He Heals the Heavy Laden

The Savior said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).
Many carry heavy burdens. Some have lost a loved one to death or care for one who is disabled. Some have been wounded by divorce. Others yearn for an eternal marriage. Some are caught in the grip of addictive substances or practices like alcohol, tobacco, drugs, or pornography. Others have crippling physical or mental impairments. Some are challenged by same-gender attraction. Some have terrible feelings of depression or inadequacy. In one way or another, many are heavy laden.
To each of us our Savior gives this loving invitation:
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
"For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28–30).
The scriptures contain many accounts of the Savior's healing the heavy laden. He caused the blind to see; the deaf to hear; the palsied, withered, or maimed to be restored; lepers to be cleansed; and unclean spirits to be cast out. Often we read that the person healed of these physical ailments was "made whole" (see Matthew 14:36; 15:28; Mark 6:56; 10:52; Luke 17:19; John 5:9).
Jesus healed many from physical diseases, but He did not withhold healing from those who sought to be "made whole" from other ailments. Matthew writes that He healed every sickness and every disease among the people (see Matthew 4:23; 9:35). Great multitudes followed Him, and He "healed them all" (Matthew 12:15). Surely these healings included those whose sicknesses were emotional, mental, or spiritual. He healed them all.
In His early sermon in the synagogue, Jesus read aloud from this prophecy of Isaiah: "He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised" (Luke 4:18). As Jesus declared that He was come to fulfill that prophecy, He expressly affirmed that He would heal those with physical ailments and He would also deliver the captive, liberate the bruised, and heal the brokenhearted.
The Gospel of Luke contains many examples of that ministry. It tells of the time when "great multitudes came together to hear [Jesus], and to be healed by him of their infirmities" (Luke 5:15). On other occasions it records that Jesus "cured many of their infirmities" (Luke 7:21) and that He "healed them that had need of healing" (Luke 9:11). It also describes how a great multitude of people out of Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Sidon came down to the plain "to hear him, and to be healed" (Luke 6:17).
When the Savior appeared to the righteous in the New World, He called for persons to come forward who were lame or blind or had other physical ailments. He extended the same invitation to those "that are afflicted in any manner" (3 Nephi 17:7). "Bring them hither," He said, "and I will heal them" (v. 7). The Book of Mormon tells how the multitude brought forward "all them that were afflicted in any manner" (v. 9). This must have included persons with every kind of physical or emotional or mental affliction, and the scripture testifies that Jesus "did heal them every one" (v. 9).
The Savior teaches that we will have tribulation in the world, but we should "be of good cheer" because He has "overcome the world" (John 16:33). His Atonement reaches and is powerful enough not only to pay the price for sin but also to heal every mortal affliction. The Book of Mormon teaches that "He shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people" (Alma 7:11; see also 2 Nephi 9:21).
He knows of our anguish, and He is there for us. Like the good Samaritan in His parable, when He finds us wounded at the wayside, He binds up our wounds and cares for us (see Luke 10:34). Brothers and sisters, the healing power of His Atonement is for you, for us, for all.
His all-encompassing healing power is sought in the prayerful words of our hymn "Master, the Tempest Is Raging":
Master, with anguish of spiritI bow in my grief today.The depths of my sad heart are troubled.Oh, waken and save, I pray!Torrents of sin and of anguishSweep o'er my sinking soul,And I perish! I perish! dear Master.Oh, hasten and take control!(Hymns, no. 105)
We can be healed through the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood. Jesus gave His Apostles power "to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease" (Matthew 10:1; see also Mark 3:15; Luke 9:1–2), and they went forth "preaching the gospel, and healing every where" (Luke 9:6; see also Mark 6:13; Acts 5:16). The Seventy were also sent forth with power and direction to heal the sick (see Luke 10:9; Acts 8:6–7).
Although the Savior could heal all whom He would heal, this is not true of those who hold His priesthood authority. Mortal exercises of that authority are limited by the will of Him whose priesthood it is. Consequently, we are told that some whom the elders bless are not healed because they are "appointed unto death" (D&C 42:48). Similarly, when the Apostle Paul sought to be healed from the "thorn in the flesh" that buffeted him (2 Corinthians 12:7), the Lord declined to heal him. Paul later wrote that the Lord explained, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness" (v. 9). Paul obediently responded that he would "rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me . . . for when I am weak, then am I strong" (vv. 9–10).
Healing blessings come in many ways, each suited to our individual needs, as known to Him who loves us best. Sometimes a "healing" cures our illness or lifts our burden. But sometimes we are "healed" by being given strength or understanding or patience to bear the burdens placed upon us.
The people who followed Alma were in bondage to wicked oppressors. When they prayed for relief, the Lord told them He would deliver them eventually, but in the meantime He would ease their burdens "that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses . . . that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions" (Mosiah 24:14). In that case the people did not have their burdens removed, but the Lord strengthened them so that "they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord" (v. 15).
This same promise and effect applies to you mothers who are widowed or divorced, to you singles who are lonely, to you caregivers who are burdened, to you persons who are addicted, and to all of us whatever our burden. "Come unto Christ," the prophet says, "and be perfected in him" (Moroni 10:32).
At times we may despair that our burdens are too great. When it seems that a tempest is raging in our lives, we may feel abandoned and cry out like the disciples in the storm, "Master, carest thou not that we perish?" (Mark 4:38). At such times we should remember His reply: "Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?" (v. 40).
The healing power of the Lord Jesus Christ—whether it removes our burdens or strengthens us to endure and live with them like the Apostle Paul—is available for every affliction in mortality.
After I gave a general conference talk on the evils of pornography (see "Pornography," Liahona and Ensign, May 2005, 87–90), I received many letters from persons burdened with this addiction. Some of these letters were from men who had overcome pornography. One man wrote:
"There are several lessons I've gleaned from my experience coming out of the darkness of a sin that so thoroughly dominates the lives of the people it ensnares: (1) This is a major problem that is unbelievably difficult to overcome. . . . (2) The most important source of support and strength in the repentance process is the Savior. . . . (3) Intense, daily scripture study, regular temple worship, and serious, contemplative participation in the ordinance of the sacrament are all indispensable parts of a true repentance process. This, I assume, is because all of these activities serve to deepen and strengthen one's relationship with the Savior, one's understanding of His atoning sacrifice, and one's faith in His healing power" (letter dated Oct. 24, 2005).
"Come unto me," the Savior said, "and ye shall find rest unto your souls" (Matthew 11:28–29). That heavy-laden man turned to the Savior, and so can each of us.
A woman whose marriage was threatened by her husband's addiction to pornography wrote how she stood beside him for five pain-filled years until, as she said, "through the gift of our precious Savior's glorious Atonement and what He taught me about forgiveness, [my husband] finally is free—and so am I." As one who needed no cleansing from sin, but only sought a loved one's deliverance from captivity, she wrote this advice:
"Commune with the Lord. . . . He is your best friend! He knows your pain because He has felt it for you already. He is ready to carry that burden. Trust Him enough to place it at His feet and allow Him to carry it for you. Then you can have your anguish replaced with His peace, in the very depths of your soul" (letter dated Apr. 18, 2005).
A man wrote a General Authority about how the power of the Atonement helped him with his problem of same-gender attraction. He had been excommunicated for serious transgressions that violated his temple covenants and his responsibilities to his children. He had to choose whether to attempt to live the gospel or whether to continue a course contrary to its teachings.
"I knew it would be difficult," he wrote, "but I didn't realize what I would have to go through." His letter describes the emptiness and loneliness and the incredible pain he experienced from deep within his soul as he sought to return. He prayed mightily for forgiveness, sometimes for hours at a time. He was sustained by reading the scriptures, by the companionship of a loving bishop, and by priesthood blessings. But what finally made the difference was the help of the Savior. He explained:
"It [was] only through Him and His Atonement. . . . I now feel an overwhelming gratitude. My pains have been almost more than I could bear at times, and yet they were so small compared to what He suffered. Where there once was darkness in my life, there is now love and gratitude."
He continues: "Some profess that change is possible and therapy is the only answer. They are very learned on the subject and have so much to offer those who struggle . . . , but I worry that they forget to involve Heavenly Father in the process. If change is to happen, it will happen according to the will of God. I also worry that many people focus on the causes of [same-gender attraction]. . . . There is no need to determine why I have [this challenge]. I don't know if I was born with it, or if environmental factors contributed to it. The fact of the matter is that I have this struggle in my life and what I do with it from this point forward is what matters" (letter dated Mar. 25, 2006).
The persons who wrote these letters know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the healing it offers do much more than provide the opportunity for repentance from sins. The Atonement also gives us the strength to endure "pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind," because our Savior also took upon Him "the pains and the sicknesses of his people" (Alma 7:11). Brothers and sisters, if your faith and prayers and the power of the priesthood do not heal you from an affliction, the power of the Atonement will surely give you the strength to bear the burden.
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden," the Savior said, "and I will give you rest . . . unto your souls" (Matthew 11:28–29).
As we struggle with the challenges of mortality, I pray for each of us, as the prophet Mormon prayed for his son, Moroni: "May Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, . . . and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever" (Moroni 9:25).
I testify of Jesus Christ, our Savior, who invites us all to come unto Him and be perfected in Him. He will bind up our wounds and He will heal the heavy laden. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

We Bear Testimony to the World

My brothers and sisters, as we gather in another general conference, I am pleased to report that the Church continues to grow in strength and influence. In 1982, some 24 years ago, I noted this in my journal: "There will be in place for the October general conference more than 300 downlinks in our satellite service. This means that we will have more than 300 stake centers, where our people may gather across the nation and participate in the conference."
I am now advised that there are 6,066 Church-owned satellite receiving sites in 83 countries. How grateful I am that with our growth in numbers there is also an increased ability to reach out and communicate with the Latter-day Saints throughout the world.
Now, we could wish for more baptisms in the United States and Canada, but that could be said of everywhere throughout the world. Nevertheless, the harvest is great, with members in some 160 nations. Where not long ago there were very few Latter-day Saints, today there are strong wards and stakes, with faithful and capable men and women in leadership.
Though there are limitations on our ability to travel where we might, there is compensation in the ability of the First Presidency, members of the Twelve, and the Seventy to speak by satellite to large numbers of stakes throughout the world.
Circumstances change, but our message does not change. We bear testimony to the world that the heavens have been opened, that God, our Eternal Father, and His Son, the risen Lord, have appeared and spoken. We offer our solemn witness that the priesthood has been restored with the keys and authority of eternal blessings.
We recently dedicated the new Sacramento California Temple, the 7th in that state and the 123rd in the world. We also broke ground for another temple in the Salt Lake area.
We are pleased to announce that the renovation of the Salt Lake Tabernacle is proceeding on schedule and that this unique and wonderful facility will next spring again accommodate the Tabernacle Choir in its weekly broadcasts.
The Church is undertaking a huge development project in the interest of protecting the environment of Temple Square. While the costs will be great, it will not involve the expenditure of tithing funds.
However, the faithfulness of our people continues to be demonstrated in the payment of tithes and offerings.
Altogether, I can only report that the Lord is richly blessing His Church, and our duty is to do all we can to move it forward.
Now, brothers and sisters, after the singing of the choir, we shall hear the remarks of our brethren and sisters. And as we proceed with this great conference, may the Spirit of the Lord dictate all that is done and said, and may our hearts and minds be filled to overflowing is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

A Perfect Brightness of Hope—to New Members of the Church

We congratulate you on your recent baptism and welcome you most warmly. What a wonderful step you have taken in joining the Church! We stand ready to assist you in any way that we can.
At this critical time you may feel like the woman who wrote this letter:
"My journey into the Church was unique and quite challenging. This past year has been the hardest year that I have ever lived in my life. It has also been the most rewarding. As a new member, I continue to be challenged every day."
She continues: "When we as investigators become members of the Church, we are surprised to discover that we have entered into a completely foreign world, a world that has its own traditions, culture, and language. We discover that there is no one person or no one place of reference that we can turn to for guidance in our trip into this new world."1
What you are going through as a new member should be exhilarating. Your faith in the Savior is strong. Your excitement to learn more and more about the restored gospel is sincere. But it is also easy to feel overwhelmed by new words, new meetings, new teachings, and new challenges. Even new people may be something to deal with. You may wonder if you can ever measure up to the standard of being a true Latter-day Saint. I have a simple message for you: Of course you can! Don't give up!
On the Path
Remember what Nephi said:
"Ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son. . . .
"And now, . . . after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.
"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life" (2 Nephi 31:18–20).
Joining the Church is a serious thing. Each convert takes upon himself or herself the name of Christ with an implied promise to keep His commandments. But coming into the Church can be a perilous experience. Unless there are warm and strong hands to greet you, unless we reach out to you with love and concern, you may begin to wonder about the step you have taken. Unless there are friendly hands and welcome hearts to greet you and lead you along the way, you may drop by the side. We have the challenge of helping you to strengthen your testimony of the truth of this work. We cannot have you walking in the front door and out the back! Every one of you is precious. Every one of you is a son or daughter of God.
I have said before, and I repeat it, that each of you as a convert needs three things:
A friend in the Church to whom you can constantly turn, who will walk beside you, who will answer your questions, who will understand your problems. You also have home teachers, visiting teachers, and other members who will help you on your marvelous journey of faith.
An assignment. Activity is the genius of this Church. It is the process by which we grow. Faith and love for the Lord are like the muscles of my arm. If I use them, they grow stronger. If I put them in a sling, they become weaker. Each of you deserves a responsibility.
In handling that responsibility you may make some mistakes. So what? We all make mistakes. The important thing is the growth that will come of activity. Your leaders can help you find ways to be involved. Be willing to accept new challenges, and trust that the Lord will help you be equal to them. If you get discouraged, ask for help. But don't give up. As you keep trying you will find that your abilities increase.
You need to be constantly "nourished by the good word of God" (Moroni 6:4). You will be affiliated with a priesthood quorum or the Relief Society, the Young Women, the Young Men, the Sunday School, or the Primary. Come to sacrament meeting to partake of the sacrament, to renew the covenants you made at the time of your baptism. Read from the scriptures every day. Pray every morning and every evening, that you may stay close to the Lord.
You know and we know that there are many good people in other churches. There is much of good in them. Your family and your prior religious traditions may have taught you many good things and established many good habits. As the Apostle Paul said, "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Bring the good things with you, keep them, and use them in the Lord's service.
Rejoicing Together
We rejoice with you in the gospel of Jesus Christ. There are many blessings in store for you. We know at times it can be terribly lonely. It can be disappointing. It can be frightening. We of this Church are far more different from the world than we are prone to think we are. But the gospel is nothing to be ashamed of. It is something to be proud of. "Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord," wrote Paul to Timothy (2 Timothy 1:8).
To those of you who are new, I plead with you to continue with us. We need you. We will put our arms around you and be friends with you. We will do our best to comfort you, to make you feel welcome and accepted. We love you, and we know the Lord loves you. Forgive our faults and weaknesses. Come and work with us side by side as we grow and learn together.
This is God's holy work. This is His Church and kingdom. The vision that occurred in the Sacred Grove was just as Joseph said it was. There is in my heart a true understanding of the importance of what happened there. The Book of Mormon is true. It testifies of the Lord Jesus Christ. His priesthood has been restored and is among us. The keys of that priesthood, which have come from heavenly beings, are exercised for our eternal blessing. Such is our testimony—yours and mine—a testimony which we must live up to and which we must share with others. I leave this testimony, my blessing, and my love with each of you and my invitation to continue to be part of this great latter-day miracle that is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Note
1. "Find the Lambs, Feed the Sheep," Liahona, July 1999, 122; Ensign, May 1999, 104.
Ideas for Home Teachers
After prayerfully studying this message, share it using a method that encourages the participation of those you teach. Following are some examples.
Bring three objects that represent the three things mentioned in the article that every new convert needs. For instance, you could bring a gift from a friend, a Church handbook, and scriptures.
If you are teaching new converts, discuss how these things will help them rejoice in their membership in the Church. Also help them see what contribution they can make as new members.
If you are teaching longtime members, discuss why a friend, a responsibility, and nurturing by the word of God are so important to new members. Invite them to help meet the needs of new members of their ward or branch.
Have family members imagine they have just entered a foreign country where they do not know the language, traditions, or culture. Ask them how they feel. What are the first things they want or miss? Compare this to what a new member might experience. Read the last section of President Hinckley's message, and testify of the blessings of becoming "part of this great latter-day miracle."

The Father Who Cares

Some time ago a father of six children who had the sole responsibility for raising the family, beginning when the youngest was in diapers, told of the struggles of doing so alone. One night he came home from work faced with the problems of being both father and mother and felt unusually burdened with his responsibilities. One of his appreciative daughters, age 12, approached him eagerly after having laid on his dresser a rock that she had painted at school. On the flat portion of the rock, she had written, "Happiness is having a dad who cares." This painted rock and its sublime message instantly and permanently lightened the burden of this father.
Speaking in general conference some years ago, President Stephen L. Richards (1879–1959), First Counselor in the First Presidency, quoted from an article, written by a veteran criminal court judge, titled "Nine Words That Can Stop Juvenile Delinquency." The nine words suggested by the judge were "Put Father back at the head of the family." President Richards concluded from the article "that the primary reason for the reduced percentages of juvenile delinquency in [certain] European countries was respect for authority . . . in the home, which . . . normally reposes in the father as head of the family."
President Richards continued: "For generations we as a Church have been endeavoring to do just what the judge advocates—to put and keep Father at the head of the family, and with all our might we have been trying to make him fit for that high and heavy responsibility."1 Since the primary purpose of the Church is to help the family and its members, how well the father functions in his responsibility is of utmost importance.
More recently I read in the paper: "Social scientists across the political spectrum tell us that father absence is a stronger predictor of criminal behavior than family income, education, or . . . race.
"And while individual youngsters can manage life without father reasonably well in many cases, few are able to come unscathed through fatherless communities."2
In urging that fathers be put back at the head of their homes, we wish to take nothing away from mothers. In all the world there is no higher or greater honor or responsibility than motherhood. Hopefully they too will have their powerful influence extended to even a greater degree within the home and beyond the home.
To Strengthen Father
In order to strengthen the father in the home, I make two simple suggestions: first, sustain and respect the father in his position; second, give him love, understanding, and some appreciation for his efforts.
There are some voices in our society who would demean some of the attributes of masculinity. A few of these are women who mistakenly believe that they build their own feminine causes by tearing down the image of manhood. This has serious social overtones because a primary problem in the insecurity of sons and daughters can be the diminution of the role of the father image.
Let every mother understand that if she does anything to diminish her children's father or the father's image in the eyes of the children, it may injure and do irreparable damage to the self-worth and personal security of the children themselves. How infinitely more productive and satisfying it is for a woman to build up her husband rather than tear him down. You women are so superior to men in so many ways that you demean yourselves by belittling masculinity and manhood.
In terms of giving fathers love and understanding, it should be remembered that fathers also have times of insecurity and doubt. Everyone knows fathers make mistakes—especially they themselves. Fathers need all the help they can get; mostly they need love, support, and understanding from their own.
A Father's Responsibilities
As fathers we need to set priorities to guide us in allocating our time. Some men forget that their "first priority should be to maintain their own spiritual and physical strength. Then comes their family, then the Church, and then their professions—and all need time."3 In giving time to his children, a father should be able to demonstrate that he has enough love for them to command as well as discipline them. Children want and need discipline. As they approach some dangers, they are silently pleading, "Don't let me do it." President David O. McKay (1873–1970) said that if we do not adequately discipline our children, society will discipline them in a way we may not like.4 Wise discipline reinforces the dimensions of eternal love. This reinforcement will bring great security and stability into their lives.
In a landmark address to the priesthood in October 2000, President Gordon B. Hinckley focused his remarks on the role of fathers. He told us: "This is a subject which I take very seriously. It is a matter with which I am deeply concerned. I hope you will not take it lightly. It concerns the most precious asset you have. In terms of your happiness, in terms of the matters that make you proud or sad, nothing—I repeat, nothing—will have so profound an effect on you as the way your children turn out."5 He went on to give counsel to fathers: that they are to help their children resist temptation, to listen to them, to be patient and prayerful, and to teach them the ways of the Lord.
The exalted position of a father was well stated by American general Douglas MacArthur, who said: "By profession I am a soldier and take pride in that fact. But I am prouder—infinitely prouder—to be a father. A soldier destroys in order to build; the father only builds, never destroys. The one has the potentiality of death; the other embodies creation and life. And while the hordes of death are mighty, the battalions of life are mightier still. It is my hope that my son, when I am gone, will remember me not from the battle but in the home repeating with him our simple daily prayer, 'Our Father who art in heaven.' "6
It is important to remember that in this Church, the husbands and fathers, and members of the family through them, enjoy a power and influence in their lives far beyond the natural gifts of intellect and character of the father. I refer to the priesthood of God, which every worthy man and boy over 12 years of age enjoys.
A prominent Church and business leader, now healthy, was born without life. His father, exercising his priesthood, made a promise that if his firstborn could live, that he, the father, would do all in his power to provide the proper example and teachings for his son. After a few minutes his infant son began to breathe and is well and vigorous to this day.
It is through the power of the priesthood that marriage and the family unit can extend into and continue throughout all eternity. The conscientious women of this Church wish to have such a righteous influence in abundance in their homes.
A Legacy of Joy
One gracious mother joyously recounted in a stake conference the marvelous experience of being in one of the temples with her husband and with all of her children but one and being sealed together as husband and wife and family for time and all eternity. Her husband, newly involved in the priesthood, sat in the conference audience a few rows back. For a moment she seemed to forget all of the rest of us and spoke only to him. Over the pulpit and through the loudspeaker, with more than a thousand people in tears watching and listening, she said: "John, the children and I don't know how to tell you what you mean to us. Until you honored the priesthood, the greatest blessings of eternity would not open up for us. Now they have. We all love you very much, and we thank you with all our hearts for what you have made possible for us."
You may recall the story about a child trapped in a hole in the ground who could be extricated only by sending another, smaller child into the tunnel. One little fellow was approached to see if he would be willing to go down and rescue the one who was lodged. The lad said, "I am scared to go in that hole, but I will go if my father will hold the rope."
Elder Richard L. Evans (1906–71) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave the proper dimension for all fathers in this faith when he said: "First of all, fathers are giving a name and a heritage to their children—clean and honorable. Fathers are for long, hard work, mostly their own kind of work; . . . for trying to give their children things [their] fathers never had. Fathers are for talking with, for encouraging, for putting arms around; for understanding mistakes, but not condoning them; for disciplining when needed, then loving all the more; for being strong and forceful, and for being tender and gentle."7
It is always appropriate in all family relationships to ask, "What would Jesus do?" Having turned to the scriptures for the answer to this question, President Marion G. Romney (1897–1988), First Counselor in the First Presidency, testified: "There in the Gospel as recorded by St. John, I found the clear and certain answer: Jesus would always do the will of his Father. . . . 'For I do always those things that please him' [John 8:29]."8
God bless you children to have listening ears and understanding hearts. God bless you mothers for the endless dimension of your love and for all the help you give the fathers of your children. God bless you fathers to be equal to your overwhelming responsibilities and to have a father's special caring for each one under your protective arms. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
Notes
1. "The Father and the Home," Improvement Era, June 1958, 410; quoting from Samuel S. Leibowitz, "Nine Words That Can Stop Juvenile Delinquency," Reader's Digest, Mar. 1958, 106.2. William Raspberry, "Crime Rates Rise from Fatherless Communities," Deseret Morning News, Oct. 10, 2005, sec. A, p. 11.3. Bishop's Training Course and Self-Help Guide (1972), sec. 2, p. 7.4. See Conference Report, Apr. 1955, 27.5. "Great Shall Be the Peace of Thy Children," Liahona, Jan. 2001, 61; Ensign, Nov. 2000, 50.6. In Emerson Roy West, comp., Vital Quotations (1968), 118.7. Vital Quotations, 120.8. "What Would Jesus Do?" New Era, Sept. 1972, 4.
Ideas for Home Teachers
After prayerfully studying this message, share it using a method that encourages the participation of those you teach. Following are some examples. (As you teach from this article, be sensitive to families in which the father is not present.)
Select from the article principles you feel best apply to the families you teach. Invite family members to read from portions of the article that teach or illustrate these principles. Share testimony and experiences from your own life about these principles.
Plan ways in which family members could show love and appreciation for their father. One idea could be to prepare a piece of paper for each family member bearing the words "I love my dad because _____." Ask each person to write a phrase in the blank and explain why that phrase was chosen. Read the first paragraph of the article, and have family members give their papers to their father.
List the priorities for fathers suggested in the article, and discuss why each is important. Drawing from the examples in the article and from personal experience, illustrate ways that fathers can fulfill these four priorities.
Read the last paragraph of the article, and discuss how children could more carefully listen to the counsel of their fathers. Talk about times when the fathers (or grandfathers perhaps) helped family members accomplish a hard or difficult task. Share how your own father helped you in your life.

Church Offers Special Issue of Liahona and Ensign for New Members

The October 2006 issue of the Liahona and Ensign may seem a little different.
A special issue for new members, the October 2006 edition of the Liahona and Ensign will speak directly to those who have recently joined the Church.
Elder Jay E. Jensen, Executive Director over the Church magazines, said: “The Lord said that 'the worth of souls is great in the sight of God' (D&C 18:10). This truth speaks volumes about our new brothers and sisters whom we welcome as new members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We love each one and want to help strengthen them and to speak directly to their common questions in this special issue.”
A welcome from a living prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley; what a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wishes every member knew; direction for how to fit into the framework of the Church—all these topics and more are included in the magazine, written especially with new members in mind.
For long-time members, it may seem strange to receive an issue addressed to new members, but long-time members play a vital role in nurturing new members. This issue can strengthen all members and help them be more aware of the challenges faced by new members.
Some of these challenges include accepting a new lifestyle, trying to meet new people, and making difficult changes. New words, meetings, and teachings can be overwhelming to new members, who may not have the support of friends and family in their decision to join. This issue will be a forum for these concerns.
Within its pages, terms are defined, testimonies are shared, and difficult questions are answered, such as “How do I answer friends and family who question my decision to join the Church?” and “Now that I've been baptized, where do I go from here?”
The issue will retain all of the magazine's usual departments, including the First Presidency Message, Visiting Teaching Message, Sharing Time, and Latter-day Saint Voices, yet each article will contain a special message for new members. Many converts will share how they overcame the challenges and difficulties they experienced as new members. The issue will also include an introduction to the Church magazines and suggestions for getting the most out of them.
“Conversion is a process through which every member must pass, regardless of how he or she came into the Church,” said Elder Jensen. “We hope the Church magazines, and this special issue in particular, will help members deepen their commitment to gospel living and encourage them to become and stay fully engaged in the Church so that they may enjoy all that the gospel has to offer.”
The Church offers this issue to all members with the encouragement to become familiar with its content. Members who wish to give a gift subscription to a new member—or anyone else—can contact their local distribution center or visit ldscatalog.com.

Choir, Orchestra Celebrate Christmas in August

By Abbey Olsen, Church Magazines
Christmas trees, holly, wreaths, lights and poinsettias adorned the stage of the Conference Center complementing holiday and patriotic music that rang throughout the auditorium August 19, 2006, as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square joined international relief organization Feed the Children and special guests to provide a tribute Christmas Concert to the military that will be rebroadcast in December.
Sandi Patty, the most awarded female vocalist in contemporary Christian music; guest hosts Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase, long-time TV broadcasters on The Nashville Network and hosts of a daily radio show; and The Band of the Air Force Reserve joined with the Choir and Orchestra. President Thomas S. Monson of the First Presidency attended the concert.
“Joy to the World,” “Angels We Have Heard on High,” and “O Come All Ye Faithful” were a few of the traditional carols the hundreds gathered in the auditorium enjoyed on the warm August night. Other Christmas music favorites included “The Most Wonderful Christmas Waltz,” “I Saw Three Ships,” and “Sleigh Ride.”
Lorianne Crook told the audience that although it was unusual to celebrate Christmas in a warm summer month, the warmth they felt would reach out to those who were away from loved ones across the world when it was broadcast during the holiday season.
Many of the selections performed testified of the Savior, Jesus Christ, reiterating that the Christmas spirit reaches across cultures, backgrounds and traditions to furnish hope and peace in a world of conflict.
At the end of the concert, the performers were given a standing ovation, after which the crowd wouldn't sit down again until the encore—“Battle Hymn of the Republic”—began, performed by the Choir, Orchestra, and Band.
The Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) will air a 60-minute radio version of the concert during the upcoming holiday season as their annual Christmas special. The relief organization, Feed the Children, will air 30-minute and 60-minute television versions of the program during the holiday season from Thanksgiving until Christmas.

LDS urged to share gospel with all people

By Carrie A. MooreDeseret Morning News
PROVO — The restored gospel of Jesus Christ must be shared with all people — regardless of culture, ethnicity, religious background or heritage — and Latter-day Saints have an obligation to share their faith without arrogance or self-righteousness.

Scott G. Winterton, Deseret Morning News
The BYU campus was busy Tuesday during Education Week, which runs through Friday and explores a variety of topics. Speaking during the keynote session of the 84th annual Education Week at Brigham Young University, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf told thousands gathered at the Marriott Center Tuesday that when Jesus Christ established his church anciently, he knew there would be a great apostasy to follow. Elder Uchtdorf, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said Christ "established a divine pattern" for his church anciently, knowing that "future generations would recognize the same priesthood authority and structure" featuring apostles and a living prophet when the church was restored centuries later. "Without the Prophet Joseph Smith (LDS Church founder), the world would still be in the same state of confusion and darkness" that existed during the Dark Ages with respect to religion, he said. Latter-day Saints believe their faith is a restoration — rather than a reformation — of Christianity in its pure form, as revealed to Joseph Smith. Other faiths and historic religious figures were inspired by God at various times to keep the flame of belief alive, he said. LDS prophets have recognized the goodness inherent in other faiths, and have urged believers of all stripes to build on their own beliefs by examining the LDS Church, he said. Such was the experience of Elder Uchtdorf's mother-in-law, who was living in an apartment in Frankfurt, Germany, with her two daughters and was taught about the LDS faith by young missionaries in 1954. She was a lifelong Christian and was seeking greater knowledge of things spiritual shortly after her husband died.

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She wanted to know the purpose of life, whether there was life before Earth life and what happens to the soul when a person dies. The information provided by other clergy had not helped her, he said. After giving her a Book of Mormon and asking her to read selected passages, the missionaries returned two days later to ask about her impressions. She told them she had read the entire book and believed it was true. The family joined the church shortly thereafter. "The spirit was able to teach her, for she was open and receptive to truth and light. There was no disdain for what she had believed in her Lutheran faith for so many years," he said, adding she had learned to quote and internalize many passages from the New Testament. It prepared her to listen to the missionaries, he said. "When she heard the message of the restoration, she was flooded with light and filled with love and hope. 'It was as if something of great importance had been lifeless and inert but was now resurrected to life, beauty and activity,'" he said, quoting her recollection. "She represents in many ways the multitude of converts that come into the church every day," from every faith and none at all, he said. While Latter-day Saints should be willing to share their knowledge with everyone, "Having the fullness of the gospel should not cause any of us to feel arrogant or have a 'holier than thou' attitude," he said, but should inspire "great gratitude" for knowledge of the truth. "Let us never be ashamed to testify of this restoration. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation." Education Week runs through Friday and features scores of hourlong presentations on a variety of family and spiritual topics that run daily from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. For information, see the Web site at educationweek.byu.edu.

Brochure Highlights Latter-day Saint History in California

As Church members commemorate the 150th anniversary of the handcart pioneers who moved west to the Salt Lake Valley, Saints in California are remembering the sacrifice of Latter-day Saint pioneers who journeyed to California, blazing trails of faith as some moved east to the Salt Lake Valley while others stayed and influenced the establishment of California.
The California Pioneer Heritage Foundation produced a brochure, “California's Pioneer Heritage: Saints, Soldiers and Settlers,” to help not only Church members, but the public as well, which become more aware of the influence of the early Latter-day Saints in California.
“The pioneers' history is kind of overlooked,” said Lila Bringhurst, a Church member from the San Francisco Bay Area, who wrote the brochure under the direction of the foundation. ”This is regenerating some interest in that important time period in which many Mormons played an important part.”
Although the brochure is not sponsored by the Church, Church members have helped produce it as it has gone through a lengthy rewrite and editing process to accurately recount an overview of early pioneers and how they met their challenges, exercised faith, and built new communities.
The brochure states, “They were involved in every important event in pioneer California: the Bear Flag Revolt, the discovery of gold, the creation of communities and counties, the rush to statehood, the establishment of businesses and the birth of commercial agriculture.”
On July 31, 1846—160 years ago—the Saints on the ship Brooklyn arrived in San Francisco (formerly called Yerba Buena) after enduring the longest known religious voyage in history.
In 1847, the 500-man Mormon Battalion arrived in San Diego, California, after a 2,000-mile trek, one of the longest in U.S. infantry history. They were sent to reinforce the Army of the West and to build a new wagon trail from Santa Fe to San Diego.
In 1851, Brigham Young authorized a settlement in Southern California as a source of supply for the Utah settlements and as a way station for immigrants traveling from the coast. Soon a 500-pioneer wagon train from Salt Lake City headed there and began to form the city of San Bernardino.
Ten to eleven years after they arrived in California, having established homes and farms and become wealthy, many Saints gave it all up again to go to Utah, at Brigham Young's call to defend the Saints against Johnston's army.
“You have to stand back and admire what they did for their love of the gospel and their obedience,” said Sister Bringhurst, who has been involved in California history research for many years.
Today, Church members in California continue building their communities and spreading the gospel. With Church membership at more than 756,000 and the seventh temple soon to be dedicated in Sacramento on September 3, the Saints in California, like many worldwide, continue building upon their pioneer legacy.

Withstand Every Temptation of the Devil

You have assembled here on the Brigham Young University campus and at many other locations around the world in anticipation of hearing from Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. I am sorry to disappoint you. Elder Ballard is unable to be with you, and I am honored to have been asked to substitute for him. He wishes he were here, and I can assure you that I wish he were here as well. Again, I am honored to have been asked to substitute for him.
Exactly 50 years ago this very night, I was aboard an enormous and beautiful ocean liner approaching the docks of Southampton, England. I was about to commence my service as a missionary in the British Mission. At that time missionaries traveled to their foreign fields of labor by sea rather than by air. I do believe that Orville and Wilbur Wright had made their first flight by then, but it was still a long time ago.
I want you to know that I loved my mission. It meant so very much to me then and has continued through the years to be the symbol of so many things that are good in this life. The solidifying of my testimony was one of the greatest blessings of my mission. I had what I considered to be a strong testimony before I was called to serve, but teaching and testifying of divine truth caused that testimony to swell within my heart and soul in a way as to sustain me through any trial or challenging situation. I don’t know what I would do without the gospel. I will be forever grateful for my mission, for my testimony, and for the shield of protection I have felt through my faith in the Savior. That shield of faith has been my spiritual and moral protection through the years.
Faith in Jesus Christ, Our Best Defense against Temptation
That thought leads me to the central idea that I would like to leave with you tonight. In the Book of Mormon we read of Alma’s counsel and instruction to his son Helaman. Among other things, he admonished Helaman to “teach [the people] an everlasting hatred against sin and iniquity.” He urged him to “preach unto them repentance, and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.” And now listen to these words. Alma said, “Teach them to withstand every temptation of the devil, with their faith on the Lord Jesus Christ”(Alma 37:32–33). Do you see and sense the meaning and the power in that for you—indeed, for all of us?
Alma continued his instruction to Helaman, saying: “Teach them to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls.
“O, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God. . . .
“Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good” (Alma 37:34–35, 37). This is marvelous and appropriate counsel for all of us, young or old.
The very best and most certain defense we have against the temptations of the devil is our faith in Christ, our faith in His great atoning sacrifice, our faith in and testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. With faith and testimony firmly and consciously in place, the fiery darts of the wicked one will not and cannot pierce our souls. I emphasize having faith and testimony not just firmly in place but consciously in place. If you are consciously thinking of the Savior, you will not allow temptations to overpower you. More importantly, if you have the Savior and your faith in Him firmly and consciously in your mind and your heart, you will not allow yourselves even to get into tempting situations. Said another way, let your faith in Christ keep you out of the devil’s territory. Should it be needed, let your faith in Christ prompt a “Joseph experience” in your life. You remember Joseph, he who was sold into Egypt and became the favored servant for Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard. Potiphar’s wife had unholy intentions toward Joseph. But Joseph immediately and flatly refused and rejected her advances, saying, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” She pressed her intentions, and the scriptures tell us that Joseph fled, that he “got him[self] out” of that tempting situation. He withstood the temptations of the devil, even with his faith on the Lord Jesus Christ. (See Genesis 39:7–12.)
Children in elementary and primary schools around the world are taught the basic and essential elements of learning: reading, writing, and arithmetic. These are often referred to as the “three R’s.” Though the English letter r may not apply in all languages, we have all learned how to read, how to write, and how to solve basic mathematical problems. As I think about the basic and essential doctrines that underpin my faith, I again find three R’s: resurrection, revelation, and restoration. In these we learn much of what the Lord would have us carry to the world. In these we learn of the Savior Jesus Christ and His Atonement. In these we learn of how God communicates through His chosen servants. In these we learn of the Prophet Joseph Smith and of the Restoration of the gospel. Though these three are not inclusive of all the wonderful and illuminating doctrines of the gospel, in these we can find the basis of a faith that can strengthen us in withstanding every temptation of the devil. Books have been written about the Resurrection, revelation, and the Restoration. Obviously I can only touch lightly on each of them here tonight. Think with me and visualize having these doctrinal truths so firmly and consciously in your minds and hearts as to provide that sure defense against evil.
The Resurrection
The doctrine of the Resurrection is as old as the foundations of the world. It was and is an essential part of our Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness. The Lord taught Moses about His plan, including the Creation, the Fall of Adam, and the Atonement. Among many other things, He said, “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). It was in the plan that man would be redeemed from the Fall by and through the atoning sacrifice of the Savior Jesus Christ. Through the Fall of Adam came physical and spiritual death, not just to Adam and Eve but to all mankind. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ came the glorious promise of resurrection from the dead for all who have lived or will yet live upon the earth. Paul the Apostle wrote: “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
“For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:20–22).
Physical death, as we all know, is the separation of the spirit from the body. Spiritual death is a separation of our spirits from the presence of God by sin. The Savior’s gift of the Resurrection removes the lasting effects of the physical death. All will be resurrected. Thus the immortality of man is provided as a free and unconditional gift through the grace of Christ. Immortality is life everlasting; while eternal life is life everlasting in the presence of God. To gain eternal life and overcome the effects of the spiritual death is also a gift from Christ, but this gift is conditional, requiring faithfulness and obedience on our part. Elder Neal A. Maxwell said: “Jesus’ glorious Atonement is the central act in all of human history! It provides the universal Resurrection; it makes our personal repentance and forgiveness possible. . . .
“Christ gave us freely an enormous and unconditional gift: the universal Resurrection. However, Christ’s proffer of the further gift of eternal life is conditional. . . . He sets the terms for receiving this great gift” (“Testifying of the Great and Glorious Atonement,” Ensign, Oct. 2001, 10–12).
President Joseph Fielding Smith said: “The atonement of Jesus Christ is of a twofold nature. Because of it, all men are redeemed from mortal death and the grave, and will rise in the resurrection to immortality of the soul. Then again, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel, man will receive remission of individual sins, through the blood of Christ, and will inherit exaltation in the kingdom of God, which is eternal life” (Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [1954–56], 1:123).
Those who have suffered crippling injuries or who have been born with incapacitating handicaps are comforted by the marvelous promises of the Resurrection. Listen to these consoling words from the Book of Mormon: “Now, there is a death which is called a temporal death; 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” (Alma 11:42–43).
“Yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame” (Alma 40:23). Even some of us with lesser handicaps are delighted with that verse of scripture.
“The atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead; and the resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of God; and thus they are restored into his presence. . . .
“And thus God bringeth about his great and eternal purposes, which were prepared from the foundation of the world. And thus cometh about the salvation and the redemption of men” (Alma 42:23, 26).
In describing the blessings received through the Resurrection, President Joseph Fielding Smith said that resurrection saves man from the devil. “Immortality of the soul is the gift of God through the death and resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ. If the Savior had not died for the world, man would have remained in his sins. There could have been no resurrection from the dead and the physical body would have gone down into the grave without redemption, while the spirit would have become subject to the devil and his angels eternally” (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:283).
The Resurrection not only saves us from the devil in the eternities, but our firm and conscious faith in the Savior and His atoning sacrifice can save us from the devil in our daily lives. I ask you if this helps you to understand the connection between the doctrine of the Resurrection and the scriptural counsel that we “withstand every temptation of the devil, with [our] faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Several years ago a fine young woman came to me as her stake president. She was troubled over some challenges she was facing at the time. She said, “President Kerr, it’s so hard to be a Latter-day Saint.” We discussed her reasons for feeling that way. Our conversation led quite naturally to a discussion of the Savior and of His suffering for each of us. We spoke of His Resurrection and of its implications for our lives now and in the eternities. We then spoke of the Savior’s explanation to some of His followers of what was expected of them as disciples. We read from the scriptures where some felt the demands of their discipleship were too hard, and they turned their backs on the Savior and walked no more with Him (see John 6:66). The young sister sat quietly for a few thoughtful moments, and then with tears in her eyes, she said, “Oh, I couldn’t do that.” When I suggested that there is more than one way to turn our backs on the Savior, the light seemed to turn on in her mind and heart. She said, “Now I can see that if I truly love my Savior and keep Him in my mind and heart, I cannot violate His trust.” Then she said, “I want to change what I said when we first began this conversation. I now know that it would be hard not to be a Latter-day Saint.”
Continuing Revelation
Now, let us turn to the doctrine of divine and continuing revelation. The Lord said, “And again, I will give unto you a pattern in all things, that ye may not be deceived; for Satan is abroad in the land, and he goeth forth deceiving the nations” (D&C 52:14). An essential element in the Lord’s “pattern in all things” is the assurance we have of living prophets, seers, and revelators receiving divine revelation for the guidance and direction of the Church today. Personal revelation and inspiration are available to each of us through the Holy Spirit. But I am not speaking of that form of revelation. I am speaking of revelation through living prophets to and for the Church.
While serving in the British Mission, I was blessed to teach many people who loved the Bible and relied heavily on its divine message. As we taught the doctrine of continuing revelation, many responded with joy and wonderment—joy with the thought that God may be speaking again to chosen prophets but wonderment as to why they had not heard this divine principle taught in their own churches. They learned that continuing revelation was not only the source of divine truth but also the primary source of scripture. The recording and acceptance of newly revealed truths as scripture troubled those who believed the Bible to be the sole repository of all of God’s word. Yet the honest in heart embraced the doctrine of continuing revelation and new scripture as consistent with biblical patterns they believed but had not fully understood.
Elder Mark E. Petersen, who served for many years as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, described the significance of revelation to and for the Church when he said: “It is an infallible sign of the true church that it has in it divinely chosen, living prophets to guide it, men who receive current revelation from God and whose recorded works become new scripture.
“It is an infallible sign of the true church also that it will produce new and additional scripture arising out of the ministrations of those prophets. This unfailing pattern of God is clearly made manifest through his dealings with his people from the beginning” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1978, 95–96; or Ensign, May 1978, 62). I feel that Elder Petersen captured in a profound way the message of continuing revelation.
The Lord reveals His will to His chosen prophets, seers, and revelators. As the Lord puts it into their hearts to teach that which they have received, the people are blessed with divine knowledge communicated through those revelations. Revealed truth is recorded, and in the Lord’s time and infinite wisdom, some of those revelations may be formally added to the canon of scripture.
The doctrine of continuing revelation, with its resulting new scripture, is a distinctive feature of the Restoration. It is descriptive of the very process by which the Restoration occurred. Amos in the Old Testament said, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).
The Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ was the result of many heaven-sent revelations. These revelations were given primarily to a latter-day prophet chosen, prepared, and ordained for that divine purpose. Our message to all the world is that Joseph Smith was that chosen prophet. It is our witness that God has again spoken and is still speaking, revealing His secret unto His servants the living prophets.
A testimony of this truth is of enormous comfort and gives us unending confidence in the prophetic voice we are blessed to hear and read on a regular basis.
One of the highlights of my mission was my own personal experience with the doctrine of revelation. As I searched the scriptures daily in my effort to prepare myself to teach the people, I was taken by the wonder of the unfolding revelations of the Lord, both ancient and modern. I am not a doubter by nature, but I enjoy the search for scriptural and logical evidences of the beliefs that have come to me by study and by faith. For a time my scriptural search was dominated by a logical premise that I had formulated in my mind. I had thought, “If the claims of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regarding continuing revelation are sound, the means by which revelations were received by the Prophet Joseph Smith must be consistent with the means by which revelations were received by Old and New Testament prophets and apostles.” Now, do you understand the premise? I needed to know that there was that consistency—modern-day revelations and how they were received with how revelations were received in ancient times.
Time this evening does not allow me to describe all that I found in that search, but let me say to you that the Lord’s pattern became very clear. Revelations to prophets have come by very consistent means. These means can be described and defined with different terminology and may be divided or grouped differently, but the distinct pattern is there. I identified five very specific means by which revelations have been given to God’s prophets. I found multiple examples of each of those throughout the scriptures. This pattern is consistently found in all the scriptures, ancient and modern. Now, maybe on another occasion I can talk about the five means of revelation and show you that consistent pattern of those scriptures, ancient and modern.
The knowledge of this glorious truth strengthened my faith then and continues even today to strengthen my faith now. To know that we have a living prophet who receives revelations from God, just as Abraham and Moses and Isaiah and Peter and Paul and others, is of enormous comfort and reassurance.
Each of you must come to your own knowledge and testimony of this divine principle. But you can have every confidence in the testimony that I am sharing with you tonight. Even now you can keep firmly and consciously in your minds an awareness and conviction that God is speaking to His chosen and living prophets today even as He did anciently. A testimony of the doctrine of continuing revelation will bolster your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and thus strengthen you in your resolve to withstand every temptation of the devil.
If you should face a moment of serious temptation, force yourself to think of President Gordon B. Hinckley. Think of him as a prophet, seer, and revelator who receives direct revelation from the Lord for the Church. Think of the revelation he received regarding the construction of small temples all around the world, making the sacred blessings of the temple available to an ever greater number of the members of the Church. Allow the conscious thought of a living prophet receiving current revelation regarding sacred temples to turn you away from that tempting moment and preserve your worthiness to receive those sacred temple blessings. We do indeed “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” (Articles of Faith 1:9).
Restoration of the Gospel
We have talked, and I hope you have thought deeply, about the Resurrection and about revelation. Let us now talk about the Restoration. We are here because of the Restoration. While a basic knowledge of the Resurrection and of revelation can be had from ancient scripture, most of what we know about these important doctrines has come as a result of the Restoration of the gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith. The message of the Restoration is that God lives, Jesus is the living Christ, the gospel has been restored to the earth in its fulness, Joseph Smith truly was and is a modern-day prophet of God, Gordon B. Hinckley is a living prophet today, and the Book of Mormon is the word of God, standing now and forever with the Bible as one in the hands of the Lord.
There would have been no need for a restoration had there not first been a loss of truth, which occurred not many years following the Savior’s earthly ministry. That loss of truth, known as the Great Apostasy, was seen and foretold by Old and New Testament prophets. The Lord established His Church in all its purity, and He bestowed the holy priesthood upon His disciples. Now is not the time for detailing the causes of the Apostasy and loss of the priesthood, but even the most casual look at religious history will affirm its reality. The Old Testament prophet Amos prophesied of this loss of truth. He said: “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:
“And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it” (Amos 8:11–12).
Not long after the Savior’s Ascension into heaven, Peter foresaw the Restoration. He said: “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
“And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
“Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:19–21).
Speaking of the Second Coming of the Savior, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first” (2 Thessalonians 2:3). It was known that there would be both a falling away and a restoration before the Second Coming.
These prophecies and many others not mentioned have truly been fulfilled, and we are the beneficiaries of the great blessings flowing from the Lord’s hand in our lives. President Hinckley said: “These are the days of restitution. These are the days of the restoration spoken of in the Holy Bible plainly and forcefully by Peter the Apostle and by Paul. I repeat, you and I are a part of prophecy fulfilled, a part of the divine plan of the God of heaven, that there should be a falling away and that there must be a restoration” (“Inspirational Thoughts,” Ensign, June 2004, 4).
The restoration of all things as foretold by ancient prophets of God did indeed occur through the ministry and heavenly manifestations of God the Father; His Son, Jesus Christ; Peter, James, and John; John the Baptist; Moses; Elijah; Moroni; and others of the Lord’s prophets in ancient times. Joseph Smith was foreordained to his sacred role as the instrument through whom God would bring to pass the Restoration of the gospel in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times. Even the Savior Himself bore witness of this truth. He said: “Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments; . . .
“. . . That it might be fulfilled, which was written by the prophets . . .
“That faith also might increase in the earth;
“That mine everlasting covenant might be established;
“That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers” (D&C 1:17–18, 21–23).
What more can be said? The Savior’s own testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith! He spoke to him from heaven and gave him commandments. Did you also notice that one line? “That faith also might increase in the earth.” The Restoration of the gospel stands as a bulwark to our faith in our defense against the designs of the evil one. It is my prayer that you will keep these truths firmly and consciously in your minds and in your hearts. I plead with you, even as King Benjamin pled with his people when he said, “Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things” (Mosiah 5:15).
Conclusion
May I conclude with a summarizing quote from President Hinckley: “This is God’s holy work. It is divine in its origin and in its doctrine. Jesus Christ [the resurrected Lord and Savior] stands as its head. He is our immortal Savior and Redeemer. His revelation is the source of our doctrine, our faith, our teaching, in fact the underlying pattern of our lives. Joseph Smith was an instrument in the hands of the Almighty in bringing to pass this Restoration. And that basic element of revelation is with the Church today as it was in Joseph’s day.
“Our individual testimonies of these truths are the basis of our faith. We must nurture them. We must cultivate them. We can never forsake them. We can never lay them aside. Without them we have nothing. With them we have everything” (in Conference Report, Apr. 2001, 111–12; or Ensign, May 2001, 85).
I leave with you my witness of the divinity of the Savior. He lives! I testify that the reality of the Resurrection, the relevance of revelation, and the reliability of the Restoration will increase your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and help you withstand every temptation of the devil. I leave with you my testimony, my love, and my blessing to that end, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Beginnings

Thank you, President Price, for those kind remarks. President Hugh B. Brown once told me, “It’s all right to hear these nice things about you, as long as you don’t inhale.”
I took a fall four weeks ago tonight. I am getting over it; I still have to be a little careful about moving. I bring to you the love and the greetings of President Gordon B. Hinckley and President Thomas S. Monson. President Hinckley is doing just fine, just fine. In my opinion he couldn’t be doing better than he is. Of course, it is just remarkable how bright and able and sharp he is.
I’m not going to speak long tonight. I would rather give you young people an opportunity to socialize, and I encourage you to do so. We will make a special dispensation tonight, and that is when you say good-bye to each other at the end of the evening, you can shake hands. I see a lot of very lovely young ladies and handsome young men, and I would say to the young men, “Open your eyes!” And I’ll say further to the young men: “If you provide the works, I’ll provide the faith.”
I appreciate the opportunity to speak to you students and companions tonight on this satellite broadcast. It is also a pleasure to greet the members of the institute faculty and your leaders, many of whom I have been privileged to know for many years.
I should like to take as a text for my remarks part of Paul’s message to the Thessalonians: “Beloved of the Lord, . . . God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13). Here Paul says you were chosen from the beginning. There are many beginnings. Some of you are beginning your important educational career. How you start and where you are going is of transcending importance. Paul said you were chosen to salvation “through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.” Let us speak further of beginnings.
The Start
This may be a beginning for you tonight.
As a young man I used to run races in competition in high school and later at university. We used to train diligently for the race. We would stretch ourselves by running farther than the distance we were going to race. We would watch our diets. We would do a myriad of things to prepare ourselves for our track meets. And in the sprints, the start was particularly important. We would measure carefully our stance—and then check it again before we ever put our starting blocks into position. We would pound the starting blocks into the cinders, get into starting position, and go up and down a time or two to get the feel. We would actually make two or three practice starts. We knew that if we did not prepare and get a good start, we could not hope to finish in front. The Apostle Paul gave us this insightful admonition: “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain” (1 Corinthians 9:24). Well, of course, the prize is eternal life.
I have found that in accomplishing just about anything, the most difficult part is getting started. A wise man has said, “He has half the deed done, who has made a beginning.”1 My father was a lawyer and a judge. When I began to practice law, he cautioned me: “Get the pleadings straight in the beginning. If the pleadings are right, the whole case will flow along much smoother.”
New Beginnings
I am grateful for all new beginnings. Every hour can be a new beginning. Every day can be a new beginning. Every month can be a new beginning. Every year can be a new beginning. Indeed, every moment can be an opportunity to improve.
Dale Carnegie gave us this good advice: “Don’t be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves.”
New Opportunities
During the past few years there have been mergers of big companies, bankruptcies, and public scandals in the business world. Here in the United States we endured the terrible events of September 11 and its aftereffects. We have had floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and other disasters worldwide. It has been a time for caution and reserve. Yet for those who have been bold enough, innovative enough, creative enough, and wise enough, there have been as many opportunities as ever. Out of every tragedy comes an opportunity. When Thomas Edison’s laboratory burned down, he immediately began the next day building a better one.
In Leicester, England, there is an inscription on the outside wall of an old church that bears a remarkably fine thought. The inscription reads: “In the year 1653 when all things sacred were throughout this nation either demolished or profaned, Sir Robert Shirley Baronet founded this church. Whose singular praise it is to have done the best things in the worst times, and hoped them in the most calamitous.”2
Sometimes as we face new beginnings, it becomes necessary to change or readjust our course when a goal or choice we had in mind is not available to us. For instance, you may not be accepted to the school you always wanted to attend or the door is closed to the career path you wanted to pursue or a special person in your life chooses to marry someone else. At such times it is important to realize that other choices are available to you and new beginnings are possible. Surely, as one door closes, another door opens.
Some young friends of ours learned the asphalt paving business by working for a large paving company for several years. It appeared that the opportunities for management and ownership would not become available within that company, so they decided they would start their own company. Of course there were great obstacles. One was limited capital. They would have to borrow money to provide for the deficit in their operating capital. They would also have to make enough in the way of a profit to service the interest on the borrowed money. They sought the advice of an uncle who had been a successful businessman, and he told them: “This is the time. There will never be a better time. My counsel to you is to make your move.” They made their move, and by carefully and cautiously husbanding their limited capital, they were able to start the business and have a very successful first year.
My dear young friends, 2006 and every year is a year for new opportunities. Charles Dickens laid the foundation for his book A Tale of Two Cities with the following introduction: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us.”
The Courage to Change
Nothing is static. Everything changes. We need the courage to make necessary changes in our lives. The thoughtful philosopher Bruce Barton suggested: “Action and reaction, ebb and flow, trial and error, change—this is the rhythm of living. Out of our over-confidence, fear; out of our fear, clearer vision, fresh hope. And out of hope, progress.”3
For those who can adapt, who can bend, who can modify, who can improve, lies great opportunity. Sometimes we need to have the strength not to take counsel from our fears. This takes courage.
Nehru, the great leader of India, said: “Nothing in the world that is alive remains unchanging. All Nature changes from day to day and minute to minute, only the dead stop growing and are quiescent. Fresh water runs on, and if you stop it, it becomes stagnant. So also is it with the life of man [and of a woman] and the life of a nation.”4
New Spiritual Beginnings
Since the spirit is the most important essence of all human activity, it is tremendously important that we have frequent and regular spiritual renewals. It should happen to us weekly as we partake of the sacrament. Each week gives to us new opportunities to improve, to learn, and to make new friends. We might take advantage of new challenges for missionary work among our friends and neighbors. Every day gives us a new opportunity to study the scriptures.
May I suggest six beginning, essential measures that will greatly clear the channel for a daily flow of “living water” from the very source of the spring, even the Savior Himself.
1. Have daily communication involving prayer. A fervent, sincere prayer is a two-way communication that will do much to bring His Spirit flowing like healing water to help with the trials, hardships, aches, and pains we all face. What is the quality of our secret prayers when only He listens? As we pray, we should think of Him as being close by; full of knowledge, understanding, love, and compassion; the essence of power; and having great expectations of each of us.
2. Give daily selfless service to another. The followers of the divine Christ have to be weighed on the scales of what their actions are rather than the solemn professions of belief. The true measure of service is found in Matthew: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these . . . , ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40). Those who think about others more than they think about themselves and do kind acts of service are always the happiest of people. Indeed, as a wise man once observed, “The man who lives by himself and for himself is likely to be corrupted by the company he keeps.”5
3. Strive for daily increased obedience and perfection in our lives. This means we have to consciously strive every day to keep God’s commandments. This means watching our thoughts and actions and on a daily basis “trying to be like Jesus,” as the Primary song says.6 Because of the perfect Atonement of Jesus, just men may be made perfect (see D&C 76:69). As Jesus Himself counseled: “What manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am” (3 Nephi 27:27).
4. Offer a daily acknowledgment of His divinity. To have a daily, personal relationship with the Master, we must be His disciples and acknowledge His importance in our lives. As King Benjamin reminded us, “For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?” (Mosiah 5:13).
5. Engage in daily study of the scriptures. This requires some planning and discipline, but daily scripture study will strengthen our faith and help us live the gospel more fully. President Spencer W. Kimball has said: “I find that when I get casual in my relationships with divinity and when it seems that no divine ear is listening and no divine voice is speaking, that I am far, far away. If I immerse myself in the scriptures, the distance narrows and the spirituality returns.”7
6. Do something. Television has made of us a nation of spectators. The best athletic contests in the world come into our home free of charge. The finest music is available to us on the public broadcasting stations. We can hear Itzak Perlman play the violin. We can hear the great tenor, Pavarotti, sing the favorites of Caruso: “Torna a Surriento,” “Ladonna emobile,” “Questa oquella,” and watch him as they are staged. Being spectators, however, requires little or no effort on our part. As the Apostle James said, we need to be “doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22).
I fear we have become a generation of critics. I am inclined to be more charitable with those who try even if they stumble than with those who will not try at all. Theodore Roosevelt said this about critics and doers: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”8
I have spent a lifetime making my living in an arena where I was not shadowboxing with life’s problems. I have learned from this experience that life is fuller and richer and better for those who are not afraid to make a new beginning. My experience has also been that genius is very rare, that most of life’s rich rewards come to those who prepare carefully. Preparation and staying power are more valuable than brilliance. Herbert George Wells insightfully remarked, “The past is but the beginning of a beginning, and all that is and has been is but the twilight of the dawn.”9
Some time ago I attended a stake conference. Before the other meetings of the conference began, I had a private meeting with the stake president, who wanted to discuss a problem he was having with one of his high councilors. Some 10 years ago this high councilor had been involved in a grave sin, the penalty for which should have been excommunication. The high councilor had never made a confession. Short of making a confession and being willing to accept the punishment that would follow, however, the high councilor had done all in his power to rectify the matter and live so as to enjoy the blessings of the Church. The stake president did not learn of the transgression from the high councilor but from a collateral source who swore the stake president to secrecy. The stake president felt obliged to respect the confidence.
In a public meeting where the high councilor was present, the stake president spoke concerning repentance. He was really directing his remarks to one person—that high councilor—pleading and urging that he come forward voluntarily, make a confession, and begin the road to repentance.
My heart ached for the high councilor because had he come forward when the incident first occurred, it would by this time have been possible for him to have the whole matter put to rest. He could have had a new beginning. But without his confession and willingness to accept the punishment, there could be no new beginning. Surely repentance is one of the great principles of the gospel. No one is perfect, and we all need to invoke this principle from time to time. For those who have been involved in serious transgressions, however, it is a life-saving principle. The longer we go down the wrong road, the harder it is to come back and get on the right road.
I wish to express my appreciation for the redeeming principles of the sweet gospel of Jesus Christ. The principles taught by Jesus are available to all of us. As we live these principles, we will have a sure witness of the divinity of this holy work. I believe, as Paul said, you are beloved of the Lord and that from the beginning you were indeed chosen to salvation (see 2 Thessalonians 2:13). As Alma instructed, we have holy callings “prepared from the foundation of the world” (Alma 13:5). These include missionary service, motherhood, fatherhood, and service in the Church.
It is now my privilege and blessing to leave you my witness and blessing. I do so as one of the special witnesses, declaring to you with all of the conviction of my being and every cell of my body, from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet, that Jesus is the Christ and the Redeemer of the world and our Savior, the head of this Church. I know that He is close to the leadership of this Church. I know that His Spirit is available to all of us individually and in our callings. He lives. There is no question about that. I can testify with the same conviction and sureness as the brother of Jared. As he saw the finger of God, it is written, he believed no more, for he knew (see Ether 3:6,19).
I know, and I testify in the words of Peter. When some of the Saints began to fall away and the Savior became discouraged and said to the Twelve, “Will ye also go away?” Peter replied: “To whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God” (John 6:67–69). By and through that same authority, I testify concerning His divinity and His being. I know this with a certainty that exceeds the knowledge that comes through our visual senses, for it is given to us by the Spirit to know with greater certainty than by our physical senses.
I would like to invoke upon each of you an apostolic blessing, you wonderful young people, you people of promise, and I pray that you will prepare yourselves for your great destiny, that you will stay close to the principles of righteousness and truth, and that you will be guided by the Holy Spirit with the promise you know of the Holy Ghost, that by and through that power you shall know the truth of all things. What greater promise to a student than that—to enjoy the companionship of the Holy Ghost? I invoke that blessing upon you and pray that our Heavenly Father will watch over you in all of your comings and goings and guide your footsteps in paths of truth and righteousness, that you will be wise beyond your years, and that you will be sensitive to your great destiny and your great promise. I leave this testimony with you and invoke these blessings upon you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

Led by Spiritual Pioneers

This summer we mark 159 years since the pioneers, under the inspired leadership of Brigham Young, entered the valley of the Great Salt Lake and proclaimed: "This is the right place. Drive on."1
Often we honor the great leaders and followers on this historic journey, but I wish to call attention to other "pioneers" who preceded that trek. In doing so I pause and ponder the dictionary definition of the word pioneer: "One who goes before to prepare or open up the way for others to follow."2
Let us turn back the clock of time and journey to other places, that we might review several who I feel meet the high standard of the word pioneer.
Such a one was Moses. Raised in Pharaoh's court and learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, he became mighty in words and deeds. One cannot separate Moses, the great lawgiver, from the tablets of stone provided him by God and on which were written the Ten Commandments. They were binding then—they are binding now.
Moses endured constant frustration as some of his trusted followers returned to their previous ways. Though he was disappointed in their actions, yet he loved them and led them, even the children of Israel, from their Egyptian bondage. Certainly Moses qualifies as a pioneer.
Another who qualifies is Ruth, who forsook her people, her kindred, and her country in order to accompany her mother-in-law, Naomi—worshipping Jehovah in His land and adopting the ways of His people. How very important was Ruth's obedience to Naomi and the resulting marriage to Boaz by which Ruth—the foreigner and a Moabite convert—became a great-grandmother of David and therefore an ancestress of Jesus Christ.
The book of the Holy Bible that bears her name contains language poetic in style, reflective of her spirit of determination and courage. "And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
"Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me."3
Yes, Ruth, precious Ruth, was a pioneer.
Other faithful women also qualify, such as Mary, the mother of Jesus; Mary Magdalene; Esther; and Elisabeth. Let us not overlook Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, nor fail to include Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and some from a later period.
One Who Went Before
We remember John the Baptist. His clothing was simple, his life spartan, his message brief: faith, repentance, baptism by immersion, and the bestowal of the Holy Ghost by an authority greater than that possessed by himself. He declared: "I am not the Christ, but . . . I am sent before him."4 "I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh . . . : he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire."5
The river Jordan marked the historic meeting place when Jesus came down from Galilee to be baptized of John. At first John pleaded with the Master: "I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?"6 Came the response: "It becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. . . . And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."7
John freely declared and taught, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."8
Of John, the Lord declared, "Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist."9
Like so many other pioneers through the annals of history, John wore the martyr's crown.
The Savior's Apostles
Many who were pioneers in spirit and action were called by Jesus to be His Apostles. Much could be told of each.
Peter was among the first of Jesus's disciples. Peter the fisherman, in response to a divine call, laid aside his nets and hearkened to the Master's declaration: Come "follow me, and I will make you [a fisher] of men."10 I never think of Peter without admiring his testimony of the Lord: "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."11
John the Beloved is the only one of the Twelve recorded as being at the Crucifixion of Christ. From the cruel cross Jesus uttered the magnificent charge to John, referring to His mother, Mary: "Behold thy mother,"12 and to Mary, "Behold thy son."13
The Apostles went before, showing others the way to follow. They were pioneers.
History records, however, that most men did not come unto Christ, nor did they follow the way He taught. Crucified was the Lord, slain were most of the Apostles, rejected was the truth. The bright sunlight of enlightenment slipped away, and the lengthening shadows of a black night enshrouded the earth.
Generations before, Isaiah had prophesied, "Darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people."14 Amos had foretold of a famine in the land: "Not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord."15 The dark ages of history seemed never to end. Would no heavenly messengers make their appearance?
Looking for the Light
In due time honest men with yearning hearts, at the peril of their very lives, attempted to establish points of reference, that they might find the true way. The day of the Reformation was dawning, but the path ahead was difficult. Persecutions would be severe, personal sacrifice overwhelming, and the cost beyond calculation. The reformers were pioneers, blazing wilderness trails in a desperate search for those lost points of reference that they felt would lead mankind back to the truth Jesus taught.
Wycliffe, Luther, Hus, Zwingli, Knox, Calvin, and Tyndale all pioneered during the period of the Reformation. Significant was the declaration of Tyndale to his critics: "I will cause a boy that driveth the plough shall know more of the scripture than thou doest."16
Such were the teachings and lives of the great reformers. Their deeds were heroic, their contributions many, their sacrifices great—but they did not restore the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Of the reformers, one could ask: "Was their sacrifice in vain? Was their struggle futile?" I answer with a reasoned no. The Holy Bible was now within the grasp of the people. Each person could better find his or her way. Oh, if only all could read and all could understand! But some could read, and others could hear, and all had access to God through prayer.
The long-awaited day of restoration did indeed come. Let us review that significant event in the history of the world by recalling the testimony of the plowboy who became a prophet, the witness who was there—even Joseph Smith.
The Morning Breaks
Describing his experience, Joseph said: "I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which 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."17
"At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. . . .
" . . . I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. . . .
" . . . I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. . . .
" . . . I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. . . .
" . . . When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!"18
The Father and the Son, Jesus Christ, had appeared to Joseph Smith. The morning of the dispensation of the fulness of times had come, dispelling the darkness of the long generations of spiritual night.
Volumes have been written concerning the life and accomplishments of Joseph Smith, but perhaps a highlight or two will suffice: He was visited by the angel Moroni. He translated, from the precious plates to which he was directed, the Book of Mormon, with its new witness of Christ to all the world. He was the instrument in the hands of the Lord through whom came mighty revelations pertaining to the establishment of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In the course of his ministry he was visited by John the Baptist, Moses, Elijah, Peter, James, and John, that the Restoration of all things might be accomplished. He endured persecution; he suffered grievously, as did his followers. He trusted in God. He was true to his prophetic calling. He commenced a marvelous missionary effort to the entire world, which today brings light and truth to the souls of mankind. At length Joseph Smith died the martyr's death, as did his brother Hyrum.
Joseph Smith was a pioneer indeed.
One Who Changed the World
Turning the pages of scriptural history from beginning to end, we learn of the ultimate pioneer—even Jesus Christ. His birth was foretold by the prophets of old; His entry upon the stage of life was announced by an angel. His life and His ministry have transformed the world.
With the birth of the babe in Bethlehem, there emerged a great endowment, a power stronger than weapons, a wealth more lasting than the coins of Caesar. This child was to be the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Promised Messiah, even Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Born in a stable, cradled in a manger, He came forth from heaven to live on earth as mortal man and to establish the kingdom of God. During His earthly ministry, He taught men the higher law. His glorious gospel reshaped the thinking of the world. He blessed the sick. He caused the lame to walk, the blind to see, the deaf to hear. He even raised the dead to life.
One sentence from the book of Acts speaks volumes: Jesus "went about doing good, . . . for God was with him."19
He taught us to pray: "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."20
In the garden known as Gethsemane, where His suffering was so great that blood came from His pores, He pleaded as He prayed, "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."21
He taught us to serve: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."22
He taught us to forgive: "I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men."23
He taught us to love: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
"This is the first and great commandment.
"And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."24
Like the true pioneer He was, He invited, "Come, follow me."25
Let us turn to Capernaum. There Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came to the Master, saying, "My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live."26 Then came the news from the ruler's house: "Thy daughter is dead."27
Christ responded, "Be not afraid, only believe."28 He came to the house, passed by the mourners, and said to them: "Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn,"29 knowing that she was dead. "He . . . put them all out. . . . And he took [her] by the hand, and said unto her, . . . Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. . . . And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; . . . and they were astonished."30
The First to Rise
It is emotionally draining for me to recount the events leading up to the Crucifixion of the Master. I cringe when I read of Pilate responding to cries of the throng: "Crucify him, crucify him."31 Pilate "took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it."32 Jesus was mocked. He was spit upon and a crown of thorns placed upon His head. He was given vinegar to drink. They crucified Him.
His body was placed in a borrowed tomb, but no tomb could hold the body of the Lord. On the morning of the third day came the welcome message to Mary Magdalene, to Mary the mother of James, and to other women who were with them as they came to the tomb, saw the large entrance stone rolled away, and noted the tomb was empty. Two angels said to the weeping women: "Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen."33
Yes, the Lord had indeed risen. He appeared to Mary; He was seen by Cephas, or Peter, then by His brethren of the Twelve. He was seen by Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon, who declared: "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."34
Our Mediator, our Redeemer, our Brother, our Advocate with the Father died for our sins and the sins of all mankind. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the foreordained but voluntary act of the Only Begotten Son of God. He offered His life as a redeeming ransom for us all.
His mission, His ministry among men, His teachings of truth, His acts of mercy, His unwavering love for us prompt our gratitude and warm our hearts. Jesus Christ, Savior of the world—even the Son of God—was and is the ultimate pioneer, for He has gone before, showing all others the way to follow. May we ever follow Him.

Sunrise speaker extols faith of pioneers

The Assembly Hall on Temple Square was nearly filled Monday morning as people gathered for the Days of '47 Sunrise Service, a kickoff for the day's Pioneer Day celebrations.

Ravell Call, Deseret Morning News
Members of the Golden Voices Gospel Ensemble, front, directed by B Murphy, right, perform "I Need You" at Monday's sunrise service. Elder Merrill J. Bateman of the presidency of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognized that July 2006 marks the 150th anniversary of the departure of the ill-fated Willie and Martin Handcart Companies. Few experienced the severe hardship endured by these companies, Elder Bateman said. However, he said, all pioneers "stepped out into the unknown with faith and determination. "Faith was the driving force" behind the pioneer exodus to the Salt Lake Valley, Elder Bateman said. He related two stories about pioneer faith, including a story about a member of the Willie and Martin handcart companies. With such heritage to lean on, Elder Bateman said, "I pray we will not shrink when adversity crosses our path." The sunrise service, sponsored by the Sons of Utah Pioneers, is held every year before the Days of '47 parade begins. The winners of the Days of '47 essay contest were announced, and the Days of '47 royalty were introduced. In addition, "The Star-Spangled Banner" was sung by George Dyer, and several musical numbers were performed by the Choral Arts Society of Utah Master Chorale and the Golden Voices Gospel Ensemble. Golden Voices had the audience on their feet, singing and clapping along with "I Need You," a song composed following Sept. 11. The song's lyrics, also quoted by Elder Bateman, run in part, "You pray for me/I'll pray for you/I need you to survive."

In These Three I Believe

The first article of faith is surely familiar to all members of the Church. It is the pivotal position of our religion. It is significant that in setting forth the primary elements of our doctrine, the Prophet Joseph put this number one:
"We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost" (Articles of Faith 1:1).
The preeminence given that declaration is in accord with another statement the Prophet made. Said he:
"It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God" (History of the Church, 6:305).
These tremendously significant and overarching declarations are in harmony with the words of the Lord in His great Intercessory Prayer:
"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3).
I recall reading a tract some years ago written by a critic, an enemy of the Church whose desire was to undermine the faith of the weak and the unknowing. The tract repeated fallacies that had been parroted for a century and more. It purported to set forth what you and I, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, believe.
Without wishing to argue with any of our friends of other faiths, many of whom I know and for whom I have the highest regard, I take this opportunity to set forth my position on this most important of all theological subjects.
I believe without equivocation or reservation in God the Eternal Father. He is my Father, the Father of my spirit, and the Father of the spirits of all men. He is the great Creator, the Ruler of the universe. He directed the Creation of this earth on which we live. In His image man was created. He is personal. He is real. He is individual. He has "a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's" (D&C 130:22).
In His Image
In the account of the Creation of the earth, "God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Genesis 1:26).
Could any language be more explicit? Does it demean God, as some would have us believe, that man was created in His express image? Rather, it should stir within the heart of every man and woman a greater appreciation for himself or herself as a son or daughter of God. Paul's words to the Corinthian Saints are as applicable to us today as they were to those to whom he wrote. Said he:
"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
"If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are" (1 Corinthians 3:16–17).
I remember the occasion more than 70 years ago when, as a missionary, I was speaking in an open-air meeting in Hyde Park, London. As I was presenting my message, a heckler interrupted to say, "Why don't you stay with the doctrine of the Bible which says in John, 'God is a Spirit'?"
I opened my Bible to the verse he had quoted and read to him the entire verse:
"God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24).
I said, "Of course God is a spirit, and so are you in the combination of spirit and body that makes of you a living being, and so am I."
Each of us is a dual being of spiritual entity and physical entity. All know of the reality of death when the body dies, and each of us also knows that the spirit lives on as an individual entity and that at some time, under the divine plan made possible by the sacrifice of the Son of God, there will be a reunion of spirit and body. Jesus's declaration that God is a spirit no more denies that He has a body than does the statement that I am a spirit while also having a body.
I do not equate my body with His in its refinement, in its capacity, in its beauty and radiance. His is eternal. Mine is mortal. But that only increases my reverence for Him. I worship Him "in spirit and in truth." I look to Him as my strength. I pray to Him for wisdom beyond my own. I seek to love Him with all my heart, might, mind, and strength. His wisdom is greater than the wisdom of all men. His power is greater than the power of nature, for He is the Creator Omnipotent. His love is greater than the love of any other, for His love encompasses all of His children, and it is His work and His glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of His sons and daughters of all generations (see Moses 1:39).
Our Almighty Father
He "so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
This is the Almighty of whom I stand in awe and reverence. It is He to whom I look in fear and trembling. It is He whom I worship and unto whom I give honor and praise and glory. He is my Heavenly Father, who has invited me to come unto Him in prayer, to speak with Him, with the promised assurance that He will hear and respond.
I thank Him for the light and knowledge and understanding He has bestowed upon His children. I thank Him for His voice, which has spoken eternal truth with power and promise. I thank Him for His declaration at the baptism of His Beloved Son in the waters of Jordan when His voice was heard saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17).
I thank Him for His similar declaration on the Mount of Transfiguration, when He spoke again to Jesus and His Apostles and angels also, when "after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
"And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
"And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
"Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
"While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him" (Matthew 17:1–5).
I thank Him for that voice heard again when the risen Lord was introduced to the people of the Western Hemisphere with the voice of God declaring, "Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name" (3 Nephi 11:7).
I stand in awe and reverence and gratitude for His appearance in this dispensation when, as He introduced the risen Lord to one who had sought Him in prayer, the Father declared: "This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!" (Joseph Smith—History 1:17).
His Firstborn Son
I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the eternal, living God. I believe in Him as the Firstborn of the Father and the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. I believe in Him as an individual, separate and distinct from His Father. I believe in the declaration of John, who opened his gospel with this majestic utterance:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
"The same was in the beginning with God. . . .
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth" (John 1:1–2, 14).
I believe that He was born of Mary of the lineage of David as the promised Messiah, that He was in very deed begotten of the Father, and that in His birth was the fulfillment of the great prophetic declaration of Isaiah:
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6).
I believe that in His mortal life He was the one perfect man to walk the earth. I believe that in His words are to be found that light and truth which, if observed, would save the world and bring exaltation to mankind. I believe that in His priesthood rests divine authority—the power to bless, the power to heal, the power to govern in the earthly affairs of God, the power to bind in the heavens that which is bound upon the earth.
I believe that through His atoning sacrifice, the offering of His life on Calvary's Hill, He expiated the sins of mankind, relieving us from the burden of sin if we will forsake evil and follow Him. I believe in the reality and the power of His Resurrection. I believe in the grace of God made manifest through His sacrifice and redemption, and I believe that through His Atonement, without any price on our part, each of us is offered the gift of resurrection from the dead. I believe further that through that sacrifice there is extended to every man and woman, every son and daughter of God, the opportunity for eternal life and exaltation in our Father's kingdom, as we hearken to and obey His commandments.
Divine Savior and Redeemer
None so great has ever walked the earth. None other has made a comparable sacrifice or granted a comparable blessing. He is the Savior and the Redeemer of the world. I believe in Him. I declare His divinity without equivocation or compromise. I love Him. I speak His name in reverence and wonder. I worship Him as I worship His Father, in spirit and in truth. I thank Him and kneel before His wounded feet and hands and side, amazed at the love He offers me.
God be thanked for His Beloved Son, who reached out long ago and said to each of us:
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
"For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28–30).
He lives, the firstfruits of the Resurrection. I know He lives today as really, as certainly, as individually, as He lived when, as the risen Lord, He beckoned His discouraged disciples to "come and dine. . . .
" . . . [Jesus] taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise" (John 21:12–13).
The scripture tells of others to whom He showed Himself and with whom He spoke, as the living, resurrected Son of God.
Likewise in this dispensation He has appeared, and those who saw Him 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).
This is the Christ in whom I believe and of whom I testify.
The Holy Ghost
That knowledge comes from the word of scripture, and that testimony comes by the power of the Holy Ghost. It is a gift, sacred and wonderful, borne by revelation from the third member of the Godhead. I believe in the Holy Ghost as a personage of spirit who occupies a place with the Father and the Son, these three comprising the divine Godhead.
The importance of that place is made clear from the words of the Lord, who said:
"All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
"And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come" (Matthew 12:31–32).
That the Holy Ghost was recognized in ancient times as a member of the Godhead is evident from the conversation between Peter and Ananias when the latter held back a part of the price received from the sale of a piece of land.
"Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost . . . ? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God" (Acts 5:3–4).
The Holy Ghost stands as the third member of the Godhead, the Comforter promised by the Savior who would teach His followers all things and bring all things to their remembrance, whatsoever He had said unto them (see John 14:26).
The Holy Ghost is the Testifier of Truth, who can teach men things they cannot teach one another. In those great and challenging words of Moroni, a knowledge of the truth of the Book of Mormon is promised "by the power of the Holy Ghost." Moroni then declares, "And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things" (Moroni 10:4–5).
I believe this power, this gift, is available to us today.
Three Distinct Beings
And so I believe in God the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
I was baptized in the name of these three. I was married in the name of these three. I have no question concerning Their reality and Their individuality. That individuality was made apparent when Jesus was baptized by John in Jordan. There in the water stood the Son of God. His Father's voice was heard declaring His divine sonship, and the Holy Ghost was manifest in the form of a dove (see Matthew 3:16–17).
I am aware that Jesus said they who had seen Him had seen the Father. Could not the same be said by many a son who resembles his parent?
When Jesus prayed to the Father, certainly He was not praying to Himself!
They are distinct beings, but They are one in purpose and effort. They are united as one in bringing to pass the grand, divine plan for the salvation and exaltation of the children of God.
In His great, moving prayer in the garden before His betrayal, Christ pleaded with His Father concerning the Apostles, whom He loved, saying:
"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
"That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us" (John 17:20–21).
It is that perfect unity between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost that binds these three into the oneness of the divine Godhead.
Miracle of miracles and wonder of wonders, They are interested in us, and we are the substance of Their great concern. They are available to each of us. We approach the Father through the Son. He is our intercessor at the throne of God. How marvelous it is that we may so speak to the Father in the name of the Son.
I bear witness of these great, transcendent truths. I do so by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ.
Ideas for Home Teachers
After prayerfully studying this message, share it using a method that encourages the participation of those you teach. Following are some examples:
Ask family members to repeat the first article of faith. Discuss the nature and divine role of each member of the Godhead. Relate President Hinckley's missionary experience concerning the nature of God. Invite family members to share their own testimonies of a member of the Godhead.
Before your visit, prepare three pieces of paper: on each one, write a word, phrase, or scripture from the article that refers to a member of the Godhead. During the visit read the papers, and have family members identify which member of the Godhead each description refers to. Share President Hinckley's testimony regarding each personage.
Read President Hinckley's comments about the personal nature of God. Invite the family to share times when they have felt a similar closeness. Discuss ways they can deepen their testimony of members of the Godhead.