Elder D. Todd Christofferson on the invitation to warn based on love

Elder D. Todd Christofferson (b. January 24, 1945) was called to the Seventy in 1993, and as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 2008.

"Far from being anxious to condemn, our Heavenly Father and our Savior seek our happiness and plead with us to repent, knowing full well that 'wickedness never was [and never will be] happiness' (Alma 41:10). So Ezekiel and every prophet before and since, speaking the word of God out of a full heart, have warned all who will to turn away from Satan, the enemy of their souls, and 'choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men' (2 Nephi 2:27).

"While the duty to warn is felt especially keenly by prophets, it is a duty shared by others as well. In fact, 'it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor' (D&C 88:81). We who have received a knowledge of the great plan of happiness—and its implementing commandments—should feel a desire to share that knowledge since it makes all the difference here and in eternity....

"The motivation for raising the warning voice is love—love of God and love of fellowman. To warn is to care. The Lord instructs that it is to be done 'in mildness and in meekness' (D&C 38:41) and 'by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness..., and by love unfeigned' (D&C 121:41). It can be urgent, as when we warn a child not to put his or her hand in a fire. It must be clear and sometimes firm. On occasion, warning may take the form of reproof 'when moved upon by the Holy Ghost' (D&C 121:43), but always it is rooted in love."

- D. Todd Christofferson, "The Voice of Warning," General Conference, April 2017
Click here to watch or read the full talk

Elder Christofferson offers an invitation to all that we raise a "warning voice" to those around us. But he clarifies what that means; it focuses on invitations based on love and concern for others, including those close to us. At times the warning voice needs to be urgent and even reproving, but usually it is kind and gentle, showing a desire to share knowledge that is precious and valuable. When we feel the motivation of caring and concern for our neighbors, the warning voice is a natural result.

"To warn is to care." That's a beautiful summary of Elder Christofferson's message.

Elder Quentin L. Cook on the importance of consistent efforts in spiritual growth

Elder Quentin L. Cook (b. September 8, 1940) was called as a Seventy in 1996, then as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 2007.

"Personal foundations, like many worthwhile pursuits, are usually built slowly—one layer, one experience, one challenge, one setback, and one success at a time....

"Unfortunately, in an increasingly secular world, less emphasis is placed on the amount of spiritual growth necessary to become more Christlike and establish the foundations that lead to enduring faith. We tend to emphasize moments of sublime spiritual understanding. These are precious instances when we know the Holy Ghost has witnessed special spiritual insights to our hearts and minds. We rejoice in these events; they should not be diminished in any way. But for enduring faith and to have the constant companionship of the Spirit, there is no substitute for the individual religious observance that is comparable to physical and mental development. We should build on these experiences, which sometimes resemble initial baby steps. We do this by consecrated commitment to sacred sacrament meetings, scripture study, prayer, and serving as called....

"Just as repetition and consistent effort are required to gain physical or mental capacity, the same is true in spiritual matters. Remember that the Prophet Joseph received the same visitor, Moroni, with exactly the same message four times in preparation for receiving the plates. I believe that weekly participation in sacred sacrament meetings has spiritual implications we do not fully understand. Pondering the scriptures regularly—rather than reading them occasionally—can substitute a superficial understanding for a sublime, life-changing enhancement of our faith."

- Quentin L. Cook, "Foundations of Faith," General Conference, April 2017
Click here to watch or read the full talk

Many things that matter in our lives take significant time to develop. This applies to intellectual learning, physical abilities, proficiency in a talent, etc. Elder Cook's point is that the same persistent effort is required in spiritual development. We grow "line upon line, precept on precept" and need to recognize the power there is in consistent, persistent efforts over a long period.

I thought this point was particularly important: the "moments of sublime spiritual understanding" are critical to us—those spiritual high-points when we have revelatory experiences or profound spiritual experiences. But they are not the things that build "enduring faith" and "constant companionship of the Spirit" in our lives. Those things come from our steady, repeated, personal "individual religious observance."

This message should encourage in each of us an examination of our "steadiness" to ensure that we are continuing to do the things that will bring that ongoing strength.

Elder David A. Bednar on growth and preparation of young men

Elder David A. Bednar (born June 15, 1952) was serving as the president of BYU–Idaho when he was called and sustained as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in October 2004.

"Three interrelated words define a pattern of preparation and progression for sons of God: priesthood, temple, mission. Sometimes as parents, friends, and Church members, we focus so extensively upon missionary preparation for young men that we may neglect to a degree the other vital steps along the covenant pathway that must be fulfilled before beginning full-time missionary service. Working as a missionary certainly is one but not the only important building block in the process of creating a strong foundation for a lifetime of spiritual growth and service. Priesthood and temple blessings, both of which precede arriving in an assigned field of labor, also are necessary to fortify and strengthen us spiritually throughout our entire lives....

"As priesthood, temple, and mission blessings are gathered 'together in one... in Christ' (Ephesians 1:10) and synergistically interact in the heart, mind, and soul of a young missionary, he can qualify for the work (see D&C 4:5). His capacity is increased to fulfill the responsibility to represent authoritatively the Lord Jesus Christ. The spiritually potent combination of honoring priesthood and temple covenants, receiving 'the power of godliness' (D&C 84:20) through priesthood ordinances (D&C 84:19–21), serving selflessly, and proclaiming the everlasting gospel to God’s children enables a young man to become 'firm and steadfast in the faith' (Helaman 15:8) and 'rooted and built up in [Christ]' (Colossians 2:7).

"In our homes and at church, we should give balanced emphasis to all three elements of the Lord’s pattern of preparation and progression for faithful sons of God: priesthood, temple, mission. All three require us to love being and remaining worthy. Be worthy. Stay worthy."

- David A. Bednar, "Called to the Work," General Conference, April 2017
Click here to watch or read the full talk

Elder Bednar spoke during the Priesthood Session of the recent general conference. He was primarily addressing the young men in issues relating to their preparation for future service and growth; but many of the principles apply to young women as well. Elder Bednar discussed the efforts we make to help youth prepare, which are often focused on mission preparation; but he encouraged additional focus on the other important aspects of the young man's development:  priesthood, temple, mission.

When all three of those areas receive attention in a young man's preparation, or in an adult life, then it becomes a "spiritually potent combination" of growth and development.

Elder Bednar also had a subtheme, repeated three times in the talk: "Please learn to love being and remaining worthy. Be worthy. Stay worthy." How critical that is for our happiness in life!

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland on an invitation for all to participate in the blessings of the Gospel

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (born December 3, 1940) served as Church Commissioner of Education from 1976-1980, as the president of BYU from 1980-1989, as a Seventy from 1989-1994, and as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles since 1994.

"Brothers and sisters, we live in a mortal world with many songs we cannot or do not yet sing. But I plead with each one of us to stay permanently and faithfully in the choir, where we will be able to savor forever that most precious anthem of all—'the song of redeeming love' (Alma 5:26; see also Alma 26:13).

"Fortunately, the seats for this particular number are limitless. There is room for those who speak different languages, celebrate diverse cultures, and live in a host of locations. There is room for the single, for the married, for large families, and for the childless. There is room for those who once had questions regarding their faith and room for those who still do. There is room for those with differing sexual attractions. In short, there is a place for everyone who loves God and honors His commandments as the inviolable measuring rod for personal behavior, for if love of God is the melody of our shared song, surely our common quest to obey Him is the indispensable harmony in it.

"With divine imperatives of love and faith, repentance and compassion, honesty and forgiveness, there is room in this choir for all who wish to be there. (See 2 Nephi 26:33.) 'Come as you are,' a loving Father says to each of us, but He adds, 'Don’t plan to stay as you are.' We smile and remember that God is determined to make of us more than we thought we could be.

"In this great oratorio that is His plan for our exaltation, may we humbly follow His baton and keep working on the songs we cannot sing, until we can offer those 'carol[s] to [our] King.' (Hymns, no. 227.)"

- Jeffrey R. Holland, "Songs Sung and Unsung," General Conference, April 2017
Click here to watch or read the full talk

In this sermon, Elder Holland spoke beautifully based on the lyrics of the hymn "There is Sunshine in my Soul Today" (Hymns, no. 227). He drew a number of comparisons and analogies that were helpful in thinking about how we confront the challenges of this life.

I thought this section, near the end of his talk, was particularly interesting. He points out the importance for "each one of us to stay permanently and faithfully in the choir" (the symbolic description of faithful discipleship) as we deal with our various situations. And he points out that diversity of needs and backgrounds, of personal situations, is not only acceptable in that "choir," but also very desirable in the formation of the choir. "There is a place for everyone who loves God and honors His commandments as the inviolable measuring rod for personal behavior."

So all who love God and desire to follow Him are invited and welcome:

I hope all members of the Church can feel the power of this message, knowing that not only are we personally needed and wanted in that choir, but also we should be open, welcoming, and loving to all those who likewise come to receive the blessings and benefits of singing together with us.

Elder Robert D. Hales on being true disciples of Christ

Elder Robert D. Hales (b. August 24, 1932) served as a Seventy from 1976 to 1985, when he was called as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles.

"What does it mean to be a disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ? A disciple is one who has been baptized and is willing to take upon him or her the name of the Savior and follow Him. A disciple strives to become as He is by keeping His commandments in mortality, much the same as an apprentice seeks to become like his or her master.

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

"The attributes of the Savior, as we perceive them, are not a script to be followed or list to be checked off. They are interwoven characteristics, added one to another, which develop in us in interactive ways. In other words, we cannot obtain one Christlike characteristic without also obtaining and influencing others. As one characteristic becomes strong, so do many more....

"Brothers and sisters, now more than ever, we cannot be a 'part-time disciple'! We cannot be a disciple on just one point of doctrine or another. The constellation of characteristics that result from faith in Christ—including the ones we have talked about today—are all necessary to our standing strong in these last days.

"As we earnestly strive to be true disciples of Jesus Christ, these characteristics will be interwoven, added upon, and interactively strengthened in us. There will be no disparity between the kindness we show our enemies and the kindness we bestow on our friends. We will be as honest when no one is looking as when others are watching. We will be as devoted to God in the public square as we are in our private closet."

- Robert D. Hales, "Becoming a Disciple of Our Lord Jesus Christ," General Conference, April 2017
Click here to watch or read the full talk

Becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ requires more than just a superficial acceptance of a code of beliefs, or joining an organization. Elder Hales teaches that "genuine discipleship is a state of being"—it means that there has been a change of nature in the individual as he or she adopts the way of life in deep and profound ways. The invitation for us, as prospective disciples of Jesus Christ, is to learn about his attributes in order that they can be "woven into the fiber of [our] beings."

And Elder Hales emphasizes that you can't just pick some of the attributes that look most desirable, or choose occasions in which to demonstrate the characteristics. We need to be full-time disciples; we need to adopt all of the characteristics of the Savior, all of the time:

I am grateful for Elder Hales' description of the growing, iterative process of this transition: "As we earnestly strive to be true disciples of Jesus Christ, these characteristics will be interwoven, added upon, and interactively strengthened in us." A miraculous transition can and will occur when the heart is willing and the commitment is sincere and deep.

President Gordon B. Hinckley on the miracle of the Savior's Resurrection

President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008) was called to the Quorum of Twelve in 1961. He served as a counselor in the First Presidency from 1981-1995, then as Church President until his death in 2008.

“Then dawned the first day of the week, the Sabbath of the Lord as we have come to know it. To those who came to the tomb, heavy with sorrow, the attending angel declared, ‘Why seek ye the living among the dead?’ (Luke 24:5).

“‘He is not here: … he is risen, as he said’ (Matt. 28:6).

“Here was the greatest miracle of human history. Earlier He had told them, ‘I am the resurrection, and the life’ (John 11:25). But they had not understood. Now they knew. He had died in misery and pain and loneliness. Now, on the third day, He arose in power and beauty and life, the firstfruits of all who slept, the assurance for men of all ages that ‘as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive’ (1 Cor. 15:22).

“On Calvary He was the dying Jesus. From the tomb He emerged the Living Christ. The cross had been the bitter fruit of Judas’s betrayal, the summary of Peter’s denial. The empty tomb now became the testimony of His divinity, the assurance of eternal life, the answer to Job’s unanswered question: ‘If a man die, shall he live again?’ (Job 14:14). …

“And so, because our Savior lives, we do not use the symbol of His death as the symbol of our faith. But what shall we use? No sign, no work of art, no representation of form is adequate to express the glory and the wonder of the Living Christ. He told us what that symbol should be when He said, ‘If ye love me, keep my commandments’ (John 14:15).

“As His followers, we cannot do a mean or shoddy or ungracious thing without tarnishing His image. Nor can we do a good and gracious and generous act without burnishing more brightly the symbol of Him whose name we have taken upon ourselves. And so our lives must become a meaningful expression, the symbol of our declaration of our testimony of the Living Christ, the Eternal Son of the Living God.”

- Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Symbol of Our Faith,” Ensign, Apr. 2005 4–6
Click here to read the full article

In this message, President Hinckley shared the experience of being asked why the Church of Jesus Christ doesn't use the cross as a symbol like other Christian churches. He explained that while the Savior's voluntary giving up of His life is a crucial part of the Atonement in our theology, the other aspects of His sacrifice and particularly the Resurrection provide so much power and understanding. It was "the greatest miracle of human history."

President Hinckley's main point is that there is no symbol that can adequately represent the depth of our love and appreciation for what took place on the cross and in the tomb. Instead, the best representation is the lives of his followers. Their actions, deeds, and Christlike charity become the symbol of the Living Christ.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2017)

Elder Bruce R. McConkie on the doctrine of the Atonement of Christ

Elder Bruce R. McConkie (July 29, 1915–April 19, 1985) served as a Seventy from 1946-1972 when he was called to the Quorum of Twelve.  He served in that assignment until his death from cancer at age 69.

"I feel, and the Spirit seems to accord, that the most important doctrine I can declare, and the most powerful testimony I can bear, is of the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ.

"His atonement is the most transcendent event that ever has or ever will occur from Creation’s dawn through all the ages of a never-ending eternity.

"It is the supreme act of goodness and grace that only a god could perform. Through it, all of the terms and conditions of the Father’s eternal plan of salvation became operative.

"Through it are brought to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Through it, all men are saved from death, hell, the devil, and endless torment.

"And through it, all who believe and obey the glorious gospel of God, all who are true and faithful and overcome the world, all who suffer for Christ and his word, all who are chastened and scourged in the Cause of him whose we are—all shall become as their Maker and sit with him on his throne and reign with him forever in everlasting glory....

"Now, the atonement of Christ is the most basic and fundamental doctrine of the gospel, and it is the least understood of all our revealed truths.

"Many of us have a superficial knowledge and rely upon the Lord and his goodness to see us through the trials and perils of life.

"But if we are to have faith like Enoch and Elijah we must believe what they believed, know what they knew, and live as they lived.

"May I invite you to join with me in gaining a sound and sure knowledge of the Atonement.

"We must cast aside the philosophies of men and the wisdom of the wise and hearken to that Spirit which is given to us to guide us into all truth.

"We must search the scriptures, accepting them as the mind and will and voice of the Lord and the very power of God unto salvation....

"And now, as pertaining to this perfect atonement, wrought by the shedding of the blood of God—I testify that it took place in Gethsemane and at Golgotha, and as pertaining to Jesus Christ, I testify that he is the Son of the Living God and was crucified for the sins of the world. He is our Lord, our God, and our King. This I know of myself independent of any other person.

"I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears.

"But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God’s Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way.

"God grant that all of us may walk in the light as God our Father is in the light so that, according to the promises, the blood of Jesus Christ his Son will cleanse us from all sin."

- Bruce R. McConkie, "The Purifying Power of Gethsemane," General Conference, April 1985
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

This remarkable message from Elder McConkie was given only about two weeks before he passed away—his "final witness" to the Church in mortality. Elder Russell M. Nelson followed Elder McConkie in the conference, and offered an expression of testimony and gratitude that Elder McConkie's life had been prolonged to deliver such a powerful sermon.

Elder McConkie taught so powerfully in this message, as only he could, about the eternally significant and sacred nature of what transpired in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross of Calvary. The sermon is so full of truth and pure doctrine that it was hard for me to excerpt portions.

I was moved again by Elder McConkie's bold statement: "The atonement of Christ is the most basic and fundamental doctrine of the gospel, and it is the least understood of all our revealed truths." He follows that with an invitation and challenge that we each study and ponder anew in order to gain "a sound and sure knowledge of the Atonement."

Elder McConkie taught powerfully of the entire plan of salvation, including the sacred importance of the creation and fall, and how necessary they are for the glorious redemption that would come. He closed with the powerful and personal witness that has become much loved by Church members:

Elder McConkie did not know when he spoke these words that "in a coming day" would be less than two weeks away in his mortal experience. How blessed we are to have his pure and sincere witness, his clear teaching of doctrine, and his invitation to learn and be blessed by the sacred doctrine of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2017)