Elder Gerrit W. Gong on remembering the Savior

Elder Gerrit W. Gong (born December 23, 1953) was called as a Seventy in April 2010, then to the Presidency of the Seventy in October 2015. He was sustained to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in April 2018.

"Each week, in partaking of the sacrament, we covenant to always remember Him. Drawing on the nearly 400 scripture references to the word remember, here are six ways we can always remember Him.

"First, we can always remember Him by having confidence in His covenants, promises, and assurances....

"Second, we can always remember Him by gratefully acknowledging His hand throughout our lives....

"Third, we can always remember Him by trusting when the Lord assures us, 'He who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.' (D&C 58:42) ...

"Fourth, He invites us to remember that He is always welcoming us home....

"Fifth, we can always remember Him on the Sabbath through the sacrament....

"Finally, sixth, our Savior invites us to always remember Him as He always remembers us."

- Gerrit W. Gong, "Always Remember Him," General Conference April 2016
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

When Sunday is done and we return to our "normal" daily lives, how much are we impacted? How do we keep the spirit of the Sabbath alive? Specifically, how do we maintain awareness of the covenants and promises of the sacrament through the coming days?

Elder Gong offered these suggestions when he was serving as a member of the Seventy, before his call as an apostle. Only a brief summary is presented here; it's very worthwhile to review the entire talk by clicking on the link above, and read the further details he offers for each of the six suggestions.

The challenge to "always remember Him" is perhaps one of the most important ones we are given. Elder Gong's suggestions are very valuable in providing ideas on how we can do that more effectively.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2022)
May 21, 2018

President Gordon B. Hinckley on happiness in marriage

President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008) was called to the Quorum of Twelve in 1961, served as a counselor in the First Presidency from 1981-1995, then as Church President until his death in 2008 at age 97.

"I have long felt that happiness in marriage is not so much a matter of romance as it is an anxious concern for the comfort and well-being of one's companion. That involves a willingness to overlook weaknesses and mistakes.

"One man has said, 'Love is not blind—it sees more, not less. But because it sees more, it is willing to see less' (Julius Gordon).

"Many of us need to stop looking for faults and begin to look for virtues. Booth Tarkington once remarked that 'an ideal wife is any woman who has an ideal husband.' Unfortunately, some women want to remake their husbands after their own design. Some husbands regard it as their prerogative to compel their wives to fit their standards of what they think to be the ideal. It never works. It only leads to contention, misunderstanding, and sorrow.

"There must be respect for the interests of one another. There must be opportunities and encouragement for the development and expression of individual talent....

"Husbands, wives, respect one another. Live worthy of the respect of one another. Cultivate that kind of respect which expresses itself in kindness, forbearance, patience, forgiveness, true affection, without officiousness and without show of authority."

- Gordon B. Hinckley, "Cornerstones of a Happy Home," satellite broadcast for husbands and wives, January 29, 1984
Click here to read the full talk

I love this counsel from dear President Hinckley. Every married person should be actively and eagerly seeking for ways to increase "happiness in marriage" and he gives very practical advice on how to do it. This is a great key: it comes from eagerness to seek the "comfort and well-being of one's companion" first and foremost:

Those who have fallen into traps of being critical or negative "need to stop looking for faults and begin to look for virtues." That is a hard transition to make, but is perhaps the only way to effectively change directions once started down the path of negativity. And this is a pointed warning, especially for husbands, though occasionally for wives as well:

Instead, President Hinckley counsels us to learn to respect differences, to honor and encourage one another's interests and talents.  And finally, this very profound counsel to not only respect one another but to be worthy of respect in all ways, thus working together to cultivate the highest and best in a relationship. What profound counsel!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2022)
July 18, 2015

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf on the simplicity of the Gospel

Elder 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 served as second counselor in the First Presidency from 2008 to 2018.

"Are we making our discipleship too complicated?

"This beautiful gospel is so simple a child can grasp it, yet so profound and complex that it will take a lifetime—even an eternity—of study and discovery to fully understand it.

"But sometimes we take the beautiful lily of God’s truth and gild it with layer upon layer of man-made good ideas, programs, and expectations. Each one, by itself, might be helpful and appropriate for a certain time and circumstance, but when they are laid on top of each other, they can create a mountain of sediment that becomes so thick and heavy that we risk losing sight of that precious flower we once loved so dearly.

"Therefore, as leaders we must strictly protect the Church and the gospel in its purity and plainness and avoid putting unnecessary burdens on our members.

"And all of us, as members of the Church, we need to make a conscientious effort to devote our energy and time to the things that truly matter, while uplifting our fellowmen and building the kingdom of God."

- Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "It Works Wonderfully!", General Conference, October 2015, Saturday morning session
Click here to read the full talk

This is a message that we need to hear over and over. The gospel is beautiful and simple. When life gets frustrating or overwhelming, it's always valuable to go "back to the basics" and remember what the things are that really matter.

While programs and activities can be helpful, they must not distract us from the purity and simplicity of the true Gospel message: "uplifting our fellowmen and building the kingdom of God."

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2022)
October 11, 2015

Elder Gary E. Stevenson on blessings of temples for families and individuals

Elder Gary E. Stevenson (b. 1955) was called as a Seventy in 2008, then as Presiding Bishop in 2012. He was called as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in October 2015.

"You are never lost when you can see the temple. The temple will provide direction for you and your family in a world filled with chaos. It is an eternal guidepost which will help you from getting lost in the 'mist of darkness' (1 Nephi 8:24). It is the house of the Lord. It is a place where covenants are made and eternal ordinances are performed.

"In the Book of Mormon, King Benjamin directed the Saints of his time and place to gather, 'every man having his tent with the door thereof towards the temple' (Mosiah 2:6). As Church members, we have recently received counsel from modern-day prophets which, if followed, will turn the doors of our homes more fully towards the temple.

"The First Presidency has invited 'adult members to have a current temple recommend and visit the temple more often' where time and circumstance permit and encouraged members 'to replace some leisure activities with temple service.' They also encouraged 'newer members and youth of the Church who are 12 years of age and older to live worthy to assist in this great work by serving as proxies for baptisms and confirmations.' (First Presidency letter, Mar. 11, 2003.) Even our young children have been encouraged to visit the temple grounds and touch the temple. (See Thomas S. Monson, 'Finding Peace,' Ensign, Mar. 2004, 5–6.) President Thomas S. Monson once counseled, 'As we touch the temple, the temple will touch us.'

"We are blessed to live in a temple-building dispensation in which 146 temples have been dedicated or announced. Under the definition of 'Temple' in the Bible Dictionary, we read the following: 'It is the most holy of any place of worship on the earth,' followed by this insightful statement: 'Only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness.' For me this suggests a sacred relationship between the temple and the home. Not only can we turn the doors of our homes to the temple, or the house of the Lord; we can make our homes a 'house of the Lord.' ...

"There exists a righteous unity between the temple and the home. Understanding the eternal nature of the temple will draw you to your family; understanding the eternal nature of the family will draw you to the temple."

- Gary E. Stevenson, "Sacred Homes, Sacred Temples," Ensign, May 2009, pp. 101-103
Click here to read the full talk

Elder Stevenson told the story of a child who said he was not lost because he could see the temple. He applied the principle to being "lost" in symbolic or spiritual ways, teaching that the temple always helps provide the orientation to help us find our way. The key, again symbolically, is to have the doors of our tents or homes facing towards the temple. We should be thinking about the temple and looking to receive the blessings it offers to us.

Homes and temples are sacred places. I was touched by Elder Stevenson's linkage between the two. Homes are strengthened as the temple is allowed to bless them.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2022)
December 6, 2015

Elder D. Todd Christofferson on appropriate leisure activities

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.

"Having spoken in praise of labor, I must also add a kind word for leisure. Just as honest toil gives rest its sweetness, wholesome recreation is the friend and steadying companion of work. Music, literature, art, dance, drama, athletics—all can provide entertainment to enrich one's life and further consecrate it. At the same time, it hardly needs to be said that much of what passes for entertainment today is coarse, degrading, violent, mind-numbing, and time wasting. Ironically, it sometimes takes hard work to find wholesome leisure. When entertainment turns from virtue to vice, it becomes a destroyer of the consecrated life."

- D. Todd Christofferson, "Reflections on a Consecrated Life," General Conference October 2010
Click here to read the full talk

This was a particularly fascinating talk, as Elder Christofferson discussed what a "consecrated life" represents and includes. The focus on both labor and leisure was particularly interesting to me; each plays a critical in the disciple's life.

But the caution is also very appropriate; we should never justify inappropriate leisure activities as beneficial just in the name of "entertainment." Elder Christofferson notes that "it sometimes takes hard work to find wholesome leisure." That word "wholesome" is very key! We can't just accept what the world around us suggests, since that is one of the areas where the adversary works diligently to distract. And we also need to be cautious that leisure has the appropriate balance of time and energy in our lives. Good reminders!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2022)
March 3, 2016

Elder David A. Bednar on gradual personal revelation

Elder David A. Bednar (1952- ) was sustained as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 2004.

"The gradual increase of light radiating from the rising sun is like receiving a message from God 'line upon line, precept upon precept' (2 Nephi 28:30). Most frequently, revelation comes in small increments over time and is granted according to our desire, worthiness, and preparation. Such communications from Heavenly Father gradually and gently 'distil upon [our souls] as the dews from heaven' (D&C 121:45). This pattern of revelation tends to be more common than rare...

"Both the history of the Church and our personal lives are replete with examples of the Lord's pattern for receiving revelation 'line upon line, precept upon precept.' For example, the fundamental truths of the restored gospel were not delivered to the Prophet Joseph Smith all at once in the Sacred Grove. These priceless treasures were revealed as circumstances warranted and as the timing was right....

"We as members of the Church tend to emphasize marvelous and dramatic spiritual manifestations so much that we may fail to appreciate and may even overlook the customary pattern by which the Holy Ghost accomplishes His work. The very 'simpleness of the way' (1 Nephi 17:41) of receiving small and incremental spiritual impressions that over time and in totality constitute a desired answer or the direction we need may cause us to look 'beyond the mark' (Jacob 4:14).

 "I have talked with many individuals who question the strength of their personal testimony and underestimate their spiritual capacity because they do not receive frequent, miraculous, or strong impressions. Perhaps as we consider the experiences of Joseph in the Sacred Grove, of Saul on the road to Damascus, and of Alma the Younger, we come to believe something is wrong with or lacking in us if we fall short in our lives of these well-known and spiritually striking examples. If you have had similar thoughts or doubts, please know that you are quite normal. Just keep pressing forward obediently and with faith in the Savior. As you do so, you 'cannot go amiss' (D&C 80:3)."

- David A. Bednar, "The Spirit of Revelation," Ensign, May 2011, pp. 87-90
Click here to read the full talk

Most of us appreciate quick solutions to problems, neat and complete answers, concerns relieved soon after they are identified. But Elder Bednar points out that more often, our communications with God or our spiritual learning happen more gradually and incrementally.

We have to learn to be patient! We have to trust that the sun will indeed rise. We know from experience in seeing the first early glow of morning light that full daylight is not far away; and just so, we should know from experience in feeling the first spiritual promptings that more complete understanding will eventually follow. It's not often that the dramatic, soul-wrenching, life-changing manifestations occur; more often, it's just a gradual, continual building over time. Remembering that should encourage us to look for the small steps as eagerly as we would the big jumps, and be grateful as we note their accumulation.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2022)
July 30, 2015

Elder Neil L. Andersen on the Lord's help in life's challenges

Elder Neil L. Andersen (1951- ) served as a Seventy beginning in 1993, and was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 2009.

"The Lord has not left us alone in our quest to return to Him. Listen to His warning words alerting us to the dangers ahead: 'Take... heed, watch and pray' (Mark 13:33). 'Beware lest ye... be deceived' (D&C 46:8). 'Be watchful and careful' (D&C 42:76). 'Beware lest ye also... fall from your own stedfastness' (2 Peter 3:17).

"No one of us is immune from the influences of the world. The Lord's counsel keeps us on guard....

"We enter the waters of baptism with joy and anticipation. The Savior beckons, 'Come unto me,' (3 Ne 9:14) and we respond, taking His name upon us. Not one of us wants this journey to be a brief flirtation with spirituality or even a notable but finite chapter. The road of discipleship is not for the spiritually faint of heart. Jesus said: 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind' (Matthew 22:37). 'Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me' (Mark 8:34).

"As we follow the Savior, without question there will be challenges that confront us. Approached with faith, these refining experiences bring a deeper conversion of the Savior's reality. Approached in a worldly way, these same experiences cloud our view and weaken our resolve."

- Neil L. Andersen, "Never Leave Him", Ensign, November 2010, p. 39
Click here to read the full talk

This is a profound and critical testimony as we deal with the struggles of mortality: "The Lord has not left us alone in our quest to return to Him." Elder Andersen reminds us that He invites us to be faithful disciples, following him with devotion, with "all thy soul." Our commitment must not be "a brief flirtation with spirituality."

But as we do turn our lives to Him, as we truly follow His teachings and example, the blessings are very real. Then when challenges come, and they still will, we will realize that His help is present and know that truly He "has not left us alone."

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2022)
December 4, 2015