President Russell M. Nelson on agency, choice, and faith

President Russell M. Nelson (b. Sept 9, 1924) was an internationally-renowned heart surgeon when he was called to serve as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1984. He was set apart as president of the Quorum of Twelve on July 15, 2015.

"That precious privilege of choice—man's agency—was decreed before the world was created. It is a moral agency. Thus, it was opposed by Satan, but affirmed by the Lord and reaffirmed through prophets in ancient and in modern times.

"The proper exercise of moral agency requires faith. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel. Because of Him, you have your agency. He must be the very foundation of your faith, and the testing of that faith is a fundamental reason for your freedom to choose.

"You are free to develop and exercise faith in God and in His divine Son, faith in His word, faith in His Church, faith in His servants, and faith in His commandments....

"Faith, repentance, and obedience will qualify you for sublime gifts of justice and mercy, which are bestowed upon those worthy of the blessings of the Atonement.

"Yes, every test, every trial, every challenge and hardship you endure is an opportunity to further develop your faith."

- Russell M. Nelson, "Choices," Ensign, November 1990, pp. 73-75
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President Nelson teaches that "moral agency" has existed before this world was created; it was involved in the conflict that arose between Satan and the Lord. The key for our current situation in mortality is that we learn to "exercise" our agency properly by starting with a foundation of faith in Jesus Christ. As we "develop and exercise" that faith in the context of our agency, we experience growth and blessings.

It's interesting that President Nelson refers to the "sublime gifts of justice and mercy." We might be more inclined to consider mercy as a divine gift than we do justice; but it's important to note how critical both are for the success of God's eternal plan of happiness. Meanwhile, we should be grateful to recognize that our faith grows and develops as we experience the tests and trials of this life, learning to use our moral agency properly in the process.

Elder L. Tom Perry on evidences of the converted life

Elder L. Tom Perry (1922-2015) was called as an Assistant to the Twelve in 1972, then as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1974. At the time of his passing at age 92, he was the oldest living general authority and the third in seniority among the leading quorum.

"Surely there would be an obvious difference between one who is attempting to conduct his life as though he were a citizen of the kingdom of God, and one who is conducting his life by the standards made by man. When a person determines to live a higher law, there should be a visible difference, a marked change in his appearance, his actions, the way he treats others, and the way he serves his fellowmen and his God. The scriptures are full of dramatic changes which occurred in the lives of individuals when they were converted to living the law of the Lord....

"Conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ brings a requirement to live according to a higher law. From there on we must conduct ourselves as citizens of His kingdom. President Stephen L Richards once defined what these attributes would be. He stated:

"'The attributes of Jesus are the standards of perfection in human living. Kindliness, sympathy, tolerance, mercy, forbearance, charity in judgment, loyalty, justice, integrity, and abiding love are Christian virtues that lie at the foundation of the idealism of the race. These and the incomparable concepts of the good neighbor, doing unto others as you would be done by, and the abundant life—losing one's self in the service of others that he may save it—are the soundest and truest philosophies in the society of men and the way to happiness.' (Where Is Wisdom? Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1955, p. 324.)

"We have the obligation when we accept the teachings of the gospel to demonstrate by our lives that we, indeed, keep God's commandments. We know His son, Jesus the Christ, stands at the head of this Church, and mankind has not been left alone to find the way by himself in a troubled world. There is great joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment in living God's law as He has declared it and will continue to declare it to His children here on the earth."

- L. Tom Perry, "The Kingdom of God," Ensign, May 1979, p. 12
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How is life different for one who is striving to be "a citizen of the kingdom of God"? Are there evidences of this commitment? Elder Perry believes it should be obvious and visible "in his appearance, his actions, the way he treats others, and the way he serves his fellowmen and his God." Discipleship should be evident and clear; one who strives to follow the Savior should act and behave like the Savior.

Elder Perry suggested we consider the list of attributes shared by President Stephen L Richards (1879 -1959) who served as an apostle from 1917-1951, then as 1st Counselor to President McKay until his death in 1959:

To consider "the attributes of Jesus" and evaluate our own in comparison is a good ongoing exercise that will help us find areas where we can still grow and improve. Truly, emulating these principles is "the way to happiness" in this life.

Elder Perry goes on to express his own feelings about the path of discipleship, the life of a converted follower:

It is not our words, but our lives, that should testify and demonstrate we accept the teachings of the Lord's gospel.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf on simplifying our gospel understanding

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf (b. November 6, 1940) served as a Seventy from 1994-2004, when he was called as a member of the Quorum of Twelve.  He has served as second counselor in the First Presidency since 2008.

"We human beings have a strange tendency to complicate simple things. We set up rules, laws, bylaws, processes, and subprocesses. Eventually, we pile up load after load until we end up under a huge weight of expectations that are so complicated it is difficult to keep track of them, let alone meet them.

"This is one of the reasons Paul said, 'The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life' (2 Corinthians 3:6).

"Too often, we complicate the beauty and simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ with endless lists of meticulous expectations. However, when we focus on the 'why' of the gospel, much of the confusion fades away. Why are we here? Why are we asked to obey the commandments? Why is the Atonement of Jesus Christ of such value to us?

"The proper 'why' questions will lead us to the proper 'who,' 'what,' 'when,' 'where,' and 'how' decisions."

- Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Acting on the Truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ," Worldwide Leadership Training, February 2012
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President Uchtdorf has spoken on several occasions about the importance and blessing of simplifying our approach to life or to the Gospel; for example, here and here.

In this excerpt, he warns not only about the ways we complicate our lives at times, but also how we can make "the beauty and simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ" unnecessarily complicated. The key to avoiding this trap is to carefully consider the purposes and motivations of our beliefs and expectations—the "why" questions that lead to greater understanding.

Asking the right questions leads to the right actions and decisions. That is because the right questions create a foundation of understanding on which appropriate actions can be built. I love this reminder, and will be asking myself more appropriately-probing "why" questions about my own life!

President Henry B. Eyring on overcoming misery through the upward pull of the Atonement

President Henry B. Eyring (born May 31, 1933) served in the Presiding Bishopric from 1985-1992, as a Seventy from 1992-1995, then was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles. He has served in the First Presidency since 2007.

"All of us can remember times in our lives when we felt a pull to be better than we were, to rise higher. The feeling may have come at about the same time we had the thought 'There must be something better in life than this.' Sadly, there are also times when we felt like giving up. And then the thought was something like 'Maybe this feeling of being miserable is what life is really like. Maybe I need to learn to live with it. It looks as if that's how everyone else feels. Those movies about feeling good and those people who look happy have bought into an illusion.' I remember there was even a T-shirt made with a slogan on the front saying, 'Life is hard and then it's over.' And the look on the man's face wearing it made it seem that he was living proof.

"But everyone that I have come to know well, even the most discouraged and the most miserable, will tell you that sometime in their lives, maybe just once that they can remember, they felt that upward pull, that thought that there just had to be something better and higher.

"The feeling that you are meant to be better, perhaps in a way you haven't yet discovered, comes from our Heavenly Father. The opposing thought, that the upward pull is an illusion, comes from the adversary, who wants us all to be miserable, as he is.

"Heavenly Father does more than allow you to feel that upward pull. He has provided a way to rise higher, almost beyond our limits of imagination, not by our own powers alone, which would not be nearly enough, but through the power of the atonement of his Son, Jesus Christ."

- Henry B. Eyring, "Making Covenants with God," BYU Fireside, Sept 8, 1996
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This is such a hopeful, optimistic, encouraging expression—there is an "upward pull" that invites us to overcome the things of the world that hold us back, drag us down. We can be better; we can rise above our challenges or discouragements. We may be miserable in current circumstances, but we don't have to remain miserable. We must remember that our Heavenly Father offers hope, now and always; but it's the adversary who seeks our misery and tries to convince us "that the upward pull is an illusion."

And the glorious eternal truth is that Heavenly Father doesn't just let us feel the upward pull; He provided the means of implementing it, of rising higher through the challenges of life. How grateful we must always be for the wondrous atonement of Jesus Christ, that provides the means of overcoming all misery, disappointment, and frustration, so that we truly can rise above this world even while we remain a part of it.

President Thomas S. Monson on walking where Jesus walked

President Thomas S. Monson (b. August 21, 1927) was sustained to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1963. He served as a counselor in the First Presidency with Presidents Benson, Hunter, and Hinckley until becoming Church president in 2008.

"We need not walk by the shores of Galilee or among the Judean hills to walk where Jesus walked. All of us can walk the path He walked when, with His words ringing in our ears, His Spirit filling our hearts, and His teachings guiding our lives, we choose to follow Him as we journey through mortality. His example lights the way. Said He, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life.' (John 14:6)

"As we examine the path Jesus walked, we will see that it took Him through many of the same challenges we ourselves will face in life.

"For example, Jesus walked the path of disappointment....

"Jesus walked the path of temptation....

"Jesus walked the path of pain....

"While we will find on our path bitter sorrow, we can also find great happiness.

"We, with Jesus, can walk the path of obedience....

"We, like Jesus, can walk the path of service....

"Jesus walked the path of prayer....

"As we strive to place Christ at the center of our lives by learning His words, by following His teachings, and by walking in His path, He has promised to share with us the eternal life that He died to gain. There is no higher end than this, that we should choose to accept His discipline and become His disciples and do His work throughout our lives. Nothing else, no other choice we make, can make of us what He can."

- Thomas S. Monson, "Ponder the Path of Thy Feet," Ensign, November 2014, pp. 86-88
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A number of speakers have noted over the years that it's not nearly as important to walk where Jesus walked as to walk how He walked. His gift to mankind was that "He marked the path and led the way" (Hymns No. 195) so that any who desire may follow. He invited his followers anciently, "For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you" (John 13:15) as He served unselfishly. After teaching the Nephites to pray, he admonished, "Behold I am the light; I have set an example for you" (3 Nephi 18:16).

In this insightful talk, President Monson points out many of the ways the Savior set examples for us, experiencing the kinds of things that we do in mortality. Truly, the path He walked "took Him through many of the same challenges we ourselves will face in life." We can find great reassurance and inspiration in pondering how he acted and responded in the midst of those situations.

This final challenge and invitation from President Monson is particularly beautiful; "we should choose to accept His discipline and become His disciples and do His work."

President David O. McKay on the daily shaping of character

President David O. McKay (1873-1970) was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1906.  He served as a counselor in the First Presidency to Heber J. Grant and George Albert Smith beginning in 1945, then then as the president of the Church from 1951 to his death in 1970 at age 96.

"About fifty years ago I stood in a sculptor's yard in Florence, Italy. Scattered about were unbroken, irregular pieces of granite from which a sculptor was preparing to cut out a vision which he saw in his mind. We did not pay much attention to those rude stones, for in the middle of the yard stood  magnificent figure which was cared over four hundred years ago. It was the famous statue entitled, 'David,' picturing David of old. It stands today in the Florence Museum, unfinished, but in our crude judgment we could not see but what it was perfectly finished.

"If you had stood in that yard, and a man had placed in your hands a chisel and a hammer, would you have dared to take one of the shapeless blocks of stone and carve a human image out of it? You could not do it. Or if someone had placed before you a canvas and given you paints and put in your hands a brush, would you have undertaken to paint on that canvas the picture of an ideal soul? You probably would have said to the first, 'I am not a sculptor,' and to the second, 'I am not a painter. I cannot do it.'

"Nevertheless, each of us is carving a soul this very minute—our own. Is it going to be a deformed one, or is it going to be something admirable and beautiful?

"Yours is the responsibility. Nobody else can carve it for you.... Your tools are ideas, what you are thinking about. The thought in your mind at this moment is shaping your character, contributing, almost imperceptibly to the lineaments of your face, so that those who can read character can see what the thoughts have shaped in you, for the thoughts you have will shape your outward expression."

- David O. McKay, "Secrets of a Happy Life," pp. 145-46

"The Awakening Slave"
by Michelangelo

We can forgive President McKay for making a couple of minor mistakes in his 50-year-old memory; he didn't have Wikipedia or Google search to do fact-checking.

First of all, there is quite a difference between granite and marble. The Utah setting and the granite construction of the Salt Lake Temple were part of Pres. McKay's context of thinking, but the beautiful Carrara marble of Italian sculpture is a very different type of stone.

And second, while the famous renaissance sculptor Michelangelo did leave a number of unfinished sculptures, his "David" was not one of them—it was certainly a complete and polished work. Some of the unfinished sculptures dramatically illustrate the imagery of a work of beauty emerging from the rock as the expert sculptor chips away from around the figure.

The ability to create such fine sculpture is a spectacular and rare artistic gift. These remarkable images continue to take our breath away with their exquisite detail and expressiveness. But Pres. McKay's point is well-taken. In a symbolic way, every individual is a sculptor of his or her own soul. We are the ones who determine what that finished product will be as we shape and form our character, chipping way things that don't belong, smoothing and polishing the things that remain.

It matters so very much what and how we think. The thoughts of our mind and heart, President McKay instructs, are the tools that shape our souls, and the results can be seen both inwardly and outwardly. How careful we should be!

But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not. (Mosiah 4:30)

Not only do our thoughts shape our words and deeds, but they also define the faith that exists deep in our hearts and leads us to Christ. How important it is to fill our minds with good!

President Wilford Woodruff on keeping oil in our lamps each day

Wilford Woodruff (born March 1, 1807—210 years ago today; died 1898) was called as an apostle in 1839 by Joseph Smith, and sustained as the 4th president of the Church in 1889.  He served until his death in 1898 at age 91.

"The Lord compared the kingdom of heaven to ten virgins; five were wise and five were foolish; five had oil in their lamps and five had not. Now the question is, how can we keep oil in our lamps? By keeping the commandments of God, remembering our prayers, do as we are told by the revelations of Jesus Christ, and otherwise assisting in building up Zion.

"When we are laboring for the kingdom of God, we will have oil in our lamps, our light will shine and we will feel the testimony of the spirit of God. On the other hand, if we set our hearts upon the things of the world and seek for the honors of men, we shall walk in the dark and not in the light.

"If we do not value our priesthood, and the work of this priesthood, the building up of the kingdom of God, the rearing of temples, the redeeming of our dead, and the carrying out of the great work unto which we have been ordained by the God of Israel—if we do not feel that these things are more valuable to us than the things of the world, we will have no oil in our lamps, no light, and we shall fail to be present at the marriage supper of the Lamb."

- Wilford Woodruff, Conference of the Salt Lake Stake of Zion, Salt Lake Assembly Hall, Jan. 9, 1881; see JD 22:208
Click here to read the full talk

In our day, even though oil lamps are ancient relics, the parable is still a valuable scriptural analogy. We might talk instead of having fresh batteries in our flashlights, having the lithium power cell always recharged, or having electricity flowing to the LED. But the analogy still works; we can relate to the need of having an appropriate source of energy for devices that help us see or do essential tasks.

The answer to the all-important question changes only superficially over the millennia: "How can we keep oil in our lamps?" The answer includes obedience, worship, and service. This is not a task to be done once and then forgotten; the parable is helpful in reminding us of the ongoing need to be resupplying the fuel source.

Keeping the proper perspective on priesthood ordinances and service becomes a measuring standard for our readiness in the Lord's work. When "the things of the world" creep in and take too high a precedence, President Woodruff warns that "we shall fail to be present at the marriage supper of the Lamb."