Sunday, April 30, 2017

Return with Honor

When I was in high school, I often went over to my friend Devon's house. We were there most days for lunch, after school and whenever else we were looking for something to do. Above the front door in his house was a sign that read, "Return with Honor."

It was a simple sign with a simple message: don't screw up. Don't go places you shouldn't go, do things you shouldn't do or be someone you shouldn't be. I thought it was just another way of reminding their family, and all others that have used the slogan, to be good.

There is value in reminding ourselves to be good. That is, theoretically at least, why most LDS 8-year-olds don fresh CTR rings, at least for a few weeks, as they try to remember to Choose The Right. In an oversimplified way, we wear temple garments and attend church every week and put pictures of Christ in our homes so we can remember the promises we have made with God to be good.

Returning with honor is much more than that, however. Many of us have known people who were "good" and did what they were "supposed" to do but were without honor. They are the missionaries who served but didn't work; the temple-married couple who make others uncomfortable with how unkind they are to each other; and the church attendee who rejects all invitations to serve in a calling. These individuals, and others like them, go through the motions but seldom garner much esteem or respect because of the hollow selfishness of their efforts.

Honor is aligned with patience, kindness, contentment, joy for others, sacrifice, humility, modesty, self-discipline, hard work, virtue, hope, faith and love. We honor those who give their lives for our freedom, who give years of study and research to develop vaccines or send people to the moon, who teach us what they know, and who inspire us to be better. There is no honor in selfishness; but that doesn't mean that we don't have a role.

To understand how we can return with honor, we first must recognize that the subject of this sentence is implied. It is you. You are being admonished to return [yourself] with honor. How do you get that honor?

The next part of the statement requires the acknowledgement that to return, we first need to go. There are dozens of scriptural decrees to go a step or two into uncertainty, to go without sin, to go after what was lost, to go show yourself to the priest, to go on the Lord's errand, or go teach the gospel. In order to return, we first have to get up and go.

Finally, the added value to this phrase comes with a deeper understanding of honor. There are many sources of honor. We may receive worldly honors from universities, news media, community service groups or professional organizations. We can receive honors from our peers, our twitter followers or our bosses. Some of these can be good, but they cannot be what we treasure in our hearts. Like Captain Moroni, we are to, "seek not for honor of the world, but for the glory of [our] God, and the freedom and welfare of [our] country" (Alma 60:36).

In one of his recent conference addresses, President Uchtdorf shared an experience he had as a new General Authority. One day he was driving with President Faust to a stake conference. Among the important principles they discussed, Elder Faust explained how gracious the members of the Church are to General Authorities. He said, "They will treat you very kindly. They will say nice things about you." Then with a chuckle he said, "Dieter, be thankful for this. But don't you ever inhale it" (Pride and the Priesthood, October 2010).

While we can be grateful for our health, wealth, possessions, or positions, as President Uchtdorf went on to explain, when we begin to inhale our own importance or power or reputation they will begin to corrupt the honor we think we have. In his pre-mortal rebellion against God, Lucifer, the Son of the Morning and a person of some influence, demanded, "Give me thine honor, which is my power" (D&C 29:36).

Honor, like love or respect, cannot be demanded or taken upon ourselves. None of us can award ourselves a Nobel Peace Prize or an honorary doctorate degree from a prestigious university. Though we may inspire fear, we cannot control another's admiration. We are even less able to require the respect and esteem of a perfect being who knows all things and has all power.

Yet, God is anxious to give us honor. He promises, "if ye are faithful ye shall be laden with many sheaves, and crowned with honor, and glory, and immortality, and eternal life" (D&C 75:5). "For thus saith the Lord--I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end" (D&C 76:5).

Honor is the highest esteem or respect we can receive from another person. We cannot take it for ourselves, but we can give it and are commanded to honor those who honor God, including our parents, our spouses, and the laws of the land where we live. We are also commanded to honor the Lord.

My friend's mom could have put up a sign that said, "Be Good". Instead she put up a sign admonishing her family to act in such a way that others would willingly give their respect and esteem. She wanted her family to be anxiously engaged in good causes, to know what it was to sacrifice a meal so another could eat, to experience the reward of working hard to bless someone else's life, and to love so deeply that life's ambitions could be replaced by a desire to make others happy. Most of all, her sign directed her family to be the kind of people that an all-knowing, all-powerful God would delight to have on his side and to recognize for his or her faithfulness. She wanted them to not only be good, but to be courageous, fiercely righteous and persisting in patient faithfulness in the course God placed before them.

That was too long of a sign to fit over the door, so she summed it up: Return with Honor. I wonder if our heavenly mother has one just like it.

Saturday, April 22, 2017

We Believe

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost (AoF 1:1). They are three distinct personages. The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us (D&C 130:22).

God is the literal father of our spirits. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God (Romans 8:16). God so loved the world, his children, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression (AoF 1:2).

The Fall of Adam introduced two kinds of death or separation: Physical or temporal death is the separation of our spirits from our bodies; and spiritual death is when we are separated from God.

And because of the way of deliverance of our God, the Holy One of Israel, this death, of which I have spoken, which is the temporal, shall deliver up its dead; which death is the grave. And this death of which I have spoken, which is the spiritual death, shall deliver up its dead; which spiritual death is hell; wherefore, death and hell must deliver up their dead, and hell must deliver up its captive spirits, and the grave must deliver up its captive bodies, and the bodies and the spirits of men will be restored one to the other; and it is by the power of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel (2 Nephi 9:11-12). For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22).

So we see that the effects of the Fall of Adam, both physical and spiritual death, are completely absorbed in Christ. For behold, the day cometh that all shall rise from the dead the stand before God, and be judged according to their works... And the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal death. The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt. Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous (Alma 11:41-44, emphasis added).

But there is another Fall with which we should be concerned: our own. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel (AoF 1:3).

Jesus Christ taught: And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end. Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day. Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel (3 Nephi 27:20).

We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost (AoF 1:4). God has restored his priesthood so that ordinances such as baptism and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost can be performed by proper authority.

When Christ was on the earth, he established his church. That church was not primarily about any sort of building or social or cultural gathering place. Rather, he established his doctrine, his ordinances and covenants (including baptism and the sacrament), and his authority. Because God is not the author of confusion, he created an organization through which these elements could be preserved, exercised and shared with the world. Members of that ancient church were called saints.

There is one body, and one Spirit... One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all... And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ... That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive (Ephesians 4:4-6, 11-14).

We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof (AoF 1:5). Further, we believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth (AoF 1:6).

Those who are called to serve in any capacity receive spiritual gifts to enhance their service and benefit the whole church. We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth (AoF 1:7). For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will (1 Corinthians 12:7-11).

These principles are the foundation of our faith in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ, the author of our salvation. We know these things by their own words, for surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets (Amos 3:7).

From the beginning, God has called prophets to teach his doctrine, exercise his authority and perform the ordinances necessary to fulfill the covenants he has made with us. Throughout history, prophetic teachings have often been rejected and the people have fallen into a state of apostasy; but the Lord does not forget us. Because he loves us, his children, he will always call a new prophet to lead us back to him. Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Christ himself were all called of God to reestablish his doctrine, covenants, ordinances and priesthood authority on the earth.

Prophets have taught the people and recorded God's word in the Holy Scriptures. We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God (AoF 1:8).

The heavens are not closed. God is the same yesterday, today and forever; and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him. For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round (1 Nephi 10:18-19). We are also God's children and he continues to reveal his word through living prophets and to each of us through the Holy Ghost. We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God (AoF 1:9).

James 1:5-6 reads: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. These verses inspired a prayer that led to the restoration of Christ's ancient church; and they can inspire your prayer to know if these things are true.

We invite everyone to read The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. It is the fruit of the restoration and the evidence of God's prophetic pattern in our day. Toward the end of the book is a promise: And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things (Moroni 10:4-5).

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the restored church of Christ on the earth today. Christ personally leads the Church through living prophets. The Church contains the fullness of Christ's doctrine, covenants and ordinances. It is the only church authorized by God to perform those ordinances for the benefit of mankind. Through those ordinances and the grace of God, we can be saved and sealed together with our families for time and eternity. This is what we believe; and we invite you to pray to know for yourself. If you pray with faith and real intent to act, as the scriptures direct, God will reveal the truth of it to your heart and mind by the power of the Holy Ghost.