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Oaks - Resurrection - April 2000

4/10/2019

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President Oaks speaks about the resurrection and the things we know about the resurrection that testify that Jesus Christ has overcome death on our behalf.
  • The question of resurrection from the dead is a central subject of scripture, ancient and modern. The resurrection is a pillar of our faith. It adds meaning to our doctrine, motivation to our behavior, and hope for our future.
  • The universal resurrection became a reality with the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. On the third day after His death and burial, Jesus came forth out of the tomb. He appeared to several men and women, and then to the assembled Apostles. Three of the Gospels describe this event.

He speaks about the scriptural doctrine of the resurrection.  Jesus Christ is the central part of this doctrine.
  • The possibility that a mortal who has died will be brought forth and live again in a resurrected body has awakened hope and stirred controversy through much of recorded history. Relying on clear scriptural teachings, Latter-day Saints join in affirming that Christ has “broken the bands of death” and that “death is swallowed up in victory.” Because we believe the Bible and Book of Mormon descriptions of the literal Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we also readily accept the numerous scriptural teachings that a similar resurrection will come to all mortals who have ever lived upon this earth. As Jesus taught, “Because I live, ye shall live also.”

He speaks about the accounts of many that have seen ancestors and loved ones that have died and are no longer with us on earth. These accounts give us comfort that we are not alone in the future.
  • Many living witnesses can testify to the literal fulfillment of these scriptural assurances of the resurrection. Many, including some in my own extended family, have seen a departed loved one in vision or personal appearance and have witnessed their restoration in “proper and perfect frame” in the prime of life. Whether these were manifestations of persons already resurrected or of righteous spirits awaiting an assured resurrection, the reality and nature of the resurrection of mortals is evident. What a comfort to know that all who have been disadvantaged in life from birth defects, from mortal injuries, from disease, or from the natural deterioration of old age will be resurrected in “proper and perfect frame.”

The Savior’s Resurrection is central to what the prophets have called “the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death” (2 Ne. 11:5).

The “lively hope” we are given by the resurrection is our conviction that death is not the conclusion of our identity but merely a necessary step in the destined transition from mortality to immortality. This hope changes the whole perspective of mortal life. The assurance of resurrection and immortality affects how we look on the physical challenges of mortality, how we live our mortal lives, and how we relate to those around us.

There are several assurances that the resurrection give us.  President Oaks shares these simple assurances.
  • The assurance of resurrection gives us the strength and perspective to endure the mortal challenges faced by each of us and by those we love, such things as the physical, mental, or emotional deficiencies we bring with us at birth or acquire during mortal life. Because of the resurrection, we know that these mortal deficiencies are only temporary!
  • The assurance of resurrection also gives us a powerful incentive to keep the commandments of God during our mortal lives. Resurrection is much more than merely reuniting a spirit to a body held captive by the grave. We know from the Book of Mormon that the resurrection is a restoration that brings back “carnal for carnal” and “good for that which is good.”
  • The assurance that the resurrection will include an opportunity to be with our family members—husband, wife, parents, brothers and sisters, children, and grandchildren—is a powerful encouragement for us to fulfill our family responsibilities in mortality. It helps us live together in love in this life in anticipation of joyful reunions and associations in the next.
  • Our sure knowledge of a resurrection to immortality also gives us the courage to face our own death—even a death that we might call premature.
  • The assurance of immortality also helps us bear the mortal separations involved in the death of our loved ones. Every one of us has wept at a death, grieved through a funeral, or stood in pain at a graveside. I am surely one who has. We should all praise God for the assured resurrection that makes our mortal separations temporary and gives us the hope and strength to carry on.

President Oaks concludes with the connection of resurrection with the temple.
  • “Temples stand as a witness of our conviction of immortality. Our temples are concerned with life beyond the grave. For example, there is no need for marriage in the temple if we were only concerned with being married for the period of our mortal lives.”
  • Our temples are living, working testimonies to our faith in the reality of the resurrection. They provide the sacred settings where living proxies can perform all of the necessary ordinances of mortal life in behalf of those who live in the world of the spirits. None of this would be meaningful if we did not have the assurance of universal immortality and the opportunity for eternal life because of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The doctrine of the resurrection is central to the role that Jesus Christ played in eternity. It is because of Him, that we are able to be reunited with our families after this life. It is because of Him that we have hope to live with our Father in Heaven once again. How grateful I am to have this knowledge. If we didn't have the doctrine of the resurrection, there would be no need for temples, for families, for trying to become better in our lives. Without the hope that Christ brings, nothing would matter and life would be pointless.  But there is hope, there is life, there is a purpose to life and it all is because of what Jesus Christ has done for each of us.
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Ballard - "How Is It with Us?" - April 2000

5/27/2017

Comments

 
Elder Ballard uses the words of President Lorenzo Snow as the backdrop of his remarks.  100 years earlier in conference, President Snow talked about the great work that had already been accomplished.  He said that the Lord expects us to do something with this great knowledge we have been given and as us "How Is It with Us?"  This question should cause us to think about what we have done with the light and knowledge of the gospel in our lives and what are we doing to share it with others.
  • As I read and ponder the scriptures and carefully consider the Lord’s counsel to His followers in every dispensation of time, it appears to me that the most important thing every one of us can do is to examine our own commitment and devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. We must carefully guard against spiritual apathy and work to maintain the full measure of our loving loyalty to the Lord.

The term "spiritual apathy" causes me to reflect on if I am actively helping the work of the Lord move forward.  I realize that in order to move the work forward, my own personal commitment and testimony must be strong.
  • It is important that we each know for ourselves that Jesus is the Christ and that He has restored to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith the fulness of His everlasting gospel. As we press forward in His service, spiritual experiences will increase our faith, and we will find great joy. Our understanding of the essential doctrines and eternal truths that have been restored will become a firm foundation of our faith. And as we come to know and understand these true doctrines for ourselves, we will discover that there is also a great need for us to share our knowledge and beliefs with others while always maintaining their friendship and goodwill.

We each need to be in tune with the spirit so we can know when the prompting to share the gospel with someone is given.
  • There are many people who know a little about us, who are curious and who wonder about us but who are not ready to change their lifestyle or make eternal commitments. We need to be prepared to teach them in ways that they can understand and appreciate, even if they are not prepared as yet to respond to spiritual promptings and to accept the gospel in their lives.
  • Because we love the Lord, we should be spiritually sensitive to moments when the powerful and important truths of the gospel can be shared with others. Perhaps more importantly, however, we should seek at all times to purify ourselves and to lead such worthy lives that the Light of Christ emanates from us in all that we say and do. Our day-to-day lives should stand as immutable witness of our faith in Christ.

Elder Ballard tells us that the Lord expects us to do something with the knowledge and blessings we have been given.  Our example is necessary for others to desire to learn more about the happiness we have each found in living the gospel.
  • The Lord expects us to do something. I believe we are expected to increase our own faith, shake off any possible feelings of apathy, and by the power of the Holy Ghost reaffirm our commitment and intensify our service to the Lord. Then, when we seek to clarify someone’s understanding of the Church, our lives—well and faithfully lived—can serve as a magnifying glass through which others can examine the impact of gospel living. Under the light of our good example, the Spirit can enlarge understanding of the Church and its mission to all with whom we have contact.

Elder Ballard concludes with this wise council.
  • There is no greater service we can render than sharing our personal testimonies with those who lack an understanding of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

It is so important that others be able to see the light of Christ in the actions we each demonstrate.  We are not always able to share the gospel message but we are always able to share our example of the blessings that come to those that live the gospel.  Elder Ballard shares that the natural progression of the gospel is to build a little bit at a time but that initial trust to listen is typically found in the trust of one friend to another.  We can help others desire to learn more about the church when we demonstrate the happiness the gospel brings into our lives.
Comments

Holland - As Doves to Our Windows - April 2000

12/5/2016

Comments

 
Elder Holland speaks at the podium in the Conference Center for the first time since its completion.  He marvels at the architecture, the massive hall where s many are watching, and wonders what the pioneers would think if they saw this day.  He speaks of the great legacy that so many have left that have gone before us that have lead the way for this structure to be built.  He warns us that even though we have this beautiful building, we still have much work to do and that tests of our discipleship are far from over.
  • George A. Smith, counselor in the First Presidency to President Brigham Young, once said by way of caution, “We may build temples, erect stately domes, magnificent spires [and] grand towers, in honor of our religion, but if we fail to live the principles of that religion … , and to acknowledge God in all our thoughts, we shall fall short of the blessings which its practical exercise would ensure.”
  • We must be humble and conscientious. The honor and the glory of all that is good goes to God, and there is much still ahead of us that will be refining, even difficult, as He leads us from strength to strength.

He shares a couple examples of great pioneer era people that showed their commitment and devotion to our Savior by the way they served and the way they lived their lives.  He encourages us to live our lives in similar ways, not so we can be remembered in history, but that we can show our dedication to the Savior for all He has done for us.  He reminds us that we are all recipients of people that have made the path for us to follow.
  • Whether longtime member or newest of converts, we are all the beneficiaries of such faithful forebears. In this beautiful new building and in this historic conference convened in it, I have sensed how much I owe to those who had so much less than I but who seem in virtually every case to have done more with it to build the kingdom than I have done.

He speaks about three moments in history where people gave so much to build the kingdom of God. First he talks about the burden on the women in Kirtland to make clothing for those working on the temple and those that were called away for military service.  This was a trying time for them financially and for their faith.  He speaks about the financial sacrifice that Peter Neilson made to give all his savings to the kingdom to pay for the stained glass in the St George Tabernacle.  He also speaks of John R. Moyle who walked 22 miles each way to work on the Salt Lake Temple.  After losing his leg to a farming incident, he made a wooden leg, tried it out for several months, and then went back to work walking the 22 miles back to the temple to complete the etching of the "Holiness to the Lord" on the side of the temple.

These people would marvel at what the church has grown into.  But we have reason to be humble.  We need to recognize that this is the Lord's work and He has allowed us to get to this point in history.  He will be the one to continue to bless us as we continue to move forward.  Elder Holland concludes with this advice:
  • In such abundance may we never “forget the Lord” nor “go after other gods,” but always be “an holy people unto the Lord.” If we do so, those that hunger and thirst for the word of the Lord will continue to come “as doves to [our] windows.” They will come seeking peace and growth and salvation. If we live our religion they will find all of that and more.

It is always good to recognize the many blessings that have been shown to us in the past.  I think that is why the church puts so much time and effort into preserving the historical sites of the church.  By visiting these areas, we honor those of the past, we recognize the great sacrifices that were made there, and we recognize that the results could never have happened unless the hand of the Lord was with those people.  We have so many blessings in our lives and I think we have good examples to see the love of the Savior in their lives and hopefully it will help us recognize that love that the Savior has in our lives today.
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