Elder Jeffrey R. Holland on bearing burdens patiently and in faith

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.

"And so I ask you to be patient in things of the Spirit. Perhaps your life has been different from mine, but I doubt it. I have had to struggle to know my standing before God. As a teenager I found it hard to pray and harder to fast. My mission was not easy. I struggled as a student only to find that I had to struggle afterwards, too. In this present assignment I have wept and ached for guidance. It seems no worthy accomplishment has ever come easily for me, but I’m living long enough to be grateful for that....

"All but a prophetic few must go about God’s work in very quiet, very unspectacular ways. And as you labor to know him, and to know that he knows you; as you invest your time—and inconvenience—in quiet, unassuming service, you will indeed find that 'his angels [have] charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up.' (Matt. 4:6.) It may not come quickly. It probably won’t come quickly, but there is purpose in the time it takes. Cherish your spiritual burdens because God will converse with you through them and will use you to do his work if you carry them well....

"If sometimes the harder you try, the harder it gets, take heart. So it has been with the best people who ever lived."

- Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Inconvenient Messiah," BYU Devotional, 2 February 1982; see Ensign February 1984, pp. 68-73
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This is one of my favorite of the perhaps lesser-known talks given by Elder Holland. Speaking to an audience of students when he was serving as the president of BYU, he addresses the Savior's profound example of not choosing the easy or convenient way. And the applications to us are many as we face challenges in our lives; we often are asked to follow a more difficult path.

Elder Holland points to the personal struggles he faced in his life to make spiritual progress. Most of us have felt similar concerns and struggles. He encouraged us to "invest [our] time—and inconvenience—in quiet, unassuming service" in order to feel the blessings of heaven sustaining us in the process. And then he offered this challenge and counsel:

It requires faith and understanding to be able to "cherish" the "spiritual burdens" that come to us. We have to learn to trust in God's promises that the blessings will come not just at the end of the trials, but in the process of them. Elder Holland's reassurance, through his personal experience and the testimonies of others he shares, helps to give us that perspective.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)

President M. Russell Ballard on media's influence and speaking up for virtue

President M. Russell Ballard (born October 8, 1928) was called as a Seventy in 1976, and has served as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles since 1985. He became acting president of the Twelve in January 2018.

"The choices we make in media can be symbolic of the choices we make in life. Choosing the trendy, the titillating, the tawdry in the TV programs or movies we watch can cause us to end up, if we’re not careful, choosing the same things in the lives we live.

"If we do not make good choices, the media can devastate our families and pull our children away from the narrow gospel path. In the virtual reality and the perceived reality of large and small screens, family-destructive viewpoints and behavior are regularly portrayed as pleasurable, as stylish, as exciting, and as normal. Often media’s most devastating attacks on family are not direct or frontal or openly immoral. Intelligent evil is too cunning for that, knowing that most people still profess belief in family and in traditional values. Rather the attacks are subtle and amoral—issues of right and wrong don’t even come up. Immorality and sexual innuendo are everywhere, causing some to believe that because everyone is doing it, it must be all right. This pernicious evil is not out in the street somewhere; it is coming right into our homes, right into the heart of our families....

"The new morality preached from the media’s pulpit is nothing more than the old immorality. It attacks religion. It undermines the family. It turns virtue into vice and vice into virtue. It assaults the senses and batters the soul with messages and images that are neither virtuous, nor lovely, nor of good report, nor praiseworthy.

"The time has come when members of the Church need to speak out and join with the many other concerned people in opposition to the offensive, destructive, and mean-spirited media influence that is sweeping over the earth."

- M. Russell Ballard, "Let Our Voices Be Heard," General Conference October 2003
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

President Ballard issued this warning about media 15 years ago. Certainly the concerns he mentions are significantly worse today! The negative influence of media presentations can be brazen and overt, or subtle and hidden. Sometimes "family-destructive viewpoints and behavior are regularly portrayed as pleasurable, as stylish, as exciting, and as normal." But the more subtle attacks, where the agendas are hidden and clever, can be even more destructive to us and to our families. We must guard actively against these attacks of "pernicious evil" that are attempting to invade "right into the heart of our families."

President Ballard encouraged us not only to safeguard our homes and monitor our support of public media presentations, but also to "speak out and join with the many other concerned people in opposition" to the negative and destructive influence of this kind of media. We should seek for opportunities to have our voices heard!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)

President Henry B. Eyring on teaching doctrine in our families

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.

"There has been a war between light and darkness, between good and evil, since before the world was created. The battle still rages, and the casualties seem to be increasing. All of us have family members we love who are being buffeted by the forces of the destroyer, who would make all God’s children miserable. For many of us, there have been sleepless nights. We have tried to add every force for good we can to the powers swirling around the people who are at risk. We have loved them. We have set the best example we could. We have pled in prayer for them. A wise prophet long ago gave us counsel about another force which we may at times underestimate and thus use too little...

"'Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God' (Alma 31:5).

"The word of God is the doctrine taught by Jesus Christ and by His prophets. Alma knew that words of doctrine had great power. They can open the minds of people to see spiritual things not visible to the natural eye. And they can open the heart to feelings of the love of God and a love for truth....

"The need to open eyes and hearts tells us how we must teach doctrine. Doctrine gains its power as the Holy Ghost confirms that it is true. We prepare those we teach, as best we can, to receive the quiet promptings of the still, small voice. That takes at least some faith in Jesus Christ. It takes at least some humility, some willingness to surrender to the Savior’s will for us. The person you would help may have little of either, but you can urge that they desire to believe. More than that, you can take confidence from another of the powers of doctrine. Truth can prepare its own way. Simply hearing the words of doctrine can plant the seed of faith in the heart. And even a tiny seed of faith in Jesus Christ invites the Spirit."

- Henry B. Eyring, "The Power of Teaching Doctrine," General Conference April 1999
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

How do we best prepare ourselves, our family members, our youth and ward members to deal with the "war between light and darkness" in which casualties are continuing to increase? President Eyring suggests the answer is to focus on teaching doctrine, establishing a firm foundation and bringing strength and power:

It's powerful to remember the importance of teaching and testifying; as we do so, those who hear us are given the chance to plant seeds of faith in their hearts. "And even a tiny seed of faith in Jesus Christ invites the Spirit." What a beautiful, hopeful message!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)

President Dallin H. Oaks on the power of sacred music in our lives

President 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. He became President of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles and also 1st Counselor in the First Presidency in January 2018.

"The singing of hymns is one of the best ways to put ourselves in tune with the Spirit of the Lord. I wonder if we are making enough use of this heaven-sent resource in our meetings, in our classes, and in our homes....

"The singing of hymns is one of the best ways to learn the doctrine of the restored gospel....

"The scriptures contain many affirmations that hymn singing is a glorious way to worship....

"When the Lord’s Apostles meet in modern times, the singing of hymns is still part of their meetings. The weekly meetings of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the Salt Lake Temple always begin with a hymn. Elder Russell M. Nelson plays the organ accompaniment. The First Presidency, who conduct these meetings, rotate the privilege of selecting the opening song. Most of us record the date each hymn is sung. According to my records, the opening song most frequently sung during the decade of my participation has been 'I Need Thee Every Hour' (Hymns, 1985, no. 98). Picture the spiritual impact of a handful of the Lord’s servants singing that song before praying for his guidance in fulfilling their mighty responsibilities.

"The veil is very thin in the temples, especially when we join in worshipping through music....

"Sacred music has a unique capacity to communicate our feelings of love for the Lord. This kind of communication is a wonderful aid to our worship. Many have difficulty expressing worshipful feelings in words, but all can join in communicating such feelings through the inspired words of our hymns."

- Dallin H. Oaks, "Worship through Music," General Conference October 1994
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

We have a heaven-sent resource to help and bless us, that we may not be making enough use of in many settings. We should sing the hymns of the gospel, in order to learn doctrine, worship God, and invite the presence of the Spirit into our meetings and into our lives:

Elder Oaks reminds us of the power available to us through sacred music, and invites us to take more advantage of this blessing in our lives. Surely we can find more opportunities when our worship of God can be expressed as we invite His Spirit into our lives!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)

President Russell M. Nelson on the sacred responsibilities of fathers

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 became president of that quorum on July 15, 2015. Following the death of President Monson, he was set apart as president of the Church on January 14, 2018.

"Parents have the primary responsibility for the welfare of their children. (See D&C 68:25–28.) The Church does not replace that parental responsibility. Ideally, the Latter-day Saint family is presided over by a worthy man who holds the priesthood. This patriarchal authority has been honored among the people of God in all dispensations. It is of divine origin, and that union, if sealed by proper authority, will continue throughout eternity. He who is the Father of us all and the source of this authority demands that governance in the home be in love and righteousness. (See D&C 121:41–45.)

"You fathers can help with the dishes, care for a crying baby, and change a diaper. And perhaps some Sunday you could get the children ready for Church, and your wife could sit in the car and honk.

"'Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.' (Eph. 5:25.) With that kind of love, brethren, we will be better husbands and fathers, more loving and spiritual leaders. Happiness at home is most likely to be achieved when practices there are founded upon the teachings of Jesus Christ. (See Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102.) Ours is the responsibility to ensure that we have family prayer, scripture study, and family home evening. Ours is the responsibility to prepare our children to receive the ordinances of salvation and exaltation and the blessings promised to tithe payers. Ours is the privilege to bestow priesthood blessings of healing, comfort, and direction."

- Russell M. Nelson, "Our Sacred Duty to Honor Women," General Conference April 1999
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

While fatherhood, as viewed by the Church, bears certain divinely assigned roles and responsibilities to preside in righteousness and govern in love, it does not excuse a man from other aspects of being a part of a family. With his typical wit and insight, President Nelson expands the role of a father:

President Nelson quotes from Paul's letter to the Ephesians to describe what a man's love for his wife should represent; he should be willing to give himself for her and to her, even as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it. That kind of single-focused devotion is so critical; it's the foundation of happiness, rare in today's society. We need to rediscover that level of commitment and love.

And then we add the commitment to obedience taught in the Family Proclamation to ensure our homes are "founded upon the teachings of Jesus Christ." And so a father has the privilege and responsibility to lead his family in those sacred principles and practices. President Nelson's message is a clear call for all men to "rise up" and become the kind of father that God would have us be!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)

President Ezra Taft Benson on the obligation of fathers to pray in order to bless families

President Ezra Taft Benson (1899-1994) was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1943, and served as the 13th President of the Church from 1985 until his death in 1994 at age 94.

"The father must hunger and thirst and yearn to bless his family; he must go to the Lord, ponder the words of God, and live by the Spirit to know the mind and will of the Lord and what he must do to lead his family.

"It is soul-satisfying to know that God is mindful of us and ready to respond when we place our trust in Him and do that which is right. There is no place for fear among men and women who place their trust in the Almighty, who do not hesitate to humble themselves in seeking divine guidance through prayer. Though persecutions arise, though reverses come, in prayer we can find reassurance, for God will speak peace to the soul. That peace, that spirit of serenity, is a great blessing....

"All through my life the counsel to depend on prayer has been prized above any other advice I have ever received. It has become an integral part of me, an anchor, a constant source of strength."

- Ezra Taft Benson, "Strengthening the Father," in Priesthood [Deseret 1981] pp 142-143

This is an inspiring, though somewhat challenging, instruction to fathers everywhere. A father has a profound opportunity to bless his family; but having that occur does not happen automatically. It requires effort, continuing and sincere effort, in order for the sensitivity and inspiration to come that will guide a man on how best to serve:

While the responsibilities of being a father, or a mother, and being ready to provide this kind of blessing and leadership may seem overwhelming, President Benson cautions that we should not fear because the Lord's promises are sure. Once we experience that inspiration, we can know the "soul-satisfying" confirmation "that God is mindful of us and ready to respond when we place our trust in Him and do that which is right." There is truly a profound reassurance in prayer as God will "speak peace to the soul."

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)

Elder David A. Bednar on education and intelligence

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.

"The revelations teach us that 'the glory of God is intelligence' (D&C 93:36). We typically may think the word intelligence in this scripture denotes innate cognitive ability or a particular gift for academic work. In this verse, however, one of the meanings of intelligence is the application of knowledge for righteous purposes. As President David O. McKay taught:

"'True education—the education [or learning] for which the Church stands—is the application of knowledge to the development of a noble and Godlike character.' ('True Education,' Improvement Era 60, no. 3 (March 1957): 141)

"We are blessed in mortality with endless opportunities to apply what we learn and know for righteousness—or to increase in intelligence. And learning from experience is one of the primary vehicles provided in the Father’s plan of happiness to accomplish this eternally important outcome. Consequently, we should not equate intelligence exclusively with formal education, academic degrees, or professional success. Some of the most educated people I have ever known had little or no intelligence. And some of the most intelligent people I have ever known had little or no formal education.

"The Prophet Joseph Smith is a prime example of an uneducated person who learned from experience and was filled with the light and truth of intelligence. (See D&C 93:36.)"

- David A. Bednar, "Walk in the Meekness of My Spirit," BYU University Conference, Aug. 28, 2017
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

The definition of intelligence as "the application of knowledge for righteous purposes" is not what we normally associate with it; that might be what we more commonly call wisdom. But Elder Bednar gives a good explanation of the scriptural application of the term and how it relates to our learning and education. And the importance of "learning from experience" through our mortality is critical.

Intelligence and education can take many forms in our lives, and we should be careful in how we assume they relate and are manifest in others. There are some remarkably intelligent people who have very little education!

In any case, they key is that we should strive to grow in both intelligence and education, and we will find the Spirit can enhance our efforts in both directions.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)