormon, but this story very much reflects the Old Testament time period in which it occurred. Intertwined with the Lord’s promises for temporal and political blessings for the Jaredites are the core elements of what we now call the Abrahamic Covenant: knowledge, priesthood, posterity, and a promised land. In other words, because the Jaredites had faithfully rejected the false doctrines of the world and its heretical temple, the Lord covenanted to reveal the doctrines of the gospel and bring them back into his presence through authorized temple ordinances.

Preparation to receive the promised blessings lasted for many years. The Jaredites were tested and refined as they wandered in the wilderness, built barges on several occasions to cross many waters, endured trials and chastisement, collected animals and seeds, and lived four years in tents on the seashore. As the Jaredites’ obedience and sacrifice increased, so did their privileges with the Lord.

“And it came to pass that the Lord did go before them, and did talk with them as he stood in a cloud, and gave directions whither they should travel… being directed continually by the hand of the Lord” (Ether 2:5-6).

“And it came to pass… that the Lord came again unto the brother of Jared, and stood in a cloud and talked with him. And for the space of three hours did the Lord talk with the brother of Jared” (Ether 2:14).

Finally, the Jaredites were ready to construct the barges that would carry them across the ocean; and the Brother of Jared was prepared for the greater light and knowledge the Lord promised to give him. The Brother of Jared’s prayers led him to the top of a particularly high mountain, where he appealed for the Lord’s approval and redemption in the same way that a high priest entering an ancient temple symbolically was redeemed from the Fall in order to enter the presence of God. Once admitted, like Moses on Mount Sinai, the Brother of Jared asked the Lord to touch the stones with his finger that they may have light. I wonder where he got that idea.

The Lord grants the Brother of Jared’s request and then, the scripture records, “there never were greater things made manifest than those which were made manifest unto the brother of Jared” (Ether 4:4). Having received this instruction, “he could not be kept from beholding within the veil… and he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting” (Ether 3:19).

As the Lord inquired of the Brother of Jared, so he inquires of us: “What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?” Are we willing to reject the false philosophies of the world, the secularism and selfishness and tribalism, to pursue unity and at-one-ment for our families and our small band of believers here in Mariposa?

If so, the Lord has promised that “inasmuch as you strip yourselves from jealousies and fears, and humble yourselves before me, for ye are not sufficiently humble, the veil shall be rent and you shall see me and know that I am—not with the carnal neither natural mind, but with the spiritual” (D&C 67:10).

Elder Bruce R. McConkie once taught that “a prophet is one who has the testimony of Jesus, who knows by the revelations of the Holy Ghost to his soul that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. In addition to this divine knowledge, many [Old Testament prophets] lived in special situations or did particular things that singled them out as types and patterns and shadows of that which was to be in the life of him who is our Lord” (The Promised Messiah, p. 448).

Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son. Moses was sent from the presence of the Lord to deliver his people. We also see a shadow of the Savior in the life and mission of the prophet Joseph.

Joseph was the favored son of his father. He was rejected by his brothers, the Israelites, and sold into the hands of the Gentiles for the average price of a slave his age. Judah, whose descendants would become the Jews, was the one who proposed the sale. In their very attempt to destroy Joseph, his brothers actually set up the conditions that would bring about their eventual temporal salvation.

Joseph began his mission to prepare salvation for Israel at age thirty and was eventually raised to an exalted position in Egypt where everyone bowed the knee to him. In the end, Joseph, by virtue of being sold—provided bread for Israel, forgave his brothers, and delivered them from death while returning their money to their sacks.

Likewise, Jesus Christ was and is the only begotten Son of God in the flesh. He was also rejected by the Israelites and sold into the hands of the Gentile-Romans for the average price of a slave his age. Judas, the Greek spelling of Judah, was the one who sold him.

Jesus began his ministry when he was thirty years old. He was raised by the Romans and crucified, whereby he completed the atoning sacrifice and became the Deliverer and Redeemer of all mankind.

Jesus taught: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:51). We are saved by his grace, after all we can do; yet he offers this forgiveness and salvation without money and without price.

Certainly there are many other examples we can learn from in the Old Testament. I wish that I could have the wisdom of Eve, Esther’s courage, Job’s willingness to consecrate, Elijah’s confidence in the Lord, Isaac’s patience, and Joshua’s loyalty. I want to reject sinful thoughts, philosophies and actions like Noah, Abraham, the Brother of Jared and Joseph.

I want to have Joseph’s faith that the Lord will keep his promises even when it doesn’t seem possible. Like Abraham, I recognize that, though I have been pretty faithful, and have spent some time on metaphorical altars, I need to seek more diligently to keep my covenants and obtain the promises that I have been given. I hope that my life reflects, in some small way, the example of the Savior and that his image can be seen in my countenance.

The Old Testament challenges each of us to endure trials and wickedness to follow the Lord. It also shows us how keeping our covenants and following the prophet can help us with these challenges.

The prophet in our day, President Russell M. Nelson, has asked us to study every day in the scriptures. He has provided the Come, Follow Me curriculum and promised that it has “the potential to unleash the power of families” and, through our diligence, will decrease the influence of the adversary in our lives. He has warned that, “in the coming days it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.”

If you have not yet begun studying the Old Testament with Come, Follow Me in your family, go home today and open it up. Start fresh with the new week and seek for the blessings and strength that is there for you. If you’re not sure if you have enough faith, start to act as if you do—especially studying in the scriptures and praying each day—and I promise there will be a power that will come into your life that will be undeniable. You can know, or know again, that God remembers you and has provided light for you in the darkness.

What is Our Heavenly Father Really Like?

Fourteen years ago, I sat on the second or third row of a chapel in Frankfurt, Germany, listening to prelude music and watching the rain roll down thick, cobbled windows. The whole mission was in the chapel anticipating the instruction we would receive from Elder L. Tom Perry, who had recently been assigned as the president of the European Central Area.

After the opening hymn and prayer, Elder Perry stood to address us. He did not use the microphone, but walked off the dais and stood in front of the sister missionaries in the first row. There was a short pause while he gathered himself, and then, with his typical booming voice, Elder Perry declared his testimony in two simple words: “God lives.”

I do not remember anything else he said that day, but this testimony seemed to pierce my soul to the very center. I remember the power I felt as he said it and I felt my physical frame trembling for several minutes afterward. I had been on my mission for over a year and could cite many instances before and during my service when I had felt the Holy Ghost testify of truth. I had also had many epiphanies as a high school and college student learning math, chemistry, physics, psychology and the arts. The feeling I had on that day surpassed all. I knew in that moment that God was real.

While I cannot pretend to give you the same experience here today, I can share my testimony that I know God lives. He organizes and governs all things in the universe. He knows all things, has all power, and is present in all places through His Spirit. He sees every sparrow that falls, knows every secret and wills the creation of stars, planets and solar systems. He lends each breath to all living things. All of time-- past, present, and future-- is laid before Him, yet he is not subject to our time or our timing. He is eternal, immutable and divine. We worship him as Elohim, a Hebrew name meaning the gods, but he prefers that we call him Father.

One of the great assignments of our lives is to come to know our Heavenly Father as he really is. During his great intercessory prayer on our behalf, the Savior lamented: “O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee… And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent” (John 17:25, 3).

Indeed, the world has not known Him. The Lakota tribes of North and South Dakota worshipped a “Great Spirit” they called Wankan Tanka, which means, “the Great Mystery”. Christian cultures are not any more clued in, often describing God with contradictions and portraying him in art and film as some variety of glowing orb, floating mist or unseen voice. Many people today are like those Paul found in Greece ignorantly worshipping at the altar of an "unknown God" (Acts 17:23).

This is not because God is hidden or hard to find. There is a great deal we can learn about God in the scriptures and the teachings of modern prophets. I will share some of those things here; but whatever we know about God, we really get to know Him by revelation as we draw near through prayer, serve his children on this earth, and diligently keep his commandments.

In other words, our personal relationship with our Heavenly Father, like any other relationship, requires our time and our attention. We should speak often with him, trust and rely on him and seek with a grateful heart to see his hand in our lives each day. Our testimonies will grow in proportion to our faith and our obedience; and if we look with sufficient faith, we’ll find that our eyes can be opened to see how He is in the details of our lives each and every day.

Now, with that introduction, I’d like to turn to the question suggested by Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. Who is the only true God, our Heavenly Father, and what is he really like?

Think for a moment about your idea of the perfect father. You may think of many traits your own fathers or grandfathers exhibited, or some things may be different, but I’d bet most of us are thinking of a lot of the same things. Let’s start simple and build up: he would be a man. He would be strong from hard work, but gentle with those he loves. He would love his children more than the whole world. He would respect women, especially his wife. He would be a man of faith and integrity. He would protect and provide for his family. He would teach his children discipline and help them to succeed. He would teach them how to be healthy and happy.

I have probably missed a few important things, but we’re well on our way to the point you know is coming.

Our Father in Heaven is an exalted man, separate and distinct from His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost who shares his influence. He has a body of flesh and bone just as we do (D&C 130:22). We look like him. He has a personality. He has feelings and emotions. He experiences great sorrow when his children suffer, when they sin, and when they commit horrific acts against one another. He also knows the thrill of watching his children overcome a difficult challenge or take a significant step in their journey back to him. Though he cannot always be physically with us, he loves it when we call.

Much of the world assumes that God has always been perfect; he has always been a god. We know that our Heavenly Father experienced mortality much as we do now and that he grew from grace to grace as we are are attempting to do. President Lorenzo Snow wrote the couplet, “As man now is, God once was: As God now is, man may be.”

Through eons of experience and hard work, our Heavenly Father has completed his development, so we say that he is perfect. He is perfect in his knowledge and power, but he is also perfect in his compassion, his empathy and his love for each of us. He understands what we are experiencing and he encourages us to continue in our development until we are complete. “Be ye therefore perfect,” the scriptures direct, “even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

Many in the world see God as harsh and vengeful. Martin Luther taught that “those who see God as angry do not see him rightly”. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).

“For I am persuaded,” Paul wrote, “that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God” (Romans 8:38-39). Nephi wrote that the love of God, “sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things… and the most joyous to the soul” (1 Nephi 11:22-23).

You and I are literally children of God. “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” (Romans 8). Our Father in Heaven offers us all he has because he loves us more than the whole world.

Our Father in Heaven is not a respecter of persons. He’s not impressed by the color of your skin or the country where you were born or the job that you have or wealth you have accumulated. His commandments are in effect for those with busy schedules, those who are lonely, those who are ignorant and those who are proud. Every soul, regardless of their status or circumstance, is of great worth to him-- worth his time, worth his effort, and worth his love.

The love of God includes a profound respect for women. He does not allow us to make our Heavenly Mother a profanity and he warns against abuse of spouse or offspring with the most serious language. He has placed women in some of the most crucial roles in the plan of salvation and trusts them to nurture and prepare each generation.

One of my favorite quotes from Karl G. Maeser, considered the founder of what became BYU, is his explanation of honor. “I have been asked what I mean by ‘word of honor’”, he said. “I will tell you. Place me behind prison walls--walls of stone ever so high, ever so thick, reaching ever so far into the ground-- there is a possibility that in some way or another I may escape; but stand me on the floor and draw a chalk line around me and have me give my word of honor never to cross it. Can I get out of the circle? No. Never! I’d die first!"

Likewise, our Heavenly Father commits with his word of honor that he is bound to keep his promises when we keep his commandments. It may seem a little obvious to say that God is a man of integrity, but it is crucial to understand if we are to trust him and trust is essential to walking the path toward eternal life. God keeps every promise. He always does what he says he will do.

One of the promises God has made to each of us is that he will pour out the blessings of heaven when we pay our tithing. My wife and I put this to the test when I completed graduate school and we moved for an entry-level job in Virginia. We had two kids, no contacts, a lot of debt and not very much income.

I don’t remember a specific instance when we got a check for exactly the amount we needed or found the food we couldn’t buy on our doorstep; but I do remember that our clothes seemed to last forever. As our kids grew, and we added one more, someone was always looking to donate the size we needed. Our car never broke down. The five dollar pizzas at Little Ceasars tasted amazing. Though we were living in a small house with a possum in the crawl space, life seemed abundant and we came to know our Heavenly Father better as we earnestly prayed for him to help us provide for our family’s needs.

I testify that your Father, who is in heaven, knows the things that you need. “Therefore,” the Savior taught, “Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are you not much better than they?...”

“And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you?... But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:25-26, 28-30, 33).

In addition to providing for our physical needs, our Heavenly Father is anxious to teach us how to be successful and happy. Consider for a moment what you would do if Bill Gates approached you with an offer you couldn’t refuse. Pretend for a moment that the email and the Facebook scams we’ve all seen are true. Bill Gates does want to make you a millionaire or billionaire, and here’s the deal: he’s going to give you the strategy to get there and if you can try pretty hard at it and show some persistence, he will give you the capital to make it the rest of the way. Would you do it?

God has achieved more than any of us can imagine. Even Bill Gates’ money is no object for him. Worldly strength and power are insignificant by comparison. His lifestyle and his joy are the ultimate rewards of eternity. He has cornered the market on peace and happiness; these are his currency. Yet, none of this is proprietary information. Like every good parent, he has given us commandments to protect us and help us learn and grow. He has laid out the path to follow and offers to share everything freely with anyone willing to accept his invitation. We agree to try through five saving ordinances: baptism, confirmation, ordination, endowment and sealing. Lest we fear failure, he has ensured our success within the scope of our agreement; he will provide all that we cannot so long as we sincerely try. He provided a Savior to show us how this was to be done.

Sometimes as we try to follow in our elder brother’s footsteps, course corrections are needed. Paul explained:

“For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?... Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For… he [chastens us] for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness” (Hebrews 12:6-7, 9-10).

While God loves all of his children, status quo is not his goal. Rather, he is focused on maximizing our potential. He has retired from whatever profession he may have once had, he’s seen what there is to see and there are no distractions to pull him away from the work of helping you and I, his family, succeed. His ways and his timing are often different from our own, but he is keenly interested in this work and wants each of us to be wildly successful as he measures it: in joy, in peace, in love and in faith. He will not take away our agency, but he gently guides us toward decisions that will ultimately lead us to our rightful places as heirs of his kingdom.

If you will remember what you thought was an ideal father, I think you’ll find we’ve discussed many of the core attributes of that ideal in the last several minutes. Each of us has a Father in Heaven who has known us for eons of time. He has walked the path we walk, appreciates our differences and sees the potential we all have to become like him. He is our biggest fan, our protector and provider, our mentor, our counselor, our teacher, our friend, our companion and our parent. He loves each of us more than the whole world.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught, “It is one thing to know about God and another to know him. We know about him when we learn that he is a personal being in whose image man is created; when we learn that the Son is in the express image of his Father’s person; when we learn that both the Father and the Son possess certain specified attributes and powers. But we know them, in the sense of gaining eternal life, when we enjoy and experience the same things they do. To know God is to think what he thinks, to feel what he feels, to have the power he possesses, to comprehend the truths he understands, and to do what he does. Those who know God become like him, and have his kind of life, which is eternal life” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [1965-73], 1:762).

I have come to know God as I have seen his influence in my life during and since my mission in Frankfurt, Germany. He has helped me find peace when all was lost, share my testimony when I couldn’t find the words, repent when I have fallen short and learn truth when I did not know the way. He has shown me what it is to be father. He has provided for my family and brought joy into our home. So it is with confidence and admiration and love and joy that I can share my testimony that God lives.

Receive the Holy Ghost

In the six weeks that followed the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the apostle Peter undergoes a miraculous transformation. It is a change that has had lasting impacts on the history of the Church and the world; and a similar change is within all of our reach.

Simon Peter is a prominent figure in Christ's ministry. He was the Savior's chief apostle, the "rock" and future leader of Christ's church and one of the Lord's most devoted friends. It is Peter that has the faith to walk a step or two on the water, who learns by the spirit and testifies that Jesus is the Christ, who witnesses the transfiguration and the most sacred miracles of Christ, and who cuts off the ear of Malchus in defense of Christ immediately prior to his crucifixion. In simple terms, Peter was a good guy.

Yet, when the Sanhedrin seized the Savior and sentenced him to die, Peter wasn't feeling so good. He was recognized three times as he followed the proceedings and each time Peter denied his association with the accused. When he realized what he had done he went out and wept bitterly. Then, when the Lord was gone, he went back to his fishing boat aggrieved. It must have seemed like it was over-- like there was nothing more to hope.

Six weeks later, everything looked different. Peter and John noticed an older man in front of the temple who had been lame from his birth. When they heal the man, a crowd gathers and Peter testifies of the same Christ who the leaders in the crowd had just crucified. Peter and John were then brought before the Sanhedrin themselves, where Peter boldly declares:


Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand before you whole (Acts 4:10).

What could have made such a difference in so little time? Yes, he had been with Christ for 40 days after the resurrection; but he had been with Christ three years before his infamous denial. He had testified that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God" before he decided he'd go back to being a fisherman (Matthew 16:16). Now he and John were defying a direct order from the Sanhedrin, ignoring threats of violence against them, and "rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name" when they were imprisoned and beaten (Acts 5:41).

The difference wasn't the prints of the nails in the Savior's hands or his resurrected glory alone, as wonderful as it must have been to witness the Resurrected Lord. Peter had seen Christ's glory, witnessed the raising of the dead on more than one occasion, and had a testimony of the Savior's divinity even prior to his crucifixion. It also certainly wasn't that like-minded individuals had assumed political power or that the risk of association had diminished. To the contrary, Christ had prophesied that Peter would be crucified for his testimony. So what else could it have been?

In the closing moments before the Savior's ascension into heaven, he repeated a promise to his apostles that he had made before. "Ye shall receive power," he said, "after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

A week later, "they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4). A crowd of 3,000 people gathered in Jerusalem that day and Peter taught them the gospel. The hearts of the people in the crowd were softened until they asked Peter and the disciples, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Peter responded, "Repent, and be baptized... and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:37-38).

Peter had experienced the power of the Holy Ghost prior to the resurrection. When he had testified of Christ's divinity in Ceasarea Phillipi, Christ's response confirmed that "flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 16:17). He had participated in the first sacrament and the ordinance of the washing of feet. These spiritual experiences and others like them were intermittent however, and in many ways insufficient to facilitate full conversion. In between spiritual high points, Peter was left to himself and the weakness of his own flesh.

It is only after Peter and John receive the gift of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost that they really begin their ministries. Only then do they have the boldness to stand in a crowd of Jewish leaders and testify of those leaders' sins and their ignorance of the teachings of all the prophets regarding Christ's return and the restoration of the gospel. Only after Peter is "filled with the Holy Ghost" does he have the courage to stand before the Sanhedrin and preach of the same Christ that was hated and crucified by them. Only then do the apostles perform many signs and wonders in defiance of the high priest and then explain with plainness that "we ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).

Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost brings confidence, sanctification and peace of conscience, knowledge of all things, strength to endure all things and a desire to share that gift with all of the children of God. It helps Peter overcome his fear of men and transform from student to teacher, from follower to disciple and from having a testimony to being converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is only natural that, given the opportunity to teach the people after experiencing the gift of the Holy Ghost, he teaches the goal and promise of receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Peter's teaching is for us, too. The Lord stands ready to bless each of us with the power that is accessory to the gift of the Holy Ghost, but we have to be ready to receive it. Elder Bednar explained:

 These four words-- "Receive the Holy Ghost"-- are not a passive pronouncement; rather, they constitute a priesthood injunction-- an authoritative admonition to act and not simply be acted upon. The Holy Ghost does not become operative in our lives merely because hands are placed upon our heads and those four important words are spoken. As we receive this ordinance, each of us accepts a sacred and ongoing responsibility to desire, to seek, to work, and to so live that we indeed "receive the Holy Ghost" and its attendant spiritual gifts ("Receive the Holy Ghost", October 2010).

The gift of the Holy Ghost is sometimes called the "baptism of fire". In ancient Hebrew culture, fire was a symbol for the presence of the divine. Thus, we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost only after we repent and are baptized by the proper authority for the remission of sins. Only then are we worthy of the presence of the divine.

Likewise, after this gift has been bestowed upon us, it operates in our lives as we remain worthy of it. Elder Bednar taught, "Receiving the Holy Ghost starts with our sincere and constant desire for His companionship in our lives." When we desire to live in the presence of the divine, we invite the companionship of the Holy Ghost as we make and keep sacred covenants, seek virtuous thoughts and actions, strengthen appropriate relationships with friends and family and commune with God through scripture study and prayer.

In short, we can be transformed by the presence of the divine if we're willing to leave old habits behind and heed the priesthood injunction to receive the Holy Ghost. If we will do this, the promise of the Lord is that, come what may, we will receive power-- power to know all things, to overcome all things, to endure all things, and to witness in our homes, our communities, on social media and to all people foreign or domestic. Most miraculous of all, through the gift of the Holy Ghost we receive power to change ourselves, the legacy we leave for our families, and the entire world.

Sequoiadendron Giganteum

High in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California is an organism unlike any other in the world. At well over 200 feet tall and sometimes more than 35 feet wide, the Sequoiadendron Giganteum, better known as Giant Sequoia trees, are the largest living things on earth.

They're also one of the oldest. Some of the Giant Sequoias standing today have held their ground for more than 3,500 years. They have tasted of the same winds that filled the sails of fishing boats during China's first dynasty. Perhaps they heard when Babylon fell, the singing of the Israelites being led out of Egypt, or the clanging of swords and shields as the Jaredites battled to their own extinction. Only the Bristlecone Pines of the Great Basin and Chile's Alerce trees have lived longer.

Over last three millennia, while Sequoias have stood tall, literally hundreds of forests have been eliminated due to fires, insects, droughts and other natural phenomenon. Others have been cut down to build homes, weapons, canoes and books. Some forests have regrown; some have struggled because of poor soil quality, harsh environmental conditions, or the prevalence of nut-eating animals that devoured their potential before it ever had a chance to take root. Surely Sequoias are among the luckiest species on earth to have avoided all of that.

Except, of course, that Sequoias haven't avoided those things at all. Sequoia trees grow at high elevations where life-sustaining air and water are both in short supply. Their trunks are so large and so soft (you can punch them without hurting your hand) that it is physically impossible for the trees to push sufficient water from the roots to the branches basking in the sun high above the ground. As they grow, Sequoias provide shade for other plants that soon begin to crowd the trees and suffocate their roots. Worst of all are the disasters.

In the mountains of central California, it is not uncommon for naturally occurring fires to burn hundreds of thousands of acres on an annual basis. Drought conditions can persist for several years and every twenty years or so there will be a winter with no snow at all. When most trees don't have enough moisture to produce sap, the insects invade and wipe them out. All of these and more-- like the earthquakes for which California has become infamous-- happen regularly in and around the groves of Sequoia trees. Really, Sequoias are set up for miserable failure. So how are they still here? How have they endured when nothing else has?

One meaningful way we can answer those questions is by looking for true principles in a similar situation set in a different environment. This will help us discern eternal truths from circumstantial evidence.

After the Saints were driven from Jackson County, Missouri, in 1833, the Lord commanded the Prophet Joseph Smith to lead a group of men from Ohio to help their fellow church members. Roughly 200 men were gathered for what many at that time thought would be a military mission to reclaim property and push back against the mobs that were persecuting the Saints. The group, originally known as the Camp of Israel but better known today as Zion's Camp, was entirely self-funded with some members consecrating as much as $170 (valued at more than $5,000 today), at a time when most Americans made less than a dollar a day. It would also prove to be an extremely difficult and soul-searching experience for its participants, who would walk as much as 40 miles each day through dehydration, hunger, sickness, humidity and heat.

Ultimately, the Lord would disband Zion's Camp before it had fought a single battle. Some of the men were angry at this outcome and apostatized from the church. Others were disappointed or supposed the camp to have been a miserable failure. Joseph Smith, who had contracted cholera and suffered a great deal himself while marching from Ohio to Missouri, would later explain to the Saints, "God did not want you to fight. He could not organize his kingdom with twelve men to open the gospel door to the nations of the earth, and with seventy men under their direction to follow in their tracks, unless he took them from a body of men who had offered their lives, and who had made as great a sacrifice as did Abraham" (History of the Church, 2:182n). Through incredible opposition, the Lord unlocked even greater potential.

The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the First Quorum of Seventy were founded in February 1835. Nine of the original Twelve and all members of the Seventy had marched with Zion's Camp. These men would go on to baptize thousands. They would organize the wagon trains across the plains and establish communities throughout the mountain west. In short order, and with faith in the Lord's blessings, they would make the desert blossom as a rose and build both the temporal assets and spiritual legacy that are a great strength to the Church even today.

The prophet Lehi taught that "it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, ... righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad" (2 Nephi 2:11; see also verse 15). This was true even in our pre-mortal existence, when Lucifer sought to destroy the Father's plan and capture His glory. Cast out of heaven, Lucifer and his followers roam the earth tempting and seeking to deceive those who were loyal to God. Yet, as Elder Oaks has pointed out, "that the evil one, who opposed and sought to destroy the Father's plan, actually facilitated it, because it is the opposition that enables choice... that leads to the growth that is the purpose of the Father's plan" (Opposition in All Things, April 2016).

Sequoia trees are no different: their adversity is their strength. Their height protects their cones from many of that animals that would use their cones for food and ensures the trees get the sunlight they need. Their soft trunks, useless to mankind for wood, store moisture and are naturally fire-resistant. Though insects may penetrate their bark, Sequoias are not dependent on their trunks to push water to the rest of the tree. The grace of an occasional fog provides moisture to the branches, preventing the trees from dying, and allows the tree to grow back where insects may have burrowed.

Then, every so often, the stress of drought and crowding underbrush reaches fever pitch and a bolt of lightning sets the forest on fire. What would be the end of most trees is a glorious beginning for the deep-rooted Sequoias as the fire's heat begins to expand the otherwise tightly sealed Sequoia cones. As the cones are opened, each tree releases up to 400,000 winged seeds onto the freshly fertilized ground below. Because the trees are so tall, seeds can float hundreds of feet away to find an open patch of ground. Through incredible opposition, even greater potential is unlocked.

As seeds turn into seedlings and seedlings turn into trees, Sequoias create an additional barrier around their groves. Where there are Sequoia trees, it will be difficult for other trees to grow; and where few other trees grow, fatal forest fires are reduced to brush fires that cause temporary pain and scarring but also fertilize the ground so the Giant Sequoias can grow stronger and establish a generation to last another three thousand years.

One thing that distinguishes us all from Sequoia trees is ability to choose. Sequoia trees are what they were created to be and they fulfill their role in God's plan. Each of us has been created as child of God with a divine and glorious potential. Our role is to learn to be like our Heavenly Father through faith in Christ and his Atonement, repentance, making and keeping covenants, relying on the Holy Ghost and enduring all things; but unlike Sequoia trees, we are allowed to choose whether the opposition inherent to this life will unlock our potential or weaken our ability to resist the dangerous fires of worldly philosophies and temptations. We can plant the seed of our testimony on fertile ground and become the faithful builders of an eternal Zion; or we can harden our hearts and become like the destructive apostates that are swept away when times get tough.

We get to choose what kind of a tree we will be in the forest of God's creations, but the choice we make will determine our destiny. If we will choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, using opposition to build the strength of our faith rather than deplete it, offering all we have and are as Abraham did, the Lord will send us his tender mercies as the fog to strengthen us now and expand our souls until they are more glorious than even the Giant Sequoias.

Testimony and Conversion

In Matthew 16, Christ asks his disciples, 'Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?' The disciples relayed the speculation of the day that perhaps Christ was one of several possible Old Testament prophets returned to fulfill some prior prophecy. Christ then asked, 'But whom say ye that I am?' Peter responded, 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Christ responded with a one sentence sermon on testimony:  'Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven' (v. 13-17).

To have a testimony of the gospel is to have a knowledge in our hearts and minds that it is true. The Holy Ghost can witness to our souls that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, that the authority and doctrine of Christ's church was restored through Joseph Smith, and of all other things which are true.

The holy scriptures record the testimonies of dozens of prophets and disciples of Christ from the beginning of the world to modern times. Job testified almost four thousand years ago:  'For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God' (Job 19:25-26). Likewise, Alma testified to the people of the ancient Americas that 'the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me' (Alma 7:13).

In the dawn of the current gospel dispensation the prophet Joseph Smith declared:

And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father-- That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God (D&C 76:22-24).

The Holy Ghost has provided a divine witness of Christ to the thoughts and feelings of sincere inquirers in every era of time and upon every continent where people have asked God to know the truth. None of us can obtain a testimony entirely on our own; it is a gift that must be given to us. We gain our testimonies as the Holy Ghost shares his; similarly, sharing our testimonies with others invites the Holy Ghost to testify all who hear it, ourselves included.


Though testimonies are given as divine gifts, our hearts and minds are prepared to receive testimony as we desire to have it and show our desire through obedience to God's commandments. The same Alma mentioned above once compared testimony to a seed that must be planted and nourished in order to grow (Alma 32:28-42). As the laws of biology explain the growth of a seed, the laws of the gospel will teach us what we must to to receive the faith and testimony we desire.

The Lord taught Joseph Smith that the first step is to ask in prayer. 'If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peacable things-- that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal' (D&C 42:61).


It is up to each of us to nourish and grow the knowledge we desire to have with all the time and attention we might give a growing plant in our garden. The Lord promises that 'every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened' (Matthew 7:8).

As necessary as it is to receive a testimony of the gospel, testimony alone is insufficient to bring about salvation. Elder Dallin H. Oaks has explained: 'To testify is to know and to declare. The gospel challenges us to become converted, which requires us to do and to become' ('The Challenge to Become, October 2000). Christ taught, 'Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven' (Matthew 7:21). In other words, 'Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven' (Matthew 18:3).

This is the same message King Benjamin delivered to his people about 124 years before the coming of Christ. He taught:

Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend. And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them (Mosiah 4:9-10).

As we allow our testimonies to direct our actions we will experience a change of heart. The people of King Benjamin had 'a mighty change... in [their] hearts, that [they had] no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually' as a result of their obedience to the words of their prophet-king. Almost 40 years later, King Benjamin's grandsons helped a rival kingdom to experience a similar conversion.

Faith in the words of scripture and the courage to repent and change transformed the once bloodthirsty, angry, warmongering rivals into a steadfast, faithful, and peaceful people. Allowing their testimonies to guide their actions, the people who called themselves Anti-Nephi-Lehis buried their weapons and knelt in prayer even as the disbelievers among them massacred thousands of their friends, family members and countrymen. In turn, the actions of this converted people eventually softened the hearts of the disbelievers and inspired tens of thousands to plant the seed of conversion in their hearts (Alma 24).

The people of King Benjamin and the Anti-Nephi-Lehis are examples of the dedication, commitment, miracles and strength that can and will occur in the converted heart.

Paul taught the Ephesians that all testimony has been given that we may all attain 'the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ' (Ephesians 4:13). In the most recent general conference, Elder M. Russell Ballard taught: 'Only when our testimony transcends what is in our mind and burrows deep into our heart will our motivation to love and to serve become like unto the Savior's. It is then, and only then, that we become deeply converted disciples of Christ empowered by the Spirit to reach the hearts of our fellowmen'.

Elder Oaks has taught that 'this process requires far more than acquiring knowledge. It is not even enough for us to be convinced of the gospel; we must act and think so that we are converted by it. In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.'

He continued, 'It is not enough for anyone to just go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become... Now is the time for each of us to work toward our personal conversion, toward becoming what our Heavenly Father desires us to become.'

We take the 'next logical step in our complete conversion to the gospel of Christ by assimilating its doctrines deep within our hearts and our souls so we will act and live consistently--and with integrity--what we profess to believe.  This integrity simplifies our lives and amplifies our sensitivities to the Spirit and to the needs of others. It brings joy into our lives and peace to our souls--the kind of joy and peace that comes to us as we repent of our sins and follow the Savior by keeping His commandments' (Ballard, 2012).

What things might you profess to believe without living that belief consistently? Is there a variance between how important you say your family is and how important you treat your family? Could someone quickly discern your faith in Christ by the language you use, the discipline you exercise in your life, or what you choose to do for entertainment and recreation?

In our attempt to take the next step toward the consistent, joyous life of a converted disciple, Elder Ballard reminded us to seek opportunities to serve those around us. He promised that 'if you do this--at home, at school, at work, and at church... you will be prompted by the Spirit and magnificently motivated to help pollinate the world with the pure love of Christ and His gospel'.

Elder Oaks also shared practical counsel for becoming converted. As we take the next step, he advised, 'we should remember that our family relationships--even more than our Church callings--are the setting in which the most important part of that development can occur. The conversion we must achieve requires us to be a good husband and father or a good wife and mother. Being a successful Church leader is not enough. Exaltation is an eternal family experience, and it is our mortal family experiences that are best suited to prepare us for it.'

He continued:

Our needed conversions are often achieved more readily by suffering and adversity than by comfort and tranquility... Most of us experience some measure of what the scriptures call 'the furnace of affliction'. Some are submerged in service to a disadvantaged family member. Others suffer the death of a loved one or the loss or postponement of a righteous goal like marriage or childbearing. Still others struggle with personal impairments or with feelings of rejection, inadequacy, or depression. Through the justice and mercy of a loving Father in Heaven, the refinement and sanctification possible through such experiences can help us achieve what God desires us to become.

We are challenged to move through a process of conversion toward that status and condition called eternal life. This is achieved not just by doing what is right, but by doing it for the right reason—for the pure love of Christ.

Our path toward conversion begins as we plant the seed of testimony in our hearts. As we nurture it with regular scripture study and frequent, fervent prayer, our testimonies may grow in both breadth and depth. True conversion will come as we apply what we learn to our daily lives. Our righteous action will also allow the Holy Ghost to expand our testimonies and provide additional opportunities for a more complete conversion.

John taught, 'If any man will do his will, he shall know the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself' (John 7:17). What could you do this week to expand your testimony and conversion? Is there a gospel principle you would like to have confirmed to your soul by the Holy Ghost? Is there some needed repentance that could take place this week? In what ways can we make our lives more consistent with our testimonies? Have you completely washed away the desire to do evil like the people of King Benjamin did?

Though we'll all fall short at times--sometimes way short of where we'd like to be--we are not alone. The Holy Ghost can and will testify to our hearts and minds that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world, as he testified to Joseph Smith, Alma and Job. Through the atonement of Christ we can be forgiven of our sins. We can be given the strength to make our actions consistent with our testimonies.We can become converted disciples of Christ and experience the joy and peace the Lord has promised.

The Roles of the Holy Ghost in First Nephi

Someone once suggested that many of the most important principles in the Book of Mormon are found in First Nephi. This wasn't a comment against the rich content of the rest of the book, rather an observation that many of the most important principles are introduced or repeated by the book's first inspired author. This allows those of us who start the Book of Mormon more often than we finish it to feast upon the principles most vital to our success.

I don't remember who it was that made that comment. I cannot certify that it is the official position of any person or organization other than the anonymous person who first shared that thought with me. But at the risk of sounding like my high school seminary teacher, I'd like to take this faith-promoting rumor and run with it for bit.

As I've read through the first chapters of First Nephi again, one major theme that I've never noticed before is the role of the Spirit in the lives of Nephi and his family. These roles can be found throughout scripture and are certifiable as official doctrine of the LDS Church, but seem to be concentrated and particularly striking in these first few chapters of the Book of Mormon.

Here are a few examples from the first dozen chapters. Quotes are in italics.

Chapter 1: Lehi, being overcome with the Spirit...was carried away in a vision.
Chapter 2: Lehi spoke to his sons with power, being filled with the Spirit, until their frames did shake before him. And he did confound them, that they durst not utter against him.
Chapter 3: Prophets write the words delivered unto them by the Spirit.
Chapter 4: In pursuit of the scriptural record held by Laban, Nephi was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which [he] should do.
Chapter 5: When Lehi was filled with the Spirit, he began to prophesy
Chapter 7: The city of Jerusalem will be destroyed because the Spirit of the Lord ceaseth soon to strive with them.
Chapter 10: The mysteries of God are unfolded by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him.
Chapter 11: Nephi is caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, unto an exceedingly high mountain where he saw his father's dream, learned the interpretation thereof, a spoke to the Holy Ghost as a man speaketh; for [he] beheld that he was in the form of a man.
Chapter 12: The Holy Ghost bears record of Christ from the beginning of the world until this time, and from this time henceforth and forever.

These few examples are by no means an exhaustive list. Within these same chapters the Spirit constrains or gives authority for Nephi to speak, testifies of the truths Lehi reads in a book and preserves scripture for future generations. Throughout the rest of the Book of Mormon, Bible and other scripture, still other roles for the Holy Ghost are discovered and expounded.

Yet, even from these first 23 pages of the Book of Mormon, less than 5 percent of the text, we learn a great deal about the third member of the Godhead. He can enlighten our minds with visions or prophecies and teach us what they mean. He testifies of the truth, including the reality of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and inspires us to write down what we learn. He can exercise great physical power, shaking our physical frames or carrying us to places we have never been before. He preserves records, people and even entire cities. He is in the form of a man and has an eternal purpose and destiny.

The Holy Ghost shares the mission statement of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life" of each of us (Moses 1:39). His many abilities are used to that end. Understanding the way the Holy Ghost can and will influence our lives is likely among the most important principles we can learn in this life, regardless of where it may be expounded upon in scripture. As we seek to improve our lives and bring salvation to ourselves and those around us, we will have the tools we need to be successful as we heed the message inspired by the Spirit and delivered by the living prophet at our most recent conference:

Be influenced by that still, small voice. Remember that one with authority placed his hands on your head at the time of your confirmation and said, 'Receive the Holy Ghost.' Open your hearts, even your very souls, to the sound of that special voice which testifies of truth. As the prophet Isaiah promised, 'Thine ears shall hear a word... saying, This is the way, walk ye in it.

Therefore, What?

Much of the early part of 3rd Nephi mirrors what we see in society today. These people were fighting terrorists, wickedness and abominations were rampant and the coming of Christ, like the second coming in our times, was just around the corner.

Under the wise leadership of Lachoneus, the people of 3rd Nephi were able to defeat terror and, through repentance, return to being a faithful people. Their experience was key:

And they knew that it must be expedient that Christ had come, because of the many signs which had been given, according to the words of the prophets; and because of the things which had come to pass already they knew that it must needs be that all things should come to pass according to that which had been spoken. (3 Nephi 5:2)


As was the case two thousand years ago, we have also been given signs that testify the words of the prophets are true. Some of these, like the restoration of the gospel through Joseph Smith or the settling of the early saints in the Salt Lake Valley, have already come to pass. As we apply the teachings of the prophets to our own lives, we are given further, personal evidence that prophets speak the word of God. Other prophecies are yet to come or yet to be fulfilled.

The Nephites of Book of Mormon times became a righteous people because they allowed what they knew to be true-- the word of the prophets-- to propel them to action. They knew, therefore...

Therefore, they did forsake all their sins, and their abominations, and their whoredoms, and did serve God with all diligence day and night. (3 Nephi 5:3)

Christ taught that, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Like the Nephites of an earlier but similar era, we must also allow what we know to motivate our actions. This can be called the "Therefore, what?" principle. I know something, therefore what?

As you ponder over your testimony this week ahead of Fast Sunday, I invite you to follow each truth in your heart with that question-- "Therefore, what?" I know that as you do so, you will be inspired with what you should do to come closer to the Savior and better qualify for the kingdom of God.

(Therefore, I'm going to be doing it, too.)