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.

… The world will not glide calmly toward the Second Coming of the Savior. The scriptures declare that “all things shall be in commotion.” Brigham Young said, “It was revealed to me in the commencement of this Church, that the Church would spread, prosper, grow and extend, and that in proportion to the spread of the Gospel among the nations of the earth, so would the power of Satan rise.”

And we are seeing that today. The ancient Apostle Paul taught, 

… In the last days perilous times shall come.

 

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, …  false accusers, … despisers of those that are good, … highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

 

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

But the signs of the last days fit into a bigger picture that, if not understood correctly, can be misleading and terrifying. The summer of COVID spiraled out of control in a way that is scary but not really surprising if we look at the signs of the times. Let me explain.

COVID, Rioting and Spiritual Symptoms of the Last Days

The Savior taught His disciples signs to look for before His Second Coming. Christ said,

Many shall come in my name, saying I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

 

And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars…. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

 

All these are the beginning of sorrows (Matthew 24:5-8).

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said,

Prophecies regarding the last days often refer to large-scale calamities such as earthquakes or famines or floods. These in turn may be linked to widespread economic or political upheavals of one kind or another.

COVID would fit into the category of a large-scale calamity that can easily be linked to widespread upheavals and misinformation. While we often think of the last days in terms of natural disasters and wars, the pandemic is highlighting the spiritual afflictions that were also prophesied. Elder Holland continued, 

… There is one kind of latter-day destruction that has always sounded to me more personal than public, more individual than collective—a warning, perhaps more applicable inside the Church than outside it. The Savior warned that in the last days even those of the covenant, the very elect, could be deceived by the enemy of truth. If we think of this as a form of spiritual destruction, it may cast light on another latter-day prophecy. Think of the heart as the figurative center of our faith, the poetic location of our loyalties and our values; then consider Jesus’s declaration that in the last days “men’s hearts [shall fail] them.”

COVID began a summer of uncertainty, and in this climate, it’s not surprising that protesting turned to rioting and looting. And why? Because people’s hearts were failing them. 

When Hearts Fail

I know this sounds simplistic. But in the larger picture, it begins to make sense. John the Revelator spoke of a war in heaven in which Michael the archangel and his followers beat the dragon, who is Satan, and those who followed him. Satan and his followers—one-third of the host of heaven—were cast out. (See Revelations 12:7-9.) Of this conflict, Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained,

What kind of war? The same kind that prevails on earth; the only kind Satan and spirit beings can wage—a war of words, a tumult of opinions, a conflict of ideologies; a war between truth and error, between light and darkness. … And the battle lines are still drawn. It is now on earth as it was then in heaven; every man must choose which general he will follow (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:518).

This battle of good against evil continues today. President Russell M. Nelson taught,

The Book of Mormon chronicles the classic rise and fall of two major civilizations. Their history demonstrates how easy it is for a majority of the people to forget God, reject warnings of the Lord’s prophets, and seek power, popularity, and pleasures of the flesh. Repeatedly, past prophets have declared “great and marvelous things unto the people, which they did not believe.”

 

It is no different in our day. Through the years, great and marvelous things have been heard from dedicated pulpits across the earth. Yet most people do not embrace these truths—either because they do not know where to look for them or because they are listening to those who do not have the whole truth or because they have rejected truth in favor of worldly pursuits.

The adversary is clever. For millennia he has been making good look evil and evil look good.

When Evil Looks Good

Satan is a master at disguising good as evil and evil as good. And it is becoming increasingly difficult to decipher between the two. President Dallin H. Oaks taught,

Evil that used to be localized and covered like a boil is now legalized and paraded like a banner. The most fundamental roots and bulwarks of civilization are questioned or attacked. Nations disavow their religious heritage. Marriage and family responsibilities are discarded as impediments to personal indulgence. The movies and magazines and television that shape our attitudes are filled with stories or images that portray the children of God as predatory beasts or, at best, as trivial creations pursuing little more than personal pleasure. And too many of us accept this as entertainment.

 

The men and women who made epic sacrifices to combat evil regimes in the past were shaped by values that are disappearing from our public teaching. The good, the true, and the beautiful are being replaced by the no-good, the “whatever,” and the valueless fodder of personal whim. Not surprisingly, many of our youth and adults are caught up in pornography, pagan piercing of body parts, self-serving pleasure pursuits, dishonest behavior, revealing attire, foul language, and degrading sexual indulgence.

Adding to the confusion is that many people are turning away from God or becoming casual in their observance of His teachings. Their hearts are growing cold. President Oaks continued,

… Many in positions of power and influence deny the right and wrong defined by divine decree. Even among those who profess to believe in right and wrong, there are “them that call evil good, and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20; 2 Nephi 15:20). Many also deny individual responsibility and practice dependence on others, seeking, like the foolish virgins, to live on borrowed substance and borrowed light.

Where to Turn

While many of the prophecies concerning the last days seem to focus on the bad things that will happen, there really is a good side to this. As the Prophet Brigham Young said, the bad things are escalating in proportion to the good. Elder Ronald L. Rasband said,

The devoted Apostle Peter described “times of restitution of all things … since the world began.” The Apostle Paul wrote that in the fulness of times, God would “gather … in one all things in Christ,” “Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.”

We just need to know where to look. President Nelson taught,

[The adversary’s] messages tend to be loud, bold, and boastful.

 

However, messages from our Heavenly Father are strikingly different. He communicates simply, quietly, and with such stunning plainness that we cannot misunderstand Him.

 

For example, whenever He has introduced His Only Begotten Son to mortals upon the earth, He has done so with remarkably few words. On the Mount of Transfiguration to Peter, James, and John, God said, “This is my beloved Son: hear him.” His words to the Nephites in ancient Bountiful were “Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him.” And to Joseph Smith, in that profound declaration that opened this dispensation, God simply said, “This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”

It is in hearing Him and learning of His teachings that we find safety. Elder Holland said,

… Our Father in Heaven knows all of these latter-day dangers, these troubles of the heart and soul, and has given counsel and protections regarding them.

We find His counsel and protections in the prophecies concerning the last days as well.

Good News in the Last Days

The Savior taught that His gospel would be preached “in all the world for a witness unto all nations” (Matthew 24:14) before He came again. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ believe the fulfillment of this prophecy began in the spring of 1820 when a 14-year-old boy named Joseph Smith knelt in a grove of trees and prayed, asking to know which church he should join. In answer to his humble prayer, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph and told him not to join any existing church. That through him, the true gospel of Jesus Christ would be restored to the earth. President Oaks taught,

A revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1831, soon after the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spoke of those who had been given “power to lay the foundation of this church.” The Lord then referred to the Church as “the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased” (Doctrine & Covenants 1:30). …

 

Three features—(1) fulness of doctrine, (2) power of the priesthood, and (3) testimony of Jesus Christ—explain why God has declared and why we as His servants maintain that this is the only true and living Church upon the face of the whole earth.

The organization of Christ’s Church in the latter days was the beginning of the restitution of all things, where all things were gathered in one. Through Joseph Smith, Jesus Christ restored His church, doctrine, and teachings to the earth. Elder D. Todd Christofferson said,

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.

Ensign to the Nations

The Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ led to the fulfillment of other latter-day prophecies. The ancient prophet Isaiah prophesied,

… In the last days … the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the tops of the mountains … and all nations shall flow unto it (Isaiah 2:2).

Of this scripture, President Gordon B. Hinckley taught,

Ever since the Salt Lake Temple was dedicated, we have interpreted that scripture from Isaiah, repeated again in Micah (see Micah 4:1–2), as applying to this sacred house of the Lord. …

 

I believe and testify that it is the mission of this Church to stand as an ensign to the nations and a light to the world. We have had placed upon us a great, all-encompassing mandate from which we cannot shrink nor turn aside. We accept that mandate and are determined to fulfill it, and with the help of God we shall do it.

The ancient prophet Daniel spoke of a “stone cut out without hands” that “became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.” (See Daniel 2:34-35, 44-45.) Modern scriptures teach,

… The gospel [shall] roll forth unto the ends of the earth, as the stone which is cut out of the mountains without hands shall roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth (Doctrine & Covenants 65:2).

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized in 1830 with six members in a little village in New York. Today the Church has more than 16 million members throughout the world. It is, as prophesied, filling the earth. The light of the gospel is filling the earth and dispelling the darkness, which, sadly, is growing ever intense.

When Calamities Strike

The gospel of Jesus Christ is filling the earth with light and knowledge to fight the darkness. So that when COVID hits and mass rioting and looting begins, we know where to look for peace. President Nelson taught,

We simply cannot rely upon information we bump into on social media. With billions of words online and in a marketing-saturated world constantly infiltrated by noisy, nefarious efforts of the adversary, where can we go to hear Him?

We find Him as we search the scriptures, as we participate in ordinances in the holy temple and as we listen to the words of the prophet. President Nelson continued,

We can go to the scriptures. They teach us about Jesus Christ and His gospel, the magnitude of His Atonement, and our Father’s great plan of happiness and redemption. Daily immersion in the word of God is crucial for spiritual survival, especially in these days of increasing upheaval. As we feast on the words of Christ daily, the words of Christ will tell us how to respond to difficulties we never thought we would face.

 

We can also hear Him in the temple. The house of the Lord is a house of learning. There the Lord teaches in His own way. There each ordinance teaches about the Savior. There we learn how to part the veil and communicate more clearly with heaven. 

As we seek Him, we will be prepared to face the calamities that will come. President Nelson taught,

Our Father knows that when we are surrounded by uncertainty and fear, what will help us the very most is to hear His Son.

 

Because when we seek to hear—truly hear—His Son, we will be guided to know what to do in any circumstance. 

And not just home life, but our roles in it. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes mistakenly called the Mormon Church) has long taught that a mother’s place—and her greatest responsibility—is in the home. The Family: A Proclamation to the World explains,

By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.

As President Harold B. Lee taught,

A mother’s glorious purpose is the building of a home here and laying a foundation for a home in eternity.

While the world would diminish the good that mothers accomplish being at home, the COVID-19 quarantine has shown just how important they really are. Let me explain.

A House of Order

Motherhood, frankly, is often an overlooked job. And the philosophy of the world is that a woman’s talents are best served in the workplace, not at home. But keeping a house running and in order is no small feat. The scriptures teach,

Organize yourselves and … establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God (Doctrine & Covenants 88:119).

Much of that work falls on the mom. President Gordon B. Hinckley observed,

My dear sisters, … I stand in great admiration for all that you do. I see your hands in everything.

 

Many of you are mothers, and that is enough to occupy one’s full time. 

 

You are companions—the very best friends your husbands have or ever will have.

 

You are housekeepers. That doesn’t sound like much, does it? But what a job it is to keep a house clean and tidy.

 

You are shoppers. Until I got older I never dreamed of what a demanding responsibility it is to keep food in the pantry, to keep clothing neat and presentable, to buy all that is needed to keep a home running.

 

You are nurses. With every illness that comes along, you are the first to be told about it and the first to respond with help. …

 

You are the family chauffeur. … And so I might go on. 

In this chaos and uncertainty of the pandemic, this was magnified. We had to be more organized and focused with our finances, grocery shopping, internet, and computer use. And having mom at home to direct the effort was essential.

A House of Peace

When our state shut everything down, we still had snow on the ground—5 feet high in places. And since the ski resorts shut down soon thereafter, we were pretty much stuck inside. The kids needed the first few days to wind down from the stresses of school, but it didn’t take long for cabin fever to set in. Especially since it was a good 3 weeks before remote learning started for our school district. We found peace as we focused on the Savior. Elder Richard G. Scott said,

Many voices from the world in which we live tell us we should live at a frantic pace. … Yet deep inside each of us is a need to have a place of refuge where peace and serenity prevail, a place where we can reset, regroup, and reenergize to prepare for future pressures.

 

The ideal place for that peace is within the walls of our own homes, where we have done all we can to make the Lord Jesus Christ the centerpiece. 

It can be difficult to go from the frantic pace of school of life to a standstill unexpectedly. Elder Scott continued,

Be certain that every decision you make, whether temporal or spiritual, is conditioned on what the Savior would have you do. When He is the center of your home, there is peace and serenity. …

 

The fulfillment of this counsel does not rest upon parents alone, although it is their role to lead. Children can be responsible for improving the Christ-centered efforts in the home. It is important for parents to teach children to recognize how their actions affect each individual who lives in the home.

It was important for me to be home to not only keep the peace but also help my kids find peace.

A House of Learning

Mothers have the primary obligation for nurturing in the home, and this includes helping teach children. Never did I feel this more than when remote instruction started up in our school district. President Henry B. Eyring taught,

While I do not know all the Lord’s reasons for giving primary responsibility for nurturing in the family to faithful sisters, I believe it has to do with your capacity to love. It takes great love to feel the needs of someone else more than your own. That is the pure love of Christ for the person you nurture. That feeling of charity comes from the person chosen to be the nurturer having qualified for the effects of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. …

 

As daughters of God, you have an innate and great capacity to sense the needs of others and to love. That, in turn, makes you more susceptible to the whisperings of the Spirit. The Spirit can then guide what you think, what you say, and what you do to nurture people so the Lord may pour knowledge, truth, and courage upon them.

When school work resumed with remote learning, there was a steep learning curve for all of us. At the beginning, one of my teenagers kept complaining, “But Mom, why all of a sudden do you care if we do our school stuff? You never asked us about it before!” I had to explain that I didn’t have to ask before. But now that all school work was being done at home, it was my job to ask and make sure that she did it. And I can’t say that I was always great at it. But I tried. And so did they.

A House of Prayer and Scripture Study

I’m not going to lie, school with remote learning was rough at first. Especially since we had been slacking off and doing our family scripture study at night. But then we decided as a family to resume our morning routine of family prayer and scripture study. President James E. Faust said,

… The source of our enormous individual strength and potential is no mystery. … We need only to draw constantly from the power source through humble prayer. It often takes a superhuman effort for parents of a busy family to get everyone out of bed and together for family prayer and scripture study. You may not always feel like praying when you finally get together, but it will pay great dividends if you persevere.

 

… All of us need the strength that comes from daily reading of the scriptures. Parents must have a knowledge of the standard works to teach them to their children. A child who has been taught from the scriptures has a priceless legacy. Children are fortified when they become acquainted with the heroic figures and stories of the scriptures such as Daniel in the lions’ den, David and Goliath, Nephi, Helaman, and the stripling warriors, and all the others.

It wasn’t always easy to get up early knowing that the kids had a flexible schedule, but it was worth it. Our morning family scripture study and prayer didn’t totally resolve all of the frustrations with juggling computers and bandwidth issues, but we were more prepared to deal with the problems that arose.

A House of Faith

The Church of Jesus Christ closed all church buildings—including temples—during the COVID-19 shutdown. But members were allowed to have the sacrament in their homes under the proper priesthood authority. (All worthy male members of the Church who are of age are eligible to hold the priesthood.) The sacrament, which is the Latter-day Saint equivalent of the Holy Eucharist, is blessed and passed by priesthood holders. It is a special and sacred opportunity to have this in our home. President Dallin H. Oaks taught,

The ordinance of the sacrament makes the sacrament meeting the most sacred and important meeting in the Church. It is the only Sabbath meeting the entire family can attend together. Its content in addition to the sacrament should always be planned and presented to focus our attention on the Atonement and teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. …

 

Typically the sacrament is administered, passed, and received by the members in an atmosphere of quiet reverence. The conducting of the meeting … is brief and dignified, and the talks are spiritual in content and delivery. The music is appropriate, and so are the prayers. This is the standard….

We have followed the same standard, albeit on a smaller scale, in our home. Down to and including how we dress in our Sunday best. President Oaks said,

How we dress is an important indicator of our attitude and preparation for any activity in which we will engage. If we are going swimming or hiking or playing on the beach, our clothing, including our footwear, will indicate this. The same should be true of how we dress when we are to participate in the ordinance of the sacrament. …. Our manner of dress indicates the degree to which we understand and honor the ordinance in which we will participate.

Our home has become, quite literally, a house of faith. 

A House with a Stay-at-Home Mom

Now the question might arise, what does all of this have to do with stay-at-home moms? Well, for our family, a lot. And the COVID-19 shutdown illustrated this in bright neon colors. A few years ago, I started working as a proctor for standardized testing in the schools for six weeks or so in April and May. I started doing this because I was in the schools with my kids and it brings in a little extra money. However, during that time my kids can’t be sick because I can’t be at home with them. I have less time for cooking meals and so we have more quick and easy (but not always so healthy) meals. Then the schools shut down and standardized testing was canceled. We had to reorganize our schedules, rework the budget, and rethink how we spent our time. 

As we did so, I realized that just being there for my children was the most important thing. As Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught,

In family relationships love is really spelled t-i-m-e, time.

In times of global crisis, having the stability of mom at home is essential. Sister Sheri L. Dew explained,

Never has there been a greater need for righteous mothers—mothers who bless their children with a sense of safety, security, and confidence about the future, mothers who teach their children where to find peace and truth and that the power of Jesus Christ is always stronger than the power of the adversary. …. No woman who understands the gospel would ever think that any other work is more important or would ever say, “I am just a mother,” for mothers heal the souls of men.

And now, more than ever, we need that healing power in our homes.

America is the land of the free and the home of the brave — the ideals espoused by our Constitution and Bill of Rights. Founded on teachings of the Savior. But we don’t always get it right. The answer when we fall short is found not in violence but in His doctrine. The scriptures teach,

… The preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them… (Alma 31:5).

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. understood this. He taught peaceful means to unite the country and relieve injustices. His teachings are still powerful today because they espouse the teachings of the Savior. We don’t need to tear apart our Constitution and laws to relieve injustice. We need to live up to them. Let me explain.

Power in the People

When the Founding Fathers created our Constitution, it was a revolutionary document that declared we the people had rights—and value—as individuals. Power was not only in the protections for the people but also in the people. President Dallin H. Oaks explained,

One of the great fundamentals of our inspired constitution… is the principle that the people are the source of government power. 

 

… We affirm that God is the ultimate source of power and that, under Him, it is the people’s inherent right to decide their form of government. Sovereign power is not inherent in a state or nation just because its leaders have the power that comes from force of arms. … As the preamble to our constitution states: “We the People of the United States . . . do ordain and establish this Constitution.”

But with this power comes great responsibility to be good citizens and uphold the laws of the land. Author Peter Block said,

A citizen is one who is willing to be accountable for and committed to the well-being of the whole. That whole can be a city block, a community, a nation, the earth. A citizen is one who produces the future, someone who does not wait, beg, or dream for the future.

 

The antithesis of being a citizen is the choice to be a consumer or a client [Community: The Structure of Belonging (San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2008), 63].

We are not merely consumers of what government can offer us but the builders of the nation.

The Power of Goodness

The power of the people comes from righteousness and working toward a common goal. French historian Alexis de Tocqueville wrote,

I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers, and it was not there; in her fertile fields and boundless prairies, and it was not there; in her rich mines and her vast world of commerce, and it was not there. Not until I went to the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great (Jerreld L. Newquist, comp., Prophets, Principles and National Survival, Salt Lake City: Publishers Press, 1967, p. 60).

The Founding Fathers understood this principle as well. John Adams said, 

Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other (The Works of John Adams, ed. C. F. Adams, Boston: Little, Brown Co., 1851, 4:31).

The power of America is the goodness of her people. People who obey the laws of the land because they choose to do so. But this doesn’t always insulate us from injustice and others who would do us harm. 

The Root of Division

Our American ideals are freedom and justice for all. Unfortunately, throughout our nation’s history, we have seen time and again what seems like freedom for some and injustice for others. We have seen discrimination based on color, religion, or nationality, just to name a few. As a multi-generational member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes mistakenly called Mormons or the Mormon Church), my ancestors faced persecution based on religion. They were driven from state to state and finally left for the Rocky Mountains to find peace. Persecution can turn into an “us versus them” mentality. But this division itself is our greatest challenge. We turn to comparing ourselves to others and what we have or don’t have. We point fingers and blame. This just deepens the divide and weakens us as a country. 

The Lord’s counsel to the Latter-day Saints was to work together and help each other. He said,

… Let every man esteem his brother as himself.

 

For what man among you having twelve sons, and is no respecter of them, and they serve him obediently, and he saith unto the one: Be thou clothed in robes and sit thou here; and to the other: Be thou clothed in rags and sit thou there—and looketh upon his sons and saith I am just?

 

Behold, this I have given unto you as a parable, and it is even as I am. I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine (Doctrine & Covenants 38:25-27).

This same counsel applies today. If we are to be one, then we must treat each other as such. Instead of seeing differences, we need to see commonalities. The root of division comes when we don’t. 

Injustice for One, Injustice for All

I have been hooked on documentaries lately. And one theme that I found interesting is that when one group of people is being targeted, no one is safe. The Prophet Joseph Smith, the first modern prophet in The Church of Jesus Christ, realized that the early Saints could not expect to be treated fairly when the God-given rights of many Americans were not being recognized. So he decided to run for president of the United States in 1844, including in his platform the abolition of slavery. The Prophet Joseph said,

I would not have suffered my name to have been used by my friends on anywise as President of the United States, or candidate for that office, if I and my friends could have had the privilege of enjoying our religious and civil rights as American citizens, even those rights which the Constitution guarantees unto all her citizens alike. But this as a people we have been denied from the beginning. Persecution has rolled upon our heads from time to time, from portions of the United States, like peals of thunder, because of our religion; and no portion of the Government as yet has stepped forward for our relief. And in view of these things, I feel it to be my right and privilege to obtain what influence and power I can, lawfully, in the United States, for the protection of injured innocence (History of the Church, 6:210–11).

It wasn’t long after he declared his candidacy that he was martyred. And it took many more years and a bloody Civil War before slavery was finally abolished. Then more years for women to have the right to vote. Many of the justifications used to persecute one group were used in persecuting another. Because injustice for one is injustice for all.

The Stain of Contempt

A group of angry men seek to stone a woman taken in adultery. But the Savior showed her compassion, telling her to “Go and sin no more.”

Although we’ve come far as a nation, injustice continues today. It’s a reality that we must overcome. We are imperfect people living in an imperfect world. Sometimes even good people make really bad choices. But rather than work to fix the problem, many are making things worse. Social scientist and author Arthur C. Brooks said,

If you pay attention to politics or television or social media, what do you see today? You see recrimination, reproach, insults, and sarcasm. You see leaders at the highest levels of our country who bully and berate those with whom they disagree. You see families torn apart over political disagreements. You see political foes who treat each other as enemies.

 

People often characterize the current moment in America as being “angry.” If only this were true. Anger is an emotion that occurs when we want to change someone’s behavior and believe that we can do it. … The problem is not anger—it is contempt. In the words of the nineteenth-century philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, contempt “is the unsullied conviction of the worthlessness of another.” …

When we see others as worthless, we can justify mistreating them. Brooks continued,

… Contempt … can tear a country apart. America is developing a “culture of contempt”—a habit of seeing people who disagree with us not as merely incorrect or misguided but as worthless.

 

This is causing incredible harm to our country. One in six Americans have stopped talking to close friends and family members over politics since the 2016 election. Millions are organizing their social lives and curating their news and information to avoid hearing viewpoints differing from their own. Ideological polarization is at higher levels than at any time since the American Civil War.

The stain of contempt leads to injustice and division rather than compassion and mercy.

Responding to Injustice

So how should we respond to injustice? Brooks taught,

Some say we need to agree more, but that is wrong. Disagreement is good, because competition is good. It makes us sharp and strong, whether in sports, in politics, in economics, or in the world of ideas. We don’t need to disagree less; we need to disagree better. Other people say we need more civility. But that is wrong too, because civility is a hopelessly low standard for us as Americans. …

 

If we are going to beat the problem of contempt, we are going to need something more radical than civility—something that speaks to our heart’s true desire. We need love, which was defined by Saint Thomas Aquinas as “to will the good of the other.” We need a new generation ready to model lives of love in the midst of a culture of contempt. 

Love is what the Savior taught. The first and greatest commandment is to love God, and the second is to love our neighbor as ourselves. Loving God means obeying His commandments. Loving our neighbor means showing mercy and helping them. Brooks said,

Make no mistake, this isn’t easy to do. It requires people who will not run away from the problem, who are unafraid to infiltrate the culture of contempt, and who are capable of modeling a better set of values. This requires the agility to be in the culture but not of it. When you think of it, it is kind of like missionary work, isn’t it? Missionaries have the training and experience to participate in society without getting sucked into its pathologies. They have the courage and fortitude necessary to face resistance and go forth with the joy that comes from sharing the truth.

Finding Forgiveness

When we seek to love others, forgiveness often follows. The Savior taught us powerful lessons on forgiveness in word and in deed. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught,

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

 

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. (See Matthew 5:38–44.)

As He hung on the cross, the Savior sought forgiveness for those who were crucifying Him. And through His sacrifice, we can find forgiveness. President Gordon B. Hinckley said,

Somehow forgiveness, with love and tolerance, accomplishes miracles that can happen in no other way.

 

The great Atonement was the supreme act of forgiveness. The magnitude of that Atonement is beyond our ability to completely understand. I know only that it happened, and that it was for me and for you. The suffering was so great, the agony so intense, that none of us can comprehend it when the Savior offered Himself as a ransom for the sins of all mankind.

 

It is through Him that we gain forgiveness.

There are powerful stories of forgiveness that bring light and hope into the world. One example is found in the Amish community, who forgave the gunman who stormed into a schoolhouse and shot and killed six girls and injured five others before killing himself. Elder James E. Faust said,

How could the whole Amish group manifest such an expression of forgiveness? It was because of their faith in God and trust in His word….

America’s Greatness

The power and healing that came from the Amish forgiving the man who shot and killed innocent girls was immense. As a show of their forgiveness, they reached out to the man’s suffering family. Elder Faust said,

Collectively they began to reach out to the milkman’s suffering family. As the milkman’s family gathered in his home the day after the shootings, an Amish neighbor came over, wrapped his arms around the father of the dead gunman, and said, “We will forgive you.” Amish leaders visited the milkman’s wife and children to extend their sympathy, their forgiveness, their help, and their love. About half of the mourners at the milkman’s funeral were Amish. In turn, the Amish invited the milkman’s family to attend the funeral services of the girls who had been killed. A remarkable peace settled on the Amish as their faith sustained them during this crisis.

It is through this goodness that we find America’s greatness. Brooks taught,

America is a beacon of hope for the rest of the world. We are an example of democratic capitalism that has pulled two billion of our brothers and sisters out of starvation-level poverty over the past half-century alone. This is a nation that has attracted you or your ancestors with the promise of equal opportunity, religious freedom, and a good life for you and your family. When America is torn apart, we become incapable of living up to the plan—the holy plan—for our nation, which is to shine a light for the rest of the world.

Peaceful protests and calling for reform when needed is appropriate. It’s part of being a good citizen. We need to stand up for what is right. But we can’t do that if we are committing egregious crimes against others in retaliation.

I believed that if I ever were able to move on, I had to forgive. Even though I didn’t like what he did, I couldn’t go around the rest of my life being a victim.  I had to forgive in order to save my own life. I have learned that refusing to forgive is like taking poison yourself and hoping that the other person will die.

President James E. Faust added similar insight when he stated,

Most of us need time to work through pain and loss. We can find all manner of reasons for postponing forgiveness. One of these reasons is waiting for the wrongdoers to repent before we forgive them. Yet such a delay causes us to forfeit the peace and happiness that could be ours. The folly of rehashing long-past hurts does not bring happiness.

What President Faust is saying is that when we refuse to forgive, we waste our energy and cheat ourselves out of happiness.

This is true. Refusing to forgive is like taking poison and hoping that the other person will die.  As President Faust said,

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. 

The Damage that Comes from Entertaining Grievances

Soldiers on the battlefield in World War I.

A little over a hundred years ago, our planet was faced with twin catastrophes. One was a devastating flu pandemic, and the other was World War I. Kaiser Wilhelm II is generally recognized as the primary instigator of the war, which is widely considered to have created the conditions that led to the pandemic. Although Wilhelm had several motivations, a desire to get retribution for perceived wrongs done to himself and his country was one of his primary motivations for instigating the twin tragedies of that age.

It would appear that the world has changed little over the last hundred years.  In addition to facing a major pandemic, society also has to put up with political leaders, celebrities, and social media influencers who spend tremendous amounts of energy attacking others for perceived wrongs.  This is part of a cultural epidemic in which the expression of grievances is the increasingly common form of human interaction. This culture of grievances is especially harmful in a time of social isolation where human interaction is limited.  But we are not helpless. Just as we can follow sound health practices to protect our physical health, we can also protect our mental and spiritual health by refusing to be a part of the culture of grievances. 

We Live in a Culture of Grievances—How Do We Pull Back from It?

How do we go about removing ourselves from this culture of grievances? Should we obtain our guidance from political leaders, celebrities, or social media influencers, or is there a better source of guidance? There is a better source.  In the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord said, 

Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin.  I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.  

This is only one of the scriptures which tells us that we need to forgive others. So, we have to ask ourselves: Why is it so important for us to forgive others?  Of course, forgiving those who have wronged us may help them to change and become better people, but it may not. Thus, the more important reason why we are commanded to forgive others is because we must do so for our own welfare.

Dr. Sidney Simon, an authority on values realization, once said, 

Forgiveness is freeing up and putting to better use the energy once consumed by holding grudges, harboring resentments, and nursing unhealed wounds. It is rediscovering the strengths we always had and relocating our limitless capacity to understand and accept other people and ourselves. 

What Forgiveness Is—and Is Not

Of course, there are dangerous people in this world who inflict real harm on others. Forgiving others does not mean that we need to subject ourselves to abuse or allow an abuser to escape consequences.  As stated by Dr. Carole Kanchier, 

Just as important as defining what forgiveness is, though, is understanding what forgiveness is not.  Forgiveness does not mean forgetting, nor does it mean condoning or excusing offenses. Though forgiveness can help repair a damaged relationship, it doesn’t obligate one to reconcile with the person who harmed the individual, or release that person from legal accountability. Instead, forgiveness brings the forgiver peace of mind and frees him or her from destructive anger.

When it comes to harm that amounts to criminal conduct, cooperation with prosecution is consistent with forgiveness.  As it says in Alma 42, mercy cannot rob justice. One can let go of anger and hatred, and still cooperate in the justice process.  Forgiveness does not require anyone to remain in an abusive situation or otherwise place themselves in danger.

Of course, we can’t pretend that forgiveness is always easy.  President Faust said, 

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.  

This may seem easier said than done, but we can do it with the Savior’s help. 

Being More Loving and Less Judgmental

There is another aspect of forgiving others that is illustrated by the following story about J. Golden Kimball, who was a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy in the early part of the 1900’s.  For those who don’t remember, Elder Kimball was a former cowboy who was known for telling it exactly how it was, and this was a time when the Word of Wisdom was not yet a strict requirement.  

One day J. Golden was in a drugstore, sitting at the far end of the long counter. After he was served a cup of coffee, a man walked by, turned and looked at him and at the cup of what he was drinking. “Aren’t you J. Golden Kimball?” the man asked.  J. Golden sighed and answered, “Yes I am.” The man looked disgusted and straightened up and said, “I’d rather commit adultery than drink coffee.” J. Golden looked back at the man and responded, “Hell, who wouldn’t?”

This story has two main points that apply to the concept of forgiving others.  First, we need to stop being so judgmental of others. Just because someone may sin differently than we do, we need to remember that we are not perfect, and we all commit sin. Heavenly Father doesn’t love his children any less or more than others just because they make different types of mistakes. The second point is that we would be wise to be less critical.  Telling random strangers in drugstores that they need to change will rarely do anything more than cause offense. The same thing goes for mere acquaintances. Only love and genuine care can be effective in helping others to make positive changes.

What it all boils down to is that we forgive others because it is the right thing to do for ourselves.  Forgiveness takes away the power someone else has over us to determine how we feel. Forgiveness allows those who have been wronged to regain the power to determine how they feel about themselves.  How we feel about ourselves is up to us and our Savior, and He loves us.

By Blake Hills —  Blake Hills is a career prosecutor who also teaches at the law enforcement academy. He received his JD from the University of Utah College of Law.  For several decades, Blake has effectively used Star Wars quotes to persuade his children (and now grandchildren) to see things from a certain point of view.  He has also found using these quotes to be an especially effective method of winning arguments with defense attorneys.

This is my Beloved Son, Hear Him! (Joseph Smith History—1:17).

In the quiet grove of trees, young Joseph had no trouble hearing the message Jesus Christ had for him. Joseph related his experience to others. Some believed him, others didn’t. And those who didn’t persecuted and ridiculed him. But he would not recant. As Joseph Smith said,

I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it (Joseph Smith—History 1:25).

This was the beginning of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. One of the great messages of this Restoration is that we, too, can hear Him. God will and does speak to us today, if we will listen. We can learn a lot from the simple, humble prayer of a young 14-year-old boy. Lessons that will help us to hear Him in the loud chaos of today. Let me explain.

A Young Boy’s Prayer

Before I can go forward, I need to go back. Way back, to the days when the Savior walked the earth. Jesus Christ established His Church during His mortal ministry, with apostles and baptism by immersion for the remission of sins. Christ used the power and authority of the priesthood in organizing His church, and He ordained men, including His Twelve Apostles, giving them the power and authority to continue His work. But, as President Russell M. Nelson explained,

After Christ and His Apostles passed away, men changed the ordinances and doctrine. The original Church and the priesthood were lost. 

Throughout the next nearly two millennia, followers of Jesus Christ worshipped Him to the best of their ability but did not have the fulness of His gospel. There was much confusion over His doctrines. The ancient Apostles prophesied of this Apostasy (which just means the time period in which the fulness of the gospel wasn’t on the earth) but also promised that the gospel would be restored. Elder Robert D. Hales taught,

Over the centuries, the world prepared for that restoration. The Bible was translated and published. A new land was discovered. The spirit of reformation swept through the Christian world, and a nation was founded on the principles of freedom. 

 

Joseph Smith was born in that nation and, at the age of 14, found himself caught in a ‘tumult of religious opinions.’ 

During the religious excitement of the day, there were many churches teaching different doctrines. Joseph wondered which church was right? And how would he know? Then he read one day in James 1:5,

If any of ye lack wisdom, let him as of God.

He needed wisdom, so he decided to go to a grove of trees and pray, asking God which church he should join.

God’s Answer—The First Vision

As young Joseph knelt in the peaceful, quiet grove of trees, he began to pray. Joseph said,

I … began to offer up the desire of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction. 

 

But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy … and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair … just at this moment of great alarm, 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! (Joseph Smith—History 1:15-17)

Heavenly Father answered Joseph’s humble prayer. Elder Hales taught,

God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, conversed with Joseph. They answered his question. They taught him that the true Church of Christ had been lost from the earth. Joseph learned that these members of the Godhead were separate and distinct beings, They knew him by name, and They were willing to answer his prayers. The heavens were opened, the night of apostasy was over, and the light of the gospel began to shine forth.

Lessons from the First Vision

The First Vision taught us that God knows each of us, by name. That He loves us. That He is real and that He does still speak today. Elder L. Tom Perry explained,

This vision revealed unto us that God our Father and Jesus Christ, His Beloved Son, are two separate personages. Each has a body of flesh and bones that is glorified and perfected, thus clearing up the misconception that had been in existence for many centuries concerning the concept of God.

But we also learned of the reality of Satan. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught,

When we rehearse the grandeur of Joseph Smith’s First Vision, we sometimes gloss over the menacing confrontation that came just prior to it, a confrontation intended to destroy the boy if possible but in any case block the revelation that was to come. We don’t talk about the adversary any more than we have to, … but the experience of young Joseph reminds us what every [person] needs to remember. 

 

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 appearing of redeeming light, at the very thought of it. 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 as he possibly can.

So while we can—and need to—reach out to God and seek answers, we also must remember that Satan will try to thwart us in this process. And we can’t let him.

The Words of Christ

The goal for each of us is to receive our own personal revelation. Elder Hales explained,

Personal revelation is the way we know for ourselves the most important truths of our existence: the living reality of God, our eternal Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ; the truthfulness of the restored gospel; and God’s purpose and direction for us.

Before we can learn to hear Him, we need to know where to find the Savior so we can learn of Him. Young Joseph didn’t just go to a grove of trees to pray, first he studied the words of the Bible. He listened to different preachers teach. He pondered the words they were saying. Searching, pondering, praying. Those are the first steps to gaining personal revelation. Elder Hales taught,

The 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.

In addition to the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, Latter-day Saints have the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price in their scriptural canon as well as the words of modern prophets. Elder Quentin L. Cook said,

… All the standard works of the Church contain the mind and will of the Lord for us in this last dispensation.

 

In addition to these great foundational scriptures, we are blessed with continuing revelation to living prophets. Prophets are ‘commissioned agents of the Lord, authorized to speak for Him.’

 

Some revelations are of monumental importance, and others enhance our understanding of essential divine truths and provide guidance for our day.

As we study and ponder the words of Christ through His apostles, both ancient and modern, we prepare to receive our own personal revelation.

Obedience to the Commandments

The scriptures teach us that “the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do” (2 Nephi 32:3). As we learn of Him in our quest to hear Him, we must be obedient to His commandments if we want to receive personal revelation. President Henry B. Eyring taught,

It will take unshakable faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to choose the way to eternal life. It is by using that faith we can know the will of God. It is by acting on that faith we build the strength to do the will of God. And it is by exercising that faith in Jesus Christ that we can resist temptation and gain forgiveness through the Atonement.

As President Dallin H. Oaks, said,

Knowledge encourages obedience, and obedience enhances knowledge.

Obedience to God’s commandments helps us to prepare to hear Him. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf explained,

Obedience is the lifeblood of faith. It is by obedience that we gather light into our souls.

President Joseph F. Smith said,

Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of Light, who is no respecter of persons, and in whom there is no variableness, nor shadow of turning. To please him we must not only worship him with thanksgiving and praise but render willing obedience to his commandments. By so doing, he is bound to bestow his blessings; for it is on this principle (obedience to law) that all blessings are predicated (Improvement Era, Dec. 1917, p. 104).

Hearing Him—and Learning to Listen

One of the greatest messages of Joseph Smith’s First Vision is that God does hear and answer our prayers. His example of studying, pondering, praying and obedience to God’s commandments is the pattern that we also must follow if we are to receive personal revelation. But we also have to learn to listen. President Eyring said,

There may be many reasons God could speak so powerfully to young Joseph, but a primary reason was that his heart was ready. 

 

Joseph … wanted forgiveness of his sins and weaknesses, which he knew could only come through Jesus Christ. And he was desperate to know which of the contending churches was right and which he should join.

 

Joseph had been prepared with faith that Jesus is the Christ, his Savior. With that faith and a humble heart, he was ready. … He was prepared, as we can be, to claim the promise of James.

As we seek to hear God’s voice, we must learn to discern it. President Nelson taught,

The adversary is clever. For millennia, he has been making good look evil and evil look good. His messages tend to be loud, bold and boastful.

 

However, messages from our Heavenly Father are strikingly different. He communicated simply, quietly, and with such stunning plainness that we cannot misunderstand Him.

Hearing Him is more than just listening. President Nelson continued,

The very first word in the Doctrine and Covenants is hearken. It means to ‘listen with the intent to obey.’ To hearken means to ‘hear Him’—to hear what the Savior says and then to heed His counsel. In those two words—’Hear Him’—God gives us the pattern for success, happiness, and joy in this life. We are to hear the words of the Lord, hearken to them, and heed what He has told us!

Remembering Him

After we have heard Him and heeded His words, we feel the power of His love. But then we have to return to reality. And sometimes that reality includes quarantines and schooling at home and economic worries. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said,

The fact of the matter is that none of us want tomorrow, or the day after that, to destroy the wonderful feelings we have had…. We want to hold fast to the spiritual impressions we have had and the inspired teachings we have heard. But it is inevitable that after heavenly moments in our lives, we, of necessity, return to earth, so to speak, where sometimes less-than-ideal circumstances again face us.

But the Lord has not forgotten us. Elder Neil L. Andersen taught,

Along with the peaceful direction we receive from the Holy Ghost, from time to time, God powerfully and very personally assures each of us that He knows us and loves us and that He is blessing us specifically and openly. Then, in our moments of difficulty, the Savior brings these experiences back into our mind.

In the loud, chaotic and coronavirus-filled world that we live in, we must stop and listen to the voice of the Savior. As President Nelson said,

Our Father knows that when we are surrounded by uncertainty and fear, what will help us the very most is to hear His Son.

Because when we seek to hear—truly hear—His Son, we will be guided to know what to do in any circumstance.

The first weekend of April (and also October), members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes mistakenly called Mormons) from all over the world gather to listen to the words of the prophet, apostles and other church leaders. It often seems like the weeks before conference are challenging in one way or another. And then the meetings begin and bring much-needed light and peace to calm the storms of life. This conference will be no different in that respect. But it will be different in another. At the conclusion of the previous conference, President Russell M. Nelson said,

… General conference next April will be different from any previous conference. In the next six months, I hope that every member and every family will prepare for a unique conference that will commemorate the very foundations of the restored gospel.

So this conference weekend will be memorable for more than just coronavirus and quarantine. Let me explain.

A Different Format, a Different Feel

Temple Square will be empty for April 2020 general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

President Nelson proved prophetic when he said that the April 2020 general conference would be unlike any other. I’m not sure that he anticipated the global shutdown of temples, the cancellation of church services and the upheaval of sending all missionaries to their home countries and the quarantine of all missionaries either at home or in the mission field. Because of COVID-19 concerns and most of the world being under quarantine orders (maybe it only seems like the world is under quarantine because we have been for weeks already), the Conference Center and Temple Square will be deserted. It will be void of the delightful commotion described by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland,

… 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.’

Instead, the meetings will be broadcast throughout the world, and members will watch in their homes on TV, radio and other electronic devices. The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ (composed of President Nelson and his two counselors, President Dallin H. Oaks and President Henry B. Eyring) will conduct, and those who have been invited to speak or pray will attend. The music will be prerecorded. But while there won’t be “joyful commotion” in large groups, there will be much rejoicing in the homes of Latter-day Saints.

The Home as a Conference Center

Our family has been watching general conference from the comfort of our couches for years now. We turn it into a celebration. But it’s always fun to see the hustle and bustle on Temple Square and to see the people at the Conference Center. I’m excited to see how others celebrate at home during the April conference. The home is, after all, the center of gospel learning. Elder David A. Bednar said,

The ultimate missionary training center is in our homes; secondary missionary training centers are located in Provo, Manila, Mexico City, and in other locations. Our most instructive Sunday School classes should be our individual and family study in our places of residence; helpful but secondary Sunday School classes are held in our meetinghouses.

 

Family history centers now are in our homes. Supplemental support for our family history research work also is available in our meetinghouses.

 

Vital temple preparation classes occur in our homes; important but secondary temple preparation classes also may be conducted periodically in our meetinghouses.

 

Making our homes sanctuaries wherein we can “stand in holy places” is essential in these latter days. And as important as home-centered and Church-supported learning is for our spiritual strength and protection today, it will be even more vital in the future.

Elder Bednar gave this talk just one year ago, in the April 2019 general conference. And we have watched, in recent weeks, as homes have turned into missionary training centers for young elders and sisters while Missionary Training Centers are closed down. Our homes have been places of worship where we partake of the sacrament and teach Sunday School lessons since churches are closed down. And now, our homes will be turned into little conference centers where we can listen to the words of the prophets. 

Sustaining from Home

Every general conference, members of The Church of Jesus Christ have the opportunity to sustain the prophet, apostles and other leaders of the Church during the second Saturday session. I always enjoyed watching from home as those in the Conference Center sustained the prophets (and sometimes dissented), knowing that a majority of the Latter-day Saints in attendance were raising their hands to sustain our Church leaders. President Nelson taught,

When we sustain prophets and other leaders, we invoke the law of common consent, for the Lord said, ‘It shall not be given to any one to go forth to preach my gospel, or to build up my church, except he be ordained by some one who has authority, and it is known to the church that he has authority and has been regularly ordained by the heads of the church.’’

 

This gives us, as members of the Lord’s Church, confidence and faith as we strive to keep the scriptural injunction to heed the Lord’s voice as it comes through the voice of His servants the prophets. All leaders in the Lord’s Church are called by proper authority. No prophet or any other leader in this Church, for that matter, has ever called himself or herself. No prophet has ever been elected. The Lord made that clear when He said, ‘Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you.’ You and I do not ‘vote’ on Church leaders at any level. We do, though, have the privilege of sustaining them.

For April 2020’s conference, members will be watching and raising their hands to sustain—or voicing their opposition—from home. This illustrates, in a very powerful way, that each one of us has the responsibility for our own sustaining vote. It is between us and God.

Celebrating the Restoration

Spring 2020 is 200 years since a young boy, confused at which church he should join, knelt in a grove of trees and prayed, asking God. In answer, the young Joseph Smith received what is now called the First Vision that led to the Restoration of the Lord’s ancient church. President Nelson explained,

God the Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph, a 14-year-old youth. That event marked the onset of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fulness, precisely as foretold in the Holy Bible.

 

Then came a succession of visits from heavenly messengers, including Moroni, John the Baptist, and the early Apostles Peter, James, and John. Others followed, including Moses, Elias, and Elijah. Each brought divine authority to bless God’s children on the earth once again.

 

Miraculously, we have also received the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, a companion scripture to the Holy Bible. The revelations published in the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price have also greatly enriched our understanding of God’s commandments and eternal truth.

 

The keys and offices of the priesthood have been restored, including the offices of Apostle, Seventy, patriarch, high priest, elder, bishop, priest, teacher, and deacon. And women who love the Lord serve valiantly in the Relief Society, Primary, Young Women, Sunday School, and other Church callings—all vital parts of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fulness.

 

Thus, the year 2020 will be designated as a bicentennial year.

And this conference will be a celebration of the Restoration of the gospel.

Preparing for General Conference

In life, we get out what we put in. And the more effort we put in, the more we get out of an experience. The same is true for general conference. And April 2020’s is no exception. President Nelson gave us some insight on how to prepare for this unique conference. He said,

You may wish to begin your preparation by reading afresh Joseph Smith’s account of the First Vision as recorded in the Pearl of Great Price. Our course of study for next year in Come, Follow Me is the Book of Mormon. You may wish to ponder important questions such as, “How would my life be different if my knowledge gained from the Book of Mormon were suddenly taken away?” or “How have the events that followed the First Vision made a difference for me and my loved ones?” Also, with the Book of Mormon videos now becoming available, you may wish to incorporate them in your individual and family study.

 

Select your own questions. Design your own plan. Immerse yourself in the glorious light of the Restoration. As you do, general conference next April will be not only memorable; it will be unforgettable.

And the Lord will speak directly to us through the words of those who are speaking, if we are prepared to hear Him. Elder Robert D. Hales taught,

… This is possible because the Holy Ghost carries the word of the Lord unto our hearts in terms we can understand. … What is said is not as important as what we hear and what we feel. That is why we make an effort to experience conference in a setting where the still, small voice of the Spirit can be clearly heard, felt, and understood.

Looking Back at the Early Christian Church

One of the ways that I prepared for the April 2020 conference was to watch a documentary on Christian churches through the ages. The Savior taught His gospel and set up His Church when He was on the earth, and the early apostles worked hard to maintain His teachings. But the teachings were becoming corrupted, even in the times of the early apostles. The fullness of the gospel was lost. Elder James E. Faust taught,

With this falling away, priesthood keys were lost, and some precious doctrines of the Church organized by the Savior were changed. Among these were baptism by immersion; receiving the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands; the nature of the Godhead—that They are three distinct personages; all mankind will be resurrected through the Atonement of Christ, “both … the just and the unjust”; continuous revelation—that the heavens are not closed; and temple work for the living and the dead.

 

The period that followed came to be known as the Dark Ages. 

But men continued their quest to follow the Savior. President Gordon B. Hinckley explained,

As the years continued their relentless march, the sunlight of a new day began to break over the earth. It was the Renaissance, a magnificent flowering of art, architecture, and literature.

 

Reformers worked to change the church, notably such men as Luther, Melanchthon, Hus, Zwingli, and Tyndale. These were men of great courage, some of whom suffered cruel deaths because of their beliefs. Protestantism was born with its cry for reformation. When that reformation was not realized, the reformers organized churches of their own. They did so without priesthood authority. Their one desire was to find a niche in which they might worship God as they felt He should be worshiped.

The Restoration

Although the Reformers did their best to return the church to the set set up by Jesus Christ, what was needed was a restoration. But the earth had to be prepared for it. President Hinckley continued,

While this great ferment was stirring across the Christian world, political forces were also at work. Then came the American Revolutionary War, resulting in the birth of a nation whose constitution declared that government should not reach its grasping hand into matters of religion. A new day had dawned, a glorious day. Here there was no longer a state church. No one faith was favored above another.

 

After centuries of darkness and pain and struggle, the time was ripe for the restoration of the gospel. Ancient prophets had spoken of this long-awaited day.

 

All of the history of the past had pointed to this season. The centuries with all of their suffering and all their hope had come and gone. The Almighty Judge of the nations, the Living God, determined that the times of which the prophets had spoken had arrived. Daniel had foreseen a stone which was cut out of the mountain without hands and which became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

That stone cut out of the mountain is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is a Restoration of the ancient Church. President Hinckley said,

The curtains which had been closed for much of two millennia were parted to usher in the dispensation of the fulness of times. There followed the restoration of the holy priesthood. … Keys of divine authority were restored….

And Joseph Smith became the first prophet of the last dispensation. 

A Unique General Conference

General conference is a celebration of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a manifestation that the heavens are opened and the Lord, once again, speaks to us through His prophet. Just as He spoke to His people through Moses, Abraham and other ancient prophets. Just as He spoke with Peter, James and John and His apostles in His ancient Church. Jesus Christ restored His gospel so that we could find Him. As Elder Holland said,

To grasp the vision we are seeking, the healing that He promises, the significance we somehow know is here, we must cut through the commotion—joyful as it is—and fix our attention on Him. The prayer of every speaker, the hope of all who sing, the reverence of every guest—all are dedicated to inviting the Spirit of Him whose Church this is—the living Christ, the Lamb of God, the Prince of Peace.

If we are prepared for and pay attention to the speakers this conference, we will find Him. And the chaos, confusion and upheaval of COVID-19 concerns, quarantines and earthquakes will give way to the peace that Christ can bring.

Tithing is also a principle of faith. Elder Robert D. Hales taught,

Tithing has been established in these latter days as an essential law for members of the Lord’s restored Church. It is one of the basic ways we witness our faith in Him and our obedience to His laws and commandments.

Latter-day Saints pay tithing as a sign of their faith in God. Most of us, at one point or another, feel like the widow paying her last mite in tithing. But perhaps that is the point. Elder Bruce R. McConkie said,

When it costs us but little to give, the treasure laid up in heaven is a small one. The widow’s mite, given in sacrifice, weighs more heavily in the eternal scales than the bulging granaries of the rich man.

In paying our tithing—especially in lean times—we strengthen our faith through our sacrifice. Careful management of tithing funds is evidence that the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ understand this. Let me explain.

The Law of Tithing

First, what is tithing? A tithe is one-tenth of a person’s annual increase, or income. But it’s not a modern construct. In ancient times and the early days of the Church of Jesus Christ, tithing was not always paid in cash. It was often paid commodities. The scriptures teach,

And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly (2 Chronicles 31:5).

The Lord revealed the law of tithing and the purpose thereof for the modern Church of Jesus Christ in 1838. Modern scriptures teach,

Verily, thus saith the Lord, I require all their surplus property to be put into the hands of the bishop of my church in Zion,

 

For the building of mine house, and for the laying of the foundation of Zion and for the priesthood, and for the debts of the Presidency of my Church.

And this shall be the beginning of the tithing of my people.

 

And after that, those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever, for my holy priesthood, saith the Lord (Doctrine & Covenants 119:1-4).

The Lord feels very strongly about this law. The ancient prophet Malachi wrote,

Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

 

Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation (Malachi 3:8-9).

The Collection of Tithes

Every faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who has an increase in income pays tithing. This includes the leadership. Latter-day Saints pay tithing to the bishop, or lay leader of the ward (which is the local congregation). While members can now pay their tithing online through the Church’s website, funds are still sent directly to the ward. Ward clerks help to count the funds brought in. Elder Hales explained,

According to revelation, bishops are ordained to “keep the Lord’s storehouse; to receive the funds of the church.” (See Doctrine & Covenants 72:10.) Both bishops and clerks are expected to be full-tithe payers who have learned to live prudently within their means. Within hours of receiving tithing funds from members of their wards and branches, these local leaders transmit the funds directly to the headquarters of the Church.

Once at Church headquarters, the use of funds is directed based on sound financial principles. Elder David A. Bednar taught,

In the financial operations of the Church, two basic and fixed principles are observed. First, the Church lives within its means and does not spend more than it receives. Second, a portion of the annual income is set aside as a reserve for contingencies and unanticipated needs. For decades the Church has taught its membership the principle of setting aside additional food, fuel, and money to take care of emergencies that might arise. The Church as an institution simply follows the same principles that are taught repeatedly to the members.

The Use of Tithing Funds

Meetinghouses, such as this one in Guatemala, are built and maintained using tithing funds.

Tithing funds are used to establish and maintain the kingdom of God on the earth. So what does that look like? President Gordon B. Hinckley said,

There has been laid upon the Church a tremendous responsibility. Tithing is the source of income for the Church to carry forward its mandated activities.

And the use of tithing funds is directed by the Lord. President Dallin H. Oaks explained,

The Lord has directed by revelation that the expenditure of his tithes will be directed by his servants, the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve, and the Presiding Bishopric (see Doctrine & Covenants 120). Those funds are spent to build and maintain temples and houses of worship, to conduct our worldwide missionary work, to translate and publish scriptures, to provide resources to redeem the dead, to fund religious education, and to support other Church purposes selected by the designated servants of the Lord.

Although the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ are in Salt Lake City, the Church operates throughout the world. The scriptures are translated and published into 97 languages in their entirety and portions have been translated into another 20, there are meetinghouses and temples benefitting members in 160 countries, and tithing funds are the source of funding. Each meetinghouse and temple must be heated or cooled and properly maintained. Sometimes they need repairs. All of this comes out of tithing funds. The Church of Jesus Christ no longer goes into debt to build these structures. Rather, everything is paid for in cash.

The Promises of Tithing

We can’t talk about the principles of tithing without discussing the associated promises. The ancient prophet Malachi taught,

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

 

And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts (Malachi 3: 10-11).

Speaking of paying tithing, President Hinckley said,

I am satisfied that he will bless all who walk in obedience to this commandment.

 

Now, do not get me wrong. I am not here to say that if you pay an honest tithing you will realize your dream of a fine house, a Rolls Royce, and a condominium in Hawaii. The Lord will open the windows of heaven according to our need, and not according to our greed. If we are paying tithing to get rich, we are doing it for the wrong reason. … The blessing to the giver is an ancillary return, and that blessing may not be always in the form of financial or material benefit.

Tithing is, indeed, a measure of faith. President Hinckley taught,

While tithing is paid with money, more importantly it is paid with faith. I have never met an individual who paid an honest tithe who complained about it. Rather, he put his trust in the Lord, and the Lord never failed him.

The Blessings of Tithing

The blessings of tithing are not limited to financial aspects of our lives. As President Hinckley said, if we are paying our tithing hoping to get rich, then we’re doing it for the wrong reason. And if we’re paying tithing for the wrong reasons and looking for blessings that aren’t there, then we will probably miss the blessings that are there. President Hinckley said, 

There are many ways in which the Lord can bless us beyond the riches of the world. There is the great boon of health. The Lord has promised that he will rebuke the devourer for our sakes. Malachi speaks of the fruits of our ground. May not that rebuke of the devourer apply to various of our personal efforts and concerns?

 

There is the great blessing of wisdom, of knowledge, even hidden treasures of knowledge. We are promised that ours shall be a delightsome land if we will walk in obedience to this law. I can interpret the word land as people, that those who walk in obedience shall be a delightsome people. What a marvelous condition to be a delightsome people whom others would describe as blessed!

But these are not all. Elder Neil L. Andersen explained,

… Some of the diverse blessings we obtain as we are obedient to this commandment are significant but subtle. Such blessings can be discerned only if we are both spiritually attentive and observant (see 1 Corinthians 2:14).

 

The imagery of the “windows” of heaven used by Malachi is most instructive. Windows allow natural light to enter into a building. In like manner, spiritual illumination and perspective are poured out through the windows of heaven and into our lives as we honor the law of tithing.

We can see the blessings of tithing as we look for them.

Tithing vs. Food

Some people feel that you have to have enough money to pay your tithing. My husband and I have always felt that we can’t afford to not pay tithing. When our first son was born, I quit working to stay home. That pretty much cut our income in half. And I was worried. But we always paid our tithing, and we have always had what we needed. We attribute that directly to blessings from paying tithing.

Even—and perhaps especially—in times of economic crisis, paying tithing is important. But some say The Church of Jesus Christ forces the poor to pay tithing rather than buying basic necessities such as food. But in this, they miss the whole point of tithing. Elder Lynn G. Robbins taught,

The Lord often teaches using extreme circumstances to illustrate a principle. The story of the widow of Zarephath is an example of extreme poverty used to teach the doctrine that mercy cannot rob sacrifice any more than it can rob justice. In fact, the truer measure of sacrifice isn’t so much what one gives to sacrifice as what one sacrifices to give (see Mark 12:43). Faith isn’t tested so much when the cupboard is full as when it is bare. In these defining moments, the crisis doesn’t create one’s character—it reveals it. The crisis is the test.

The Widow of Zarephath

In the scriptures, the prophet Elijah comes to a poor, starving widow and asks her to feed him during a famine. (See 1 Kings 17:13-16.) When she says that she has a little oil and meal for her and her son—and that they are preparing one last, small meal before they die of starvation—Elijah asks her to feed him first. Elder Robbins continued,

Elijah understood the doctrine that blessings come after the trial of our faith (see Ether 12:6). He wasn’t being selfish. As the Lord’s servant, Elijah was there to give, not to take.

The widow and her son survived the famine because they showed faith. The same is true of us. If, after paying tithing, we don’t have sufficient funds for food or housing, the Church welfare system will step in and help. It is a principle lived and sacrifice made and honored. And living this principle will bless us long after the crisis has passed.

Preparation for the Second Coming

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in yellow Helping Hands shirts clean up after a tornado in Tennessee.

Latter-day Saints believe that the world will continue to be in turmoil as the time draws near for the Second Coming of the Savior. And for many years, prophets and apostles have taught the importance of preparing for this by getting out of debt and stockpiling food and other supplies. What used to be called food storage is now called self reliance. It is a different name but similar concept. While many Church members are following these teachings, not all are. Many are in various stages of attaining their goals of getting out of debt and gathering what they need. And some will be caught unaware.

Some, no matter how hard they work to prepare, will fall on hard times. And the plagues, wars and rumors of wars will stretch thin many people across the globe. In coming days, it is entirely possible that the once seemingly ridiculously large $100 billion in savings will be stretched as The Church of Jesus Christ helps people around the world. Not just members of the Church, but anyone who is in need. 

Tithing and the Widow’s Mite

Despite the blessings that many faithful Latter-day Saints have received from paying tithing, some critics have wondered why The Church of Jesus Christ needs to keep billions of dollars in reserves. Wouldn’t it be better, they reason, to spend the money to help the homeless or feed the poor or some other charitable work? And maybe just keep a few million in reserves. Well, put frankly, no. This is short-sighted and fiscally irresponsible. Spending money just because it’s there does not honor the sacrifice of the widow’s mite, which is in reference to a widow paying all that she has in faith. And she has faith that those with stewardship over her contribution will respect her consecrated offering—which is consecrated, or made holy, by her sacrifice. The same is true of all tithing monies.

My grandmother was a widow for nearly 20 years who was very careful with her money. But she always paid her tithing. Not only was it important to her to pay her tithing, it was also important to her to declare herself a full tithe payer before the Lord. Latter-day Saints do this at the end of the year in personal or family tithing settlement meetings with the bishop. In 2019, she passed away in the early morning hours of the day she was supposed to attend tithing settlement. Knowing how important this meeting was to my grandmother, my mother went for my grandmother. President Hinckley said,

… Long observation has shown that the faithful and honest payment of tithing is an indicator of faithfulness in other matters.

This is the legacy of faith that comes from a lifetime of sacrifice. And the faith that will see us through the trials and challenges of life. The Church honors that faith with careful management of tithing funds.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has temporarily suspended church services worldwide, is limiting temple use and will broadcast April’s general conference from the Conference Center, only allowing the Tabernacle Choir and Church leaders to attend. (President Russell M. Nelson was right when he said back in October that this conference would be different!) 

All of the precautions may be needed or much ado about not much. Only time will tell for sure. But the question we need to ask ourselves is: Are we ready for the impact on our communities? That’s an interesting question for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—especially since leaders have been preaching preparedness for decades. Are “Mormons” (as members of The Church of Jesus Christ are often mistakenly called) prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic? Well, the Church of Jesus Christ as a whole is ready. It’s amazing to see the prophetic insight of Church leaders. But individuals and families? Well, that depends on how closely we’re following prophetic counsel. Let me explain.  

The COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic is one for the books. What makes it so scary, right now, is that so much is unknown. And what is known is kind of alarming. According to a March 11, 2020, press release by the World Health Organization,

In the past two weeks, the number of cases of COVID-19 outside China has increased 13-fold, and the number of affected countries has tripled.  …

 

We have never before seen a pandemic sparked by a coronavirus. … And we have never before seen a pandemic that can be controlled, at the same time. 

So the focus has been on social distancing, hygiene, and containment, which means isolating areas and people staying home. Is there really a way that we can prepare for that? For many years, The Church of Jesus Christ taught preparedness. But preparedness is more than just food storage. The Church of Jesus Christ explained,

Self-reliance incorporates education, health, employment, family home production and food storage, family finances and spiritual strength.

This preparation isn’t something that should be done in a day. Rather, a little at a time as we can. President Gordon B. Hinckley said,

Our people for three-quarters of a century have been counseled and encouraged to make such preparation as will assure survival should a calamity come.

 

We can set aside some water, basic food, medicine, and clothing to keep us warm. We ought to have a little money laid aside in case of a rainy day.

 

Now what I have said should not occasion a run on the grocery store or anything of that kind. I am saying nothing that has not been said for a very long time.

The prophet’s counsel on preparedness is not intended specifically for this pandemic but can easily be applied. That’s how it was designed.

Response by The Church of Jesus Christ

Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ were able to respond quickly and with progressive announcements because of its unique organization. The Church of Jesus Christ is a top-down organization, meaning that revelation and instructions for the general membership come from the Savior to His living prophets and apostles, through the leadership structures of the Church down to the members. So not long after each announcement from the prophet, our local bishop sent out emails detailing how these would be implemented in our congregation. Local congregations have ministering programs where members are assigned to look after specific families. Ministering brothers and sisters were asked to check on their families and assess needs. Our son’s mission president sent out a similar email, explaining how these changes would affect him on his mission. 

The end result was that all church gatherings were canceled, and Latter-day Saints were to have worship services—including administering and partaking of the sacrament—at home. Missionaries in affected areas would teach via teleconferencing, and the missionary training centers in Provo, Utah, and Preston, England, would close their doors. Incoming missionaries would be trained via teleconferencing in their homes. Leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ stated,

We believe this temporary virtual training program will help to prepare missionaries for the field while minimizing risks related to communicable disease.

 

Each missionary will receive specific information regarding the length of training, schedules, and other logistics as his or her starting date approaches. Once missionaries complete their online training, they will travel directly to their mission assignments.

Not surprisingly, the Church already has programs and technology in place to accomplish this remote learning. And it gives new meaning to the focus on the “home-centered, Church supported” platform.

Home Centered and Church Supported Program

In October 2018, Church leaders announced a different approach to gospel learning that put the emphasis and responsibility for gospel learning on parents and individuals at home. President Nelson taught,

As Latter-day Saints, we have become accustomed to thinking of “church” as something that happens in our meetinghouses, supported by what happens at home. We need an adjustment to this pattern. It is time for a home-centered Church, supported by what takes place inside our branch, ward and stake buildings. …

 

For many years, Church leaders have been working on an integrated curriculum to strengthen families and individuals through a home-centered and Church-supported plan to learn doctrine, strengthen faith, and foster greater personal worship.

The program, called “Come, Follow Me,” standardized gospel learning for all ages. Which meant that parents and their children would be having the same lessons, tailored to their age group, at church and then be able to discuss the same topic and scriptures at home. There was also instruction material for discussion for individuals and families. This brought a greater focus on learning in the home that was supplemented by learning at church. Our family loves it, and the program has fostered some great conversations with our kids.

This year, students in seminary (religious instruction for high schoolers) also followed a similar curriculum. So we all studied the same book of scripture. This makes it so much easier to continue learning and discussing at home when we can’t get to church. When this was announced, my husband and I talked about how in the future it wouldn’t be surprising if we had to do church at home. I never thought it would happen so soon, nor did I imagine it would be because of an infectious disease!

Missionary Preparation

Gospel learning in the home takes on new meaning for those preparing for their missions via video conferencing. The Missionary Training Centers of The Church of Jesus Christ (or MTCs) are sacred places of learning where the spirit of the Lord is strong. Families whose missionaries are training at home instead of in an MTC must turn their homes into a literal MTC. This will be an easy task for those who have been following the counsel of the prophets and apostles. Elder David A. Bednar taught,

The ultimate missionary training center is in our homes; secondary missionary training centers are located in Provo, Manila, Mexico City, and in other locations. Our most instructive Sunday School classes should be our individual and family study in our places of residence; helpful but secondary Sunday School classes are held in our meetinghouses. …

 

Making our homes sanctuaries wherein we can “stand in holy places” is essential in these latter days. And as important as home-centered and Church-supported learning is for our spiritual strength and protection today, it will be even more vital in the future. 

Missionary, Temple and Family History Work

Technology such as Google Hangouts and online chats have allowed missionary work to continue, even in areas that are shut down due to COVID-19. This same technology also allows members of all ages to continue working on family history at home so when temples reopen, they will have names of ancestors for whom ordinances need to be performed. Elder Bednar said,

The Lord has made available in our day remarkable resources that enable you to learn about and love this work that is sparked by the Spirit of Elijah. For example, FamilySearch is a collection of records, resources, and services easily accessible with personal computers and a variety of handheld devices, designed to help people discover and document their family history. These resources also are available in the family history centers located in many of our Church buildings throughout the world.

The youth are especially adept at this technology, which gives kids stuck at home productive things to do online. Elder Bednar continued,

It is no coincidence that FamilySearch and other tools have come forth at a time when young people are so familiar with a wide range of information and communication technologies. Your fingers have been trained to text and tweet to accelerate and advance the work of the Lord—not just to communicate quickly with your friends. The skills and aptitude evident among many young people today are a preparation to contribute to the work of salvation.

Preparation of the Latter-day Saints

The prophet and apostles have prepared The Church of Jesus Christ for a time such as this, but have the members prepared themselves? Preparation for Latter-day Saints is two-fold—spiritual and physical. Which one comes first? President Henry B. Eyring taught,

Most of us have thought about how to prepare for storms. We have seen and felt the suffering of women, men, and children, and of the aged and the weak, caught in hurricanes, tsunamis, wars, and droughts. One reaction is to ask, “How can I be prepared?” And there is a rush to buy and put away whatever people think they might need for the day they might face such calamities.

 

But there is another even more important preparation we must make for tests that are certain to come to each of us. That preparation must be started far in advance because it takes time. What we will need then can’t be bought. It can’t be borrowed. It doesn’t store well. And it has to have been used regularly and recently.

 

What we will need in our day of testing is a spiritual preparation. It is to have developed faith in Jesus Christ so powerful that we can pass the test of life upon which everything for us in eternity depends. That test is part of the purpose God had for us in the Creation.

We need faith to help us get through the rough times. No one is 100 percent sure what the economic impact of COVID-19 will be. In times of uncertainty, we rely on our faith for comfort. When the crisis comes, the time for preparation has passed. It is the same physically as spiritually. Have we developed the faith we need to weather this storm?

Why We Need Faith

In times of uncertainty, we rely on faith for comfort. We prepare by developing our faith, which requires obedience to God’s commandments. President Hinckley said,

We can so live that we can call upon the Lord for His protection and guidance. This is a first priority. We cannot expect His help if we are unwilling to keep His commandments.

This doesn’t mean that the righteous won’t suffer. President Hinckley continued,

We know, of course, that the rain falls on the just as well as the unjust (see Matthew 5:45). But even though the just die they are not lost, but are saved through the Atonement of the Redeemer.

What it does mean is that we can take comfort in knowing that we did our part, and whatever happens after that, we will still be OK.

Stockpiles of Toilet Paper and Supplies

The night before my husband and I were to leave Mexico, our daughter called and said she was at the store and the toilet paper and tissues were nearly gone, and the store was limiting the amount of both that people could buy. I had been hoping that I could get home before that happened, but no such luck. So I got online and tried to buy toilet paper and tissues, but I was out of luck there, too. We have toilet paper at home. But we are always shy on tissues because I have allergies all summer and fall and sinus issues the rest of the year. Strike 1 for me not being prepared. We do have food storage but are in need of staples like rice and probably flour. (Of course, two of the staples that stores are running out of!) Strike 2. 

With all that said, my husband and I were not fully caught unaware. We have been following the news and planning for the eventuality. We have tried to follow the counsel of the prophet and apostles to the best of our ability. And I believe that is what God expects of us. A couple of years ago, the power went out at our house, and it was expected to last a few days. We were definitely not prepared for that! So I had to run to the store and buy bottled water, hot dogs, brats and cans of soup—items that we could cook on our woodburning stove. I spent more money that I wanted to, and almost more than we had. And then the power was only off for a day. But we were ready for an outage the rest of that winter. My plan is to not make that same mistake this time.

The Real Test

While the COVID-19 pandemic is a test of our preparation, the real test of life is to see which voices we will follow, which master we will obey. President Eyring taught,

… The great test of life is to see whether we will hearken to and obey God’s commands in the midst of the storms of life. It is not to endure storms, but to choose the right while they rage. And the tragedy of life is to fail in that test and so fail to qualify to return in glory to our heavenly home.

The earth will not glide smoothly to the Second Coming of the Savior. The way will be rocky, stormy and full of perils. This may be the start of the plagues, wars and rumors of wars that are prophesied before His triumphant return. But maybe not. President Eyring said,

Life [will] have storms in which we … have to make choices using faith in things we [can] not see with our natural eyes. …

 

It will take unshakable faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to choose the way to eternal life. It is by using that faith we can know the will of God. It is by acting on that faith we build the strength to do the will of God. And it is by exercising that faith in Jesus Christ that we can resist temptation and gain forgiveness through the Atonement. 

And it is this faith upon which we can rely when the storms rage and pandemics hit. So are Latter-day Saints prepared for COVID-19? I am. I’m excited to have church at home with my husband and son passing the sacrament. And if push comes to shove, I have lots of wide-ruled lined paper to use instead of tissues.

When BYU made changes to the Honor Code in February 2020, some people took it to mean that the school—and the Church—were loosening their standards to better reflect the whatever-feels-good-to-me-should-be-OK mentality that is so prevalent today. But that is not the case. The principles and doctrines of the gospel are not changing. BYU’s Honor Code was updated in coordination with the updated Church Handbook. BYU stated,

With the recently released general handbook of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Church Educational System has updated the CES Honor Code to be in alignment with the doctrine and policies of the Church. …

 

The updated Honor Code continues to be a principle-based code that reflects the moral standards of the Church. It allows each campus to support and guide its students on an individual basis according to the principles outlined in the Honor Code.

So what, exactly, is the message that The Church of Jesus Christ is trying to send? It’s simple. It’s time for Latter-day Saints—especially the youth—to take personal revelation to the next level. The prophet is encouraging us to live a higher law focused more on the spirit rather than the letter. Let me explain.

Personal Revelation

The prophet and apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ have been emphasizing the importance of each member learning how to receive his or her own personal revelation. President Russell M. Nelson taught,

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

Why would this be? President Nelson explained,

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.

With the onslaught of opinions, information, and misinformation, personal revelation is the only way to truly be able to sift through the myriad of voices. So, what is personal revelation? It is the way that God speaks to each one of us individually. Elder Robert D. Hales said,

Personal revelation is the way we know for ourselves the most important truths of our existence: the living reality of God, our Eternal Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ; the truthfulness of the restored gospel; and God’s purpose and direction for us.

God will speak to each one of us through the power of the Holy Ghost, but the way in which the Holy Ghost speaks to each person will be different. So not only is it important to understand what revelation is, we must also learn how to receive it. And although the Holy Ghost will speak to us in different ways, there are commonalities in the way we must approach this process.

The Boundaries of the Gospel

It is important for us to put ourselves in a position to receive personal revelation. And this begins with keeping the commandments. In each law of the gospel there is the letter and the spirit. The spirit of the law is a higher way of following it. At the time of the Savior, many Jews were fixated on the cold scrutiny of the law that didn’t leave room for the spiritual aspect of it. They looked to their religious leaders to tell them exact steps for following the law. But that was never the intent. The Law of Moses was implemented to help them prepare spiritually for the higher law, which built upon the lesser law. Elder James E. Faust said,

Jesus introduced a higher and more difficult standard of human conduct. It is simpler as well as more difficult because it focuses on internal rather than external requirements: … Love your neighbor as yourself. When smitten, turn the other cheek. … Forgive, not just once but seventy times seven. This was the essence of the new gospel. There was more emphasis on do than do not. 

The Jews were so focused on the boundaries of the gospel that they couldn’t see the reason behind it, which was to bring them closer to God and becoming like the Savior. We make the same mistake when we seek for everything to be spelled out for us. Elder Boyd K. Packer explained,

… It is a mistake to assume that anything not specifically prohibited in the “letter of the law” is somehow approved of the Lord. All the Lord approves is not detailed in the scriptures, neither is all that is forbidden. The Word of Wisdom, for instance, makes no specific warning against taking arsenic. Surely we don’t need a revelation to tell us that!

The Whys of the Gospel

What is the purpose of the gospel of Jesus Christ? It is the same today as it was in the ancient church that Jesus Christ established when He was on the earth. Elder D. Todd Christofferson said,

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. …

 

It is important to recognize that God’s ultimate purpose is our progress. His desire is that we continue “from grace to grace, until [we receive] a fulness” of all He can give. That requires more than simply being nice or feeling spiritual. It requires faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism of water and of the Spirit, and enduring in faith to the end.

But the requirement is more than just learning. It is becoming. President Dallin H. Oaks explained,

The Apostle Paul taught that the Lord’s teachings and teachers were given that we may all attain “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). This process requires far more than acquiring knowledge. It is not even enough for us to be convinced of the gospel; we must act and think so that we are converted by it. In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something. …

 

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.

The Whys of the Honor Code

In a similar manner, the Honor Code challenges BYU students to become more than they were before by choosing to live by a higher standard. Cecil O. Samuelson, at the time president of BYU, said,

All of us are beset with ideas, temptations, and distractions that have the potential to lead us to places we do not wish to go and to consequences we would not choose. The Word of Wisdom was given “in consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men [and women] in the last days [our days]” (Doctrine & Covenants 89:4). It is my judgment that this is also a major reason for the development of the Honor Code at Brigham Young University. 

College life is often associated with drinking, parties, premarital sex and illicit drug use—which can lead to poor performance in studies, among other issues. But campus life is different at BYU. Samuelson continued,

Included in the many blessings that a BYU education and experience may provide is the opportunity to understand and reflect carefully on what things in life are most important to us. This occurs in an environment where sacred things are held sacred and where we are committed to helping each other understand and apply eternal truths as we strive and grow in the quest for academic and scholarly excellence.

 

In addition, like the Word of Wisdom, the Honor Code is not primarily a law of health or blind conformity. It is a principle of obedience. It is an outward manifestation of our inner appreciation for and understanding of the privilege of being at BYU.

The BYU experience is unique. And acceptance into it is a privilege that should not be taken lightly.

The BYU Experience

What makes the BYU experience so unique? A combination of factors. Students receive a top-notch education in a spiritually rich environment with others who not only share the same faith in God but also commit to live the standards of the Honor Code. And because BYU is subsidized by tithing funds from The Church of Jesus Christ, the students benefit from the faithful sacrifice of church members. That is a powerful combination that creates a different feeling for the campus and a unique environment for students. Speaking to an audience of BYU students, President Gordon B. Hinckley said,

Every one of you who is enrolled in this great institution and everyone who is a member of its faculty or its staff is part of a family unique and unusual. You are, in a very real sense, a chosen people. You have been selected through a rigorous process and found to be deserving of what this institution has to offer. That offering includes the opportunity for a first-class education for the students and a wonderful teaching environment and challenge for the faculty.

 

Much has been given; much is expected; and I am grateful to be able to say that the response on the part of most of the faculty and students is overwhelmingly in full and complete accord with the principles of the Honor Code, as well as the Dress and Grooming Standards. …

 

I am sorry that we cannot accommodate all who wish to come here. But I am grateful that the university is so successful in accomplishing its twin objectives—of imparting first-class secular education combined with the teaching and advocacy of the gospel of Jesus Christ—that many more than we can possibly accommodate wish to come and drink at these waters.

BYU and Tithing Funds

The use of tithing funds in the operations of Brigham Young University is a source of faith and spiritual power for the campus that can’t be overlooked. Members of the Church pay 10% of their annual increase as tithing. That money is used by the Church for specific purposes, including educational institutions. Why is this? President Hinckley taught,

… We do have tremendous assets when the value of all Church buildings and facilities is included. But these assets are not income producing. They are consumers. They consist of thousands of meetinghouses across the world, many temples, seminaries and institutes, and, of course, Brigham Young University. They have cost millions in investments, and they produce scarcely anything in the way of a direct dollar return on those investments. There is only one reason for their existence, and that is to serve the needs of people as sons and daughters of God who have a peculiar and important relationship with him.

Tithing is a sacrifice unto the Lord to fulfill His purposes. And BYU students are the beneficiaries of this sacrifice. President Hinckley explained,

Most of the wonderful, faithful Latter-day Saints who pay their tithing are men and women of modest means. They not only pay their tithing, but they also make many other contributions for the strengthening of this work. …

 

My dear young friends, we—you and I—are trustees of that which has been given to the Lord by [church members] … whose devotion is as great [as the widow and her mite] and whose sacrifice is as certain. This beautiful campus, with its many programs, is a consumer of a very substantial portion of the widow’s contribution. She gives her offering to the Lord, and she is then released from responsibility. The responsibility then becomes mine—and yours!

A Community of Saints—and BYU Cougars

Members of the BYU Wind Symphony went on tour in Australia and not only performed concerts but also went to work doing service, including clearing overgrown weeds and plants from footpaths.

The shared sacrifice and working together to accomplish the work of the Lord creates a community of Saints. Elder Christofferson said,

… A major reason the Lord has a church is to create a community of Saints that will sustain one another in the “strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life.” …

 

We are told that the ancient Church “did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls” “and to hear the word of the Lord.” So it is in the Church today. Joined in faith, we teach and edify one another and strive to approach the full measure of discipleship, “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” We strive to help one another come to “the knowledge of the Son of God.”

Although the community is one in purpose, we are still all people. And people make mistakes. Elder Christofferson taught,

In the Church we not only learn divine doctrine; we also experience its application. As the body of Christ, the members of the Church minister to one another in the reality of day-to-day life. All of us are imperfect; we may offend and be offended. We often test one another with our personal idiosyncrasies. In the body of Christ, we have to go beyond concepts and exalted words and have a real “hands-on” experience as we learn to “live together in love.”

Learning to “live together in love” creates a community of Saints—and a community of Cougars at BYU. This community is enhanced when all are striving for the same goals of honoring their commitments to follow the Honor Code.

The Honor Code and Personal Revelation

So how does this relate to personal revelation? President Hinckley said,

[The Honor Code] is not an inflexible law written in tablets of stone. It is a code of conduct. It is a statement of principles. It is a guide and a reminder concerning expected deportment. It is no more than might be expected of any good Christian, and no less than might be required of one who comes to this great institution sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The code is a guide, not a rigid set of rules. It does not address every specific issue. It is a table of standards, set forth clearly enough that there can be no question concerning what is expected and yet flexible enough to allow some freedom in application.

The Honor Code and the Church Handbook are tools to help those who have made commitments to keep their commitments. The Honor Code, especially, is a reminder of those commitments and how we can grow closer to Christ. President Hinckley explained,

Every one of us who is here has accepted a sacred and compelling trust. With that trust, there must be accountability. That trust involves standards of behavior as well as standards of academic excellence. For each of us it carries with it a larger interest than our own interest. It carries with it the interest of the university, and the interest of the Church, which must be the interest of each and all of us. 

Keeping the commitment to the Honor Code helps students open the path to personal revelation. And when we are open to personal revelation and the gifts of the spirit, we don’t need to have every detail spelled out for us. Because, as the Prophet Joseph Smith once said, 

I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves.