It is a great and daunting privilege to speak to you in this setting, our annual ward conference. My message today is, by comparison, much more simple than in years past. Or maybe a better way to say it is that it's more foundational.
Before continuing I just want to express my amazement and gratitude toward you for all of the service that takes place in our ward on an ongoing basis. It would be impossible for any of us to quantify this in any certain terms, but here's a small glimpse: in our ward we have 184 members of all ages serving in a total of 209 callings, at the ward level, the stake level, and several currently serving outside our unit. We have 112 ministering companionships assigned to mininster to 153 households. There truly are "chances for work all around just now, opportunities right in our way!" ("Have I Done Any Good?", Hymns) Thank you for all you do for each other!
I recently had an enlightening experience while at the temple. I went in feeling one way and came out feeling exactly the opposite, but the change was so gradual I couldn't pinpoint any specific moment of transition, just a subtle train of thoughts and feelings that led me out of a dark corner and into the light. It was a rare kind of experience, one that I can only attribute to the tender mercies of the Lord and the gift of Holy Ghost.
In that endowment session I learned, or rather re-learned, one of the most basic doctrines of our faith: that God loves all his children, more specifically every member of the Grandview 13th ward! Along with that was the idea that if I can just help everyone I interact with feel God's love just a little more, that might make all the difference for someone. There are three main ways I've been thinking about how God's love can be manifest to us:
- We can figuratively 'walk with God' our Heavenly Father, who is closely and constantly aware of our unique circumstances,
- We can draw upon Jesus Christ's saving grace to help us overcome the challenges of mortality, and
- We can invite and learn to recognize the comforting and sanctifying companionship of the Holy Ghost.
Ever since that temple visit, I've been noticing so many instances of the manifestations of God's love. I'd like to share some of those instances with you today, starting with the first verse of the recently released Hymn #1016 which goes like this:
Behold the wounds in Jesus’ hands,
The mark upon His side,
Then ponder whom He meant to save
When on the cross He died.
We cannot see the love of God,
Which saves us from the Fall,
Yet know that Christ from wood and nails
Built mansions for us all.
This hymn, by John V. Pearson and David R. Naylor, actually isn't new. It was published 27 years ago (that was 1998) and I sang it shortly thereafter in a youth choir. Our ward choir has presented it multiple times throughout the years. It's been sung in general conference and in many other occasions so I've had multiple opportunities to get to know this hymn but it wasn't until recently that I actually started really thinking about the lyrics.
"Behold the wounds in Jesus' Hands, the mark upon His side"
Is this opening invitation literal or figurative? Most of us aren't yet in a literal position to behold his wounds. We have the scriptures that describe the final hours of his life and his post-resurrection appearances to those at Jerusalem and in the Americas. Inspired artists created stirring artwork of the Savior, and the church and other organizations have made amazing videos depicting his atoning sacrifice and ressurrection. Most importantly, we can recognize the Holy Ghost confirming the reality of the Savior's mission. Even with all these resources, at present, we must 'behold' with an 'eye of faith'.
"Then ponder who He meant to save when on the cross He died."
I sincerely hope that the first person who comes to mind for each of us personally, is "me"! Of course we know that He atoned for everyone else too, but like Nephi we can each say "I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell."
"We cannot see the love of God, which saves us from the Fall,"
How true this is (and at times, how frustrating)! The veil of mortality very effectively blocks any direct view we might have of God's love. I've never heard his voice. I've never seen him in this life, nor do I remember what he looks like from pre-mortal life. So, I read about him in the scriptures. I learn about him from prophets and other leaders. I'm trying to learn to recognize His spirit, bearing witness of him (arguably the most meaningful way to learn of him). We might mistakenly conclude from the above line that this is all Adam and Eve's fault--they're the ones who partook of the fruit in the very beginning and started this whole mortal mess!
Even just a cursory study of the Plan of Salvation will yield this key insight, which is wonderfully worded in "Preach My Gospel", a guide for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ: "The decision of Eve and then Adam to partake of the fruit and leave the Garden of Eden was a spiritually sensitive choice." I appreciate that description: "spiritually sensitive choice". If Eve was more like me I could imagine her feeling just a little frustrated by all her grandchildren who have misunderstood her, or jumped to conclusions about her decision. Do we sometimes show a lack of spritual sensitivity to those around us who make choices we don't understand or agree with? Or do we jump to conclusions about those who have views we won't condone without really trying to understand their perspective? Food for thought!
"Yet know that Christ from wood and nails built mansions for us all!"
This line, of course, refers to Jesus' upbringing as the son of a capenter, his suffering and death on the cross, and something he told his disciples: "In my Father's house are many mansions...I go to prepare a place for you." (John 14:2) Again the author of this hymn invites us to imagine, with an eye of faith, what mortal "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard...the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."
I've already shared a bit from "Preach My Gospel, a guide for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ" and I'd like to share a bit more from that recently revised resource. I mentioned that my message would be simple, yet foundational. What is the very first doctrinal foundation in the very first lesson about "The Restoration"?
"God Is Our Loving Heavenly Father!"
God is our Heavenly Father, and we are His children. God knows us personally, and He loves us more than we can comprehend. He understands our trials, sorrows, and weaknesses, and He offers to support us through them. He rejoices in our progress and will help us make right choices. He wants to communicate with us, and we can communicate with Him through prayer.
God has given us this experience on earth so we can learn, grow, and become more like Him. With perfect love, He wants us to return to Him after we die. However, we cannot do this on our own. Because God loves us, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem us. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,...that the world throuh him might be saved"
[He has a plan to] bless us with peace and a fulness of joy that will last for eternity!
The introdoction of the very next lesson about "The Plan of Salvation" elaborates:
God wants the best for His children and desires to give us His greatest blessings, which are immartality and eternal life. Because He loves us, He has provided a plan for us to receive these blessings. In the scriptures [specifically, in Alma 42], this plan is called the plan of salvation, the great plan of happiness, and the plan of redemption.
These descriptive names of his plan are evidences of His love for us!
We often refer the the plan of salvation as the overarching blueprint for all of humanity, but as I recite the Aaronic priesthood quorum theme in quorum meeting and activity I can't help but think of the work that God has for me to do--that's God's plan for my Salvation. No matter how far along any of us are in God's plan for us, the first principles of the gospel are ever relavant!
Faith in Jesus Christ and our love for Him will lead us to repent. Repentance is much more than exercising willpower to change a behavior or overcome a weakness. Repentance is sincerly turning to Christ, who gives us the power to experience a "mighty change" in our hearts. As we experience this change of heart, we are spiritually reborn. We feel anew God's love for us as His children--and our Savior's love for us. (Preach My Gospel, p. 67)
Elder Christofferson taught about an interesting side-effect of God's love in our lives:
"As we abide in God’s love, we depend less and less on the approval of others to guide us." "The Love of God", Elder Christofferson
Brad Wilcox of the Young Men General Presidency summarized my message nicely in the last general conference:
One of our main objectives as disciples of Christ could be to help every person we meet feel God's love for them. "O Youth of the Noble Birthright", Brad Wilcox
When someone feels greater awareness of and/or access to any of the above because of their interactions with us we are fulfilling one of our main objectives as disciples of Christ.
So, in closing: There are three principal ways we can enjoy God's love more fully in our lives:
- We can 'Walk with God', which is actually one of the topics in the "Guide to the Scriptures", one of the scripture study helps in the gospel library.
- We can 'Draw upon the power of Jesus Christ', which President Nelson explained at length in his talk by a similar title. Our youth have been giving talks in Sacrament meeting about how they "Look unto Christ" and how the "For the Strength of Youth" guidebook can help all of us Look unto Christ.
- We can 'Invite the Holy Ghost into our lives'. I've noticed a pattern from the general conference talks of Elder Bednar, you might say it's an apostle's prayerful pattern. Randomly pick any talk by Elder Bednar and notice how he invites the help of the Holy Ghost, usually very early on. Then pick another, and another...I think you'll quickly perceive the same pattern.
I testify that: