There is a healing power in gratitude and thanksgiving. And it is a power that is desperately needed. From the COVID-19 pandemic to civil unrest and the presidential election, our world is full of chaos. And the selfishness that is so prevalent in our society only adds to our woes. But there is a remedy. President Russell M. Nelson taught,

… Counting our blessings is far better than recounting our problems. No matter our situation, showing gratitude for our privileges is a unique, fast-acting, and long-lasting spiritual prescription. Simply stated, “In every thing give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Why is it important to give thanks in every thing? Here are five reasons:

1. Gratitude helps us deal with our trials.

Each one of us experiences challenges in our lives. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes mistakenly called Mormons or the Mormon Church) believe that is part of the plan and the reason that we are here on the earth—to learn and to grow. President Dallin H. Oaks said,

… We should even give thanks for our afflictions because they turn our hearts to God and give us opportunities to prepare for what God would have us become. The Lord taught the prophet Moroni, “I give unto men weakness that they may be humble,” and then promised that “if they humble themselves … and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them” (Ether 12:27). …

 

As someone has said, there is a big difference between 20 years’ experience and 1 year’s experience repeated 20 times. If we understand the Lord’s teachings and promises, we will learn and grow from our adversities.

Often we don’t see the benefit of our trials while we are going through them. But the blessings are there. President Oaks taught, 

The blessings of adversity extend to others. I know it was a blessing to be raised by a widowed mother whose children had to learn how to work, early and hard. I know that relative poverty and hard work are not greater adversities than affluence and abundant free time. I also know that strength is forged in adversity and that faith is developed in a setting where we cannot see ahead.

When I was growing up, my mother struggled with debilitating migraines that caused a lot of chaos in our household. But I learned to be kinder, more compassionate, and less judgmental because of those experiences.

2. Gratitude helps us to remember our blessings.

When life is going well and the living is easy, it’s easy to take things for granted—especially our blessings. Gratitude helps us to remember the things for which we are grateful regardless of how well things are going. President Thomas S. Monson said,

Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love.

The more we give thanks, the more blessings we will see in our lives. President Monson continued,

Regardless of our circumstances, each of us has much for which to be grateful if we will but pause and contemplate our blessings.

 

This is a wonderful time to be on earth. While there is much that is wrong in the world today, there are many things that are right and good. There are marriages that make it, parents who love their children and sacrifice for them, friends who care about us and help us, teachers who teach. Our lives are blessed in countless ways.

 

We can lift ourselves and others as well when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues. Someone has said that “gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”

When we start to count our blessings, we will find more things for which we are grateful than we ever imagined. As Elder David A. Bednar taught,

A grateful person is rich in contentment. An ungrateful person suffers in the poverty of endless discontentment (see Luke 12:15).

3. Gratitude strengthens our faith.

Expressing gratitude for our blessings reminds us to turn to God, who is the Giver of all blessings. Sister Bonnie D. Parkin taught,

Gratitude requires awareness and effort, not only to feel it but to express it. Frequently we are oblivious to the Lord’s hand. We murmur, complain, resist, criticize; so often we are not grateful. In the Book of Mormon, we learn that those who murmur do not know “the dealings of that God who … created them.” The Lord counsels us not to murmur because it is then difficult for the Spirit to work with us.

 

Gratitude is a Spirit-filled principle. It opens our minds to a universe permeated with the richness of a living God. Through it, we become spiritually aware of the wonder of the smallest things, which gladden our hearts with their messages of God’s love. This grateful awareness heightens our sensitivity to divine direction. When we communicate gratitude, we can be filled with the Spirit and connected to those around us and the Lord. Gratitude inspires happiness and carries divine influence. …

 

Gratitude is our sweet acknowledgment of the Lord’s hand in our lives; it is an expression of our faith.

The more we express our faith through gratitude, the stronger our faith becomes. And the stronger our faith becomes, the more we turn our hearts to God.

4. Gratitude leads to repentance.

As we strengthen our faith and turn to God, we seek to more fully follow His commandments. Elder Robert D. Hales said,

The Lord said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Our obedience to the laws, ordinances, and commandments is the greatest expression of love and gratitude that we can bestow upon him.

 

Gratitude is also the foundation upon which repentance is built.

How is gratitude the foundation upon which repentance is built? Of repentance, President Nelson taught,

This gift is not always well understood. As you know, the New Testament was originally written in the Greek language. In passages where the Savior calls upon people to repent, the word translated as “repent” is the Greek term metanoeo. This is a very powerful Greek verb. The prefix meta means “change.” We also use that prefix in English. For example, the word metamorphosis means “change in form or shape.” The suffix noeo relates to a Greek word that means “mind.” It also relates to other Greek words that mean “knowledge,” “spirit,” and “breath.”

 

Can we begin to see the breadth and depth of what the Lord is giving to us when He offers us the gift to repent? He invites us to change our minds, our knowledge, our spirit, even our breathing. For example, when we repent, we breathe with gratitude to God, who lends us breath from day to day.

When we are truly grateful for all that God has done for us, we want to express that gratitude through our obedience to His commandments. As we are all human, we all fall short and make mistakes. President Nelson continued,

True repentance is not an event. It is a never-ending privilege. It is fundamental to progression and having peace of mind, comfort, and joy.

5. Gratitude helps us to focus on others.

True gratitude helps us to focus on others. When we are happy, we want to share that happiness with those around us. Elder M. Russell Ballard taught,

It is only when we love God and Christ with all of our hearts, souls, and minds that we are able to share this love with our neighbors through acts of kindness and service—the way that the Savior would love and serve all of us if He were among us today.

 

When this pure love of Christ—or charity—envelops us, we think, feel, and act more like Heavenly Father and Jesus would think, feel, and act. Our motivation and heartfelt desire are like unto that of the Savior. 

The Savior taught His disciples,

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you. …

 

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another (John 13:34–35).

Elder Ballard continued,

The love the Savior described is an active love. It is not manifested through large and heroic deeds but rather through simple acts of kindness and service.

As we share the love of Christ through simple acts of kindness and service, we are expressing our gratitude for our blessings and strengthening our faith in the Savior.

A Thanksgiving Story

This Thanksgiving, everyone was home except my oldest, who is serving a proselytizing mission in Texas. The girls were being teenagers and kind of obnoxious, and I grew weary of their complaining. I remembered a story I heard of a farm family who one year decided to get electricity in their home, and that was perhaps the last good thing to happen that year. The crops failed except for some turnips and they had to sell their livestock for a fraction of their worth. The kids were complaining about their paltry Thanksgiving meal, and so the father turned out the electric lights and brought out the old lanterns to show how much they really had to be grateful for. So I took a page from that book and turned out the lights. The one battery-powered lantern died just as we turned it on, so we lit three candles. 

It’s amazing how much light a little candle doesn’t give off. It was hard to see the feast we had on the table. I eventually turned on the light in the bathroom nearby, but it was still pretty dark at the table. I then turned on a light in the next room, and my daughter made a snarky comment. So I turned it off again. And as a family, we discussed how we have been blessed by the sacrifice and effort of those who have gone before us. How much we really have now. It didn’t take long for my children to see … even in the dark. 

The Healing Power of Gratitude

Gratitude has the power to lift us even on our darkest days. Elder Hales taught,

In some quiet way, the expression and feelings of gratitude have a wonderful cleansing or healing nature. Gratitude brings warmth to the giver and the receiver alike.

 

Gratitude expressed to our Heavenly Father in prayer for what we have brings a calming peace—a peace which allows us to not canker our souls for what we don’t have. 

Humbly accepting the will of the Lord brings the peace that comes from trusting Him. Sister Parkin said,

The kind of gratitude that receives even tribulations with thanksgiving requires a broken heart and a contrite spirit, humility to accept that which we cannot change, willingness to turn everything over to the Lord—even when we do not understand, thankfulness for hidden opportunities yet to be revealed. Then comes a sense of peace.

And this is the secret to finding true happiness in life. It is the power of gratitude and thanksgiving. As President Monson said,

… To express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven.

Grandma B. was the eternal optimist, always “just fine” or “getting better” and didn’t like to be fussed over. She firmly believed it was her job to fuss over and take care of you. She was a friend to everyone she met and never had a cross word to say about anyone. She kept in touch with her family, remembered birthdays, celebrated accomplishments and prayed for those who were struggling.

Grandma’s greatest desire every Christmas was for her family to get together for at least one meal. For the three of us in my area, she would ask that we get our families together at a restaurant, and she would foot the bill. That would be her Christmas gift to us. Our job was to get together. It was the same for our family in other places. We all did our best, but some years were more successful than others. This Christmas, though, she got most of us together—nearly all of her four sons and daughters-in-law, 19 grandchildren and their spouses, 57 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandchild. We all descended on Pocatello, Idaho, to celebrate her life and mourn her death at her funeral a few days before Christmas. 

She taught me powerful lessons, and I hope to become more like her. Here’s how.

Faith in Christ

My grandmother was a lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes inadvertently called the Mormon Church). Her father was from a faithful Latter-day Saint pioneer family, and her mother joined the Church in Denmark and emigrated to Utah as a young woman. Although I don’t remember ever hearing Granda B. bear her testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I watched her live it. Elder D. Todd Christofferson said,

To persevere firm and steadfast in the faith of Christ requires that the gospel of Jesus Christ penetrate one’s heart and soul, meaning that the gospel becomes not just one of many influences in a person’s life but the defining focus of his or her life and character.

That was Grandma B. For her, living a Christlike life meant loving and teaching others as well as working to improve herself. She went to church on Sundays and read and prayed daily. One of my favorite gifts this Christmas was from my sister. She framed a picture of my 101-year-old grandma in her nightgown kneeling on the wood floor at the side of her bed saying her nightly prayers. My sister said that every night Grandma prayed for each of us by name. 

President Thomas S. Monson taught,

To be an example of faith means that we trust in the Lord and in His word. It means that we possess and that we nourish the beliefs that will guide our thoughts and our actions. … Amidst the confusion of our age, the conflicts of conscience, and the turmoil of daily living, an abiding faith becomes an anchor to our lives.

Faith was the defining character of my grandmother’s life, and my new year’s resolution is to more conscientiously make faith the defining characteristic of mine.  

Resolving to Put Family First

My grandmother loved her husband and her family. They were always her first priority. This was evident in many things that she did, including the Christmas get-togethers that she so diligently tried to orchestrate every year. I went to college in Rexburg, and once a month Grandma B. and her siblings met at a restaurant there for lunch. Any grandkids who were in town were welcome to come. Her treat. The few times I was able to go, my grandma was so happy and made sure that I was introduced to everyone. She stayed close to her siblings and their spouses throughout their long lives, and stayed close to her children and grandchildren and their families as well. 

At her funeral, one of my uncles said that she started social networking with a phone and an address book long before Facebook was ever a thing. And she made sure that her social network included her family. She worked to help her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren form strong bonds. Elder M. Russell Ballard said,

In the routine of life, we often take our families—our parents and children and siblings—for granted. But in times of danger and need and change, there is no question that what we care about most is our families! It will be even more so when we leave this life and enter into the spirit world. Surely the first people we will seek to find there will be father, mother, spouse, children, and siblings.

 

I believe the mission statement for mortality might be “to build an eternal family.” Here on this earth we strive to become part of extended families with the ability to create and form our own part of those families.

This year, I resolve to reach out to my family more often.

Remembering to Love Others

Grandma B. was a social butterfly who loved people and getting to know them. She was always looking for ways to make other people feel comfortable and special. At her funeral, one of my cousins said, “Her superpower is making everyone she meets feel like he or she is the most important person in the world. Because when she is talking to you, you are the most important person to her at that moment.” Grandma was always interested in you, how you were doing and what was going on in your life. And she taught me to do the same for others in counsel and in deed.  

The summer after I graduated from college, I was in Ohio doing a copy editing internship and attending church at the local college single’s ward. The first Sunday I was at church, the bishop (or lay pastor of the congregation) knew who I was because I was the only new person there. But during Relief Society (the women’s meeting), the only two girls who talked to me were recent high school graduates who were also new to the ward. I was there for three weeks before the Relief Society leaders ever came up to me. 

When I complained to my grandmother about this, she said, “Well, now that you know how it feels, the next time you are in your ward sitting with your friends, you look out for the new people. You go over and introduce yourself and talk to them. Sit by them and make them feel welcome.” Grandma B. lived her life looking for ways to reach out to others, and encouraged me to do the same. My new year’s resolution is to continue practicing what she preached.

Teaching the Importance of Education

Grandma B. was a teacher by profession, and education was very important to her. At her funeral, I discovered the sacrifice her family made so she could get an education. Grandma B. grew up on a farm in southeastern Idaho. After she graduated from high school, her dad told her that the family only had enough money to send her two older brothers to college. But her uncle suggested that her dad had a prize bull he could sell to pay for her tuition. So my great-grandfather sold his prize bull so he could send his first daughter, my grandmother, to Ricks College. And his investment has paid dividends for hundreds of children, including his own great-grandchildren.

My grandmother taught first and second grades for 40 years and was a pioneer in the Head Start early education program in her area, reaching out to children who needed a little extra love. This was a gift that she shared with her grandchildren as well. Several of her grandsons had learning disabilities and needed a little extra help in the summers. So they came to Grandma’s house for a few weeks of tutoring. But she didn’t want the boys to feel like they were spending the summer in school, so she made sure they had a lot of fun at her house too.  

Grandma B. not only taught her children the importance of education but her grandchildren as well. She and my grandfather saved enough to give each grandchild $50 a month for two years to help us either in college or on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ. It was their contribution to our education. And my new year’s resolution is to continue teaching my children the importance of gaining an education.

The Love of Learning

Grandma B. had a lifelong love of learning. When she found an interesting newspaper article that she thought one of her family would like, she would clip and send it. She was always telling me something that she had discovered or read about. My grandparents amassed an impressive library of books during their life together and passed many of them on to their children and grandchildren. They traveled frequently, learning about the places they visited. Grandma wasn’t afraid of technology and learned how to use computers and smartphones.

But more than her love of learning was her love of sharing what she learned with others. A great example of this is when my husband got a new smartphone and was trying to figure out how to attach pictures to a text (or something like that). We happened to be in Pocatello visiting my then-95-year-old grandmother, and she had the same phone. She knew how to do whatever my husband was trying to do, so she showed him. 

She epitomized this teaching by President Dallin H. Oaks,

Our quest for truth should be as broad as our life’s activities and as deep as our circumstances permit. A learned Latter-day Saint should seek to understand the important religious, physical, social, and political problems of the day. The more knowledge we have of heavenly laws and earthly things, the greater influence we can exert for good on those around us and the safer we will be from scurrilous and evil influences that may confuse and destroy us.

 

… This learning … is not confined to classrooms or preparation for school examinations. It applies to everything we do in life and every place we do it—at home, at work, and at church.

And my resolution is to do the same.

Showing Good Manners

As an educator and a parent, Grandma B. was big on displaying good manners and good etiquette. This, to her, was a show of consideration for others. But rather than just demanding good manners from me, she helped me and tried to take away any excuse for not having them. For example, every month that she and my grandfather sent money for my education, she asked that I write them a thank-you letter. She explained that she expected me to show good manners in that way. But she took away any excuse I had for not doing that by providing me with stamped, self-addressed envelopes to use to mail the letters. 

My grandmother was also well-spoken and articulate. She was careful in the words she used and always tried to uplift others. She was truly an example in word and in conversation. President Monson said,

The words we use can lift and inspire, or they can harm and demean. In the world today there is a profusion of profanity with which we seem to be surrounded at nearly every turn. It is difficult to avoid hearing the names of Deity being used casually and thoughtlessly. Coarse comments seem to have become a staple of television, movies, books, and music. Bandied about are slanderous remarks and angry rhetoric. Let us speak to others with love and respect, ever keeping our language clean and avoiding words or comments that would wound or offend. 

For my grandmother, having good manners and following proper etiquette was a way to show love and respect for others. And this year, my resolution is to follow her example and watch what I say and how I say it.

The Gift of Optimism

My Grandma B. was blessed with good health and longevity, even as she passed the 100-year mark. At least, she would always tell you that she’s doing well. But she wouldn’t really tell you about the ministrokes that made it so that she couldn’t see very well…unless she had to tell you not to text her. And only so you would understand that if you did, she wouldn’t be able to text you back. Or she would tell you that her knee was bothering her since she no longer had cartilage holding her knee together. It was uncomfortable, but she was fine. No matter what happened, she would tell you that she was fine. Because she focused on the positive aspects of her life, not the negative. President Monson taught,

So much in life depends on our attitude. The way we choose to see things and respond to others makes all the difference. To do the best we can and then to choose to be happy about our circumstances, whatever they may be, can bring peace and contentment.

 

Charles Swindoll—author, educator, and Christian pastor—said: “Attitude, to me, is more important than … the past, … than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.”

 

We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. For maximum happiness, peace, and contentment, may we choose a positive attitude.

This year, I am resolving to have a more optimistic outlook. Life may be challenging, but I can still enjoy it. 

Being Prepared and Planning Ahead

Grandma B. liked to be prepared and plan ahead. And she made lists to help her do that. I am also a list maker. Making lists helps me to make sure that I stay on track and get things done. I was really happy when I discovered, years ago, that she and I shared this life hack. My grandma moved in with my parents about 5 years ago. I don’t know how long this had been in the works, but it was a well-planned-out move. My grandmother wanted to move out of her house on her own terms, well before she became incapacitated in any way. So she decided to have a big party to celebrate her 50th anniversary in her home, then sell the house and move to Arizona with my parents. 

For a year or two before the move, she would ask her sons, daughters-in-law and grandkids what furniture of hers we wanted. And then she would write the name down on a Post-It note and stick it to the back of the piece of furniture. If more than one person wanted the same thing, then she would put the names on a list. She also made a list of her most expensive jewelry and other items (the ones she wasn’t planning to take with her to Arizona), and divided it up among her grandchildren as equally as possible. She was prepared and planned ahead for her move from Idaho to Arizona.

Probably my favorite Grandma B. preparedness story is that she had her funeral arrangements in place for years before she actually passed away. Down to the company she hired to transport her body from Arizona back up to Idaho for her funeral. And this year, I am going to be better about planning ahead.

Resolving to be an Example of the Believers

My Grandma was an example of the believers. She sought to live the best life possible, follow the example of the Savior, and tried to teach others how to do the same. President Monson said,

… We are to be an example in spirit. To me that means we strive to have in our lives kindness, gratitude, forgiveness, and goodwill. These qualities will provide for us a spirit which will touch the lives of those around us. It has been my opportunity through the years to associate with countless individuals who possess such a spirit. We experience a special feeling when we are with them, a feeling that makes us want to associate with them and to follow their example. They radiate the Light of Christ and help us feel His love for us.

That was my Grandma B. And this year, my new year’s resolution is to become more like her.

I have tried to make general conference memorable for my children—and not just because there are five 2-hour meetings spread over the two days. We usually watch all the sessions at home. So we stock up on candy to play general conference bingo and print out puzzles and note-taking helps in preparation to hear the voice of the Lord through His servants. Speaking of the conference center, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said,

Here on these grounds, you see families of all sizes coming from every direction. Old friends embrace in joyful reunion, a marvelous choir is warming up, and protestors shout from their favorite soapbox. Missionaries of an earlier day look for former companions, while recently returned missionaries look for entirely new companions (if you know what I mean!). And photos? Heaven help us! With cell phones in every hand, we have morphed from “every member a missionary” to “every member a photographer.” In the midst of all of this delightful commotion, one could justifiably ask, “What does it all mean?”

 

… It will mean little or nothing unless we find Jesus at the center of it all.

How do we find the Savior in the joyful commotion of general conference? Let’s find out.

The Lord’s Church

The first place to find the Savior in general conference is in the structure of the Church—which is His Church. President Gordon B. Hinckley taught,

Absolutely basic to our faith is our testimony of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, who under a divine plan was born in Bethlehem of Judea. … There is no other name given among men whereby we can be saved (see Acts 4:12). He is the author of our salvation, the giver of eternal life (see Hebrews 5:9). There is none to equal Him. There never has been. There never will be. 

And Jesus Christ is the Head of His Church. President Russell M. Nelson explained,

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints … is neither a democracy nor a republic. His is a kingdom—the kingdom of God on earth. His is a hierarchical church, with ultimate authority at the top. The Lord directs His anointed servants. They testify to all the world that God has again spoken. The heavens have been opened. A living linkage has been formed between heaven and earth in our day.

 

That supreme authority is supported by a firm foundation following an organizational pattern established anciently. Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone, with Apostles and prophets and all the gifts, powers, and blessings that characterized the Church in earlier days. (See 1 Corinthians 12:28.)

As the ancient Book of Mormon prophet Nephi taught,

… We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins (Nephi 25:26).

And this they do at general conference.

Gathering of the Saints

General conference is a worldwide gathering of Latter-day Saints. Some Church members attend in person, others at home or in church buildings via satellite, TV or the internet. And this is been a foundational element of God’s Church. Elder Robert D. Hales taught,

… Adam gathered his posterity and prophesied of things to come. Moses gathered the children of Israel and taught them the commandments he had received. The Savior taught multitudes gathered both in the Holy Land and on the American continent. Peter gathered believers in Jerusalem. The first general conference in these latter days was convened just two months after the Church was organized, and conferences have continued to this very day.

With a worldwide membership of more than 16 million, the Church can feel vast. But it is unifying to meet together twice a year at general conference. President Henry B. Eyring said,

Gathered in this meeting, which stretches across the world, are millions of disciples of Jesus Christ who are under covenant to always remember Him and serve Him. By the miracle of modern technology, the separation of time and of vast distances vanishes. We meet as if we are all together in one great hall.

As the Lord taught the early Saints of The Church of Jesus Christ,

… Where two or three are gathered together in my name, … behold, there will I be in the midst of them—even so am I in the midst of you (Doctrine & Covenants 6:32).

But conferences are about more than getting together. Latter-day Saints gather to learn of God, feel of His spirit and be edified, uplifted and taught. President Eyring continued,

… Even more important than our gathering together is in whose name we do so.

To Be Taught by the Spirit

Latter-day Saints gather in Christ’s name to learn of Him at general conference. There are five sessions: two general sessions during the days on Saturday and Sunday, and one Saturday evening session. The April evening session is for the men who have been ordained to the priesthood. In October, the evening session is for women and girls ages 8 and older. President Thomas S. Monson said,

… We have come here to be instructed and inspired. … Many messages, covering a variety of gospel topics, will be given during the next two days. Those men and women who will speak to you have sought heaven’s help concerning the messages they will give.

Both speakers and those hearing the messages are taught by the Spirit. At the beginning of one general conference, President Eyring counseled,

Today my message to us all is that there will be a precious opportunity in the next few days to choose to have our hearts softened and to receive and nourish the seed. The seed is the word of God, and it will be poured out on all of us who listen, watch, and read the proceedings of this conference. The music, the talks, and the testimonies have been prepared by servants of God who have sought diligently for the Holy Ghost to guide them in their preparation. They have prayed longer and more humbly as the days of the conference have approached.

 

They have prayed to have the power to encourage you to make the choices that will create in your heart a more fertile ground for the good word of God to grow and be fruitful. If you listen with the Spirit, you will find your heart softened, your faith strengthened, and your capacity to love the Lord increased.

Finding the Savior in General Conference Messages

Speakers are called and asked to deliver a message, but they are not assigned a topic. (In recent years, a few apostles and other Church leaders have been asked to discuss changes in policies or programs.) Elder Hales taught,

These conferences are always under the direction of the Lord, guided by His Spirit. We are not assigned specific topics. Over weeks and months, often through sleepless nights, we wait upon the Lord. Through fasting, praying, studying, and pondering, we learn the message that He wants us to give.

 

Some might ask, “Why doesn’t the inspiration come more easily and quickly?” The Lord taught Oliver Cowdery, “You must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right.” Conference messages come to us after prayerful preparation, through the Holy Ghost.

Elder Andersen explained,

At times the central idea may come quickly, but the content and details still require enormous spiritual climbing. Fasting and prayer, study and faith are always part of the process. The Lord wants no pretense diminishing His voice to His Saints.

Church members are also asked to come to general conference prayerfully prepared to hear the words of counsel offered. Elder Hales said,

We study out in our minds what we need and desire from Heavenly Father, and we pray to understand and apply that which we are taught. As the time for conference arrives, we sacrifice other activities, “lay[ing] aside the things of this world, [to] seek for the things of a better.” Then we gather our families to hear the word of the Lord….

To Sustain the Prophet and Apostles

Another aspect of general conference is that members of The Church of Jesus Christ have an opportunity to sustain the Lord’s prophets and apostles during the Saturday afternoon session. At a recent general conference, Elder Ronald A. Rasband said,

This afternoon, each of us will raise our right arm to the square and sustain the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is not a mere formality, nor is it reserved for those called to general service. To sustain our leaders is a privilege; it comes coupled with a personal responsibility to share their burden and to be disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

President Nelson said,

Our sustaining of prophets is a personal commitment that we will do our utmost to uphold their prophetic priorities. Our sustaining is an oath-like indication that we recognize their calling as a prophet to be legitimate and binding upon us.

And it is a recognition that we follow the prophet because he is called of God. Elder Neil L. Andersen taught,

We embrace President Nelson as we would have embraced Peter or Moses if we had lived in their day. God told Moses, “I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.” We listen to the Lord’s prophet with the faith that his words are “from [the Lord’s] own mouth.”

Those who raise their hands in objection are invited to speak to their stake presidents (who are leaders of stakes, or a group of congregations) about their concerns.

Following the Prophet

Among the messages we hear at general conference is the counsel to follow the prophet. This is not blind obedience, but a willingness to obey the commandments and teachings of God. Elder Andersen explained,

Why are we so willing to follow the voice of our prophet? For those diligently seeking eternal life, the prophet’s voice brings spiritual safety in very turbulent times.

 

We live on a planet clamoring with a million voices. The internet, our smartphones, our bloated boxes of entertainment all plead for our attention and thrust their influence upon us, hoping we will buy their products and adopt their standards.

 

The seemingly endless array of information and opinion remind us of the scriptural warnings of being “tossed to and fro,” “driven with the wind,” and overcome by the “cunning craftiness” of those who “lie in wait to deceive.”

 

Anchoring our souls to the Lord Jesus Christ requires listening to those He sends.

The prophet’s mission is to lead people to Christ. We follow the prophet because he follows the Savior. Elder Andersen continued,

The prophet’s voice, while spoken kindly, will often be a voice asking us to change, to repent, and to return to the Lord. When correction is needed, let’s not delay. And don’t be alarmed when the prophet’s warning voice counters popular opinions of the day. The mocking fireballs of annoyed disbelievers are always hurled the moment the prophet begins to speak. …

 

Don’t be surprised if at times your personal views are not initially in harmony with the teachings of the Lord’s prophet. These are moments of learning, of humility, when we go to our knees in prayer. We walk forward in faith, trusting in God, knowing that with time we will receive more spiritual clarity from our Heavenly Father.

Finding the Savior

The messages from general conference point us directly to Christ. But listening to the speakers is just the beginning. We get the most out of general conference in the days, weeks and months that follow. Elder Andersen taught,

I testify that in this conference we have heard the voice of the Lord.

 

We should not be alarmed when the words of the Lord’s servants run counter to the thinking of the world and, at times, our own thinking. It has always been this way. I am on my knees in the temple with my Brethren. I attest to the goodness of their souls. Their greatest desire is to please the Lord and help God’s children return to His presence.

 

The Seventy; the Bishopric; the General Presidencies of the Relief Society, the Young Women, and the Primary; and other auxiliary leaders have added tremendous inspiration to this conference, as have the beautiful music and the thoughtful prayers.

 

There is a treasure chest of heavenly direction awaiting your discovery in the messages of general conference. The test for each of us is how we respond to what we hear, what we read, and what we feel.

So where do we find the Savior in general conference? In every aspect of it. In the music, the prayers, the words of the speakers and the voice of the prophet. Elder Andersen said,

A prophet does not stand between you and the Savior. Rather, he stands beside you and points the way to the Savior.

We see that firsthand at general conference. And we come closer to the Savior as we study the messages that point us to Him.

Don’t get me wrong, our Easter bunny always believed in and celebrated Jesus Christ. In fact, when they were younger, my kids were certain that he was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes mistakenly called the Mormon Church), as are we, because of the gifts that the Easter bunny would bring. But the bunny takes focus off the Savior. And since the prophets and apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ have been encouraging members to renew their focus on the Savior, I decided that our Easter festivities should as well. Because although the candy and treats are fun, but do they really help us find the true meaning in our celebration?

I have tried to tie the Savior into our bunny festivities, but they still detract from the true meaning of Easter. Our celebration of Jesus Christ can stand on its own without the fluff and frills, because He has done so much for us. Let me explain.

The Savior’s Divine Role

To fully understand the extent of what Jesus Christ has done for us, we must understand who He is. The prophets and apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ testified,

He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New. Under the direction of His Father, He was the creator of the earth. “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). Though sinless, He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness. He “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38), yet was despised for it. His gospel was a message of peace and goodwill. He entreated all to follow His example. He walked the roads of Palestine, healing the sick, causing the blind to see, and raising the dead. He taught the truths of eternity, the reality of our premortal existence, the purpose of our life on earth, and the potential for the sons and daughters of God in the life to come.

 

He instituted the sacrament as a reminder of His great atoning sacrifice. He was arrested and condemned on spurious charges, convicted to satisfy a mob, and sentenced to die on Calvary’s cross. He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind. His was a great vicarious gift in behalf of all who would ever live upon the earth.

 

We solemnly testify that His life, which is central to all human history, neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary. He was the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world.

Our Easter celebrations must begin by recognizing His divinity, which allowed Him to accomplish His mission.

The Premortal Messiah

Jesus Christ was chosen from the foundation of the world for His divine role. President Russell M. Nelson taught,

Under the direction of the Father, Jesus bore the responsibility of Creator. His title was “the Word,” spelled with a capital W (see Joseph Smith Translation, John 1:16, Bible appendix). In the Greek language of the New Testament, that Word was Logos,or “expression.” It was another name for the Master. That terminology may seem strange, but it is appropriate. We use words to convey our expression to others. So Jesus was the Word, or expression, of His Father to the world. (See John 1:3; see also Doctrine & Covenants 93:21).

Jesus Christ truly was the expression of God’s love for the world. In everything that He did, in everything He taught, in everything He was, Jesus testified of our Heavenly Father and showed us the way back to Him. Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained,

For four thousand long years—from the day Adam was cast out of Eden to the day John baptized at Bethabara—all of the prophets and all of the Saints looked forward to the coming of the Messiah.

 

They talked and taught of Christ; they preached and prophesied of Christ; they centered their lives and all of their hopes in the promise of his coming.

 

They knew that as God’s Son he would be born of a virgin, that he would work out the infinite and eternal atonement, that immortality and eternal life would come by him.

 

All of their doctrine, all of their ordinances, all of their worship linked his name with that of the Father himself.

 

The whole law of Moses, with all its types and shadows, testified of the one who would come to save his people.

Christ’s Mortal Ministry

Recognizing who Jesus Christ is and all that He did for us before He ever walked the earth, it’s humbling that He chose to do so. He was the Creator of the world and Jehovah, the God of the Old Testament, and He condescended to be born of a mortal woman and Heavenly Father so that He could fulfill His mission as the Savior of all mankind. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin said,

The birth of the Savior into mortality is an event of immeasurable significance that occurred almost 2,000 years ago. In much of the world, calendar years are numbered forward and backward from the entire time of His birth. … His teachings established standards of human behavior that will endure eternally.

He taught these standards of behavior in word and deed. President Nelson said,

His exemplary life constituted His mortal ministry. It included His teachings, parables, and sermons. It encompassed His miracles, loving-kindness, and long-suffering toward the children of men (see 1 Nephi 19:9). It embraced His compassionate use of priesthood authority. It included His righteous indignation when He condemned sin (see Romans 8:3) and when He overthrew the tables of the money changers (see Matthew 21:12). It also included His heartaches. He was mocked, scourged, and disowned by His own people (see Mosiah 15:5)—even betrayed by one disciple and denied by another (see John 18:2–3, 25–27).

Elder Richard G. Scott taught,

The greatest example who ever walked the earth is our Savior, Jesus Christ. His mortal ministry was filled with teaching, serving, and loving others. He sat down with individuals who were judged to be unworthy of His companionship. He loved each of them. He discerned their needs and taught them His gospel.

And He taught us to do the same.

The Mission of Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ’s mortal ministry culminated in the single most important event in human history, the event that we celebrate at Easter. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf explained,

To find the most important day in history, we must go back to that evening almost 2,000 years ago in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus Christ knelt in intense prayer and offered Himself as a ransom for our sins. It was during this great and infinite sacrifice of unparalleled suffering in both body and spirit that Jesus Christ, even God, bled at every pore. Out of perfect love, He gave all that we might receive all. His supernal sacrifice, difficult to comprehend, to be felt only with all our heart and mind, reminds us of the universal debt of gratitude we owe Christ for His divine gift.

The Savior’s mission was essential for us to return back to the presence of our Heavenly Father. President Nelson taught,

His mission was the Atonement. That mission was uniquely His. Born of a mortal mother and an immortal Father, He was the only one who could voluntarily lay down His life and take it up again (see John 10:14–18). The glorious consequences of His Atonement were infinite and eternal. He took the sting out of death and made temporary the grief of the grave (see 1 Corinthians 15:54–55). … Not only was it to provide for the resurrection and immortality of all humankind, but it was also to enable us to be forgiven of our sins—upon conditions established by Him. Thus His Atonement opened the way by which we could be united with Him and with our families eternally. This prospect we esteem as eternal life—the greatest gift of God to man (see Doctrine & Covenants 14:7).

Garden of Gethsemane

The Savior’s Atonement for mankind began in the Mount of Olives. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said,

Following the Last Supper, Jesus left Peter, James, and John to wait while He ventured into the Garden of Gethsemane alone. Falling on His face in prayer, “sorrowful … unto death,” the record says, His sweat came as great drops of blood as He pled with the Father to let this crushing, brutal cup pass from Him. But, of course, it could not pass. Returning from such anguished prayer, He found His three chief disciples asleep, prompting Him to ask, “Could ye not watch with me one hour?” So it happens two more times until on His third return He says compassionately, “Sleep on now, and take your rest,” though there would be no rest for Him.

Elder M. Russell Ballard taught,

… In some incredible way that none of us can fully comprehend, the Savior took upon Himself the sins of the world. Even though His life was pure and free of sin, He paid the ultimate penalty for sin—yours, mine, and everyone who has ever lived.

Elder Boyd K. Packer said,

He was willing to take upon Himself the mistakes, the sins and guilt, the doubts and fears of all the world. He suffered for us so that we would not have to suffer. Many mortals have suffered torment and died a painful, terrible death. But His agony surpassed them all. …

 

His suffering was different than all other suffering before or since because He took upon Himself all of the penalties that had ever been imposed on the human family. Imagine that! He had no debt to pay. He had committed no wrong. Nevertheless, an accumulation of all of the guilt, the grief and sorrow, the pain and humiliation, all of the mental, emotional, and physical torments known to man—He experienced them all.

The Crucifixion

As Jesus Christ came out of the Garden of Gethsemane, He was arrested, tried and sentenced to death. President Nelson said,

… He was beaten and scourged. A crown of sharp thorns was thrust upon His head as an additional form of torture. He was mocked and jeered. He suffered every indignity at the hands of His own people. “I came unto my own,” He said, “and my own received me not.” Instead of their warm embrace, He received their cruel rejection. Then He was required to carry His own cross to the hill of Calvary, where He was nailed to that cross and made to suffer excruciating pain.

 

Later He said, “I thirst.” To a doctor of medicine, this is a very meaningful expression. Doctors know that when a patient goes into shock because of blood loss, invariably that patient—if still conscious—with parched and shriveled lips cries for water.

 

Even though the Father and the Son knew well in advance what was to be experienced, the actuality of it brought indescribable agony. “And [Jesus] said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.” Jesus then complied with the will of His Father.

Finally, the scriptures teach, “he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30). Then the Savior’s body was taken and placed in a tomb. But this was not the end.

The Resurrection

The final victory of the Atonement came three days later. Jesus Christ, who had willingly laid down His life, took it up again. President Howard W. Hunter taught,

As the dawn of that third day was beginning, Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” had come to the sepulchre in which his lifeless body had been laid. Earlier, the chief priests and the Pharisees had gone to Pilate and persuaded him to place a guard at the door of the sepulchre, “lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead” (Matthew 27:64). But two mighty angels had rolled the stone from the door of the tomb, and the would-be guards had fled in terror at the sight.

 

When the women came to the tomb, they found it open and empty. The angels had tarried to tell them the greatest news ever to fall on human ears: “He is not here: for he is risen, as he said” (Matthew 28:6).

With this final act of the Atonement, Jesus Christ broke the bands of both physical and spiritual death for all mankind. Although we will all die, every person who has ever lived and will ever live on this earth will be resurrected. In addition, Elder Ballard said,

Jesus suffered willingly so that we might all have the opportunity to be washed clean—through having faith in Him, repenting of our sins, being baptized by proper priesthood authority, receiving the purifying gift of the Holy Ghost by confirmation, and accepting all other essential ordinances. Without the Atonement of the Lord, none of these blessings would be available to us, and we could not become worthy and prepared to return to dwell in the presence of God.

Easter Celebrations

At Easter, we celebrate Jesus Christ and all that He has done for us. This is where we find true joy and meaning. Elder David B. Haight testified,

It is our responsibility and glorious opportunity to bear constant testimony of Jesus the Christ. We must testify to the world of His godship, the actuality of His birth in the flesh of both divine and mortal parentage. He was selected to perform the essential mission of the Restoration and Redemption. This He did—He was crucified and rose from the grave, thus making it possible for every human being to be resurrected through this marvelous Atonement of Jesus, saint and sinner alike.

 

All can be placed on the pathway to eternal progression. Everyone who accepts Him and is repentant receives forgiveness of his past sins and the opportunity to gain exaltation. “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Could the mind of man possibly develop a more noble concept for the destiny of man? Jesus Christ is the central figure.

 

To the question “What does Jesus mean to modern man?” I testify that He means everything.

He means everything to me and to my family. And as we worship Him this Easter and celebrate His victory over the grave, we won’t miss the bunny at all.

The inspiration from these two series is not just found in the heroic main characters, it is also found in the ordinary people who join in the fight the evil foes. Each person must decide which side to be on, where they fit in the story. This is not so far off from what our children face today. It is no wonder, then, that President Russell M. Nelson has issued a call to faith for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—sometimes mistakenly called the Mormon Church, or Mormons. President Nelson said,

In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost. …

 

Choose to do the spiritual work required to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly.

Why is this so important? And how do we answer the prophet’s call?

What is Faith?

Let’s start by defining faith, and then go backwards. According to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, faith is,

2.  belief and trust in and loyalty to God; belief in the traditional doctrines

of a religion; firm belief in something for which there is no proof; complete trust

3. something that is believed especially with strong conviction, especially : a system of religious beliefs

The scriptures teach the same. The Book of Mormon prophet Alma states,

And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true (Alma 32:21).

But the scriptures teach us that faith is more than just belief. The ancient apostle James taught,

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not

works? can faith save him? (James 2:14)

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf said,

Faith is a strong conviction about something we believe—a conviction so strong that it moves us to do things that we otherwise might not do. “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

Faith is not a mere profession of belief in a greater power and a greater cause, it spurs us to act. So what does this have to do with Gandalf, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and the other characters in their books? Let’s find out.

A Time of Chaos, A Loss of Faith

We live in a time of chaos and upheaval, and many people are losing faith in mankind as well as in God. The authors of “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Chronicles of Narnia” series lived in a similar time. They lived through the horror and carnage of World War I and the devastating Spanish influenza epidemic of 1918. Of this time, Elder Larry Y. Wilson said,

To many of those living at that time, the cosmos seemed to be indifferent and uncaring. Many of the old celebrated values such as honor, sacrifice, and patriotism seemed hollow. The realities of the new type of war were staggering. The horror of seeing men blown apart and then seeing and smelling their corpses rot for weeks in the cold mud of the trenches tried the faith that had sent men to fight for king, for country, and for God.

 

As a result, the postwar decades of the 1920s and ’30s were decades of disillusionment and cynicism. Faith in God was questioned widely and openly.

Similar feelings of doubt plague our day. President Nelson taught,

These are the latter days, so none of us should be surprised when we see prophecy fulfilled. A host of prophets, including Isaiah, Paul, Nephi, and Mormon, foresaw that perilous times would come, that in our day the whole world would be in commotion, that men would “be lovers of their own selves, … without natural affection, … lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God,” and that many would become servants of Satan who uphold the adversary’s work. …

 

As conflicts between nations escalate, as cowardly terrorists prey on the innocent, and as corruption in everything from business to government becomes increasingly commonplace, what can help us?

A Call to Faith

The feelings of despair and doubt that tried the faith of men after the first World War—which was to be the war to end all wars—and the deadly flu epidemic of 1918 were magnified after another world conflict, World War II. Elder Wilson said,

Not long after it ended, two works of literature appeared that went remarkably against the tide of despair. They were The Chronicles of Narnia, by C. S. Lewis, and the trilogy of The Lord of the Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien. These two men had both been soldiers in World War I and had seen its death and horrors up close. Both men had lost many of their closest friends to the war, but, remarkably, neither succumbed to the cynicism and atheism that was so often the war’s aftermath. Their stories celebrate courage, honor, brotherhood, and faith—especially faith.

 

What might we learn from these men as we also face a time when faith is ebbing from the world? Following the war, Lewis and Tolkien went on to become university professors. They taught a generation of students struggling to make sense of the world at a time when faith was openly questioned. These two men, who by that time had become fast friends, had an answer. Having come through this period with their own faith intact, they had a message for the next generation. The horrors of war had not manifested to them that faith in God had failed but rather that faith must be viewed in its proper setting. That proper setting was the fallen world in which those who have the precious gift of faith must fight for good against the combined forces of an enemy bent on their destruction.

Turning to ‘Other Gods’

In the time of Tolkien and Lewis, many wondered where God was in all of the horror and death of the wars and plagues. In our time, many have decided that God and religion are antiquated ideas that have no place in our society—or at least should not play a main role. In both cases, many turned to “other gods.” Elder Wilson said,

Some contemporaries criticized these two literary calls to faith. They accused Lewis and Tolkien of hearkening after virtues of a world long past. The disillusioned men and women of the postwar generations were turning to other things—newer gods that promised to save mankind where the Christian and Hebrew gods had seemingly failed.

 

Communism was particularly alluring to the postwar generations. But whatever gains were made by the forced socialization of countries in the name of communism came at a terrible cost in human lives and human dignity. Millions died in purges and famine. In truth, more people died at the hands of communist dictators than died in both world wars.

 

Other war-weary souls turned to ­hedonism—the “eat, drink, and be merry” philosophy that characterized the Roaring Twenties. We might lump in with this group the morally chaotic years that followed the so-called “sexual revolution” of the 1960s. But turning to the pleasures of the flesh has produced in our own time unprecedented levels of divorce and family breakdown, as it ­inevitably will.

These same philosophies plague us in our day. Elder Quentin L. Cook said,

We live in difficult times. There is an increased tendency to “call evil good, and good evil.” A world that emphasizes self-aggrandizement and secularism is cause for great concern.

But Tolkien and Lewis believed that we should look to God for answers, not away from Him.

The Reality of Evil

What Tolkien and Lewis took away from the world events is something that each of us must learn and understand. Elder Wilson taught,

War did not evidence to Lewis and Tolkien that there was no God but that there was a devil. If we do have faith, then we must hold on to that faith in light of the constant struggle that goes on in the world between the light and “the Shadow,” as Tolkien called it. …

 

Into a world swirling with such alternatives to a seemingly discredited Christianity, C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien sent their tales of heroic quests. Both works surprised ­critics with their popularity. It was as if they had splashed cold water on the faces of their readers, reminding the downhearted that the world had always been a place where good and evil fought for dominance in the human heart.

Understanding that there is evil in this world does not diminish the good in it. Rather, it helps us to understand the fight before us. There are two things we must remember about this adversary. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland explained,

Number one, Satan, or Lucifer, or the father of lies—call him what you will—is real, the very personification of evil. His motives are in every case malicious, and he convulses at the appearance of redeeming light, at the very thought of truth. Number two, he is eternally opposed to the love of God, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and the work of peace and salvation. He will fight against these whenever and wherever he can. He knows he will be defeated and cast out in the end, but he is determined to take down with him as many others as he possibly can.

Finding a Hero

It is at this point in a story that a hero steps up to battle forces of evil. Elder Wilson said,

This is a fallen world. The scriptures call Satan “the prince of this world.” The works of both Lewis and Tolkien contained satanic figures who sought to cruelly dominate human beings—the White Witch in one case, Sauron in the other. What does mankind need in such a world? We need forces to counter the boundless evil and a hero to lead those forces. One of the attractions of Lewis’ and Tolkien’s works is this theme of our need for such a hero—a Savior, if you will. On their own, all the characters in the stories we identify with come to a point of their own failure. They need someone stronger than they are.

 

Surely part of the great appeal of The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings trilogy is the longing we discover within ourselves for a champion to fight those battles we cannot fight.

But the heroes of which are spoken are twofold. One is the hero who fights the battles we cannot, who is indeed the Savior of the world. The other is the hero we find within as we take up our own swords and join the fight. But this fight is not fiction. It is the battle of the ages. Elder L. Tom Perry said,

Today we find ourselves in [a] war. This is not a war of armaments. It is a war of thoughts, words, and deeds. It is a war with sin.

It is a war for the souls of men, and it is a war where our faith is paramount.

Looking Forward with Faith

In our quest for the cause of righteousness, we must choose a side. Can we trust that God and the good will win out in the end, even if evil seems to be winning now? Elder Wilson explained,

We can sometimes forget exactly what the great hope of Christianity is. It is not that Jesus Christ will fulfill all of our own natural aspirations for happiness. It is hope in a triumphant future that only God can and will provide. … The triumph comes “at the last day.”

 

… Each of us faces a choice. We can choose to see ourselves as the Lord’s servants and humbly seek to know what He wants us to be doing with the talents and time He has given us. As such, we can seek to enlarge His kingdom and prepare it for His return. Or we may imagine that the story is all about us. Too many fall into this trap. They forget that they are His servants and begin to imagine that He is theirs. They think erroneously that Christ came to make all their dreams come true. For those in such a trap, prayer becomes like dropping memos on a desk in a heavenly office: “Could you please take care of this as soon as possible?”

But victory cannot be won without the fight. And there is always a cost. But the rewards will always come to those who are faithful. Elder Holland taught,

Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come.

Finding the Hero Within

Just as Gandalf and the other characters from the “Narnia” and “Lord of the Rings” series had to find their own hero within, so must we. And it’s not always easy. Elder Wilson said,

In the Lewis and Tolkien stories, the good guys are always humble about the lives they find themselves living. They know that they are part of a larger story, and they seek to carry out that part with faithful hearts. Frodo once expressed his wish that he did not have to undertake such a difficult task as was given to him. “So do I,” Gandalf replied, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

The time we have is now. The time to have courage is now. President Thomas S. Monson taught,

The call for courage comes constantly to each of us. Every day of our lives courage is needed—not just for the momentous events but more often as we make decisions or respond to circumstances around us.

 

Courage comes in many forms. Wrote the Christian author Charles Swindoll: “Courage is not limited to the battlefield … or bravely catching a thief in your house. The real tests of courage are much quieter. They are inner tests, like remaining faithful when no one’s looking, … like standing alone when you’re misunderstood.” … This inner courage also includes doing the right thing even though we may be afraid, defending our beliefs at the risk of being ridiculed, and maintaining those beliefs even when threatened with a loss of friends or of social status. He who stands steadfastly for that which is right must risk becoming at times disapproved and unpopular.

Answering the Call

Will we answer the call when it comes? Will we be prepared when it does? Those are the questions we must ask ourselves. President Nelson explained,

I am optimistic about the future. It will be filled with opportunities for each of us to progress, contribute, and take the gospel to every corner of the earth. But I am also not naive about the days ahead. We live in a world that is complex and increasingly contentious. The constant availability of social media and a 24-hour news cycle bombard us with relentless messages. If we are to have any hope of sifting through the myriad of voices and the philosophies of men that attack truth, we must learn to receive revelation.

 

Our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, will perform some of His mightiest works between now and when He comes again. We will see miraculous indications that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, preside over this Church in majesty and glory. But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.

Thus comes the call from President Nelson,

I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation.

As we seek to answer the call to follow the Savior and join the fight against evil, we will find our place—and the hero within.

It is such awful timing—right before Christmas. The day we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. But these events are also powerful reminders of why He came to earth. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said,

To be true to the complete experience we must on occasion speak of Christmases—and other days in our individual and collective lives—that for whatever reason may not be as joyful or do not seem to be “the season to be jolly.” …

 

The true meaning, the unique, joyous meaning of the birth of this baby was not confined to those first hours in Bethlehem but would be realized in the life He would lead and in His death, in His triumphant atoning sacrifice … and in His prison-bursting Resurrection. These are the realities that make Christmas joyful.

These tragedies help us to focus on the real joys of Christmas—which are not the lights, presents, trees and trimmings, but are the gifts that Jesus Christ brought to us.

The Gift of His Mission and Ministry

The Savior’s birth was just the beginning of His mortal mission and ministry. All of the gifts that He gave to us came through His life, death and resurrection. President Russell M. Nelson explained,

His mission was the Atonement. That mission was uniquely His. Born of a mortal mother and an immortal Father, He was the only one who could voluntarily lay down His life and take it up again (see John 10:14–18). The glorious consequences of His Atonement were infinite and eternal. He took the sting out of death and made temporary the grief of the grave (see 1 Corinthians 15:54–55). … Not only was [the Atonement] to provide for the resurrection and immortality of all humankind, but it was also to enable us to be forgiven of our sins—upon conditions established by Him. Thus His Atonement opened the way by which we could be united with Him and with our families eternally. This prospect we esteem as eternal life—the greatest gift of God to man (see Doctrine & Covenants 14:7).

Jesus Christ was the only one who was qualified to make this atoning sacrifice to redeem mankind. President Nelson continued,

The Lord’s second far-reaching objective in mortality was to serve as an example for us. His exemplary life constituted His mortal ministry. It included His teachings, parables, and sermons. It encompassed His miracles, loving-kindness, and long-suffering toward the children of men (see 1 Nephi 19:9). It embraced His compassionate use of priesthood authority. It included His righteous indignation when He condemned sin (see Romans 8:3) and when He overthrew the tables of the money changers (see Matthew 21:12). It also included His heartaches.

It is because of and through His mission and ministry that we receive His gifts.

The Gift of Hope

Our Heavenly Father knew that we would experience good and bad, joy and tragedy during our earthly sojourn. So He sent Jesus Christ to earth to give us the hope of a better world, a brighter future and a better life. But His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). So sometimes this hope does not come in the way we expect. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught,

Hope … is like the beam of sunlight rising up and above the horizon of our present circumstances. It pierces the darkness with a brilliant dawn. It encourages and inspires us to place our trust in the loving care of an eternal Heavenly Father, who has prepared a way for those who seek for eternal truth in a world of relativism, confusion, and of fear. …

 

Hope is not knowledge, but rather the abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promise to us. It is confidence that if we live according to God’s laws and the words of His prophets now, we will receive desired blessings in the future. It is believing and expecting that our prayers will be answered. It is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance.

 

In the language of the gospel, this hope is sure, unwavering, and active. … It is a hope glorifying God through good works. With hope comes joy and happiness. With hope, we can “have patience, and bear … [our] afflictions.”

It is the hope that because Christ came, because He overcame the world, we can overcome the world—and all of its trials and tragedies. It is the hope of good things to come, if not in this life then in the next.

The Gift of Forgiveness

Somewhere in our small town are two grieving families—the family who lost the child and the family of the driver. I can’t imagine the heartache on both sides. This is a time for forgiveness. Forgiving doesn’t always mean assigning blame or admitting doing something wrong. Sometimes we must find forgiveness for the terrible situation. Let me explain.

One of my sisters put my infant relative down for his nap—the nap from which he did not wake up—when we were kids. It took her decades to forgive herself and find peace. What did she do wrong? What could or should she have done differently? Why did God allow this to happen? These questions haunted her. But she had done nothing wrong, and there was nothing she could or should have done differently. And all we know is that Heavenly Father had His reasons. I’m certain that similar feelings exist among the two families in my small town. That is just part of human nature. President James E. Faust taught,

All of us suffer some injuries from experiences that seem to have no rhyme or reason. We cannot understand or explain them. We may never know why some things happen in this life. The reason for some of our suffering is known only to the Lord. But because it happens, it must be endured. …

 

If we can find forgiveness in our hearts for those who have caused us hurt and injury, we will rise to a higher level of self-esteem and well-being. Some recent studies show that people who are taught to forgive become “less angry, more hopeful, less depressed, less anxious and less stressed,” which leads to greater physical well-being. Another of these studies concludes “that forgiveness … is a liberating gift [that] people can give to themselves.”

Finding Forgiveness

It’s easy to talk about forgiving others, but it’s often harder to put into practice. Especially during times of grief and pain. Forgiveness is found in the company of faith. President Faust taught,

Forgiveness comes more readily when … we have faith in God and trust in His word. Such faith “enables people to withstand the worst of humanity. It also enables people to look beyond themselves. More importantly, it enables them to forgive.”

More than a decade ago, a gunman walked into an Amish schoolhouse and shot 10 girls, killing 5 of them, before killing himself. It was a senseless tragedy. But the Amish people reached out to the gunman’s widow and offered her and her family their forgiveness and love. President Faust said,

What can we all learn from such experiences as these? We need to recognize and acknowledge angry feelings. It will take humility to do this, but if we will get on our knees and ask Heavenly Father for a feeling of forgiveness, He will help us. The Lord requires us “to forgive all men” for our own good because “hatred retards spiritual growth.” Only as we rid ourselves of hatred and bitterness can the Lord put comfort into our hearts, just as He did for the Amish community.

It is a gift that we can extend to others at this Christmas season. Recently, I saw a person by whom I feel wronged. I bristled at the sight and realized that I still had animosity toward this person, and I need to forgive. President Faust continued,

Most of us need time to work through pain and loss. We can find all manner of reasons for postponing forgiveness. … Yet such a delay causes us to forfeit the peace and happiness that could be ours.

The Gift of Repentance

Along with the gift of forgiveness is the gift of repentance. While these may not seem like Christmas topics, they are among the reasons that Jesus Christ came to earth. He performed the Atonement, in part, to give us the ability to forgive others and be healed as well as to repent of the wrongs we have committed. As “no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven” (Alma 11:37), we would have no chance to return to live in the presence of our Heavenly Father without this gift. President Nelson explained,

This gift is not always well understood. As you know, the New Testament was originally written in the Greek language. In passages where the Savior calls upon people to repent, the word translated as “repent” is the Greek term metanoeo. This is a very powerful Greek verb. The prefix meta means “change.” We also use that prefix in English. For example, the word metamorphosis means “change in form or shape.” The suffix noeo relates to a Greek word that means “mind.” It also relates to other Greek words that mean “knowledge,” “spirit,” and “breath.”

 

Can we begin to see the breadth and depth of what the Lord is giving to us when He offers us the gift to repent? He invites us to change our minds, our knowledge, our spirit, even our breathing. For example, when we repent, we breathe with gratitude to God, who lends us breath from day to day. And we desire to use that breath in serving Him and His children. Repentance is a resplendent gift. It is a process never to be feared. It is a gift for us to receive with joy and to use—even embrace—day after day as we seek to become more like our Savior.

The Gift of Light

Jesus Christ also brought us the gift of light. From the star of Bethlehem to the bulbs on the tree, lights are a part of Christmas. Elder David A. Bednar taught,

Many of our memorable and enduring Christmas traditions include different kinds of lights—lights on trees, lights in and on our homes, candles on our tables. Indeed, light has significant meaning as we commemorate the humble birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. …

 

In the Old World, Jesus taught, “I am the light of the world.” And in the New World, the Savior descended from the heavens and declared, “I am the light and the life of the world.” In both of these settings, the words used by the Lord to describe Himself were “the light.”

Christmas lights bring so much sparkle and joy to the world at Christmas. But in times of tragedy, they light the way to peace. Elder Bednar continued,

… Jesus Christ is the “light which shineth in darkness.” In every season of our lives, in all of the circumstances we may encounter, and in each challenge we may face, the Savior is the light that dispels fear, provides assurance and direction, and engenders enduring peace and joy. May the beautiful lights of every Christmas season remind us of Him who is the source of all light.

The Gift of Peace

Above all, Jesus Christ brought to us the gift of peace. The Savior taught,

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27).

This doesn’t mean that we won’t have trials or tragedies. President Nelson said,

He can bring peace to those whose lives have been ravaged by war. Families disrupted by military duty bear memories of war, which in my mind were imbedded during the Korean War. …

 

Peace can come to those who are not feeling well. Some bodies are wounded. Others ache spiritually because of missing loved ones or other emotional trauma. … Peace can come to your soul as you build faith in the Prince of Peace. … Peace can come to one who suffers in sorrow. Peace can come to those whose labors are heavy. …

 

Peace can come to those who mourn. The Lord said, “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” As we endure the passing of a loved one, we can be filled with the peace of the Lord through the whisperings of the Spirit.

 

… Peace can come to all who earnestly seek the Prince of Peace.

Elder L. Whitney Clayton said,

The sweetest gift given at Christmas will always be the one our Savior Himself gave us: His perfect peace. …

 

Even in a world where peace seems far off, the Savior’s gift of peace can live in our hearts regardless of our circumstances. If we accept the Savior’s invitation to follow Him, lasting fear is forever banished. Our future has been secured. These are the “good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”

The Gift of Love and the Spirit of Christmas

The Savior’s gift of love to us is one that we can share with others at Christmastime. We find the real joy of the season as we make the Savior the focus of it. President Thomas S. Monson said,

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. His glorious gospel reshaped the thinking of the world. He lived for us, and He died for us. …

 

Our celebration of Christmas should be a reflection of the love and selflessness taught by the Savior. Giving, not getting, brings to full bloom the Christmas spirit. We feel more kindly one to another. We reach out in love to help those less fortunate. Our hearts are softened. Enemies are forgiven, friends remembered, and God obeyed. The spirit of Christmas illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world’s busy life and become more interested in people than in things. To catch the real meaning of the spirit of Christmas, we need only drop the last syllable, and it becomes the Spirit of Christ.

Unfortunately, life doesn’t stop because it’s Christmas. Tragedies don’t always wait until after the new year is over. But often, that is where we find the deeper meaning of Christmas. When, as Elder Holland said, we celebrate “not in the absence of hard days and long years…, but because of them.” Because we understand that the true joy of Christmas comes in the hope that the Christ child brought to the world.

English author Aldous Huxley wrote,

Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted [Aldous Huxley, Themes and Variations (1954), 66].

How true that statement is! I feel like I am frequently reminding my children to be grateful. But I need to set the example for them. President Thomas S. Monson said,

When we encounter challenges and problems in our lives, it is often difficult for us to focus on our blessings. However, if we reach deep enough and look hard enough, we will be able to feel and recognize just how much we have been given.

I need to live in thanksgiving daily, not just on turkey day. And it begins with remembering how many wonderful things I have in my life.

An Illuminating Thanksgiving

Our oven-less turkey day reminded me of a story about a young man whose most vivid Thanksgiving memory was a year for which his family seemingly had little to be grateful. The year started off well for the farm family. They even were able to install electricity in their home—with lights and an electric washing machine. (With four kids and a dog, I am very grateful for my electric washer and dryer…but I digress.)

But, said President Monson,

The coming of electricity to their farm was almost the last good thing that happened to them that year.

The family lost their crops to rains and had to sell most of their animals for low prices. When Thanksgiving came, his mother suggested they forget the holiday that year. But his father brought home a jackrabbit that morning and asked her to cook it. President Monson continued,

Grudgingly she started the job, indicating it would take a long time to cook that tough old thing. When it was finally on the table with some of the turnips that had survived, the children refused to eat. Gordon’s mother cried, and then his father did a strange thing. He went up to the attic, got an oil lamp, took it back to the table, and lighted it. He told the children to turn out the electric lights. When there was only the lamp again, they could hardly believe that it had been that dark before. They wondered how they had ever seen anything without the bright lights made possible by electricity. [Adapted from H. Gordon Green, “The Thanksgiving I Don’t Forget,” Reader’s Digest, Nov. 1956, 69–71.]

Sometimes it takes turning off the lights (or a burned-out oven element) for us to humble ourselves enough to see what we really have.

My Faith

I am very grateful for my faith. Faith has layers of meaning. It is my belief in Jesus Christ and His gospel, my membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (which is sometimes mistakenly called the Mormon Church) as well as the Church itself. But faith is not mysterious. The Church of Jesus Christ teaches that faith is

Confidence in something or someone. As most often used in the scriptures, faith is confidence and trust in Jesus Christ that lead a person to obey Him. Faith must be centered in Jesus Christ in order for it to lead a person to salvation. Latter-day Saints also have faith in God the Father, the Holy Ghost, priesthood power, and other important aspects of the restored gospel.

Elder Neil L. Andersen taught,

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is not something ethereal, floating loosely in the air. Faith does not fall upon us by chance or stay with us by birthright. It is, as the scriptures say, “substance …, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith emits a spiritual light, and that light is discernible. Faith in Jesus Christ is a gift from heaven that comes as we choose to believe and as we seek it and hold on to it. Your faith is either growing stronger or becoming weaker. Faith is a principle of power, important not only in this life but also in our progression beyond the veil. By the grace of Christ, we will one day be saved through faith on His name. The future of your faith is not by chance, but by choice.

Faith is one of the things that helps me get through the tough times. Faith that everything will work out—and that, eventually, the tough times will end.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

I’m grateful for my parents and others who have taught me the gospel of Jesus Christ, for which I am also grateful. According to The Church of Jesus Christ,

The gospel is our Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness. The central doctrine of the gospel is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The Prophet Joseph Smith said, “The first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Articles of Faith 1:4).

 

In its fulness, the gospel includes all the doctrines, principles, laws, ordinances, and covenants necessary for us to be exalted in the celestial kingdom. The Savior has promised that if we endure to the end, faithfully living the gospel, He will hold us guiltless before the Father at the Final Judgment (see 3 Nephi 27:16).

The gospel of Jesus Christ provides a road map for me to follow that will bring me closer to my Savior. President Dallin H. Oaks said,

It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become.

In following this plan and obeying the laws and partaking of the ordinances of the gospel, I find true happiness. Happiness that transcends the dark days and allows me to find joy no matter what is going on around me.

My Savior and Redeemer

Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. He overcame the world and atoned for our sins and sorrows—for my sins, my sorrows, my heartbreak, my ingratitude and shortcomings. The times when I fall short because I’m human. I am grateful for such a loving, personable and divine Elder Brother who gave His life and love for a wretched sinner like me. Some days I feel that I fully understand the meaning of that line in “Amazing Grace.” Elder M. Russell Ballard said,

There is no greater expression of love than the heroic Atonement performed by the Son of God. Were it not for the plan of our Heavenly Father, established before the world began, in a very real sense, all mankind—past, present, and future—would have been left without the hope of eternal progression. As a result of Adam’s transgression, mortals were separated from God (see Rom. 6:23) and would be forever unless a way was found to break the bands of death. This would not be easy, for it required the vicarious sacrifice of one who was sinless and who could therefore take upon Himself the sins of all mankind.

Thankfully, Jesus Christ courageously fulfilled this sacrifice in ancient Jerusalem. There in the quiet isolation of the Garden of Gethsemane, He knelt among the gnarled olive trees, and in some incredible way that none of us can fully comprehend, the Savior took upon Himself the sins of the world. Even though His life was pure and free of sin, He paid the ultimate penalty for sin—yours, mine, and everyone who has ever lived. … Without the Atonement of the Lord, none of these blessings would be available to us, and we could not become worthy and prepared to return to dwell in the presence of God.

My Family

Latter-day Saints believe in families. President Boyd K. Packer taught,

Marriage, the family, and the home are the foundation of the Church. Nothing is more important to the Church and to civilization itself than the family!

I love my family. Not just my husband and children but my parents, siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins as well as my parents-in-law, siblings-in-law and the rest. None of us is perfect, but we love and support each other. These relationships don’t just happen. They take work. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf said,

We build deep and loving family relationships by doing simple things together, like family dinner and family home evening and by just having fun together. In family relationships love is really spelled t-i-m-e, time. Taking time for each other is the key for harmony at home. We talk with, rather than about, each other. We learn from each other, and we appreciate our differences as well as our commonalities. We establish a divine bond with each other as we approach God together through family prayer, gospel study, and Sunday worship.

I appreciate the time and effort that my parents put in to teach their eight children the importance of being friends as well as siblings. My mom told us—and now we tell our kids—that our friends would come and go but our brothers and sisters would be friends for life. And they are.

My husband and his family share the same bonds of love and friendship because of their parents. I have never felt like an outsider in his family, and my family loved my husband from the first time they met—which was before he and I were even together. This is from the culture of love created by both my parents and his, and it lives on in the next generations.

Mothers

My mother instilled in me a love of motherhood and children. She loves being a mother, a grandmother and now a great-grandmother. I am grateful for her example—and that of my mother-in-law. And I am grateful for the opportunity that I have to be a wife and a mother. I love my husband and our children. Of mothers, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said,

… No love in mortality comes closer to approximating the pure love of Jesus Christ than the selfless love a devoted mother has for her child.

 

… It is not only that they bear us, but they continue bearing with us. It is not only the prenatal carrying but the lifelong carrying that makes mothering such a staggering feat. Of course, there are heartbreaking exceptions, but most mothers know intuitively, instinctively that this is a sacred trust of the highest order. The weight of that realization, especially on young maternal shoulders, can be very daunting.

Motherhood is a gift that keeps me on my toes as I try to do right by my children. I have fallen short at times, too many to even count. I learn so much from them. I love seeing how four little people can be so alike and so different at the same time. And I love watching them grow and learn as they blossom into young men and women. To mothers—especially young mothers, Elder Holland said,

Do the best you can through these years, but whatever else you do, cherish that role that is so uniquely yours and for which heaven itself sends angels to watch over you and your little ones.

I do cherish my little ones, who aren’t so little anymore. I wonder where the time has gone, but I am so grateful that I get to be here with them.

Serving Others

It seems like I am always busy. With responsibilities at church, school, working part-time and kids, I have a lot to do. I’m not complaining, I’m really grateful that I can serve. I love being at the school. I love helping others. And I hope to set the example of service for my children. In doing so, I hope to fulfill the admonition of the Savior to love one another. Elder Uchtdorf taught,

In God’s kingdom, greatness and leadership means seeing others as they truly are—as God sees them—and then reaching out and ministering to them. It means rejoicing with those who are happy, weeping with those who grieve, lifting up those in distress, and loving our neighbor as Christ loves us. The Savior loves all of God’s children regardless of their socioeconomic circumstance, race, religion, language, political orientation, nationality, or any other grouping. And so should we!

 

God’s greatest reward goes to those who serve without expectation of reward. It goes to those who serve without fanfare; those who quietly go about seeking ways to help others; those who minister to others simply because they love God and God’s children.

To me, it means helping out where there is a need—at school, at church or in the community. To me, serving others is a sign of gratitude for all that I have been given.

Living in Thanksgiving Daily

There are so many more things for which I am grateful, it’s hard to limit. But that is how gratitude is—once we get started, it’s difficult to stop. At least, when we are able to see things through the lens of gratitude. Elder Uchtdorf taught,

It is easy to be grateful for things when life seems to be going our way. But what then of those times when what we wish for seems to be far out of reach?

 

Could I suggest that we see gratitude as a disposition, a way of life that stands independent of our current situation? In other words, I’m suggesting that instead of being thankful for things, we focus on being thankful in our circumstances—whatever they may be. …

 

This type of gratitude transcends whatever is happening around us.

We need to make gratitude a way of life. President Monson said,

… To express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven.

Elder Uchtdorf continued,

Being grateful in times of distress does not mean that we are pleased with our circumstances. It does mean that through the eyes of faith we look beyond our present-day challenges.

 

This is not a gratitude of the lips but of the soul. It is a gratitude that heals the heart and expands the mind.

Having a spirit of gratitude won’t take away the frustrations or get my oven fixed any faster, but it helps me to see the past them. To the good times with my husband and kids. To the stove top, crock pots and roaster with which to cook. To the Savior and His teachings. To all of the blessings I enjoy—and the gratitude that allows me to “live in thanksgiving daily” (Alma 34:38).

But President Russell M. Nelson and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who are the governing body of said Church, feel the need to clarify. President Nelson said in a statement,

The Lord has impressed upon my mind the importance of the name He has revealed for His Church, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We have work before us to bring ourselves in harmony with His will. In recent weeks, various Church leaders and departments have initiated the necessary steps to do so.

Thus, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is launching a major effort to use the full and proper names of the Church rather than nicknames or abbreviations. This will be no small task, especially given the popular “I’m a Mormon” campaign, the famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the sites mormon.org and mormonnewsroom.org. How will the Church enact these changes? I don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see.

Why would the Church embark on such a monumental effort as this? Well, it’s all about what’s in a name.

What’s In a Name?

Names can convey powerful meaning. For example, my oldest son is named Benjamin. I don’t call him Ben—Ben was the name of my dog growing up, and I did not name my son after the dog. Benji is the name of a TV dog. And again, my kid isn’t named after an animal, so I don’t use that nickname. I’ll sometimes call him Benja, because that’s what his little brother called him before he could say the full “Benjamin.” I am very particular about what I call my son—and all of my children. They were given names that held special meaning for me and my husband. And we have taught our children what their names mean and why they were chosen.

The same is true for the Savior and His Church. He was very specific with His modern-day prophets about what to name His Church. The Savior said,

For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Doctrine and Covenants 115:4).

Why did the Lord give a nine-word name to His Church in the modern days? Elder Russell M. Ballard explained,

It may seem long, but if we think of it as a descriptive overview of what the Church is, it suddenly becomes wonderfully brief, candid, and straightforward. How could any description be more direct and clear and yet expressed in such few words? …

 

The name the Savior has given to His Church tells us exactly who we are and what we believe. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior and the Redeemer of the world. He atoned for all who would repent of their sins, and He broke the bands of death and provided the resurrection from the dead. We follow Jesus Christ.

The Name of the Church

When we break apart the nine-word name of the Church, it is amazingly simple yet descriptive. Elder Ballard explained,

The word The indicates the unique position of the restored Church among the religions of the world.

 

The words Church of Jesus Christ declare that it is His Church. …

 

Of Latter-day explains that it is the same Church as the Church that Jesus Christ established during His mortal ministry but restored in these latter days. We know there was a falling away, or an apostasy, necessitating the Restoration of His true and complete Church in our time.

 

Saints means that its members follow Him and strive to do His will, keep His commandments, and prepare once again to live with Him and our Heavenly Father in the future. Saint simply refers to those who seek to make their lives holy by covenanting to follow Christ.

Thus, this is the restored Church of Jesus Christ in the modern days, with the same purpose and organization. Elder D. Todd Christofferson said,

Following the apostasy and disintegration of the Church He had organized while on the earth, the Lord reestablished the Church of Jesus Christ once again through the Prophet Joseph Smith. The ancient purpose remains: that is, to preach the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ and administer the ordinances of salvation—in other words, to bring people to Christ.

What’s In a Nickname?

The prophet Mormon, for whom the Book of Mormon was named, abridging the gold plates.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members have many nicknames. And while these may not be inherently bad, they are not as accurate as the official name of the Church and can be confusing. For example, many people have heard of the Mormons and the Mormon Church but don’t know how they got the nickname. Elder Ballard explained,

Our members have been called Mormons because we believe in the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Others may try to use the word Mormon more broadly to include and refer to those who have left the Church and formed various splinter groups. Such use only leads to confusion. We are grateful for the efforts of the media to refrain from using the word Mormon in a way that may cause the public to confuse the Church with polygamists or other fundamentalist groups. Let me state clearly that no polygamist group, including those calling themselves fundamentalist Mormons or other derivatives of our name, has any affiliation whatsoever with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Savior Himself gave another reason for not using nicknames. He taught,

And how be it my church save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses’ name then it be Moses’ church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel (3 Nephi 27:8).

Thus, if it is called the Mormon Church, then it’s Mormon’s church. But Latter-day Saints do not follow Mormon, we follow Jesus Christ. Hence, The Church of Jesus Christ.

The Foundation of the Gospel

The name of the Church lays the foundation for talking about what the gospel is—the doctrines and teachings of Jesus Christ. Elder Christofferson said,

Jesus Himself defined that doctrine in these words recorded in the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ:

 

“This is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me.

 

“And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God.

 

“And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned.

 

“… And whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost. …

 

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them” (3 Nephi 11:32–35, 39).

 

This is our message, the rock upon which we build, the foundation of everything else in the Church. Like all that comes from God, this doctrine is pure, it is clear, it is easy to understand—even for a child. With glad hearts, we invite all to receive it.

Thus, it is The Church of Jesus Christ.

Modern Revelation

The name also conveys our belief in modern revelation. After the death of the Twelve Apostles in the New Testament, the fulness of the gospel, along with the power and authority of the priesthood, were taken from the earth. The only way to restore Christ’s Church was through revelation. Elder Ballard taught,

One of the most extraordinary events in the history of mankind occurred on a spring day in 1820 when Joseph Smith Jr. went into a grove of trees near his home to ask God for direction, light, and truth. As he knelt in humble, sincere prayer, according to his own account of the event: “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!”

 

At that moment, the world became a different place. The heavens, long silent, were once again opened, and revealed light and truth poured forth, that eventually resulted in the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints upon the earth.

Through revelation, the Lord restored His power, priesthood and the ordinances and covenants of the gospel. The Lord continues to lead His Church by revelation to His prophets. We, also, can receive personal revelation. President Nelson said,

The Prophet Joseph Smith set a pattern for us to follow in resolving our questions. … Find a quiet place where you can regularly go. Humble yourself before God. Pour out your heart to your Heavenly Father. Turn to Him for answers and for comfort.

Latter-day Saints

Disciples of Christ have been called Saints for centuries. When we are baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ, we make a covenant to take His name upon ourselves. We covenant that we will obey His commandments and follow Him, as did the Saints in ancient days. Just as it is not as accurate to call the Church Mormon’s church, it is not accurate to call members Mormons, because we do not take Mormon’s name upon ourselves. Thus, members are called Latter-day Saints, or followers of Jesus Christ in the modern days. President Nelson taught,

Despite its use in ninety-eight verses of the Bible, the term saint is still not well understood. Some mistakenly think that it implies beatification or perfection. Not so! A saint is a believer in Christ and knows of His perfect love. The giving saint shares in a true spirit of that love, and the receiving saint accepts in a true spirit of gratitude. …

A saint, then, is a disciple of Christ. What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ? Elder Robert D. Hales explained,

… A disciple is one who has been baptized and is willing to take upon him or her the name of the Savior and follow Him. A disciple strives to become as He is by keeping His commandments in mortality, much the same as an apprentice seeks to become like his or her master.

 

Many people hear the word disciple and think it means only “follower.” But genuine discipleship is a state of being. This suggests more than studying and applying a list of individual attributes. Disciples live so that the characteristics of Christ are woven into the fiber of their beings, as into a spiritual tapestry.

Why Now?

Some may wonder why the Church has chosen now to make these changes? While it may seem sudden, it’s not really. The prophets and apostles have discussed the need to use the proper name of The Church of Jesus Christ for years.

Back in 2011, Elder Ballard said,

A recent opinion poll indicated that far too many people still do not understand correctly that Mormon refers to members of our Church. And a majority of people are still not sure that Mormons are Christian. Even when they read of our Helping Hands work throughout the world in response to hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and famines, they do not associate our humanitarian efforts with us as a Christian organization. Surely it would be easier for them to understand that we believe in and follow the Savior if we referred to ourselves as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In this way those who hear the name Mormon will come to associate that word with our revealed name and with people who follow Jesus Christ.

Similar statements have been made for many years. But as to the official declaration, President Nelson said,

We know that it’s going to be a challenge to undo tradition of more than a hundred years. The Lord has told us what His Church shall be called. So, we’re not changing names, we’re correcting a name. …

 

We have to be careful to protect the name ‘Mormon.’ The media will think that we are tossing it out. We aren’t. We just want to be accurate. Mormon was a man. He was a prophet. He was a writer, a record keeper. We honor him and treasure the book that bears his name. We’re talking about the name of the Church.

Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it (History of the Church, 5:134).

But what does that mean? What does living after the manner of happiness look like—especially for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

Defining Happiness

The first question to ask (and answer) is what is happiness? Let’s begin by talking about what happiness is not. I know, it sounds like a weird place to start. But it’s important. Because in today’s world happiness has become confused with pleasure. President James E. Faust explained,

Pleasure, unlike happiness, is that which pleases us or gives us gratification. Usually, it endures for only a short time. As President McKay once said, “You may get that transitory pleasure, yes, but you cannot find joy, you cannot find happiness. Happiness is found only along that well-beaten track, narrow as it is, though straight, which leads to life eternal” (Conference Report, October 1919, 180).

 

We are enticed daily to pursue worldly pleasures that may divert us from the path to happiness. But the path to true and lasting happiness is, repeating the Prophet Joseph Smith’s words, “virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God” (Teachings, 255–56).

We also equate happiness with getting what we want. This, also, is not true. President Faust said,

Having lived quite a few years now, I have concluded that since we don’t always desire that which is good, having all our desires granted to us would not bring us happiness (see Alma 41:3–7). In fact, instant and unrestrained gratification of all our desires would be the shortest and most direct route to unhappiness. The many hours I have spent listening to the tribulations of men and women have persuaded me that both happiness and unhappiness are much of our own making. …

So, then, what is happiness? Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary defines happiness:

: a state of well-being and contentment :  joy

Happiness isn’t something tangible that you can hold onto. It’s a state of being.

The Quest for Happiness

The quest for happiness is really the quest of a lifetime and the purpose of our existence here on earth. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said,

This is not a new quest. It has been one of the fundamental pursuits of humankind through the ages of time. … So how do we “pursue” happiness …? Well, we know one thing for sure: happiness is not easy to find running straight for it. It is usually too elusive, too ephemeral, too subtle. If you haven’t learned it already, you will learn in the years ahead that most times happiness comes to us when we least expect it, when we are busy doing something else. Happiness is almost always a by-product of some other endeavor.

Indeed, President Faust taught,

Although men are “that they might have joy” (2 Nephi 2:25), this does not mean that our lives will be filled only with joy, “for it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things” (2 Nephi 2:11). Happiness is not given to us in a package that we can just open up and consume. Nobody is ever happy 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Rather than thinking in terms of a day, we perhaps need to snatch happiness in little pieces, learning to recognize the elements of happiness and then treasuring them while they last.

The scriptures teach us that if we were happy all the time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, then happiness wouldn’t mean that much to us. It is in the opposition that we find true happiness. (See 2 Nephi 2:11.) The quest for true happiness begins with how we live.

Obedience to God’s Commandments

There are no two ways about it. Happiness in life is only found in obedience to the commandments of God. The Book of Mormon teaches,

Do not suppose … that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness (Alma 41:10).

Elder Holland explained,

Above all else, ultimate happiness, true peace, and anything even remotely close to scriptural joy are found first, foremost, and forever in living the gospel of Jesus Christ. Lots of other philosophies and systems of belief have been tried. Indeed, it seems safe to say that virtually every other philosophy and system has been tried down through the centuries of history. But when the Apostle Thomas asked the Lord the question young people often ask today, “How can we know the way?”—which for many translates, “How can we know the way to be happy?”—Jesus gave the answer that rings from eternity to all eternity:

 

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. …

 

“And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do. …

 

“If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it” (John 14:5–6, 13–14).

 

What a promise! Live my way, live my truth, live my life—live in this manner that I am showing you and teaching you—and whatsoever you ask will be given, whatsoever you seek you will find, including happiness. Parts of the blessing may come soon, parts may come later, and parts may not come until heaven, but they will come—all of them. What encouragement that is after a mournful Monday or a tearful Tuesday or a weary Wednesday! And it is a promise the realization of which cannot come any other way than by devotion to eternal truth!

Finding Eternal Truths

If the path to happiness includes obedience to God’s commandments, then it’s imperative that we know what those are and where to find them. Elder Robert D. Hales taught,

The holy scriptures are the word of God given to us for our salvation. The scriptures are essential in receiving a testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel. …

 

As with voices from the dust, the prophets of the Lord cry out to us on earth today: take hold of the scriptures! Cling to them, walk by them, live by them, rejoice in them, feast on them. Don’t nibble. They are “the power of God unto salvation” that lead us back to our Savior Jesus Christ.

 

If the Savior were among us in the flesh today, He would teach us from the scriptures as He taught when He walked upon the earth.

 

… When we want to speak to God, we pray. And when we want Him to speak to us, we search the scriptures; for His words are spoken through His prophets. He will then teach us as we listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

We also learn the truths of the gospel through our modern-day prophets and Apostles of Jesus Christ. If we follow their counsel, we will find the happiness that we seek.

Happiness is a Choice

Life is all about making choices, and happiness is one of them. President Faust explained,

That inner peace spoken of by the Savior seems elusive when we are preoccupied with things we have or things we wish we had. In a time when we are both obsessed and consumed with the possession and the acquisition of objects, the counsel of Moses seems more needed than ever: “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, . . . nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s” (Exodus 20:17).

We choose the desires of our hearts. And if those desires are not righteous or are contingent upon something acquired, then we run the risk of always waiting for the when—when I get married I’ll be happy… when I have kids I’ll be happy… when I have my car I’ll be happy… when I pay off my car I’ll be happy. The problem with those is that with the joy and happiness also comes the realities of life. When I get married I have to learn to work together with my husband. When I have kids I have to figure out how to raise them right. When I pay off my car, it’ll probably be time to buy a new one. As Elder Holland said,

Happiness comes first by what comes into your head a long time before it comes into your hand.

It’s important to choose to be happy and grateful for what God has given to us—both the good and the bad. Because most of the time, they are so intertwined that you wouldn’t trade any of it. We learn from our mistakes and our trials, and they make us that much more grateful for the blessings and the good times.

Choosing Kindness

Being kind and pleasant even—and especially—during the hard times is also a choice that we make. Elder Quentin L. Cook taught,

The Savior’s charge to His disciples to love one another…is one of the most poignant and beautiful episodes from the last days of His mortal life.

 

He was not teaching a simple class in ethical behavior. This was the Son of God pleading with His Apostles and all disciples who would come after them to remember and follow this most central of His teachings. How we relate and interact with each other is a measure of our willingness to follow Jesus Christ.

When we choose to be kind and pleasant and reach out to help others in the face of our own personal adversity, it is a sign of our true devotion to Jesus Christ. It will also help us to stay on the true path to happiness. We cannot be truly happy if we are unkind to others. Elder Holland said,

You can never build your happiness on someone else’s unhappiness.

 

Sometimes, maybe especially when we are young and insecure and trying to make our way up in the world, we think if we can tear someone else down a little, it will somehow miraculously lift us up. That is what bullying is. That is what catty remarks are. That is what arrogance and superficiality and exclusiveness are. Perhaps we think if we are negative enough or cynical enough or just plain mean enough, then expectations won’t be too high; we can keep everyone down to a flaw-filled level, and therefore our flaws won’t be so glaring.

 

Happy people aren’t negative or cynical or mean…. If my life has taught me anything, it is that kindness and pleasantness and faith-based optimism are characteristics of happy people.

Learn to Work

While work and happiness may seem like strange bedfellows, they are indeed inextricably linked. Elder Holland counseled,

If you want to be happy in school or on a mission or at a job or in a marriage—work at it. Learn to work. Serve diligently. Don’t be idle and mischievous. A homespun definition of Christlike character might be the integrity to do the right thing at the right time in the right way. Don’t be idle. Don’t be wasteful. … Be industrious and labor, including laboring for and serving others—one of the truly great keys to true happiness.

President Gordon B. Hinckley taught,

There is no substitute under the heavens for productive labor. It is the process by which dreams become realities. It is the process by which idle visions become dynamic achievements.

 

Most of us are inherently lazy. We would rather play than work. We would rather loaf than work. A little play and a little loafing are good. But it is work that spells the difference in the life of a man or woman. It is stretching our minds and utilizing the skills of our hands that lift us from mediocrity. It is work that provides the food we eat, the clothing we wear, the homes in which we live. We cannot deny the need for work with skilled hands and educated minds if we are to grow and prosper individually and if our nation is to stand tall before the world (from Ensign, Aug. 1992, 4).

You find inherent joy and satisfaction in a job well done.

Finding Joy in Service

Work not only benefits us, but we can also use it to benefit others. President Hinckley continued,

The best antidote I know for worry is work. The best medicine for despair is service. The best cure for weariness is the challenge of helping someone who is even more tired.

We can find great moments of peace and joy in these times of selfless service—by losing ourselves in the service of others. President Faust said,

Many speak these days about the rights of consumers to enjoy products that are “free, perfect, and now”—that is, at low cost, with no defects, and immediate service. The problem is that too many of us try to consume happiness rather than generate it. Shakespeare expressed a philosophy in As You Like It that seems commendable: “I am a true labourer: I earn that I eat, get that I wear; owe no man hate, envy no man’s happiness; glad of other men’s good” (As You Like It, 3.2.65–67).

 

Earning what we eat will make us self-sufficient, but giving back a little by helping our neighbor or our fellow students will bring us something more. For example, if you deliver to an atomic energy breeder reactor the energy of three truckloads of fuel, it will return the energy of four or maybe five truckloads of fuel. Happiness, like the breeder reactor, adds and multiplies as we divide it with others.

Remembering Repentance

The best path to true happiness is to avoid sin and transgression. Elder Holland taught,

… You [must] reject transgression in order to live consistent with the nature of God, which is the nature of true happiness. … You can’t find it any other way.

But sometimes we make mistakes. Sometimes we do things that cause hurt, anger and frustrations for others. Sometimes we sin. We are all human. But a loving Heavenly Father knew that we would falter and prepared a way for us to get back on track—repentance. Elder Neil L. Anderson said,

When we sin, we turn away from God. When we repent, we turn back toward God.

 

The invitation to repent is rarely a voice of chastisement but rather a loving appeal to turn around and to “re-turn” toward God. It is the beckoning of a loving Father and His Only Begotten Son to be more than we are, to reach up to a higher way of life, to change, and to feel the happiness of keeping the commandments. Being disciples of Christ, we rejoice in the blessing of repenting and the joy of being forgiven. They become part of us, shaping the way we think and feel.

 

I am amazed at the Savior’s encircling arms of mercy and love for the repentant, no matter how selfish the forsaken sin.

Living After the ‘Manner of Happiness’

Happiness is the pursuit of our lifetime, the ultimate quest of mortality. That doesn’t mean that life will always be a bed of roses—well, it might. Roses are beautiful, but you can’t escape the thorns. And there are times when they lie dormant and aren’t so pretty. When we moved into our old house about six years ago, there were ugly, scraggly, thorny bushes lining the front walkway. I really wanted my husband to pull them out, but we went out of town soon after moving in. That was going to be our summer project. But when we returned home, the ugly bushes had grown leaves and beautiful blossoms of flowers—roses and peonies. Had we taken the time to pull out the bushes, we would have missed out on years of enjoying the flowers.

You can’t have the beauty without the thorns and the ugly dead season. You have to put in the work and stay on the path to find true happiness. Elder Holland said,

… Your best chance for being happy is to do the things that happy people do, live the way happy people live, and walk the path that happy people walk. As you do so, your chances to find joy in unexpected moments, to find peace in unexpected places, and to find the help of angels when you didn’t even know they knew you existed improve exponentially.

Living after the manner of happiness doesn’t mean that life will be free of challenges. It just means that when the rain comes and winds howl, we can have faith that the Lord will look out for us—and we might just find a rainbow after the storm has passed. We just need to look out for it.

We live in a time of great wickedness. What will protect us from the sin and evil of the world today?

Those answers are found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. But there is a caveat. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said,

One of the ways Satan wants us to manipulate others is by dwelling upon and even exaggerating the evil in the world.

These seemingly unrelated and contradictory quotes are actually two parts to a whole perspective on navigating the world today. President Monson said,

I maintain that a strong testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and of His gospel will help see us through to safety.

We need to understand what is going on in the world today without becoming bogged down with fear in having to deal with it. We need to arm ourselves with the knowledge of the gospel and face the future with faith rather than fear. So how do we do that?

The World Today

We first need to understand where the world is headed and why. One reason that our world is in chaos is that more people are losing their moral compasses. Elder Dallin H. Oaks warned,

It is well to worry about our moral foundation. We live in a world where more and more persons of influence are teaching and acting out a belief that there is no absolute right and wrong, that all authority and all rules of behavior are man-made choices that can prevail over the commandments of God. Many even question whether there is a God.

 

The philosophy of moral relativism, which holds that each person is free to choose for himself what is right and wrong, is becoming the unofficial creed for many in America and other Western nations. At the extreme level, evil acts that used to be localized and covered up like a boil are now legalized and paraded like a banner. Persuaded by this philosophy, many of the rising generation—youth and young adults—are caught up in self-serving pleasures, pagan painting and piercing of body parts, foul language, revealing attire, pornography, dishonesty, and degrading sexual indulgence.

 

On the foundation belief in right and wrong, there is an alarming contrast between the older and the younger generations. According to survey data of two decades ago, “79 percent of American adults [believed] that ‘there are clear guidelines about what’s good and evil that apply to everyone regardless of the situation.’” In contrast, a more recent poll of college seniors suggests that “three-quarters of [them] believe that the difference between right and wrong is relative.”

This moral relativism, where indulgence is praised and restraint is frowned upon, is a shaky foundation with no absolutes, just opinion. The next question to answer is why is this happening?

The Fate of the World

Although there are various answers to this question, the simplest answer is that the world is headed toward the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and these events are a fulfillment of prophecies concerning our day. Elder Oaks explained,

The scriptures are rich in references to the Second Coming, an event eagerly awaited by the righteous and dreaded or denied by the wicked. …

 

Four matters are indisputable to Latter-day Saints: (1) The Savior will return to the earth in power and great glory to reign personally during a millennium of righteousness and peace. (2) At the time of His coming there will be a destruction of the wicked and a resurrection of the righteous. (3) No one knows the time of His coming, but (4) the faithful are taught to study the signs of it and to be prepared for it.

 

… These signs of the Second Coming are all around us and seem to be increasing in frequency and intensity.

What the signs point to is an escalation of the war between God and Satan, good and evil. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught,

… Satan … is real, the very personification of evil. His motives are in every case malicious. … He is eternally opposed to the love of God, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and the work of peace and salvation. He will fight against these whenever and wherever he can. He knows he will be defeated and cast out in the end, but he is determined to take down with him as many others as he possibly can.

While this seems ominous, the knowledge of who Satan is and what he is trying to do gives us power. Elder Richard G. Scott said,

Despite pockets of evil, the world overall is majestically beautiful, filled with many good and sincere people. God has provided a way to live in this world and not be contaminated by the degrading pressures evil agents spread throughout it.

A Sure Foundation

The gospel of Jesus Christ provides a sure foundation for navigating these turbulent times and changing philosophies. Bishop Dean M. Davies taught,

… Our loving and kind Father in Heaven and His Son have prepared plans, tools, and other resources for our use so that we can build and frame our lives to be sure and unshaken. The plan is the plan of salvation, the great plan of happiness. The plan lays out for us a clear picture and understanding of the beginning and the end and the essential steps, including ordinances, which are necessary for each of Father’s children to be able to return to His presence and dwell with Him forever.

 

Faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end are part of the “blueprints” of life. They help to form the appropriate building blocks that will anchor our lives to the Atonement of Christ. These shape and frame the supporting structure of a person’s life. Then, just as temple plans have specifications that give detailed instructions about how to form and integrate essential components, praying, reading the scriptures, partaking of the sacrament, and receiving essential priesthood ordinances become the “specifications” that help integrate and bind together the structure of life.

We find the building blocks to this foundation in the words of God’s holy prophets found not only in the scriptures but also in the modern days.

The Fear Factor

When we start laying the foundation of our faith, it’s important to understand the fear factor. President Uchtdorf said,

… Let us address the problem with fear. After all, who among us has never been compelled by fear to eat better, wear a seat belt, exercise more, save money, or even repent of sin?

 

It is true that fear can have a powerful influence over our actions and behavior. But that influence tends to be temporary and shallow. Fear rarely has the power to change our hearts, and it will never transform us into people who love what is right and who want to obey Heavenly Father.

 

People who are fearful may say and do the right things, but they do not feel the right things. They often feel helpless and resentful, even angry. Over time these feelings lead to mistrust, defiance, even rebellion.

Thus, fear is not a foundation of faith. We must understand the world but not fear it. Likewise, we must understand the truths of the gospel and follow them because we want to—not because we’re afraid of what might happen if we don’t. The Lord doesn’t want us to fear Him, He wants us to have faith in Him. That is His way. President Uchtdorf continued,

The more I come to know my Heavenly Father, the more I see how He inspires and leads His children. He is not angry, vengeful, or retaliatory. His very purpose—His work and His glory—is to mentor us, exalt us, and lead us to His fulness. …

Does this mean that God condones or overlooks behaviors that run contrary to His commands? No, definitely not!

 

But He wants to change more than just our behaviors. He wants to change our very natures. He wants to change our hearts.

Love—The Better Way

God wants to change our very natures. So how does He seek to motivate us? President Uchtdorf explained,

He wants us to reach out and take firm hold of the iron rod, confront our fears, and bravely step forward and upward along the strait and narrow path. He wants this for us because He loves us and because this is the way to happiness.

 

So, how does God motivate His children to follow Him in our day?

He sent His Son!

God sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to show us the right way.

God motivates through persuasion, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, and love unfeigned. God is on our side. He loves us, and when we stumble, He wants us to rise up, try again, and become stronger.

Our Heavenly Father seeks to motivate us with love—and love is what He seeks in return. It is the first and great commandment. But why? President Uchtdorf taught,

God the Eternal Father did not give that first great commandment because He needs us to love Him. His power and glory are not diminished should we disregard, deny, or even defile His name. His influence and dominion extend through time and space independent of our acceptance, approval, or admiration.

 

No, God does not need us to love Him. But oh, how we need to love God!

 

For what we love determines what we seek.

 

What we seek determines what we think and do.

 

What we think and do determines who we are—and who we will become.

And our goal should be to become like our Heavenly Father, for that is His plan for us.

Foundation of Knowledge

Love is God’s motivator for us, but knowledge is the tool to help us understand why. Latter-day Saints believe that God’s plan of salvation teaches us where we came from, why we’re here and where we’re going after we die. It also teaches us the tools that Heavenly Father has given us to get where He wants us to go. It explains why there is a right and a wrong—and what difference it makes in our lives. Elder Robert D. Hales taught,

In a premortal council, Heavenly Father explained to us His plan of redemption. The plan was based on doctrine, law, and principles that have always existed. We learned that if we accepted and followed the plan, we would be required to willingly leave our Father’s presence and be tested to show whether we would choose to live according to His laws and commandments. We rejoiced at this opportunity and gratefully sustained the plan because it offered us the way to become like our Heavenly Father and inherit eternal life.

 

But the plan was not without risk: if we chose in mortality not to live according to God’s eternal laws, we would receive something less than eternal life. Father knew we would stumble and sin as we learned by experience in mortality, so He provided a Savior to redeem from sin all who repent and to heal the spiritual and emotional wounds of those who obey.

 

Jesus Christ was the Father’s beloved, chosen, and foreordained Son from the beginning. He sustained the Father’s plan and offered to be our Savior, saying, “Here am I, send me.” Thus, Jesus was appointed by the Father to be the One to live a sinless life in mortality, atone for our sins and afflictions, and be resurrected to break the bands of death.

The Power of Choice

One of the basic tenets of God’s plan for us is the power to choose for ourselves. President Monson said,

Scarcely an hour of the day goes by but what we are called upon to make choices of one sort or another. Some are trivial, some more far-reaching. Some will make no difference in the eternal scheme of things, and others will make all the difference.

We are here in this life, in fact, to learn how to choose between good and evil. President Monson continued,

We know that we had our agency before this world was and that Lucifer attempted to take it from us. He had no confidence in the principle of agency or in us and argued for imposed salvation. He insisted that with his plan none would be lost, but he seemed not to recognize—or perhaps not to care—that in addition, none would be any wiser, any stronger, any more compassionate, or any more grateful if his plan were followed.

 

We who chose the Savior’s plan knew that we would be embarking on a precarious, difficult journey, for we walk the ways of the world and sin and stumble, cutting us off from our Father. But the Firstborn in the Spirit offered Himself as a sacrifice to atone for the sins of all. Through unspeakable suffering He became the great Redeemer, the Savior of all mankind, thus making possible our successful return to our Father.

Our Heavenly Father knew that Lucifer—who is Satan—would tempt us and try to get us to make wrong choices. But through His Son, He offered us a way back. This is called repentance.

Repentance

Our Heavenly Father has given us the gift of repentance. But what is this? Elder Dale G. Renlund explained,

The word repent connotes “to perceive afterwards” and implies “change.” In Swedish, the word is omvänd, which simply means “to turn around.” The Christian writer C. S. Lewis wrote about the need and the method for change. He noted that repentance involves “being put back on the right road. A wrong sum can be put right,” he said, “but only by going back till you find the error and working it afresh from that point, never by simply going on.” Changing our behavior and returning to the “right road” are part of repentance, but only part. Real repentance also includes a turning of our heart and will to God and a renunciation of sin. As explained in Ezekiel, to repent is to “turn from … sin, … do that which is lawful and right; … restore the pledge, … [and] walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity.”

 

Yet even this is an incomplete description. It does not properly identify the power that makes repentance possible, the atoning sacrifice of our Savior. Real repentance must involve faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, faith that He can change us, faith that He can forgive us, and faith that He will help us avoid more mistakes. …

Repentance, then, is a choice to change our hearts and realign ourselves with the Savior.

Our Motivation

This is where the importance of our motivation comes in. Are we making our choices based on fear or faith? Are we choosing to obey God’s commandments because we love Him? Are we ignoring the commandments because we’re afraid of what others might think of us? True repentance requires that we turn our hearts back to the Savior and His commandments. That we decide to do what’s right because we love God and want to be like Him. As we do so, we become a disciple of Jesus Christ. Elder Hales taught,

Many people hear the word disciple and think it means only “follower.” But genuine discipleship is a state of being. This suggests more than studying and applying a list of individual attributes. Disciples live so that the characteristics of Christ are woven into the fiber of their beings, as into a spiritual tapestry.

As we become more Christlike in our behavior and actions, our faith replaces our fears. President Uchtdorf said,

We are, therefore, not ignorant of the challenges of the world, nor are we unaware of the difficulties of our times. But this does not mean that we should burden ourselves or others with constant fear. Rather than dwelling on the immensity of our challenges, would it not be better to focus on the infinite greatness, goodness, and absolute power of our God…?

When we focus on becoming more like our Savior, we can view the world— and our place in it—with faith and trust in God.