Leaders

One of the key differences between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often referred to as Mormons, and other Christian faiths, is our belief that Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father strongly encourage personal prayer and revelation.

Joseph Smith, Jr., the prophet of the restoration, made a very profound statement which changed the course of relationships between the children of God and their Heavenly Father:

It is the privilege of the children of God to come to God and get revelation. … God is not a respecter of persons; we all have the same privilege. ...

We believe that we have a right to revelations, visions, and dreams from God, our Heavenly Father; and light and intelligence, through the gift of the Holy Ghost, in the name of Jesus Christ, on all subjects pertaining to our spiritual welfare; if it so be that we keep His commandments, so as to render ourselves worthy in His sight. (“Chapter 10: Prayer and Personal Revelation,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, (2007),125–34)

Once this revolutionary principle was taught to the world, millions upon millions took hold of the concept and turned to their Father in Heaven for confirmation of truths or falsehoods they were being taught. It took the responsibility out of the hands of priests, preachers and ministers and placed it squarely where it belonged, on the shoulders of individuals who had the willingness to kneel and ask their Father for truth.

It is a God-given right, along with life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, to turn to Him in times of trouble, questioning, learning, joy and sorrow. What an incredible privilege this is . . .

Some questions for God, right off the top of my head, are:

• Are you there?
• Is Jesus Christ the Son of God, Jehovah of the Old Testament and the Messiah of the New Testament?
• Is the Book of Mormon true?
• Is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints true?
• Is baptism by immersion correct?

It is by the utilization of this precious and simple gift from God that Joseph Smith, Jr. was able to restore the Kingdom of God, in its entirety, on the earth.

Throughout his life, Joseph Smith would turn to God in prayer to seek the help and guidance he needed. A Church member recalled hearing him pray in Kirtland, Ohio, at a time of great personal difficulty: “Never until then had I heard a man address his Maker as though He was present listening as a kind father would listen to the sorrows of a dutiful child. … There was no ostentation, no raising of the voice as by enthusiasm, but a plain conversational tone, as a man would address a present friend. It appeared to me as though, in case the veil were taken away, I could see the Lord standing facing His humblest of all servants I had ever seen. (Ibid)

Indeed, this is as each of us should approach our Father in Heaven, for we are His sons or daughters. (See Romans 8:16)

When we left our heavenly home, we left with great hope, anticipation and excitement knowing that our Father in Heaven would be waiting, at all times, to listen to us, answer our questions and inspire in directions which would give us the least amount of pain. As I have mentioned before: We were never meant to traverse these treacherous paths alone. He, along with Jesus Christ, focus every effort on bringing us home. Jesus Christ told Moses:

For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. (Moses 1:39)

To each child of God on the earth today, I urge you to kneel, and in quiet humility, pray and ask the Father anything which you desire, confirm any truth you believe you have received or pour you troubles out to Him and then listen for guidance. He awaits, I promise you. You matter, you are everything . . . else why would Jesus Christ descend from His throne on high and be born into the world to pay the ultimate price that we might live forever and attain eternal life.

Let us end with the words of Joseph:

… I may believe that Enoch walked with God. I may believe that Abraham communed with God and conversed with angels. I may believe that Isaac obtained a renewal of the covenant made to Abraham by the direct voice of the Lord. I may believe that Jacob conversed with holy angels and heard the word of his Maker, that he wrestled with the angel until he prevailed and obtained a blessing. I may believe that Elijah was taken to heaven in a chariot of fire with fiery horses. I may believe that the saints saw the Lord and conversed with him face to face after his resurrection. I may believe that the Hebrew church came to Mount Zion and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels. I may believe that they looked into eternity and saw the Judge of all, and Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant.

But will all this purchase an assurance for me, or waft me to the regions of eternal day with my garments spotless, pure, and white? Or, must I not rather obtain for myself, by my own faith and diligence in keeping the commandments of the Lord, an assurance of salvation for myself? And have I not an equal privilege with the ancient saints? And will not the Lord hear my prayers and listen to my cries as soon as he ever did to theirs if I come to him in the manner they did? (Ibid)

As surely as the sun rises in the east every morning, each of us will face the day when we shuffle off this mortal coil and report to our God. At this time we will be greeted by loved ones and ancestors who have carefully watched our progress on earth. It will be a time of great rejoicing, if we are able to return and report that we lived up to our divine potential to the very best of our ability. If we can say we took advantage of this mortal probation and developed our skills, talents, knowledge and education, developing our spirits as fully as possible through the study and internalization of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then we have done what we were sent here to do.

President Thomas S. Monson, the 16th called prophet of these modern times, spoke of September 11, 2001 in a compassionate and inspired address to the Church:

Countless are the reports we have heard during the past three and a half weeks of those who were touched in some way—either directly or indirectly—by the events of that day. I should like to share with you the comments of a Church member, Rebecca Sindar, who was on a flight from Salt Lake City to Dallas on the morning of Tuesday, September 11. The flight was interrupted, as were all flights in the air at the time of the tragedies, and the plane grounded in Amarillo, Texas. Sister Sindar reports: “We all left the plane and found televisions in the airport, where we crowded around to see the broadcast of what had happened. People were lined up to call loved ones to assure them we were safely on the ground. I shall always remember the 12 or so missionaries who were on their way to the mission field on our flight. They made phone calls, and then we saw them huddled in a circle in a corner of the airport, kneeling in prayer together. How I wish I could have captured that moment to share with the mothers and fathers of those sweet young men as they saw the need for prayer right away.” (Thomas S. Monson, “Now Is the Time,” Ensign, Nov 2001, 59)

The time to prepare for this certain day, in each of our lives, is now. Must we rush around, spinning in circles, as we hastily try to prepare? No, of course not. But this day so many dread is indeed a celebration of life and the eternities rather than a time of deep and abiding grief. On that day, you return to your heavenly home and give an account of your life.

These sweet young missionaries knew, at that moment of great national tragedy and sorrow, to turn to our Heavenly Father, for only in Him and His Son Jesus Christ, could peace and comfort be found. And, it is to Them we should turn now, in preparation for that glorious return home.

1. Have you wiled away the minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years of life sitting in a recliner watching t.v. or playing computer games?

2. Have you spent your time spinning from one frenetic party to another, constantly seeking that next exciting, yet oh so fleeting, moment where you are happy?

3. Have you immersed yourself in work, determined to be the best of the best and in doing so neglected your family?

These questions are not meant to be accusatory, but rather are meant to help each of us realize the things we do which rob us of precious time which should be spent learning of Jesus Christ and His teachings.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't watch television, just don't watch it all the time. That doesn't mean you shouldn't play video games, just don't play them 24 hours a day. Do you see the point I am making? Do you give equal time, or more time, to the study of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Mortality, this life we are living right now, is meant to be a time of learning and progression. President Monson tell us:

How fragile life, how certain death. We do not know when we will be required to leave this mortal existence. And so I ask, “What are we doing with today?” If we live only for tomorrow, we’ll have a lot of empty yesterdays today. Have we been guilty of declaring, “I’ve been thinking about making some course corrections in my life. I plan to take the first step—tomorrow”? With such thinking, tomorrow is forever. Such tomorrows rarely come unless we do something about them today. As the familiar hymn teaches:

There are chances for work all around just now,
Opportunities right in our way.
Do not let them pass by, saying, “Sometime I’ll try,”
But go and do something today.

(Will L. Thompson, “Have I Done Any Good?” Hymns, no. 223)

Let us ask ourselves the questions: “Have I done any good in the world today? Have I helped anyone in need?” What a formula for happiness! What a prescription for contentment, for inner peace—to have inspired gratitude in another human being.

Our opportunities to give of ourselves are indeed limitless, but they are also perishable. There are hearts to gladden. There are kind words to say. There are gifts to be given. There are deeds to be done. There are souls to be saved. (Ibid)

Indeed, we have been told "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God. (Mosiah 2:17)

Both an ancient prophet, Mosiah, and a modern prophet, Thomas S. Monson, have told us that we must serve our fellow man in order to draw closer to God. Service, as they point out, comes in many forms and ways. From a simple smile for a passerby to helping someone to rebuild their home, it can run the spectrum and on every part of that spectrum are points of service which fan that divine flame within you.

In studying the words of God, found in the books of scripture, we come to understand the mysteries of heaven and what is expected of us as we learn and instill the teachings of Christ in our lives.

In constant and humble prayer we learn to pour out our hearts and then to be still . . . and listen. And when we ask something of our Heavenly Father, we must be prepared to accept and act upon that answer.

In humility and sincerity we testify of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Redeemer of the World, and truth is then testified to us by the Spirit of God.

In all that we give to the Father and the Son it comes back to us a thousand times over and it brings us closer to being prepared for our return home.

Jesus Christ's mission is a simple, yet eminently powerful one:

For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. (Moses 1:39)

If this is His glory, and it is, His entire purpose for descending from on high to give His life that we might live, then very little is being asked of us in making the most of who we are as sons and daughters of God. Start today. Take that first step and then another and another, never turn back.

"May we live so that when that final summons is heard, we may have no serious regrets, no unfinished business." Thomas S. Monson