Elder Dallin H. Oaks on the consequences of our choices

Elder Dallin H. Oaks (born August 12, 1932) served as president of BYU from 1971-1980.  He was then appointed as a justice of the Utah Supreme Court, and resigned when he was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1984.

"From your position on the road of life, you young men have many miles to go and many choices to make as you seek to return to our Heavenly Father. Along the road there are many signs that beckon. Satan is the author of some of these invitations. He seeks to confuse and deceive us, to get us on a low road that leads away from our eternal destination....

"Here are some ways the devil will try to deceive us. God’s commandments and the teachings of His prophets warn against each of them....

"Satan also seeks to deceive us about right and wrong and persuade us that there is no such thing as sin. This detour typically starts off with what seems to be only a small departure: 'Just try it once. One beer or one cigarette or one porno movie won’t hurt.' What all of these departures have in common is that each of them is addictive. Addiction is a condition in which we surrender part of our power of choice. When we do that we give the devil power over us. The prophet Nephi described where this leads: the devil says, 'There is no hell,' and, 'I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance' (2 Ne. 28:22).

"If we choose the wrong road, we choose the wrong destination."

- Dallin H. Oaks, "Be Not Deceived," General Conference, October 2004
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

This is a classic "warning" message, in which Elder Oaks identifies some of the dangers of our time and points out the traps and pitfalls that could befall us if we are not aware and wary. This section of the talk focuses on the temptation to experiment with inappropriate actions. As the Master Deceiver confuses us about what is truly right and wrong, we can fall into his trap:

Satan can deceive us into thinking that trying out something just once can't be that bad. But a single step onto the wrong road begins to take us away from our correct and proper destination, and is can become much harder than we ever realize to return to the proper path. We must learn to constantly be on guard of this deception, and do all we can to "obey... with exactness" (Alma 57:21).

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

President Russell M. Nelson on understanding teachings about perfection

President Russell M. Nelson (born 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.

"When comparing one’s personal performance with the supreme standard of the Lord’s expectation, the reality of imperfection can at times be depressing. My heart goes out to conscientious Saints who, because of their shortcomings, allow feelings of depression to rob them of happiness in life.

"We all need to remember: men are that they might have joy—not guilt trips! (See 2 Ne. 2:25.) We also need to remember that the Lord gives no commandments that are impossible to obey. But sometimes we fail to comprehend them fully....

"In Matt. 5:48, the term perfect was translated from the Greek teleios, which means 'complete.' Teleios is an adjective derived from the noun telos, which means 'end.' The infinitive form of the verb is teleiono, which means 'to reach a distant end, to be fully developed, to consummate, or to finish.' Please note that the word does not imply 'freedom from error'; it implies 'achieving a distant objective.' In fact, when writers of the Greek New Testament wished to describe perfection of behavior—precision or excellence of human effort—they did not employ a form of teleios; instead, they chose different words....

"The perfection that the Savior envisions for us is much more than errorless performance. It is the eternal expectation as expressed by the Lord in his great intercessory prayer to his Father—that we might be made perfect and be able to dwell with them in the eternities ahead.(See John 17:23–24.)...

"We need not be dismayed if our earnest efforts toward perfection now seem so arduous and endless. Perfection is pending. It can come in full only after the Resurrection and only through the Lord. It awaits all who love him and keep his commandments."

- Russell M. Nelson, "Perfection Pending," General Conference October 1995
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The simple title of this talk, "Perfection Pending," conveys the message of President Nelson that we all have work to do and need to keep our progress in the proper (eternal) perspective. It's easy to be discouraged when we view the relative lack of progress that is typical for our lives; but depression results from incomplete or inaccurate understanding of the expectations.

The guilt trips come when we have improper expectations for our progress. Instead, President Nelson helps us understand that perfection ultimately relates to long-term goals, when we will be "complete" or "finished" at the end of the long process. In the mean time, we work on smaller aspects of mortal progress, in which we can obtain partial perfection. The grand key is to continue to progress, and continue to find joy in the journey!

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

President Henry B. Eyring on confronting tests in life

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.

"Knowing why we are tested and what the test is tells us how to get help. We have to go to God. He gives us the commandments. And we will need more than our own strength to keep them.

"Again, the restored gospel makes plain the simple things we need to do. And it gives us confidence that the help we need will come if we do those things early and persistently, long before the moment of crisis.

"The first, the middle, and the last thing to do is to pray....

"Another simple thing to do, which allows God to give us strength, is to feast on the word of God: read and ponder the standard works of the Church and the words of living prophets. There is a promise of help from God that comes with that daily practice. Faithful study of scriptures brings the Holy Ghost to us. The promise is given in the Book of Mormon, but it applies as well to all the words of God that He has given and will give us through His prophets."

- Henry B. Eyring, "In the Strength of the Lord," General Conference, April 2004
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

Do we know why we are tested in life? In general terms, we accept the premise that it is for our growth and improvement, as we are guided and molded by a loving Father. But we don't always know the specific reasons at any given time or the lessons we might learn from a challenge we face. It's critical to learn to turn to God, our constant source of strength to keep the commandments and to endure faithfully.

I love his simple comment; in all things, at all times, we must learn to pray in order to survive and thrive in our daily challenges and responsibilities. In addition, as we learn to "feast on the word of God" we also receive sustenance from the Comforter. We need never struggle alone—divine help is always available!

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

President Thomas S. Monson on the enduring gifts from God

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.

"For a few moments, may we set aside the catalogs of Christmas, with their gifts of exotic description. Let's even turn from the flowers for Mother, the special tie for Father, the cute doll, the train that whistles, the long-awaited bicycle—even the 'Star Trek' books and videos—and direct our thoughts to those God-given gifts that endure. I have chosen from a long list just four:

"First, the gift of birth. It has been universally bestowed on each of us. Ours was the divine privilege to depart our heavenly home to tabernacle in the flesh and to demonstrate by our lives our worthiness and qualifications to one day return to Him, precious loved ones, and a kingdom called celestial....

"Second, the gift of peace. In the raucous world in which we live, the din of traffic, the blaring commercials of the media, and the sheer demands placed on our time—to say nothing of the problems of the world—cause headache, inflict pain, and sap our strength to cope.... He who was burdened with sorrow and acquainted with grief speaks to every troubled heart and bestows the gift of peace.... The passport to peace is the practice of prayer. The feelings of the heart, humbly expressed rather than a mere recitation of words, provide the peace we seek....

"Third, the gift of love. 'Master, which is the great commandment in the law?' queried the lawyer who spoke to Jesus. Came the prompt reply: 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

"'This is the first and great commandment.

"'And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.' (Matt. 22:36-39) ...

"Fourth, the gift of life—even immortality. Our Heavenly Father's plan contains the ultimate expressions of true love. All that we hold dear, even our families, our friends, our joy, our knowledge, our testimonies, would vanish were it not for our Father and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Among the most cherished thoughts and writings in this world is the divine statement of truth: 'For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' (John 3:16)"

- Thomas S. Monson, "Gifts," General Conference April 1993
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President Monson encourages us, as have many others, to be sure to reserve some of the time during the Christmas season to remember the gifts of heaven on our behalf:

President Monson calls them "gifts that endure"—and they are the only ones that don't wear out or become outdated as time goes by. No matter who we are, no matter what the situation of life we find ourselves in this year—truly, we should feel overwhelming gratitude for all we have if we understand these gifts from our loving Father and his Son.

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

President Gordon B. Hinckley shares a witness of the Christmas child

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.

"Of all the children born into this world, none other has come with so rich a birthright as Jesus, for He was the Only Begotten of the Eternal Father in the flesh.

"Of all men who have walked the earth, no other has lived so perfect a life as this the man of miracles, who testified that He is 'the way, the truth, and the life' (John 14:6).

"Of all the victories in human history, none is so great, none so universal in its effect, none so everlasting in its consequences as the victory of the crucified Lord, who came forth in the Resurrection that first Easter morning.

"I have seen statues and paintings of the great men and women of history, many hundreds of them. But great and important as are all of these heroes of the past, none can compare with the victory of the lonely, pain-wracked figure on Calvary's cross who triumphed over death and brought the gift of eternal life to all mankind....

"Of all things of heaven and earth of which we bear testimony, none is so important as our witness that Jesus, the Christmas child, condescended to come to earth from the realms of His Eternal Father, here to work among men as healer and teacher, our Great Exemplar. And further, and most important, He suffered on Calvary's cross as an atoning sacrifice for all mankind.

"At this time of Christmas, this season when gifts are given, let us not forget that God gave His Son, and His Son gave His life, that each of us might have the gift of eternal life."

- Gordon B. Hinckley, "The Son of God," from an address given at the new mission presidents’ seminar, 23 June 1992; See Ensign, Dec. 1992, p. 2
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President Hinckley shared scores of Christmas messages during his ministry, particularly as a member of the First Presidency for many years. This message focuses on the miracle of the birth of the "Christmas child" but was initially given to mission presidents, since an understanding of the life and mission of the Savior is critical for the work of conversion and salvation.

President Hinckley here gives his testimony of the Savior's divine birthright, the perfection of His life, and the everlasting victory over death that brought resurrection.

And so this is the most important testimony that can be offered:

That final message is a precious reminder. While we give our gifts to one another, we should never forget the Heavenly gift of the Father and the Son on our behalf!

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

President Joseph Smith on God's call to obedience and holiness

Joseph Smith (December 23, 1805-June 27, 1844) was given the apostolic authority when the Church of Jesus Christ was organized on April 6, 1830 and he was designated the first president of the church at age 24. He was martyred in 1844 at age 38.

"The commandments of our Lord, we hope are constantly revolving in your hearts, teaching you, not only His will in proclaiming His Gospel, but His meekness and perfect walk before all, even in those times of severe persecutions and abuse which were heaped upon Him by a wicked and adulterous generation. Remember, brethren, that He has called you unto holiness; and need we say, to be like Him in purity? How wise, how holy; how chaste, and how perfect, then, you ought to conduct yourselves in His sight; and remember, too, that His eyes are continually upon you.”

- Joseph Smith, “The Elders of the Church in Kirtland, to Their Brethren Abroad,” Jan. 22, 1834; published in Evening and Morning Star, Mar. 1834, p. 142; see also History of the Church, 2:13

It's a beautiful concept to have the commandments of the Lord "constantly revolving in your hearts" to be teaching and guiding us—not only guidance for how to act, but perhaps more importantly, how to be as we strive to follow "His meekness and perfect walk before all." Jesus maintained serenity and purity of heart, even in the midst of challenges, persecutions, criticisms, and abuse. As we struggle with our present circumstances, having Gospel precepts firmly and actively in our minds and hearts will bless us more than we know.

So we are "called" by God "to be like Him" in purity and holiness. He longs for us to be wise, holy, chaste, and yes, perfect in our behavior and attitudes. On another occasion, as Joseph contemplated the urgency of the times in the last days, he was led to reflect with the ancient apostle Peter, "what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness" (2 Peter 3:11). That is a beautiful reminder and invitation from the Prophet of the Restoration!

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

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf on being gracious receivers of gifts

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf (born 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.

"Every gift that is offered to us—especially a gift that comes from the heart—is an opportunity to build or strengthen a bond of love. When we are good and grateful receivers, we open a door to deepen our relationship with the giver of the gift. But when we fail to appreciate or even reject a gift, we not only hurt those who extend themselves to us, but in some way we harm ourselves as well.

"The Savior taught that unless we 'become as little children, [we] shall not enter... the kingdom of heaven' (Matthew 18:3).

"As we watch the excitement and wonder of children at this time of the year, perhaps we can remind ourselves to rediscover and reclaim a precious and glorious attribute of children—the ability to receive graciously and with gratitude."

- Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Good and Grateful Receiver," First Presidency Christmas Devotional, December 2012
Click here to read the full talk

While we often talk about the giving of gifts, we don't focus as much on the act of receiving a gift. President Uchtdorf shared some great insights and suggestions about that part of the process. Learning how to receive with graciousness and real gratitude will help to bless those who are learning to give:

The act of giving and the act of receiving work together to "build or strengthen a bond of love." That's a wonderful part of being a group of believers. I love the scriptural description of having "hearts ... knit together in love" (Colossians 2:2; Mosiah 18:21). Those kinds of bonds are created as we serve and give, as well as when we receive the service or gift.

Children are often great receivers of gifts, as they are filled with wonder and excitement. President Uchtdorf suggests that we can learn from them "the ability to receive graciously and with gratitude."

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