Not that the trials are lessened, but the entire season is a celebration of the birth of the one perfect person who could deliver us—the Promised Messiah, our Redeemer Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of our hope and our salvation. Through our trials, we gain a deeper appreciation of the life, mission and ministry of Jesus Christ—and a greater understanding of just how powerful His love can be in our lives. And through our understanding of the Lord, Jesus Christ, and His mission and ministry, we find the peace and comfort that we need in our darkest nights. Interestingly, many of the symbols of Christmas—as well as the holiday itself—point us to the true blessing of Christmas—the Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Guiding Star

For centuries, prophets foretold of the coming of the Messiah and the signs and wonders that would precede His birth. Samuel the Lamanite, a prophet on the ancient American continent, prophesied:

And behold, this will I give unto you for a sign at the time of his coming; for behold, there shall be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh there shall be no darkness, insomuch that it shall appear unto man as if it was day.

 

Therefore, there shall be one day and a night and a day, as if it were one day and there were no night; and this shall be unto you for a sign; … and it shall be the night before he is born.

 

And behold, there shall a new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a sign unto you. (Helaman 14:3-5)

President Henry B. Eyring taught:

One of the most beautiful symbols of the birth of Jesus Christ into this world is light. The appearance of the long-promised Messiah brought light to a darkened world.

The late President Gordon B. Hinckley said:

Christ is the light to all mankind. He has “pointed, marked out and lighted the way. ‘Sadly, many individuals and nations have extinguished that light. They have attempted to supplant His gospel with coercion and the sword.’” (Church News, 4 Dec. 1982, p. 10.) But even to those who reject Him, He is “the light [which] shineth in darkness.” (John 1:5.)

Elder Dallin H. Oaks explained:

Jesus Christ is the light of the world because he is the source of the light that quickens our understanding, because his teachings and his example illuminate our path, and because his power persuades us to do good.

Thus, the Christmas lights that illuminate and adorn our trees, lights, homes, neighborhoods and cities all remind us of the Savior and the Light that He brings to the world—just as the Star in Bethlehem guided the shepherds and Wise Men to the Baby Jesus two millennia ago.

The Lowly Stable

It is also significant that Jesus Christ was not born in a palace among the wealthy or noble, but in a stable to a fair virgin and her husband, who was a carpenter. Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught:

We find it remarkable that the very Son of God, the great Jehovah of old, should be born into this mortal world in the humblest of circumstances. An inn would have been lowly enough, but it was not even an inn. Rather it was a stable, and the babe was laid on the hay of a manger where common animals fed.

But the greatest condescension is that Jesus Christ was born into mortality. Elder Christofferson continued:

How is it that He who ruled on high in the heavens, the very Creator of the earth, should consent to be born “after the manner of the flesh” and walk upon His footstool in poverty, despised and abused and, in the end, be crucified? Why this near inconceivable degradation? Jesus explained: “I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. … And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” Faithfully, Jesus endured all that was necessary in life and in death to atone, redeem, and establish a celestial pattern for the children of God—for us.

 

It was essential that the Son of God be born in the flesh and descend below all things that He might “redeem all things.”

And President Eyring added, He experienced mortality so that He would know how to succor His people in their times of trial. President Eyring said:

It will comfort us when we must wait in distress for the Savior’s promised relief that He knows, from experience, how to heal and help us. The Book of Mormon gives us the certain assurance of His power to comfort. And faith in that power will give us patience as we pray and work and wait for help. He could have known how to succor us simply by revelation, but He chose to learn by His own personal experience.

And this experience began when the King of Kings was born in a humble stable because there was no room in the inn for his mother.

The Shepherds

The scriptures teach that “there were in the same country shepherds … keeping watch over their flock by night” (Luke 2:8). And an angel came to them, announcing the birth of the Baby Jesus:

For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11)

But this is not all that the shepherds saw; they also saw “a multitude of heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:13-14)

There is much symbolism in the experience of the shepherds. Elder Russell M. Nelson explained:

At the birth of Him who is called the “good shepherd,” shepherds were the first to receive the announcement of His holy birth. Uniquely, He was the Heavenly Shepherd who later became the lamb.

The late President Ezra Taft Benson explained the significance of Jesus Christ as the Good Shepherd:

In Jesus’ time, the Palestinian shepherd was noted for his protection of his sheep. Unlike modern sheepherders, the shepherd always walked ahead of his flock. He led them. The shepherd knew each of the sheep and usually had a name for each. The sheep knew his voice and trusted him and would not follow a stranger. Thus, when called, the sheep would come to him. (See John 10:14, 16.)

 

At night shepherds would bring their sheep to a corral called a sheepfold. High walls surrounded the sheepfold…. Sometimes, however, a wild animal driven by hunger would leap over the walls into the midst of the sheep, frightening them. Such a situation separated the true shepherd—one who loved his sheep—from the hireling—one who worked only for pay and duty.

 

The true shepherd was willing to give his life for the sheep. He would go in amongst the sheep and fight for their welfare. The hireling, on the other hand, valued his own personal safety above the sheep and would usually flee from the danger.

 

Jesus used this common illustration of his day to declare that He was the Good Shepherd, the True Shepherd. Because of His love for His brothers and sisters, He would willingly and voluntarily lay down His life for them. (See John 10:17–18.)

The shepherds are symbolic of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, who loved His sheep so much that He died for them.

O Little Town of Bethlehem

The little town of Bethlehem is also symbolic of the life and ministry of the Savior. In Hebrew, beit lehem means “house of bread.” Jesus Christ himself said, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger” (John 6:35). Elder Christofferson said:

Jesus teaches us, His disciples, that we should look to God each day for the bread—the help and sustenance—we require in that particular day. The Lord’s invitation … speaks of a loving God, aware of even the small, daily needs of His children and eager to assist them, one by one.

Elder Nelson explained:

How significant it is that He, the “bread of life” would come from the “house of bread.”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said:

… The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way to satisfy ultimate spiritual hunger and slake definitive spiritual thirst. Only He who was so mortally wounded knows how to heal our modern wounds. …

 

Now, if you feel too spiritually maimed to come to the feast, please realize that the Church is not a monastery for perfect people, though all of us ought to be striving on the road to godliness. No, at least one aspect of the Church is more like a hospital or an aid station, provided for those who are ill and want to get well, where one can get an infusion of spiritual nutrition and a supply of sustaining water in order to keep on climbing.

 

In spite of life’s tribulations and as fearful as some of our prospects are, I testify that there is help for the journey. There is the Bread of Eternal Life and the Well of Living Water. Christ has overcome the world—our world—and His gift to us is peace now and exaltation in the world to come. Our fundamental requirement is to have faith in Him and follow Him—always.

The Greatest Christmas Gift

Jesus Christ Himself was the greatest Christmas gift in the history of the world. His birth, life and ministry are all signs that God loves us. President Eyring said:

This little child, born in a stable and cradled in a manger, was a gift from our loving Heavenly Father. He was the promised Redeemer of the world, the Savior of mankind, the Son of the living God….

 

He worked as a boy and a youth in the carpenter’s shop of Joseph in Nazareth. In His mortal ministry He walked the dusty roads of Palestine, healed the sick, raised the dead, taught His gospel to people who rejected Him, gave His life on Calvary’s hill, and rose on the third day in what began the Resurrection to break the bands of death for us all and so became “the firstfruits of them that slept.”

Above all, the Savior whose birth we remember this season of the year paid the price of all of our sins.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said:

The simplicity of that first Christmas foreshadowed the life of the Savior. Though He had created the earth, walked in realms of majesty and glory, and stood at the right hand of the Father, He came to earth as a helpless child. His life was a model of modest nobility, and He walked among the poor, the sick, the downcast, and the heavy laden. …

 

Jesus the Christ, who knew perfectly how to give, set for us the pattern for giving. To those whose hearts are heavy with loneliness and sorrow, He brings compassion and comfort. To those whose bodies and minds are afflicted with illness and suffering, He brings love and healing. To those whose souls are burdened with sin, He offers hope, forgiveness, and redemption.

He is the gift of Christmas. And emulating Him is the greatest gift that we can give to others.

Finding Hope in Tragedy

It’s often easier to counsel others to find hope in the midst of tragedy than to do so in the midst of your own. Even at Christmastime. But my mother taught us by example how to do just that. When I was 10, our family—my parents and their 7 kids—moved from Kentucky to Virginia the week before Christmas. My aunt, uncle and infant cousin came to celebrate the holidays with us.

It was to be their first Christmas with their first child, a 2-month-old baby boy. But all of a sudden, everything changed. My cousin stopped breathing while he was taking a nap.

I only remember bits and pieces of the chaos. My mom sent a group of us kids running down the street to find our LDS bishop, who lived nearby—the first house on the left out of the cul-de-sac. Instead, we went to the first house on the right and knocked on the door. The girl who answered said her dad wasn’t a bishop, but he was a doctor. He grabbed his bag and ran down the road to help. Neighbors, who had not yet met our family, came over and asked if they could help. So they took all seven of us kids to their house to play. They even fed us fried chicken.

Unfortunately, my cousin could not be revived. And on Christmas Eve, he was buried. I don’t remember much about that Christmas, except how sad we all were.

My mother, however, was so touched that every December after that she would remind us that these strangers taught her what Christmas is all about. It’s not about the tinsel or the tree, but the love and kindness that we show to others. Sister Bonnie Oscarson, Young Women general president, said:

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ this season, let us also celebrate all that His birth symbolizes, especially the love. When we see shepherds, may we remember to be humble. When we see wise men, may we remember to be generous. When we see the star, may we remember the Light of Christ, which gives life and light to all things. When we see a tiny baby, may we remember to love unconditionally, with tenderness and compassion. May we open the doors of our hearts and reach out to those around us who are lonely, forgotten, or poor in spirit. As we contemplate the example and infinite sacrifice of the Savior, may we also consider how we can be more Christlike in our associations with family and friends, not just during this season but throughout the year.

Whether we are the poor in heart being helped—or the ones serving those in need—both are symbolic of the Savior’s pattern of love and service. And both experiences help us to gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of the real meaning of Christmas.

• The United States now has the lowest birthrate in its history, and in many European Union nations and other developed countries, birthrates are below the level necessary to maintain their populations. This threatens the survival of cultures and even of nations. …

 

• In many countries and cultures (1) the traditional family of a married mother and father and children is coming to be the exception rather than the rule, (2) the pursuit of a career instead of marriage and the bearing of children is an increasing choice of many young women, and (3) the role and perceived necessity of fathers is diminishing.

The sad reality is that most young people want to have children, they just don’t know how to balance the demands of work and family. Children are our greatest assets, our highest eternal treasures, our best teachers. When more and more members of the rising generation fail to see how they can afford or make time to raise the next generation, our society is in real trouble. It’s time to create a culture where children and family can thrive—instead of where the wants of individuals are placed over the needs of children. This change doesn’t begin in the halls of government, it begins at home. President Gordon B. Hinckley said:

A nation will rise no higher than the strength of its homes. If you want to reform a nation, you begin with families, with parents who teach their children principles and values that are positive and affirmative and will lead them to worthwhile endeavors.

Millennials need to understand that they don’t have to choose whether to have a family or whether to have a career. The choice is how they will balance work and children—and the many options available to them.

Planning for Parenthood Must Be Our Priority

The world today sends the message that education and career come first and, if you can fit it in, marriage and children. As high school and college graduates plan for their future, it’s important that they plan for the long haul—and not just the short term. We need to teach the rising generation to look beyond the busy-ness of the here and now to the people they want to be at the end of the road. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught:

…When we are young, it seems that we will live forever. We think there is a limitless supply of sunrises waiting just beyond the horizon, and the future looks to us like an unbroken road stretching endlessly before us. However, the older we get, the more we tend to look back and marvel at how short that road really is. … And we begin to think about the choices we made and the things we have done. In the process, we remember many sweet moments that give warmth to our souls and joy to our hearts. But we also remember the regrets—the things we wish we could go back and change.

President Uchtdorf spoke of a nurse for the terminally ill who asked her patients about their regrets. The words of people who are dying should be lessons for those who still have life to live—and especially for our young adults whose entire lives lay ahead of them. He continued:

Perhaps the most universal regret dying patients expressed was that they wished they had spent more time with the people they love. Men in particular sang this universal lament: they “deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the [daily] treadmill of … work.” Many had lost out on choice memories that come from spending time with family and friends. They missed developing a deep connection with those who meant the most to them.

 

Isn’t it true that we often get so busy? And, sad to say, we even wear our busyness as a badge of honor, as though being busy, by itself, was an accomplishment or sign of a superior life.

Perhaps our college graduates need to stand at the finish line and look back at what they want to accomplish, and then plan accordingly. There are many obstacles to raising a family in this world today. But I heard some advice once that I love: When you decide how many children to have, think about how many people you want to have at Thanksgiving dinner—not how many diapers you have to change to get there.

Balancing Career and Kids

The Millennial generation has some valid concerns about balancing careers and children in the world today. Many went to college during the Great Recession and came out with more student debt than the previous generation. They have seen the time requirement for jobs increase by 14 hours per week—up to a staggering 72 hours.  While job opportunities have seemed to increase, housing costs in many areas require two incomes for a basic home.  There is no doubt that balancing a career and children in the world today is difficult. But I think some young adults want to have kids without sacrificing the big house, the nice car and the 6-figure income. President Thomas S. Monson spoke to young men who were postponing marriage. His words ring true for couples postponing—or outright deciding against—having children:

I realize there are many reasons why you may be hesitating to take that step of getting married…. If you are concerned about providing financially for a wife and family, may I assure you that there is no shame in a couple having to scrimp and save. It is generally during these challenging times that you will grow closer together as you learn to sacrifice and to make difficult decisions. …

 

Perhaps you are having a little too much fun being single, taking extravagant vacations, buying expensive cars and toys, and just generally enjoying the carefree life with your friends. …There is a point at which it’s time to think seriously about marriage and to seek a companion with whom you want to spend eternity. If you choose wisely and if you are committed to the success of your marriage, there is nothing in this life which will bring you greater happiness.

This is true for marriage as well as the commitment to start a family. Young adults need to make having children a priority in their lives—and then work to achieve that goal.

This doesn’t mean that it will be easy. The workplace is often not family friendly—and some career paths are more hostile than others. Some jobs require a lot of man hours, which is difficult on the family. And some professions require employees to “pay their dues,” so to speak, before the time requirements ease up. Rather than opting out of parenthood, a husband and wife need to work together to meet the demands of the family. My husband worked in a time-commitment-rich job for several years. He traveled often, worked late and only took time off for our once-a year, weeklong summer vacation with his family. (Unfortunately, this isn’t really an exaggeration.) It was difficult. We had to learn to balance our time as individuals, as a couple and as a family—and we made a lot of mistakes. During this time, my husband interviewed for many other jobs. But we only took the job that would allow him more time with our family. It wasn’t a pay raise—but it was a higher quality of family life.

The 2-Income Trap

From the beginning of our marriage, my husband and I decided that I would stay home with our children. But when our oldest child was a year old, I was asked to return to work “temporarily” for two nights a week. Temporary turned into about 3 years. I loved what I was doing—and I didn’t know how we would be able to make it without the extra money. We fell into the trap of depending on two incomes. In the world today, it is more difficult than ever for a family to survive on a single income. Health care, housing and just the basic necessities of life for a family are rising—and it’s difficult to keep up. Elder M. Russell Ballard advised:

… Everyone faces financial challenges in life. Through wise budgeting, control your real needs and measure them carefully against your many wants in life. Far too many individuals and families have incurred too much debt. Be careful of the many attractive offers to borrow money. It is much easier to borrow money than it is to pay it back. There are no shortcuts to financial security. There are no get-rich-quick schemes that work. Perhaps none need the principle of balance in their lives more than those who are driven toward accumulating “things” in this world.

The trick is finding the balance of what we have to have and what we can live without. The Church of Jesus Christ teaches that husbands are to provide and protect and wives are to nurture and care for the children. These roles are divinely appointed in the family unit—but can be adapted as necessity dictates. Elder L. Tom Perry said:

Fathers most often spend much of their day away from home in their employment. That is one of the many reasons so much of the responsibility for teaching the child in the home falls on mothers. While circumstances do vary and the ideal isn’t always possible, I believe it is by divine design that the role of motherhood emphasizes the nurturing and teaching of the next generation. We see so many challenges today from distracting and destructive influences intended to mislead God’s children. We are seeing many young people who lack the deep spiritual roots necessary to remain standing in faith as storms of unbelief and despair swirl around them. … Teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in the home adds another layer of insulation to protect our children from worldly influences.

Many of these influences are aimed at destroying the family—beginning with the role of mother and father. Elder D. Todd Christofferson said:

A pernicious philosophy that undermines women’s moral influence is the devaluation of marriage and of motherhood and homemaking as a career. Some view homemaking with outright contempt, arguing it demeans women and that the relentless demands of raising children are a form of exploitation. They ridicule what they call “the mommy track” as a career. This is not fair or right. We do not diminish the value of what women or men achieve in any worthy endeavor or career—we all benefit from those achievements—but we still recognize there is not a higher good than motherhood and fatherhood in marriage. There is no superior career, and no amount of money, authority, or public acclaim can exceed the ultimate rewards of family. Whatever else a woman may accomplish, her moral influence is no more optimally employed than here.

The world today tells women that they need a job outside of the home because their families can’t make it without a second income—and sometimes this is true. Our family has lived in resort towns for the last decade. And these towns, which depend on tourism, flourish in a booming economy and struggle during a recession. For many families in our area, the wife has had to go to work to supplement the husband’s income—and often the husband has more than one job. But it’s important that we make sure that we are basing our decisions on the proper criteria of real needs versus material wants.

Children Are Worth Every Sacrifice Required of Us

Children are worth every sacrifice that parents, government and society need to make. Friedman and his colleagues are calling on the government to make family friendly changes to the laws. Lawmakers and other government and civic leaders must understand the cost of not protecting families. The disintegration of the family has a high cost financially, physically, emotionally and spiritually—for individuals, families and the nation. Americans are paying for this in rising welfare costs and the increase in law enforcement required to combat gangs and other inner-city problems, just to name a few. In contrast, if we don’t have enough children to sustain the population, we won’t have enough workers to support the older generations. As Elder Oaks warned:

The national birthrate in the United States is the lowest in 25 years, and the birthrates in most European and Asian countries have been below replacement levels for many years. This is not just a religious issue. As rising generations diminish in numbers, cultures and even nations are hollowed out and eventually disappear.

It’s interesting to me how rather than figuring out how to balance the careers and jobs, many young people are just throwing in the towel altogether. President Henry B. Eyring said:

Many voices in the world today marginalize the importance of having children or suggest delaying or limiting children in a family. My daughters recently referred me to a blog written by a Christian mother (not of our faith) with five children. She commented: “[Growing] up in this culture, it is very hard to get a biblical perspective on motherhood. … Children rank way below college. Below world travel for sure. Below the ability to go out at night at your leisure. Below honing your body at the gym. Below any job you may have or hope to get.” She then adds: “Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for.”

With the rising cost of health care, housing and education—not to mention the basic necessities such as food and clothing—it’s expensive to raise children. Add to that the emotional, physical and spiritual resources required. The rising generation is getting the message: raising kids is hard. What they apparently aren’t hearing is this: No matter what the cost, no matter what sacrifices you have to make, having children is worth it. Children are worth every sacrifice of time, money and other resources that they require. If we as a society are going to succeed, we need to defend and support the traditional family unit—and ensure that the rising generation understands that Whitney Houston had it right: Children are our future.

…there is something incomplete about us. And so we yearn for fullness. If every question had a ready answer, there would be no reaching in prayer. If every pain had an easy cure, there would be no thirst for salvation. If every loss was restored, there would be no desire for heaven. As long as these needs remain, so will religion. It is a natural part of life. To be human means to experience uncertainty, sorrow and death. Religion, however, is a school for making sense of chaos, a hospital for healing unseen wounds, a lifeline that gives us second chances.

The article claims that religion is not merely a creation of humans suffering hardship and wondering how the universe works.  In good times and bad, humans search for the higher power they intuitively know exists.  “Ludwig Wittgenstein wrote: ‘To believe in God means to see that the facts of the world are not the end of the matter.’”[4]

Belief imbues life with meaning, a “higher sense of purpose,” which bears fruit in charitable giving and service, an increase of love for others.  Those raised without or living without a spiritual aspect in their lives often reach a point when they glance around at the material world, its works and requirements, and wonder, “Is this all there is”?  I reached this point at the age of 15.

Suddenly, the world seemed empty, and I began to feel a deep yearning, unquenchable and becoming more desperate, for finding my spiritual roots and something above this earth I could naturally reach for. I began to investigate various Christian religions, having more or less accepted Christ as I grew up in a Christian-based society.  Although I enjoyed every church service I experienced, it wasn’t until I attended a youth conference at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that I felt spiritual power flowing into me.  It said, very powerfully, that this was the place for which I was searching, I was home.

At the time, I knew nothing about the Mormons, their doctrines or practices. If this was to be a spiritual learning curve, then I was certainly at square one.  But the spiritual experience I had received was overwhelming and real, and only increased as the evening progressed, and various church members told their individual stories.  I felt it continually, but it refreshed me anew when I read and prayed about the Book of Mormon.  At 16, with my parents finally relenting, I was baptized a member of the Church.

Continual Blessings of the Spirit

It’s been 50 years since I was baptized. I married in a Mormon temple and raised six children in the faith.  Having come of age in the sixties, I know joining The Church of Jesus Christ, with its emphasis on clean living and help through the Gift of the Holy Ghost, saved me from the sinful trends that were rife during the decade.  I doubt I would have had one marriage or the myriad blessings I now enjoy had I not found the “restored gospel” in my mid-teens.

We had a lot of fun raising our children, and we did so in four countries.  Being a member of the Church and following the guidance of the Holy Spirit has made our lives more adventurous, not less.  All of our children are active in the faith and continuing the focus on a global culture at the same time.  I can’t imagine raising children without prayer and the constant inspiration I received from the Holy Ghost, and the healing power of the true priesthood of God. Personal revelation has been an abiding help.  But you have to ask for it in prayer.  It’s hard for me to see how people mutter through with only their own logic to help them with decisions.

So I know about spiritual yearning, and am so grateful those yearnings led me to the true and living God, and to His Son, Jesus Christ.

Today we find ourselves in [a] … war. This is not a war of armaments. It is a war of thoughts, words, and deeds. It is a war with sin, and more than ever we need to be reminded of the commandments. Secularism is becoming the norm, and many of its beliefs and practices are in direct conflict with those that were instituted by the Lord Himself for the benefit of His children.

Elder Quentin L. Cook said:

Today moral deterioration has escalated. One prominent writer recently said, “Everyone knows the culture is poisonous, and nobody expects that to change.” The constant portrayal of violence and immorality in music, entertainment, art, and other media in our day-to-day culture is unprecedented. This was dramatically described by a highly respected Baptist theologian when he stated, “The spiritual immune system of an entire civilization has been wounded.”

In this climate of spiritual deterioration, how is one to know where the battle lines are drawn—and which is the right side? The gospel of Jesus Christ is the safe place. His laws, teachings and scriptures provide the only sure path. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said:

The encouraging thing, of course, is that 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…. Love. Healing. Help. Hope. The power of Christ to counter all troubles in all times—including the end of times. That is the safe harbor God wants for us in personal or public days of despair.

Safety for the soul, the safe harbor, is found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is “the only true and living church,” according to the Doctrine and Covenants—a book of scripture of revelations from modern-day prophets of God. (See Doctrine & Covenants 1:30.) The Church of Jesus Christ contains the unchanging, unyielding truth of the Savior’s teachings—that will not bend to the whims or winds of the world.

The Shift in Americans’ Religious Values

Many Americans are rejecting religious teachings in favor of man-made ideals and beliefs. A 2012 Pew Research Study highlighted the “rise of the nones.” One-fifth of the American public—and a third of adults under the age of 30— don’t affiliate themselves with any religion. The study found:

This large and growing group of Americans is less religious than the public at large on many conventional measures, including frequency of attendance at religious services and the degree of importance they attach to religion in their lives. …

With few exceptions … the unaffiliated say they are not looking for a religion that would be right for them. Overwhelmingly, they think that religious organizations are too concerned with money and power, too focused on rules and too involved in politics.

Another article discussed the decline of evangelicalism in America today:

Just 10 years ago, evangelical Christianity appeared to be America’s dominant religious movement. Evangelicals, more theologically diverse and open to the secular world than their fundamentalist brethren, with whom they’re often confused, were on the march toward political power and cultural prominence. They had the largest churches, the most money, influential government lobbyists, and in the person of President George W. Bush, leadership of the free world itself. Indeed, even today most people continue to regard the United States as the great spiritual exception among developed nations: a country where advances in science and technology coexist with stubborn, and stubbornly conservative, religiosity. But the reality, largely unnoticed outside church circles, is that evangelicalism is not only in gradual decline but today stands poised at the edge of a demographic and cultural cliff. The most recent Pew Research Center survey of the nation’s religious attitudes, taken in 2012, found that just 19 percent of Americans identified themselves as white evangelical Protestants—five years earlier, 21 percent of Americans did so. Slightly more (19.6 percent) self-identified as unaffiliated with any religion at all, the first time that group has surpassed evangelicals.

Some of the complaints about religions come from the increased resistance to live by their teachings—the rise of so-called “moral relativism.” Elder Dallin H. Oaks explained:

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

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

The scary thing about this outlook is that Americans get our moral foundation from religious teachings. If we try to take religious beliefs out of politics, government and everyday life, we leave ourselves without a moral compass to guide us. Honesty, integrity and respect for others are found in religious teachings. We leave ourselves open to all manner of false preaching and ideals when we discount the value of religion in our public lives. As Americans become less religious, they also become less able to discern the difference between right and wrong, moral and immoral. They lack a moral compass to guide them. The result is a rise in selfishness, the “me” generation that is more concerned with now than what they are leaving for their children.

Religions for the Wrong Reasons

Some have blamed religions themselves for their disillusionment—accusing religious leaders and organizations of wanting power and money. Unfortunately, there are cases when this occurs. But it is patently unfair to discount the good that comes from religion because of some who practice and preach religions for the wrong reasons. I firmly believe that the vast majority of religious leaders and organizations—no matter their religious affiliation—have honorable and upright motives.

The practice of teaching and establishing religions for the wrong reasons is called priestcraft. Peter said: “Feed the flock of God which is among you, … willingly, not for filthy lucre” (1 Peter 5:2). The Book of Mormon—another testament of Jesus Christ, a companion scripture to the Bible and a record of God’s dealings with the inhabitants of the ancient Americas—teaches:

… Priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion (2 Nephi 26:29).

Elder Paul V. Johnson said:

… Setting oneself as a light seems to be central to the problem of priestcraft. The reasons for setting oneself up as a light include getting gain and praise. … It is a matter of the heart. What is the motivation?

Priestcraft, then, is a sin of the heart. Do the religious leaders seek for money or power or to preach the word of God? Elder Johnson explained the resulting ills from priestcraft:

I think the great danger is that we don’t have power in our teaching. Or our teaching may be powerful, but it may not be the power of God (see Doctrine & Covenants 50:13–23). Maybe it is emotionally powerful, or scholastically powerful, but it doesn’t help with the lasting changes that need to happen in a student’s life….

We can also teach a wrong message if we are involved in priestcraft. The students might worship the teachers but not get the true connections with the gospel doctrine. It is like a father who forcefully teaches his children about honesty but cheats on his taxes. The words are there, but the power isn’t there. A student may not realize exactly what is going on, but something doesn’t click. It doesn’t click because the Spirit isn’t there like it could be there.

Religious leaders who teach for the wrong reasons—for power, glory or money—can confuse honest seekers of truth, those who truly seek to know God. But the Savior taught us how to tell the difference: “Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16). The religious organizations and leaders who have pure hearts and motives do much good in the world—for their focus is to follow the example of the Savior.

The Good News of the Gospel

The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that all honest seekers of truth can know Him. Jesus Christ said: “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). How can one come to know God and His Son, Jesus Christ? Through the teachings of the true and living gospel of Jesus Christ. Although many Christian denominations teach and preach of Jesus Christ and His gospel, only The Church of Jesus Christ contains the fullness of the gospel—including the keys of the priesthood, which is the power that God gives to man to act in all things for the salvation of His children.

But how can Latter-day Saints say theirs is the only true church? President Boyd K. Packer explained:

Now this is not to say that the churches, all of them, are without some truth. They have some truth—some of them very much of it. They have a form of godliness. Often the clergy and adherents are not without dedication, and many of them practice remarkably well the virtues of Christianity. They are, nonetheless, incomplete.

The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that we can all know for a surety that He lives. We find the fullness of His doctrines and teachings in The Church of Jesus Christ—His Church in the modern days. Elder Oaks explained:

… We refer to this, His Church—our Church—as the “only true Church” (Doctrine & Covenants 1:30). Sometimes we do this in a way that gives great offense to people who belong to other churches or who subscribe to other philosophies. But God has not taught us anything that should cause us to feel superior to other people. Certainly all churches and philosophies have elements of truth in them, some more than others. Certainly God loves all of His children. And certainly His gospel plan is for all of His children, all according to His own timetable.

So what does it mean that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true Church? 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 priesthood is the power that God gives to man to act in all things for the salvation of His children. It was by this power and authority that Jesus Christ established His Church anciently. It is by this same power and authority that the Prophet Joseph Smith—the founding president of The Church of Jesus Christ in the modern days—established His Church. Joseph Smith was given the priesthood keys—which are the authority from God to govern the affairs of His Church—from heavenly messengers. Joseph Smith gave those keys to his Apostles, and the priesthood chain has remained unbroken to this day through the successive prophets and Apostles of Jesus Christ. The prophet of God, as in ancient times, receives revelation for the current times. This is, indeed, good news—God speaks to us today, through His mouthpiece, the prophet.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is Safety for the Soul

The prophets and Apostles of God receive revelation for us today. Those who heed their warnings and counsel will find the safe harbor to navigate the chaos of this world. Current prophets have been important from the beginning. President John Taylor, a past president of The Church of Jesus Christ, said:

Adam’s revelation did not instruct Noah to build his ark; nor did Noah’s revelation tell Lot to forsake Sodom; nor did either of these speak of the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt. These all had revelations for themselves. (Millennial Star, 1 Nov. 1847, p. 323.)

And so it is for us today. God’s laws and commandments are unchanging—and modern prophets and Apostles not only remind us of this but also warn us of dangers ahead, and how to prepare for them. Elder Perry said:

God reveals to His prophets that there are moral absolutes. Sin will always be sin. Disobedience to the Lord’s commandments will always deprive us of His blessings. The world changes constantly and dramatically, but God, His commandments, and promised blessings do not change. They are immutable and unchanging. Men and women receive their agency as a gift from God, but their liberty and, in turn, their eternal happiness come from obedience to His laws. …

Surely there could not be any doctrine more strongly expressed in the scriptures than the Lord’s unchanging commandments and their connection to our happiness and well-being as individuals, as families, and as a society. There are moral absolutes. Disobedience to the Lord’s commandments will always deprive us of His blessings. These things do not change. In a world where the moral compass of society is faltering, the restored gospel of Jesus Christ never wavers.

In today’s world of shifting values, the teachings of Jesus Christ are constant, unyielding and unchanging. In it we can find peace and happiness. If we hold fast to the truths that we know—and heed the counsel of the prophets and Apostles of God—we will find safety from the storms of life and society’s shifting moral compass.

Isn’t that what we all desire: to be the heroes and heroines of our own stories; to triumph over adversity; to experience life in all its beauty; and, in the end, to live happily ever after? …

Sandwiched between their “once upon a time” and “happily ever after,” they all had to experience great adversity. … The scriptures tell us there must be opposition in all things, for without it we could not discern the sweet from the bitter. Would the marathon runner feel the triumph of finishing the race had she not felt the pain of the hours of pushing against her limits? Would the pianist feel the joy of mastering an intricate sonata without the painstaking hours of practice?

In stories, as in life, adversity teaches us things we cannot learn otherwise. Adversity helps to develop a depth of character that comes in no other way. [1]

The depth of character forged in the fires of adversity is what makes a hero great. We look up to our heroes because we admire their courage and strength. We may face similar trials as our heroes, but we might not. The lessons we learn aren’t in the situations but in the way our heroes react to them.

Standing for Truth, Righteousness and the Cause of Freedom

Artwork by Steve Nethercott

The scriptures are full of stories of men and women who had the courage to stand for the right. Captain Moroni’s tale is found in the Book of Mormon—which is another testament of Jesus Christ, a companion scripture to the Bible and a record of God’s dealings with some inhabitants of the ancient Americas. Captain Moroni was a righteous military commander who led his people, the Nephites, in defense of their homes, their families and their freedom—first from invaders who would enslave them and then from one of their own who wanted to be king. When the enemy seemed too great to overcome, Moroni rallied his troops by reminding them that they were fighting for a just and righteous cause. (See Alma 43 and Alma 46.)

Captain Moroni’s greatness is not only in his military wisdom, but also in his unfailing commitment to God’s laws. Moroni never sought power, greatness or glory. He only wanted to protect his people, their families, their freedom and their ability to worship God according to their deeply held beliefs. The scriptures teach:

Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; … a man of a perfect understanding; … a man who was firm in the faith of Christ. …If all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; … the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men. (Alma 48:11, 13, 17)

Captain Moroni not only led his people into battle, but he helped to prepare them both physically and spiritually to defend against their enemies. Elder Richard G. Scott, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, said:

In between the many battles, Captain Moroni directed fortification of the weakest cities. … Captain Moroni understood the importance of fortifying the weak areas to create strength. [2]

This Book of Mormon leader isn’t just a hero for us today—he was a heroic leader for his people in his day as well. He not only stood up for what was right—but he rallied his troops to do the same. He was a hero, and he helped to create heroes. We only know Captain Moroni’s name, but those who followed his righteous example are heroes too. Through his courage, strength and inspiration, he helped to save an entire nation from destruction—multiple times.

Courage to Face our Foes—and Fears

Artwork by Steve Nethercott

The 2,000 Stripling Warriors are another group of heroes from the Book of Mormon. But the heroes in this story aren’t limited to those who fought in the battles. The story actually begins with the parents of the 2,000 young men—and they are contemporaries of Captain Moroni. Their Lamanite fathers had been wicked, bloodthirsty people. But then they and their families were taught the gospel of Jesus Christ and repented. They made a covenant with God to never fight again and buried their weapons of war. They also changed their tribal name as a symbol of their repentance. (See Alma 23:7, 13, 17.) The newly named Anti-Nephi-Lehies moved over to the land of the Nephites because the Lamanites were trying to kill them.

So, fast-forward. The Nephites are becoming exhausted after years of fighting. And the Anti-Nephi-Lehies want to help their protectors. But a man named Helaman (who becomes the leader of this band of young men) and others persuade them against this idea. The Anti-Nephi-Lehi fathers had many sons who had not made the covenant to not fight. These 2,000 young men said, in essence, “Dad, don’t go to war. You can’t break your promise to Heavenly Father. We didn’t make that promise. We will go in your place—to save your soul and protect your freedom.” The scriptures teach:

They were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and for strength… but behold this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted. Yes, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God.” (Alma 53:20-21)

This story is inspiring on so many levels. To begin with, these young men loved their fathers so much that they were willing to go to battle for them—literally in their fathers’ place. Much is made of their heroism, as well it should. But the quiet heroes in this story are the fathers and mothers who trusted the Lord enough to allow their sons to go to war. I am certain there were many parental prayers offered. I can’t imagine allowing my sons to go war in my place. That must have been humbling. The scriptures teach us a little about the relationship between the sons and their parents:

They did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their own lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it. (Alma 56:47-48)

None of these 2,000 young men were killed in battle, although many were wounded. They all made it back home. They were blessed because of their faith—and the faith of their mothers and fathers. The parents of the 2,000 Stripling Warriors set the example of righteousness and keeping their covenants with God. They taught their sons well, and their sons followed their example. Even though they lived in a time of war and uncertainty, both parents and children placed their trust in the Lord—and faced their foes and fears with faith.

Unwavering Obedience to God’s Commands

Artwork by Steve Nethercott

The early history of The Church of Jesus Christ in modern days has many heroes also. The founding prophet Joseph Smith and his wife, Emma, are at the top of that list. At the tender age of 14, on a spring day in 1820, young Joseph knelt in a grove of trees and prayed, asking God which church he should join. In answer to his humble petition, Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to the young boy and told him not to join any of them. Through his powerful, simple faith, young Joseph received the answer to his prayer—in what is called today the First Vision. President Thomas S. Monson—the president of The Church of Jesus Christ and current successor to Joseph Smith—said:

A few days after his prayer in the Sacred Grove, Joseph Smith gave an account of his vision to a preacher with whom he was acquainted. To his surprise, his communication was treated with “contempt” and “was the cause of great persecution, which continued to increase.” Joseph, however, did not waver. He later wrote, “I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true. … For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it.” Despite the physical and mental punishment at the hands of his opponents which the Prophet Joseph Smith endured throughout the remainder of his life, he did not falter. He taught honesty—by example. [3]

Joseph Smith is the prophet of the Restoration. Through him, Jesus Christ restored His Church to the earth and brought forth The Book of Mormon. Joseph accomplished many great things with the Lord’s help—but he was always a humble servant of God, seeking to do His will. Joseph was a kind and gentle soul. One of my favorite stories about the Prophet Joseph illustrates this:

Joseph Smith was as tenderhearted as he was sociable, as one young man remembered: “I was at Joseph’s house; he was there, and several men were sitting on the fence. Joseph came out and spoke to us all. Pretty soon a man came up and said that a poor brother who lived out some distance from town had had his house burned down the night before. Nearly all of the men said they felt sorry for the man. Joseph put his hand in his pocket, took out five dollars and said, ‘I feel sorry for this brother to the amount of five dollars; how much do you all feel sorry?’” [4]

Elder Robert D. Hales, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, said:

… The Prophet Joseph Smith endured all manner of opposition and hardship to bring to pass the desire of our Heavenly Father—the restoration of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Joseph was harassed and hunted by angry mobs. He patiently endured poverty, humiliating charges, and unkind acts. His people were forcibly driven from town to town, from state to state. He was tarred and feathered. He was falsely charged and jailed. …

Joseph knew that if he were to stop going forward with this great work, his earthly trials would probably ease. But he could not stop, because he knew who he was, he knew for what purpose he was placed on the earth, and he had the desire to do God’s will. [5]

Artwork by Steve Nethercott

Emma Smith was the faithful and devoted wife of the Prophet Joseph. She stood by his side through all of the trials and tribulations. One of my favorite stories of Emma occurs during a time when her husband had again been arrested and the Latter-day Saints were being driven from their homes in Missouri by angry mobs and relocating to Illinois:

For Emma Smith, the months after Joseph’s arrest were especially trying. In February 1839 a neighbor, Jonathan Holman, helped her place her four children and her meager belongings into a straw-lined wagon pulled by two horses. On the evening prior to her departure she received from Miss Ann Scott the priceless manuscripts of her husband’s “translation” of the Bible. James Mulholland, the Prophet’s secretary, had given the papers to Ann for safekeeping thinking that the mob might not search a woman. Ann had made two cotton bags to hold the documents. Emma used these same cotton bags to carry the manuscripts from Missouri to Illinois, tying them under her long skirt.

When the party arrived at the Mississippi they found the river frozen over. Rather than risk the weight of the wagon, Emma walked across the ice holding two children, with the other two clinging to her skirt. They finally arrived safely at the outskirts of the village of Quincy, Illinois, where Emma lived until Joseph’s release. [6]

Joseph and Emma Smith were faithful followers of Jesus Christ. They endured intense persecution and suffering, yet accomplished great things through their obedience to the gospel. Their examples of kindness and love toward others even when the times got tough are truly inspiring.

‘I’ll Go Where You Want Me To Go’

Artwork by Steve Nethercott

During the early years of The Church of Jesus Christ, the members were persecuted and forcibly removed from their homes and cities several times. Church leaders decided to relocate the entire body of Saints to the tops of the Rocky Mountains. It took much courage, faith and dedication to follow the leaders of the Church into the wilderness—but they did. The Latter-day Saints left their comfortable homes and most of their belongings, because they had faith in God and believed that The Church of Jesus Christ was the Savior’s Restored Church on the earth. The pioneer exodus began in 1847 but continued for many years. The majority of Latter-day Saint pioneers came in wagons, but some came in handcart companies. All of those early Latter-day Saint pioneers are heroic in their own right, but members of two notable handcart companies stand out for their sacrifice, their valor and their unwavering faith in God and in His goodness. The Martin and Willie Handcart Companies came across the plains in 1856. They left late in the season, but hoped to make it to the Salt Lake Valley before the snow fell. But they were caught in early winter snows in present-day Wyoming, and they ran so low on food and supplies that many were boiling leather to make a broth to eat. Their suffering was unimaginably severe. And yet, their heroism isn’t only in the fact that they endured these trials—it’s also that they endured these trials and through it all, thanked God for His goodness and blessings.

One survivor’s story tells it all, I think. The late President David O. McKay, a past president of The Church of Jesus Christ, recounted a story that occurred some years later. During a class at church, the teacher and others began sharply criticizing Church leaders in a discussion concerning the Martin and Willie handcart tragedy. President McKay continued:

An old man in the corner … sat silent and listened as long as he could stand it, then he arose and said things that no person who heard him will ever forget. His face was white with emotion, yet he spoke calmly, deliberately, but with great earnestness and sincerity.

In substance [he] said, “I ask you to stop this criticism. You are discussing a matter you know nothing about. Cold historic facts mean nothing here, for they give no proper interpretation of the questions involved. Mistake to send the Handcart Company out so late in the season? Yes. But I was in that company and my wife was in it. … We suffered beyond anything you can imagine and many died of exposure and starvation, but did you ever hear a survivor of that company utter a word of criticism? Not one of that company ever apostatized or left the Church, because everyone of us came through with the absolute knowledge that God lives for we became acquainted with him in our extremities.

“I have pulled my handcart when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot ahead of the other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I have said, I can go only that far and there I must give up, for I cannot pull the load through it.” He continues: “I have gone on to that sand and when I reached it, the cart began pushing me. I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart, but my eyes saw no one. I knew then that the angels of God were there.

“Was I sorry that I chose to come by handcart? No. Neither then nor any minute of my life since. The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay, and I am thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin Handcart Company.” (Relief Society Magazine, Jan. 1948, p. 8.)

The late President James E. Faust, who was an Apostle of Jesus Christ until his death, said:

I cannot help wondering why these intrepid pioneers had to pay for their faith with such a terrible price in agony and suffering. Why were not the elements tempered to spare them from their profound agony? I believe their lives were consecrated to a higher purpose through their suffering. Their love for the Savior was burned deep in their souls, and into the souls of their children, and their children’s children. The motivation for their lives came from a true conversion in the center of their souls. [7]

Elder M. Russell Ballard, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, said:

Those 19th-century pioneers … never set out to be heroes, and yet they accomplished heroic things. That is what makes them Saints. They were a band of believers who tried to do the right thing for the right reasons, ordinary men and women who were called on to perform an extraordinary work. [8]

The greatest heroes didn’t set out to be heroes—they just set out to do what was right. And in doing so they left a priceless gift for generations to come: a legacy of faith. Some heroes led, and some faithfully followed. Greatness isn’t measured by wealth, fame, prestige or prominence. Greatness is when ordinary people do extraordinary things—like remaining steadfast and true to the gospel of Jesus Christ no matter what the cost. True heroes inspire us to do better and to be better—because if they could do it, so can we. We may not put on our armor and fight—but we can fight for religious liberty. We may not go to battle for our parents—but we can honor them and recognize their sacrifices for us. We can take the lessons we learn from our heroes and apply them in our own lives, in our own day. That’s what makes a true hero—someone who is worthy of emulation as well as adulation. And that is the best gift that anyone can give.

…We are told that by taking the gospel to others and bringing them to repentance, by doing genealogy and temple work, and by living Christ-like lives, we can come to stand as saviors on Mount Zion. By freely giving his life, Christ, and Christ alone, atoned for all mankind. We have the opportunity of aiding others to accept his love and his sacrifice—the gift of the atonement—and thereby aid in the work of exalting the human family, becoming saviors on Mount Zion.

The Great Commission Extends Beyond the Boundaries of Mortality

God’s great commission to us is to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.  Revelation to modern prophets has shown us that this commission expands into the eternities.  When the prophet Joseph Smith was visited by the Angel Moroni in preparation for receiving new scripture, Moroni quoted Malachi 4:6, prophesying of the return of Elijah the Prophet before the Second Coming of Christ to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers. 

The apostle Paul spoke of the ordinance of baptism for the dead as if it were commonplace and needed no explanation.  (See 1 Corinthians 15:29.)  That ordinance was corrupted after the death of the apostles and finally dropped from Christian practice.  It has been restored in modern times through Mormon prophets and is practiced in Mormon temples.  Ordinances performed in Mormon temples for the deceased give the deceased the opportunity to receive the saving ordinance they missed during their sojourn on earth.  Doing our family history work and performing these ordinances in Mormon temples enables us to bring our deceased ancestors to the feet of Christ, there to accept or reject Him.

Interrupting Cycles of Unhappiness Makes Us Saviors on Mount Zion

My mother suffered from Narcissistic Personality Disorder, as did her mother.  These women were terribly difficult to live with and heaped abuse (mostly verbal in my mother’s case, but not always in my grandmother’s) on their husbands and children.  I found The Church of Jesus Christ at age 15, and as I grew in understanding of the gospel and principles of love, I determined the cycle of abuse was going to stop with me.

I remember when my elderly mother was in the hospital, essentially dead, while her second husband delayed removing the myriad of tubes that kept her heart beating.  I stood at the door of the hospital room unable to go to her, not wanting to touch her.  My father had told me that my mother was the same upon her own mother’s death.  She could not bring herself to touch the woman who had inflicted so much undeserved pain upon her.  I realized I was part of a vicious cycle, but I couldn’t do anything about it.  My initial response when my mother lost her ability to speak was to think, “You can’t hurt me any more.”

I wondered if my own children (I had six) would remain apart at the hospital room door when I lived my final moments.  I walked back into the waiting room and sat down among them.  My daughter, then fourteen, flung herself across my lap like a lazy cat longing to be stroked and requested that I play with her hair.  I realized that the cycle was broken.

Work, Sacrifice, and a Loving Heart

Note that the title of Elder Thomasson’s talk includes suffering.  The suffering he speaks of is the result of empathy and love.  It’s the same type of suffering the Savior Jesus Christ bore for us out of love.  We must openly forgive, love and sympathize until it hurts, develop more capacity to forgive, love, and sympathize, and never shrink.  Mormons speak of “enduring to the end in faith,” but really, exaltation requires enduring to the end in love.  I worked to forgive my parents and love my family until Christ completely healed me through the power of His priesthood.  By refusing to perpetuate the travesties of my mother and grandmother, I have reaped the reward of a truly happy family, and we have had fun as well as joy.

Along the way, the Lord has rewarded me with spiritual insights, so that I can see the healing taking place on the other side.  He has led me through miraculous experiences to see that it was my parents, both deceased, who facilitated my healing.  I have seen that they have healed their own relationship and are together, along with my sister, who died at a young age and was handicapped throughout her mortal life.  I also know that many of my ancestors, all non-Christians, have accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ and the temple ordinances performed for them through my family history research and temple work.

Said Elder Thomasson:

If we desire exaltation we must answer two questions: How happy do you want to be, and how much are you willing to give? For if we truly desire the work and glory that can only come through bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of other spirits, we must be willing to suffer with them and for them, living the gospel of unselfishness.

How the Mormon Youth Program Is Structured

The Church of Jesus Christ has an structured organization for its youth. At 12 years old, boys and girls move from Primary, the children’s organization, to Young Men and Young Women. They stay in the Young Men and Young Women programs until they turn 18 or graduate from high school.

On Sundays youth have their own Sunday School classes with curriculum written for them and addressing their needs. They also attend classes specific to their gender and age group. Young women attend classes taught by Young Women leaders, where they learn about Jesus Christ, temples, and other doctrinal topics, as well as about family roles, education, and conduct standards. Young men attend specific priesthood classes where they learn about the same doctrinal tenets as the Young Women but in context of the priesthood they hold.

Mormon youth also meet once a week for Mutual, which other faiths might call youth group. Sometimes they separate into their Young Men and Women classes, and sometimes they have activities together. Their activities involve everything from sports and crafts to service and doctrinal lessons. They also hold camps and conferences throughout the year.

What Mormon Youth Learn about Jesus Christ

The curriculum designed for Mormon youth all points to Jesus Christ. At this point in their lives, these teenagers are coming to know their Savior better and may even been struggling with believing that He is real. The lessons taught to Mormon youth teach about Jesus Christ and His reality as our Savior and Redeemer. They learn about grace, repentance, and forgiveness. These are lessons crucial for youth, who all face challenging coming-of-age experiences and choices.

The primary focus of all the lessons written and taught Mormon youth is Jesus Christ. These lessons go beyond the basics taught in Primary and really hone in on application and understanding of doctrine. They learn that by living by high standards, they understand and come closer to the Lord.

Mormon youth are taught that they are sons and daughters of Heavenly Father, a piece of doctrine critical to teenagers, who are at a point where solidifying their identities is so important. The leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ has a great desire for the youth to know who they are, because when you know that you’re a child of God, the way you view the world and your choices is deeply affected.

Mormon youth are also given specific standards to uphold. These standards are found in the For Strength of Youth pamphlet issued by The Church of Jesus Christ. Mormon standards include being honest, abstaining from drugs and alcohol, paying tithing, remaining chaste, and expressing gratitude. The aim of all youth curriculum and standards is to bring youth unto Jesus Christ and empower them to make choices that will lead them to God’s temple to make and keep sacred promises.

Mormon Youth Have Achievement Programs

One of the key aspects of youth curriculum is the achievement programs for young men and young women. Young men are involved in Duty to God, a program that focuses on the boy’s priesthood responsibilities and helps him plan project to achieve specific goals. Young men in the United States are also encouraged to participate in the Boy Scouts of America program.

Young women are enrolled in Personal Progress, a program that focuses on applying the eight values of the Young Women program.^[1] This program typically takes four to six years to complete and involves frequent goal-setting and project planning. When young women complete Personal Progress, they receive the Young Womanhood Recognition award from The Church of Jesus Christ. Personal Progress teaches young women about their divine identity, the impact and value of meaningful service, and the active role faith should play in their lives, among other important life lessons.

The Church of Jesus Christ Prepares Mormon Youth

I was able to participate fully in the youth program of The Church of Jesus Christ, and it was an irreplaceable part of my adolescence. Not only did I make lasting friendships with my peers and leaders, but I also came to a deeper understanding of my purpose here on earth. I developed a stronger testimony of Jesus Christ and came to better understand that I am truly a daughter of God. My participation in the activities–as well as my participation in Personal Progress–taught me valuable life skills and essential gospel doctrines.

Mormon youth are especially prepared to face the challenges in today’s world. They have firm foundations in Jesus Christ and know where they need to be to be an effective disciple of the Lord. When people are strengthened and supported in these formative years, they are better equipped to handle the opposition and trials that they will encounter throughout their lives. Youth need to have their own testimonies of the Savior, and The Church of Jesus Christ gives them every opportunity to come to the Lord.

What Latter-day Saints Believe

Two years before he was martyred in the jail in Carthage, Illinois, Joseph Smith, the first prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, wrote a letter to an editor by the name of John Wentworth in response to his request for information about the Church.

At the request of Mr. John Wentworth, Editor and Proprietor of the Chicago Democrat, I have written the following sketch of the rise, progress, persecution, and faith of the Latter-day Saints, of which I have the honor, under God, of being the founder. Mr. Wentworth says that he wishes to furnish Mr. [George] Barstow, a friend of his, who is writing the history of New Hampshire, with this document. As Mr. Barstow has taken the proper steps to obtain correct information, all that I shall ask at his hands, is, that he publish the account entire, ungarnished, and without misrepresentation. [History of the Church, 4:535–36; from a letter from Joseph Smith written at the request of John Wentworth and George Barstow, Nauvoo, Illinois, published in Times and Seasons, Mar. 1, 1842, p. 706. Mr. Barstow’s last name is incorrectly spelled “Bastow” in History of the Church and Times and Seasons.] [1]

At the conclusion of that letter, Joseph Smith outlined 13 essential points of belief that serve as a guide to direct Latter-day Saints in the basic principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Those 13 points became known as the Articles of Faith. The third, fourth, and fifth Articles of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ clearly define the doctrinal teachings concerning the significance and value of ordinances.

3 We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

4 We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

5 We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.

Types of Ordinances

Several ordinances, such as baptism, confirmation, and sacrament (Eucharist, Passover or the Lord’s Supper) which are practiced by Latter-day Saints (inadvertently referred to as Mormons), are also practiced by other Christian denominations.

There are some ordinances such as baptism, confirmation, ordination to the Melchizedek Priesthood (for men), the temple endowment, and marriage sealings, which are essential to a person’s salvation and exaltation. These ordinances are referred to as the saving ordinances. With each of the saving ordinances, faithful Latter-day Saints enter into solemn covenants with the Lord. Some ordinances that are unique to Mormonism, such as the endowment and sealings, are performed only in temples of The Church of Jesus Christ.

Under the authority of the Priesthood, ordinances such as naming and blessing children, consecrating oil, administering to the sick and the afflicted, patriarchal blessings, and priesthood blessings (including father’s blessing) are also performed. These types of ordinances are known as non-saving ordinances, as they are not essential for obtaining salvation and exaltation. They do, however, provide comfort, guidance, and encouragement.

Mormonism further teaches that because of the importance and necessity of ordinances to a person’s salvation, even those who have passed on without receiving the saving ordinances (albeit through no fault of their own) cannot dwell in the presence of God unless they first accept the ordinances that are performed vicariously on their behalf by worthy Latter-day Saints in temples of The Church of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

Priesthood Authority, Ordinances, and Covenants

Henry B. Eyring, the First Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in his address given during the 178^th Annual General Conference of the Church titled The True and Living Church, perhaps summed up this subject best with his remarks. He stated,

This is the true Church, the only true Church, because in it are the keys of the priesthood. Only in this Church has the Lord lodged the power to seal on earth and to seal in heaven as He did in the time of the Apostle Peter. Those keys were restored to Joseph Smith, who then was authorized to confer them upon the members of the Quorum of the Twelve.

We have seen today a demonstration that this is the true and living Church. The keys of the priesthood are held by mortals, but the way has been prepared by the Lord for the keys to remain functioning on the earth so long as the people exercise faith both that the keys are on the earth and that they have been passed on by the will of God to His chosen servants.

Additionally, it is through the Church and the ordinances which are in it that the blessings of the sealing power reach into the spirit world. This is a true and living Church, reaching even to those who are no longer living. As you have the faith to find the names of your ancestors, as you go to the house of the Lord to offer them vicarious ordinances, you sustain this great work, whose purpose is to offer salvation to all of Heavenly Father’s children who come into this world.

Ordinances and covenants help us remember who we are. They remind us of our duty to God. The Lord has provided them to help us come unto Him and receive eternal life. When we honor them, He strengthens us spiritually. [2]

There are many promised lands. From the beginning, the Lord has reserved choice lands for righteous followers. They include the Garden of Eden for Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:9), a “land of promise” for Enos (Moses 6:17), and Zion for Enoch and his people (Moses 7:19).

Promised lands are those lands which the Lord promises as an inheritance to his faithful followers, and often also to their descendants. When speaking of the “Promised Land” a majority of Christendom refers to the land of Israel, or to those lands that were promised to Abraham and his posterity.

Promised Lands Given to Abraham and His Posterity

In the Old Testament book of Genesis, for example, we read “And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him” (Genesis 12:7). Careful note should be taken that Abram did not just say thank you and walk away without giving the conversation that he had just had with the Lord any further thought, but rather, he took the time to build and altar, and to worship, and to call on the name of the Lord. The next verse tells us:

And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Beth-el, and pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord (Genesis 12:8).

As a brief side note, the name Beth-el is actually comprised of two Hebrew words – “Beth” has the literal meaning of “house”, and “el” is the root word for God. Therefore, Beth-el is literally translated “the house of God.”

Another reference to Promised Land being given to Abraham is found in Genesis 17:8, “And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

The Lord Leads the Righteous into Promised Lands

Often in the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants, the Promised Land spoken of is the Americas or Zion (the New Jerusalem). The 10^th Article of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints states:

We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.

In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Lehi spoke of a particular Promised Land as, “a land which is choice above all other lands; a land which the Lord God hath covenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed” (2 Nephi 1:5).

It is the Lord who “leadeth away the righteous into precious lands, and the wicked he destroyeth, and curseth the land unto them for their sakes” (1 Nephi 17:38). The Psalmist declared, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). Therefore, one of the conditions set for those who inherit a Promised Land is that they must covenant to “serve the God of the land.”

Promised Lands are Given Predicated upon Covenants that are made

The Lord promises to give lands to those who are righteous, but it is with those righteous people, not the promised lands, that He makes everlasting and eternal covenants. The promised lands are given to the people predicated upon their fulfilment of the conditions of the covenants which they have made. Modern day revelation as recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 82:10 teaches, “I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.”

The Book of Mormon peoples, including the family of Lehi and the jaredites, for example, were given a Promised Land in the hemisphere now called the Americas based on the condition of keeping God’s commandments. In 1 Nephi 2:20 we read that the Lord made the following promise to Nephi:

 And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands.

An Ancient Prophet’s Warning

The prophet Moroni gave this warning to the future inhabitants of this land: (Ether 2:9-12)

9 And now, we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fulness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity.

10 For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off; for it is the everlasting decree of God. And it is not until the fulness of iniquity among the children of the land, that they are swept off.

11 And this cometh unto you, O ye Gentiles, that ye may know the decrees of God—that ye may repent, and not continue in your iniquities until the fulness come, that ye may not bring down the fulness of the wrath of God upon you as the inhabitants of the land have hitherto done.

12 Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written.

This admonition applies to all the lands that the Lord has promised at any time, to any of His people.

As a 30-year honorably retired United States Navy veteran (that is over half of my life dedicated to the service of our country of which I have no regrets), I can boldly testify that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that America is a truly blessed and choice land. Having been blessed to work and serve in, as well as visit many different countries throughout the world, I can emphatically state that we as Americans have absolutely nothing to whine, cry, gripe, or complain about when we stop to realize what we have in comparison to so many others in different parts of the world. What deeply saddens me is that so many Americans take the blessing that God has bestowed upon this great land for granted.

A similar admonition as given by the prophet Moroni is found in the Old Testament in 2 Chronicles 7:14 . As we approach another 4^th of July celebration, and in light of a recent Supreme Court decision regarding the sanctity of marriage, I believe that this scripture is both timely and appropriate. The scripture reads as follows:

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

God has designated land inheritances to all those who love Him and keep His commandments. It is my humble prayer that we, His people, will ever be found faithful and obedient to Him, so that we too may obtain a land of promise, a land which is choice above all others. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

When I was in high school, and had a good summer job, I always thought that an employment service was the last place to go, the last resort, in a job search. I was optimistic that I would always be employed if I wanted to be, and didn’t foresee any troubles ever finding a job.

Then I graduated from college. And the economy wasn’t good.

For me, just like for many other recent college grads, the job market outlook wasn’t that great. I quickly came to the conclusion that employment services aren’t a last resort; they’re a valuable resource I need to use.

What LDS Employment Services Offers

Searching for work or suddenly being out of a job can be really stressful and scary. It can be easy to become discouraged and frustrated when job leads don’t work out, or interviews are unsuccessful. It can also be hard to go to others for help. But turning to others for help gives them the opportunity to serve, and provides job seekers with important skills to enable them to have success.

LDS Employment Services has services for job seekers, students, small business owners, professionals, and employers. They offer career workshops for job seekers, helping them to write effective resumes and cover letters, hone their interviewing skills, and increase their professional network. LDS Employment Services has qualified volunteers waiting to assist members in securing employment.  The full-time senior Mormon missionaries and part-time Church-service missionaries are professionals, and know what to teach job seekers to they can be successful.

Career Workshops

Of the many services offered by LDS Employment Services, the Career Workshop is one that has helped hundreds of people gain the skills and confidence they needed to land a job. At the Career Workshop, trained volunteers teach patrons how to set professional goals based on their talents and skills; how to identify the resources available to help them reach their goals; how to best use those resources to have success with networking, applying, and interviewing; and how to have continued professional success. Patrons all over the world have participated in the Career Workshop, which has given them the skills and confidence to reach their goals. One patron from Magna, Utah, stated after completing the workshop: “I now have an arsenal of pre-decided power statements I can use. It gives me confidence to look at a broader range of jobs.” Another patron from Nairobi, Kenya, relates: “I went to the interview and applied the things that I was taught in the Career Workshop . . . out of 30 people I was the only one who was offered a job” (see www.ldsjobs.org).

LDS Employment Services are not just for people who are entering the workforce or have recently lost a job. The professionals at LDS Employment Services can also assist patrons who are underemployed, wish to change careers or advance professionally, or desire to start their own business. They have helped thousands of people worldwide to have success in their education and careers.

Self-Reliance

I realized that being self-reliant “does not mean that you must be able to do all things on your own. To be truly self-reliant, you must learn how to work with others and turn to the Lord for His help and strength” (“Work and Self-Reliance,” For the Strength of Youth). Being self-reliant and independent didn’t mean I was an island, and completely on my own as I searched for work; self-reliance also includes turning to the Lord, and being willing to receive guidance and counsel from others.

The resources available through LDS Employment Services are there to be used, not looked at or talked about. Volunteers are eager, able, and willing to help. Turning to them doesn’t mean I am not self-reliant; it means I am more self-reliant because I recognize there are many things I can still learn and improve on, and I am following the guidance and counsel of those who are smarter and more experienced than I.

To learn more about LDS Employment Services or to find a center near you, please visit www.ldsjobs.org.