President Howard W. Hunter on developing character and continuing to learn

President Howard W. Hunter (1907-1995) was called to the Quorum of Twelve in 1959.  He served as Church President for only nine months, from June 5, 1994 to his death on March 3, 1995.

"At the end of your lives you will not be judged by academic successes, the degrees or diplomas earned, the positions held, the material wealth acquired, or power and prestige, but rather on the basis of what you have become as persons and what you are in conduct and character. Yours is the power individually to transform yourselves into the persons you want to be....

"Leave school with your books and your minds still open, and make your lives a quest for knowledge. Plato thought knowledge the highest human good, and Matthew Arnold thought the primary purpose of education was to help students to see things as they really are, to see the world about them as it really is. Only as we see the world as it really is can we hope to solve its problems. Only by knowledge can we banish ignorance, superstition, prejudice, fear, and hatred, the evils from which spring most of our world's problems. Therefore it is imperative that you continue to seek knowledge."

- Howard W. Hunter, "A Time for Wise Decisions." Commencement Address, BYU—Hawaii Campus, 23 June 1979; see THWH p. 177

It's important to remember what really matters "in the long run" in our lives. As he addressed a graduating class at BYU-Hawaii, who would naturally have their future careers and vocational aspirations in the forefront of their thoughts, President Hunter reminded them that recognition of men or accumulation of possessions are not the critical things in life; rather, the kind of character that is developed:

Part of the development of character occurs as we continue to gain knowledge throughout life. President Hunter gives the classic advice, "Leave school with your books and your minds still open." We need to continue to learn new things throughout our lives; and we need to have our minds open to new ideas, different approaches, changed opinions. This is a great key to ongoing success and happiness, individually and collectively: "Only by knowledge can we banish ignorance, superstition, prejudice, fear, and hatred, the evils from which spring most of our world's problems." That is a bold statement, one that we should all put to the test!

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

Elder Dale G. Renlund on God's eternal fairness to His children

Elder Dale G. Renlund (born November 13, 1952) served in the First Quorum of Seventy starting in 2009, until his call to the Quorum of Twelve in October 2015.

"Our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, are the ultimate Givers. The more we distance ourselves from Them, the more entitled we feel. We begin to think that we deserve grace and are owed blessings. We are more prone to look around, identify inequities, and feel aggrieved—even offended—by the unfairness we perceive. While the unfairness can range from trivial to gut-wrenching, when we are distant from God, even small inequities loom large. We feel that God has an obligation to fix things—and fix them right now! ...

"The sacrament truly helps us know our Savior. It also reminds us of His innocent suffering. If life were truly fair, you and I would never be resurrected; you and I would never be able to stand clean before God. In this respect, I am grateful that life is not fair.

"At the same time, I can emphatically state that because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, ultimately, in the eternal scheme of things, there will be no unfairness. 'All that is unfair about life can be made right' (Preach My Gospel, 52). Our present circumstances may not change, but through God’s compassion, kindness, and love, we will all receive more than we deserve, more than we can ever earn, and more than we can ever hope for. We are promised that 'God shall wipe away all tears from [our] eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away' (Revelation 21:4)."

- Dale G. Renlund, "That I Might Draw All Men unto Me," General Conference, April 2016, Saturday morning session
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

Life is unfair. Neither blessings nor challenges are distributed equally. From our perspective, at least, it often doesn't "make sense" when we face inequity or unfairness. Elder Renlund points out the irony that those who are furthest from God are often the ones who seem to expect blessings and protection from God and are offended or caused to doubt further when He doesn't respond as they expect.

But through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we are assured that ultimately, all unfairness will be erased:

As the "former things pass away," we have that beautiful assurance that through "God's compassion, kindness, and love," we will be blessed not only beyond what we deserve but also beyond all that we could hope for. Truly, as Paul testified, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him" (1 Cor 2:9).

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

President Thomas S. Monson on remembering God in every season

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 before becoming Church president in 2008.

"If there is a spiritual lesson to be learned from our experience of that fateful day, it may be that we owe to God the same faithfulness that He gives to us. We should strive for steadiness, and for a commitment to God that does not ebb and flow with the years or the crises of our lives. It should not require tragedy for us to remember him, and we should not be compelled to humility before giving him our faith and trust. We too should be with him in every season.

"The way to be with God in every season is to strive to be near him every week and each day. We truly 'need him every hour,' not just in hours of devastation. We must speak to him, listen to him, and serve him. If we wish to serve him, we should serve our fellow men. We will mourn the lives we lose, but we should also fix the lives that can be mended and heal the hearts that may yet be healed."

- Thomas S. Monson, Thoughts on Sept. 11, The Washington Post 9/11/11; see "Remembering 9/11: Mormon leaders share messages of comfort," Deseret News, September 11, 2013
Click here to read the full article

These words were prepared by President Monson for a compilation of the thoughts of religious leaders on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11/01 attacks in the eastern United States. I was impressed by his efforts to find a "spiritual lesson" from the tragic events of that day. He reminds us all that it is not just in times of tragedy or profound sorrow that we should turn to God:

We should strive to "be with him in every season" of our lives, challenging or peaceful. It's that "steadiness" at all times that will provide the rock of faith to help us through the times of storm and challenge.

And President Monson reminds us how that is done: one day at a time, as we turn to God "every hour, and not just in hours of devastation." The keys are:

• Speak to him
• Listen to him
• Serve him.

And we serve God by serving those around us: comforting, mending, healing. As we follow His example, we draw near to Him and feel His power in our lives, that will bless us when the times of need come.

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

President Henry B. Eyring on recognizing God's blessings in our life

President Henry B. Eyring (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.

"You could try the same thing as you write an entry in your book of remembrance. The Holy Ghost has helped with that since the beginning of time. You remember in the record of Moses it says: 'And a book of remembrance was kept, in the which was recorded, in the language of Adam, for it was given unto as many as called upon God to write by the spirit of inspiration.' (Moses 6:5.)

"President Spencer W. Kimball described that process of inspired writing: 'Those who keep a book of remembrance are more likely to keep the Lord in remembrance in their daily lives. Journals are a way of counting our blessings and of leaving an inventory of these blessings for our posterity.' (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1982, p. 349.)

"As you start to write, you could ask yourself, 'How did God bless me today?' If you do that long enough and with faith, you will find yourself remembering blessings. And sometimes, you will have gifts brought to your mind which you failed to notice during the day, but which you will then know were a touch of God’s hand in your life.

"You can choose to remember the greatest gift of all. Next week, you can go to a meeting where the sacrament is administered. You will hear the words, 'Always remember him.' You can pledge to do that, and the Holy Ghost will help you."

- Henry B. Eyring, "Remembrance and Gratitude," General Conference, October 1989
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

President Eyring's suggestion that we write in our personal "book of remembrance" promises powerful results.

When I was young, commercial LDS channels heavily marketed something called a "book of remembrance" that was a binder for genealogical research, usually printed on legal-sized pages. We became used to using that title only for that kind of collection. While that is a valid application (remembering our ancestors), I think it served to somewhat limit our scope. As President Eyring describes the concept in this excerpt, a book of remembrance can also be any form of personal writing, whether in a hard-printed journal, or in an electronic format such as a document or even a blog.

One important key, he suggests, is that like Adam we learn to "write by the spirit of inspiration." As we allow the Spirit to direct our personal reflections and then record the impressions that follow, great blessings will result.

President Spencer W. Kimball was a big proponent of writing in journals, and he described the blessings of the "book of remembrance" concept in this way:

I love those points and promises! As we reflect and record impressions, counting our blessings, we will be more likely to remember the Lord in our daily living. And we will be leaving an "inventory of those blessings" for our descendants. How I would love to have more of that kind of record from my ancestors.

President Eyring's very practical suggestion on how to "count our blessings" is perhaps the greatest message of the excerpt for me. Examining our daily life and seeking to identify how God blessed us in the day that just passed not only helps document His hand in our life, but also opens the door to inspiration that will help us learn more about how He blesses us. That brings greater humility and gratitude to us, and is a powerful way to help us always remember Him. I know from my own experience that this is a true principle!

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

Elder Neal A. Maxwell on service in the kingdom of God

Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926-2004) served as a Seventy from 1976-1981, then as a member of the Quorum of Twelve until his death from cancer in 2004.

"I know the celestial criteria measure service, not status; the use of our talents, not the relative size of our talent inventories. I know that Church membership is not passive security but continuing opportunity.

"Finally I testify that what a wise man wrote is true: 'If you have not chosen the kingdom of God first, it will in the end make no difference what you have chosen instead.' Having so chosen, may God bless us all to move the kingdom along."

- Neal A. Maxwell, "Response to a Call," General Conference, April 1974
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

The April 1974 general conference included a "solemn assembly" for the sustaining of President Spencer W. Kimball. It was also when Neal A. Maxwell was called as a general authority, sustained as an Assistant to the Twelve (a position that was discontinued two years later as the First Quorum of Seventy was organized). He had previously served as a Regional Representative.

In this talk, he expressed appreciation for many of the blessings of his life and Church service. Some memorable phrases, trademarks of his eloquent speaking style, were introduced in the talk:

"Endless appreciation to Jesus Christ for his atonement, realizing that included in the awful arithmetic of that atonement are my sins..."

"When one sees life and people through the lens of His gospel, then one can see forever."

"Endless appreciation to my Father in heaven whose blessings depend upon our obedience, but whose ratio of blessings to obedience makes him a generous God!"

This was his concluding testimony:

The "wise man" quoted by Elder Maxwell on this occasion and several others during his ministry is William Law, 18th-century English clergyman. Elder Maxwell seemed to understand his message and endorse it; our priorities in what we choose first will make all the difference. And having made the choice of placing the kingdom of God first in our lives, we move forward in faith and strive to move God's kingdom forward as we do.

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

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland on bearing one another's burdens

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.

"To be called His people and to stand in His Church, we must be 'willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; yea, and [be] willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things' (Mosiah 18:8–9).

"For me, bearing another’s burden is a simple but powerful definition of the Atonement of Christ. When we seek to lift the burden of another, we are 'saviors on mount Zion.' We are symbolically aligning ourselves with the Redeemer of the world and His Atonement. We are 'bind[ing] up the brokenhearted, … proclaim[ing] liberty to the captives, and … opening … the prison to them that are bound' (Isaiah 61:1). ...

"We learn very quickly that our best and most selfless services are often not adequate to comfort or encourage in the way people need. Or if we succeed once, we often can’t seem to repeat it. Nor are we superheroes at avoiding regression in those we care about. All this is why we must ultimately turn to Christ and rely on Him. (See 2 Nephi 9:21.)

"Often enough we can’t help—or at least can’t always help, or can’t sustain help, or can’t repeat it when we do sometimes succeed. But Christ can help. God the Father can help. The Holy Ghost can help, and we need to keep trying to be Their agents, helping when and where we can."

- Jeffrey R. Holland, "Bearing One Another’s Burdens," from Speaking Today on the lds.org website
Click here to read the full article

This is a wonderful article by Elder Holland that was posted on the Church website. No source for the article is mentioned, implying that it may have been written independent of any speaking assignment. A link was posted to the article from Elder Holland's Facebook page in June of this year, so perhaps it was written just for that purpose.  It deserves a wider distribution and a careful reading by all disciples of Christ.

The covenant usually associated with baptism (Mosiah 18:8-9) is all about how we treat one another and interact to support and bless those around us. Elder Holland considers that sacred mandate to "bear one another's burdens" and encourages us to be more sensitive and more serving. There are many around us bearing burdens that we can't comprehend. But as we strive to help in a spirit of true charity, we link ourselves to the Savior in a sacred way:

Elder Holland goes on to point out that our efforts will always be insufficient unless they are linked to the eternal and unending power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We are only agents of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost as we strive to share in their work. One of the most important things we do in that work is to bring others to Them for ultimate support and blessing.

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

Elder Mark E. Petersen on remembering the weightier matters of the law

Elder Mark E. Petersen (1900-1984) served as a member of the Quorum of Twelve from 1944 until his death in 1984.

"Anciently Jesus asked the Pharisees this question: 'What think ye of Christ?' (Matt. 22:42.) ...

"What think ye of Christ? To bring it down to our own day, let us ask ourselves, What do we, personally, think of him?

"Latter-day Saints are able to identify him very quickly. Christ is Jesus of Nazareth, who was born of Mary in Bethlehem. He also is our Redeemer and our Creator, the divine Son of God.

"But knowing who he is, what shall we do about him? Shall we fully accept him, or brush him aside, or take some middle-of-the-road attitude and compromise our beliefs according to existing pressures?

"The misdirected Pharisees with whom he spoke took pride in rites and rituals, but were nevertheless condemned by the Lord because they neglected the weightier matters of the law: fair judgment, mercy, and the exercise of true faith which produces righteous works.

"When the Savior spoke of those weightier matters he referred to personal relationships between people.... It is significant that he made those relationships a vital part of his gospel. It is indeed remarkable that the nature of our dealings with our fellowmen will determine, in large measure, our status in the kingdom of heaven.

"In other words, we ourselves may be like the ancient Pharisees. We may attend to rites and rituals and yet overlook the weightier matters such as brotherly kindness, honesty, mercy, virtue, and integrity. Let us never forget that if we omit them from our lives we may be found unworthy to come into His presence."

- Mark E. Petersen, "Do Unto Others," General Conference, April 1977
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

This is such a profound and important question: "What think ye of Christ?" Sometimes we get so busy we don't think of Him at all; sometimes our thoughts are superficial and casual. But the Lord's later rebuke to the scribes and Pharisees truly weighs heavily on all our souls: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." (Matthew 23:23)

Elder Petersen applies that rebuke and caution to us, in modern times:

Are we going through the motions of discipleship? Are we performing outward actions, "rites and rituals," but neglecting the values and emotions of kindness, virtue, mercy, and integrity? Elder Petersen wisely points out: "The nature of our dealings with our fellowmen will determine, in large measure, our status in the kingdom of heaven."

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