President Lorenzo Snow on rewards that follow trials

Lorenzo Snow (1814-1901) was an early convert to the Church along with his sister Eliza R. Snow. He was called as an apostle by Brigham Young in 1849. He served as the 5th president of the Church from 1898 until his death in 1901.

"The sacrifices you have made, the hardships you have endured and the privations you have suffered will … sink into insignificance, and you will rejoice that you have obtained the experience which they have furnished.… Some things we have to learn by that which we suffer, and knowledge secured in that way, though the process may be painful, will be of great value to us in the other life....

"I know that your lives have not been all sunshine; you have doubtless passed through many a trial, and perhaps have come up through much tribulation; but by continued integrity you will soon emerge from the shadows into the glorious sunshine of the celestial world."

- Lorenzo Snow, Deseret Evening News, July 2, 1901, 1

This is a message of hope and testimony. President Snow reassured his listeners that he was aware of the challenges and struggles many of them had faced. But in an eternal perspective, such things "sink into insignificance" in due time after they have provided us with the needed experience for which they are designed. There are, apparently, some things which must be learned in that way, and the benefits of those lessons extend not only through this life but into eternity.

The powerful image of returning to sunlight is always a blessing to us. When we seem to be in shadows and darkness, we must cling to these promises that we "will soon emerge... into the glorious sunshine."

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2019)

President Joseph F. Smith on submitting our will to God

President Joseph F. Smith (1838-1918) was the son of Joseph's brother Hyrum. He was ordained an apostle in 1866 at age 28, and served as a counselor to Brigham Young and the three presidents who followed.  He became the 6th president of the Church in 1901, and served until his death in 1918 at age 80.

"The Gospel is calculated to remove from us everything that is not consistent with God and the plan of salvation which he has revealed to men. It is designed to qualify us to live so that we may enjoy a fulness of the light of truth, and understand the purposes of God, and be able to live so near to Him that we may be in harmony with His wishes constantly. The principles of the Gospel are calculated to make us unselfish, to broaden our minds, to give breadth to our desires for good, to remove hatred, animosity, envy and anger from our hearts, and make us peaceful, tractable, teachable, and willing to sacrifice our own desires, and perchance our own interests, for the welfare of our fellow-creatures, and for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. A man who cannot sacrifice his own wishes, who cannot say in his heart, 'Father, Thy will be done, not mine,' is not a truly and thoroughly converted child of God; he is still, to some extent, in the grasp of error and in the shades of darkness that hover around the world, hiding God from the presence of mankind."

- Joseph F. Smith, "Blind Obedience and Tithing," Millennial Star, 20 Jan. 1893, p. 79

I've always been fascinated by the wording of Moroni 10:32, near the end of the Book of Mormon:

Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. (emphasis added)

Note that Moroni didn't say, fill your life with godly traits. He said, "deny yourselves of all ungodliness." We become perfect in Christ as we eliminate everything from our life that is not Christ-like. President Smith echoes this doctrine as he teaches, "The Gospel is calculated to remove from us everything that is not consistent with God." Part of the process of repentance is that gradual and consistent elimination of ungodly traits as we come unto Him. The Gospel works in our lives by eliminating the bad qualities and characteristics, and teaching and enhancing the good.

True conversion, true discipleship are evident in our lives when we are devoted fully to the counsel and will of God. These thoughts are powerfully expressed in the little-sung 4th verse of the beautiful LDS hymn, "God Loved Us, So He Sent His Son" (Hymns #187).

In word and deed he doth require
My will to his, like son to sire,
Be made to bend, and I, as son,
Learn conduct from the Holy One.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2019)

President Heber J. Grant on the benefits of faithful prayer

President Heber J. Grant (1856-1945) was ordained an apostle in 1882 when he was 25 years old.  He served as president of the Church from 1918 until his death in 1945 at age 88.  His tenure as president lasted over 26 years; only Brigham Young had a longer term (over 29 years).

"The minute a man stops supplicating God for his spirit and directions just so soon he starts out to become a stranger to him and his works. When men stop praying for God’s spirit, they place confidence in their own unaided reason, and they gradually lose the spirit of God, just the same as near and dear friends, by never writing to or visiting with each other, will become strangers. We should all pray that God may never leave us alone for a moment without his spirit to aid and assist us in withstanding sin and temptation."

- Heber J. Grant, Conference Report, Oct. 1944, p. 9; see Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, p. 174

Oh, how we need to maintain our connection to our Father in Heaven! In our busy temporal world, it's so easy to lose contact with our friends when we don't make efforts to maintain communication—especially if distance or circumstances separate us. I have found that to be the case, in moving to a new neighborhood; quickly the associations of the past fade away unless there is significant effort to maintain them. Just so, we must make constant efforts to maintain our communication with, and connection to God.

So we must regularly "[supplicate] God for his spirit and directions" and "pray that God may never leave us alone for a moment without his spirit" to help with the challenges of our lives.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2019)

Elder Neal A. Maxwell on the Holy Ghost and emulating Christ

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.

"We desperately need the Holy Ghost to help us choose the right. He will also help by preaching to us necessary sermonettes from the pulpit of memory. He will also testify to us of the truths of the gospel.

"Given where we must go, we need the Holy Ghost as a constant companion, not just as an occasional influence.

"We can also be further fortified after baptism by regularly partaking of the sacrament as we reflect on the Atonement and renew our covenants, including those made at the time of baptism. This process of emancipation and fortification is made possible by applying Jesus' Atonement to ourselves and to those we teach. We should regularly apply the Atonement for self-improvement, while enduring to the end. If we choose the course of steady improvement, which is clearly the course of discipleship, we will become more righteous and can move from what may be initially a mere acknowledgment of Jesus on to admiration of Jesus, then on to adoration of Jesus, and finally to emulation of Jesus. In that process of striving to become more like Him through steady improvement, we must be in the posture of repentance, even if no major transgression is involved."

- Neal A. Maxwell, "Testifying of the Great and Glorious Atonement," Church satellite broadcast on conversion and retention, Provo MTC, 29 August 1999; see Ensign, Oct. 2001, pp. 10-12
Click here to read the full talk

Elder Maxwell's remarks are always packed with insight. He explains how the Holy Ghost can preach "sermonettes" to us "from the pulpit of memory" as we are prompted and reminded of important things. That, of course, requires that there be things stored in the pulpit of memory from which to draw. The Holy Ghost can truly "bring all things to [our] remembrance" (John 14:26)—how critical for us to be continually adding good and virtuous things to the store. And then, having the Holy Ghost as a "constant companion" instead of "occasional influence" is one of the key to success and happiness.

And then, the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ becomes the great enabling power in our lives:

What a perfect description of our course of gradual and steady progress and improvement, as we draw close to the Savior: acknowledgement, admiration, adoration, emulation. We may perhaps enter and re-enter that sequence repeatedly as we come to know Him more accurately and intimately. As true disciples, the ultimate goal is complete emulation.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2019)

President Russell M. Nelson on hope in a troubled world

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.

"If there is anything I’ve learned in my 94 years of living, it is that a life with God is far better — more filled with hope — than one without Him. Faith in God is, and has always been, the pre-eminent force for good in this world. It is the most enduring source of peace for minds and hearts.

"What we experienced in Paradise [California, in the aftermath of devastating fires], with men and women whose hearts were open to God, stands in stark contrast to much of what we see in the world today. I fear that many are standing on the edge of a spiritual and emotional precipice. Not long ago, belief in God was a given and expressions of faith the norm.

"But in recent years, we have experienced a shift from a world in which it seemed impossible not to believe in God to one in which faith is simply an option — and far too often subject to ridicule.

"When God is removed from our collective conscience, there are sobering ramifications....

"The most able minds cannot offer redemption from sin or heal our hearts from emotional pain. They cannot generate enduring hope or joy. They cannot promise life after death or the potential of being with our loved ones beyond the grave. They cannot generate peace of mind.

"But God can. Our spiritual DNA is His DNA. If our hearts are open to Him — if we believe in the divinity of the Father and His Son — we can rise from the ashes of our lives and become the men and women we were sent to earth to become."

- Russell M. Nelson, "Why have faith now?," opinion article, Arizona Republic newspaper, February 10, 2019
Click here to read the entire article

In connection with a recent visit to Arizona for a large gathering of members of the Church, President Nelson took the unusual step of writing this op-ed article for the local newspaper, Click on the link above to read the whole article! In it, he mentions a recent visit to meet with Church members in the area of California that was devastated last year by wildfires; many members in the city of Paradise lost their homes, and some lost their lives. But President Nelson reports on the amazing faith and hope he witnessed among them, in start contrast to the despair and loss of faith too often found in the world today. And so he testifies of the blessings of a life filled with hope and faith.

We are truly children of God, and share His "spiritual DNA." With His help, we can overcome the trials and challenges of our lives and life in faith.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2019)

President George Albert Smith on expressing kindness to others

President George Albert Smith (1870-1951) was the son of John Henry Smith (1848-1911) and grandson of George A. Smith (1817-1875), both of whom served as members of the Twelve. He was called as an apostle in 1903, and then served as the 8th president of the Church from 1945 until his death in 1951.

"I stand here tonight to speak of a man who has several years ago gone home. … I refer to Francis M. Lyman [of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles] and I want to say to you that that great man was as tender as a baby, just as tender as a little child, and his desire to help and encourage was beautiful. I have heard him compliment his brethren many times when they have done something praiseworthy—one had delivered a fine address, another had borne a convincing testimony, another had done something else praiseworthy. I have seen him put his arm around them and say, 'I am proud of you and the fine thing you have done.' Is not that a commendable way to live? That is the way to make ourselves happy. If, instead of being jealous, we see and appreciate and commend the virtues and abilities of our fellows, if we see the power for good in [others], how much better it will be.

"Many of us live in such an atmosphere that we are almost dumb when it comes to praising somebody else. We seem unable to say the things that we might say … to the blessing of others. Let us look for the virtues of our associates and observing them make them happy by commending them."

- George Albert Smith, "To the Relief Society," Relief Society Magazine, Dec. 1932, 707; See "Teachings of Presidents of the Church: George Albert Smith" pp. 226-227

President Smith in this excerpt is encouraging us in a practice that he demonstrates himself by pointing out someone else in whom he recognized the quality. We should say kind things about others, so President Smith said kind things about one of his predecessors. Elder Francis R. Lyman is a fascinating but little-known leader. He was called as an apostle in 1880 at age 40. He became the President of the Twelve in 1903 and served in that role, during the presidency of Joseph F. Smith, until his death in 1916. The tribute given to him by President Smith is a wonderful indication of his character, and a marvelous example for us to emulate.

What a great quality to cultivate in our lives! As we seek to be kind and praising to others, we will find wonderful opportunities to serve and bless some who might need our encouraging words.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2019)

President David O. McKay on safeguarding and strengthening house and home

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.

"If, upon examination, you were to find that termites were undermining the foundation of your house, you would lose no time to have experts make thorough examination and have the destructive insects exterminated. You would have the weakened materials removed and the foundation strengthened and, if necessary, rebuilt.

"More important than the building of your house is the rebuilding and purifying of your home....

"But there are destructive termites of homes, as well as of houses, and some of these are backbiting, evil-speaking, and faultfinding on the part either of parents or of children. Slander is poison to the soul. In the ideal home, there is no slanderous gossip about schoolteachers, about public officials, or about Church officials. I am more grateful now, as years have come and gone, to my father, who with hands lifted said, 'Now, no faultfinding about your teacher or anybody else.'

"Quarreling and swearing also are evils that lower the standards of the ideal home. I cannot imagine a father or mother swearing in the presence of children or even letting it pass their lips....

"With the high ideal of marriage as revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, members of the Church should have but one goal, and that is to keep in mind the fact that marriage, the foundation of society, is ordained of God for the building of permanent homes in which children may be properly reared and taught the principles of the gospel....

"We appeal to all members of the Church to set their homes in order and to enjoy the true happiness of harmonious family life."

- David O. McKay, "Our Greatest Obligation," General Conference, April 4, 1953
Click here to read the full talk

The imagery of termites eating away at the foundation and structure of a building is a vivid one. They can do much damage before there is any recognition of their presence, and the longer there is delay in dealing with the issue, the harder it will be to resolve the problem. President McKay suggests the same thing that can happen to a house, can also happen to a home. Destructive forces can eat away at the structure and strength of a home or family; and the longer the problem is allowed to continue, the greater the damage and the more difficult the recovery. It becomes critical for us to identify and eliminate those destructive forces in our homes.

In particular when there are children in the home, parents must be vigilant in teaching gospel principles and creating an environment of wholesomeness and happiness.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2019)