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What I am about to share with all of you is a true story. Many days since these events have taken place, I have wished that this was all just a bad dream, but sadly what happened was not a dream, it was hard cold reality. My father, John Wallace Brown, at the age of 71, was found dead on Monday, 20 November 2006. His body was found floating in water in a landfill (dump) area. His vehicle had been found at approximately 4:30 p.m. that Monday afternoon after an anonymous tip from a "neighbor" that there was an abandoned vehicle parked on a deserted back road. The "neighbor", according to the investigating detective, had spotted the vehicle "sometime" on Sunday, 19 November 2006, and when it was still there on Monday, 20 November 2006, they decided to call it in. The newspaper report states that a subsequent search of the area led to the discovery of my father's body. I would later get out of the investigating detective that the body was only about 30 feet from the vehicle. With that being the case, my question is why did it take until 6:30 p.m. (2 hours after "finding" the vehicle) to report to the family that my father had been found dead. My father's vehicle was not impounded. Instead, the police called the wife and asked her what she wanted to do with the vehicle and she said tow it home, so they did. Another interesting fact, is that we later found out that our father's wallet and all of his identification had conveniently been left at home on his dresser.

Here is how those chilling events unfolded. My father had spoken with family members on Thursday evening, 16 November 2006. He even spoke with his only grandson, my 9 year old nephew, on Saturday, 18 November 2006 and had asked him what he wanted for Christmas. He was not able to speak to the older of my two sisters as she was asleep, but he told my brother-in-law to let her rest, and he also told him to take care of his family. My father was looking forward to all of us coming home for Thanksgiving dinner. His wife wanted him to go away to her family for Thanksgiving, but during his conversation with my aunt on Thursday (16 November) evening, he stated that he did not want to go.

On Monday afternoon, 20 November 2006, I received a telephone call from the older of my two sisters informing me that my father was missing. My younger sister had called her and told her that when she returned home from work on Monday morning at about 7:30 a.m., she was approached by my father's second wife and asked if she had seen my father as he had not been home and had not slept in his bed that night. My younger sister replied that she had not seen or heard from him to which the wife replied that she was going to go file a missing person's report with the Sherriff's office. Prior to my sister arriving home that morning, the wife had already contacted several family members including my aunt and as my aunt recalls, the wife made the following comments: "I guess John has gone out there to commit suicide" and "I guess I need to tell them to start dragging the river for his body." How bizarre. And why did she feel the need to make such comments?

The wife left the house according to my younger sister at approximately 8:00 a.m. My father's house is only about 10-15 minutes from the Sherriff's Office. The wife did not file the report until 10:00 a.m. that morning. In the interim, she kept calling my younger sister and asking if my father had come home yet. In the missing person's report, the wife stated that no one had seen or heard from my father since 9:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, 19 November 2006.

My younger sister recounts that my father had received a telephone call earlier that Sunday morning. After receiving the telephone call he left but returned home around 9:45 a.m. She says that she remembers asking him if he were going to church and he told her no because there was something that he needed to take care of. My younger sister was at home with him until about 10:35 a.m. that Sunday morning when she left for church herself and left him sitting at the kitchen table. She recalls that he looked worried, confused, and even scared. She had no way of knowing that this would be the final time that she would see our father alive.

When my younger sister returned home earlier in the evening (around 7:30 p.m.) on Sunday, 19 November 2006, she noticed that my father's truck was not there but didn't give it much thought. She honestly thought that he had gone to an evening service at church or something. She went in and laid down to get some rest prior to going to work that evening. When she left for work at about 10:30 p.m. that evening, my father's truck still was not there, but again she gave it no thought thinking that maybe he was out and had not gotten home yet.

We do not know all of the events that led up to this, but we do know that the wife was supposedly planning to leave in the first week of December. She already had an apartment that she had furnished with $5,000 worth of new furniture. We also know that our father refinanced the house twice in the almost 2 1/2 years that they were married. My mother passed away from breast cancer on 12 June 1997. She and my father were married on 5 July 1957. My father remarried on 9 July 2004, which also happened to be the 52nd birthday of the wife. My father was 69 years of age at the time. We also know that my father signed for a loan in the amount of $126,000.00, 6 months prior to his demise. His house only has a market value of $50,000. The wife to this day will not discuss where the $126,000.00 came from or where the money is now.

As we were preparing for my father's funeral services, the wife was busy packing boxes and doing everything that she could to get out of the house as quickly as possible. Before my father was laid to rest, she had gotten rid of all of his personal belongings (clothing, jewelry, etc), important papers, and all of his bedroom furniture. She had also stated that my father did not have enough money to pay the funeral expenses. We found out that this was a lie, as the funeral director is our cousin, and while we were at the funeral home he took out the paper work, threw it on the table, and said "Here is the paerwork Mrs. Brown and this is how much you are getting back. I don't have anything to hide, do you?" He also had her sign for two insurance policies which she claimed were lost. The wife had talked my father into paying for his own coffin and being buried in the military cemetary in Hurlock Maryland instead of in the burial plot that my mother had bought and paid for so that they could be buried side by side. The wife even had the odacity to announce that she was going to be buried next to our mother and wanted to know if we had a problem with that. Can you imagine? The wife did not even want our dear mother's name mentioned in our father's obituary. She also did not want the fact mentioned that my father owned his own lawn care business. She stated that she had her "reasons".

A couple of weeks after my father's funeral we returned for the reading of the will which the wife stated that she helped him write. On the day of the reading, the wife walks in with Kinko copies of the will and passed them out like candy. The only person that my father left anything to was his only grandson in the amount of $5,000.00. To date, the wife has only paid $2,000.00 of that amount to my sister and brother-in-law. The will also stated that we were entitled to anything that we felt was of sentimental value to us. The wife made sure that this did not happen by cleaning out the entire house to include furniture, family china, and even the carpets off the floors. All she left was the junk from the attic that she and her family did not want and that was thrown out on the living room floor. My younger sister was given 60 days to move out according to the will. The wife speeded up the process and got her out as quickly as possible.

The whole matter smells rotten. It appears that there was something being covered up, but what? And why? The police have been of no help. They never provided the family with any useful information about the investigation or anything. I did get a copy of the "official" autopsy report but even it is shaky at best. There is not even a date or time of death on the report. The local city coronor's office of Salisbury Maryland washed the case as an accidental death and the investigating officer's only comment was "It is what it is!" No one on my father or mother's side of the family is buying the story that it was an accidental death.

I have tried to leave this alone and move on with my life. Is that what I should do? Or should I try to find out the truth and finally bring some closure to all of this for myself and my family? I do plan to do the Temple work for my parents in the very near future. I know that I may never know or fully understand what happened to my father, but the fact remains that God was there. He saw it all and He knows all about it. At least in that I find solace. Thanks for listening. I appreciate any and all responses.

As a side note, my father's funeral was held on Saturday, 25 November 2006. On Sunday, 26 November 2006, I gave a Sacrament talk in my Ward (Annapolis Maryland Ward) on Thanks Giving. The talk was entitled A Season Of Gratitude

Tags: Family Fathers Mothers Home

I don't know about any of you, but one of the most difficult challenges that we face in our Stake as a whole is finding ways to minister to the Single Adults (30+), both active and non-active. We have tried to have activities as a Stake geared for the Single Adults with little success rate. Usually those who participate are the ones that always participate.

I was recently asked to put together a fireside based on Elder Ballard's book entitled "Conseling With Our Councils" which were to be held once a month on Saturday evenings. The first session was attended by myself, my Bishop, and a sister from our Ward. The second session was attended solely by me. Our Stake has now decided that it is perhaps best if we try to reach the Single Adults on a Ward and Branch level for now instead of a Stake level.

I was just wondering what are some of the things that are done in your Wards and Branches to help minister to Single Adults. My personal belief is that one of the things that keeps some Single Adults away (even active members) is that they are not overly excited about any activity such as firesides where they have to sit and listen to one more "sermon." We want the activities to have a spiritual emphasis and be a spiritual experience without being "preachy".

What are some of the things that seem to work in your Wards and Branches? I appreciate any and all replies. Thanks.

Tags: Single Adults Ministry

Romans 14:3, 10, 13

3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.

10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 

13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.

Whether we are realize it or not, we live in a very judgmental world. We are all judged in one way or another -- by the way we talk, the way we walk, the way we dress, the way we act or react in given situations, the people we associate with, the car we drive, the house we live in, the music we listen to, the type of job we have, our level of education, and on the list goes. Not only are we judged, but whether we are willing to admit it or not, we all tend to be a bit judgmental at times of others for one reason or another. The act of judging even reaches into the Church. Often times the level of someone's faithfulness as a member is unfairly based on the perceptions of others. Too often we are quick to criticize what we think someone else is doing wrong, but fail to see, or refuse to admit, our own short comings.

Before rushing to judge someone else, we should take a step back and place ourselves on the witness stand and do a little cross examination of our own lives. What makes us so holy, righteous and perfect? Are we doing everything that we are supposed to do to live up to the standards of the Church and in keeping the covenants that we have made?

During the cross examination of our lives we should perhaps ask ourselves questions similar to the following:

 First, is the type of music that I listen to uplifting and edifying? Are the lyrics of the songs in harmony with the teachings of the Church and does the music I am listening to help to strengthen my testimony in any way? Is this the type of music that I would feel comfortable listening to if my Bishop, Branch President, other Church leaders or Church members were around? Is the music that I am listening really any better than the music that someone else listens to and I am quick to judge them for listening to that type of music?

Second, are the types of movies that I watch in harmony with the teachings of the Church? Are they edifying and uplifting? Do I use wisdom and discernment in chosing the types of movies that I watch? Or, do I turn a deaf ear and a blind eye and dismiss the fact that there may be such things as nudity and profanity in the movie, or even an excessive amount of violence? What exactly do I consider to be a good movie? Are some of my movie choices really that different from the ones that I criticize or judge others for watching?

Third, let us not forget about our internet activity. The internet is a great tool. Unfortunately, just as it can be used for good, there is a lot of darkness that lurks within its many pages. Before judging others for their internet activities let's ask ourselves about the places that we visit on the internet. Do we avoid places that we know we should not tread, or do we take the attitude that a "little peak" won't hurt anything? Do we take the attitude that no one will ever know that I visit certain sites? Do we tell ourselves that it is ok because we are not really hurting anyone when in reality we are indeed hurting our own testimonies?

Fourth, what about our conversations with others? Do we enjoy listening to profanity or off color jokes? Do we use profanity or initiate off color jokes? Do we tolerate certain conversations so that we can appear to be a part of the crowd? In our conversations do we make jokes about or say unkind things about others (even if we know what we are saying is not true) just to gain favor of our "friends"?

The bottom line is that we should examine our own lives and see whether or not we measure up to the standards that we are trying to hold others to. We need to first make sure our own houses are in order and then we will be more capable of helping others put theirs in order.

I am reminded of the words found in Mosiah 29:12 - "Now it is better that a man should be judged of God than of man, for the judgments of God are always just, but the judgments of man are not always just." I am also reminded of the words found in 1 Corinthians 6:2-5 - "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?" And finally, the words found in John 8:15-16 - "Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me."

I leave these thoughts with you humbly in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

 

Tags: Love Unity Peace Understanding

The Blessings of Church Membership as Family

by Brother Keith L. Brown 

Building a Christ-like character. . . .

 

President David O. McKay said:

Man’s chief concern in life should not be the acquiring of gold, or of fame, or of material possessions. It should not be the development of physical prowess, nor of intellectual strength, but his aim, the highest in life, should be the development of a Christ-like character.  

(David O. McKay, “True to the Faith,” p.32)

 

Gaining a strong and secure testimony. . . .

 

President Gordon B. Hinckley said:

The gaining of a strong and secure testimony is the privilege and opportunity of every individual member of the Church. The Master said, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself” (John 7:17).

 Service in behalf of others, study, and prayer lead to faith in this work and then to knowledge of its truth. This has always been a personal pursuit, as it must always be in the future. 

(Gordon B. Hinckley, "This Work Is Concerned with People," Ensign, May 1995, 51)

Life Eternal Is To Know God and Jesus Christ

Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it Holy. . . .

Sunday is a day for the family to devote to worship and service.

 

"We urge all Latter-day Saints to set this holy day apart from activities of the world and consecrate themselves by entering into a spirit of worship, thanksgiving, service, and family-centered activities appropriate to the Sabbath. As Church members endeavor to make their Sabbath activities compatible with the intent and Spirit of the Lord, their lives will be filled with joy and peace." (First Presidency Message, 1993)

President Spencer W. Kimball made these comments:

"The Sabbath is not a day for indolent lounging about the house or puttering around in the garden, but is a day for consistent attendance at meetings for the worship of the Lord, drinking at the fountain of knowledge and instruction, enjoying the family, and finding uplift in music and song.

"The Sabbath is a holy day in which to do worthy and holy things. Abstinence from work and recreation is important, but insufficient. The Sabbath calls for constructive thoughts and acts, and if one merely lounges about doing nothing on the Sabbath, he is breaking it. To observe it, one will be on his knees in prayer, preparing lessons, studying the gospel, meditating, visiting the ill and distressed, writing letters to missionaries, taking a nap, reading wholesome material, and attending all the meetings of that day at which he is expected." (President Spencer W. Kimball, First Presidency Message, January 1978)

Preparing as Families to Partake of the Sacrament. . . .

One of the most important invitations ever issued to us and to all mankind is to “come unto Christ and be perfected in him.” (Moro. 10:32.) How do we do that? One of the most beautiful and important ways is through the ordinance of the sacrament. Nothing seems more basic in our worship of the Lord than learning to partake of the Sacrament meaningfully. Children are taught to partake of the Sacrament before they learn to speak. Not only should they be taught to partake of this sacred ordinance, but they should also be taught what the Sacrament means to them personally. The manner in which the Sacrament is administered is prescribed by Scripture, but the way in which we receive it should not be habitual or mechanical, but an individual, heartfelt act of renewal and recommitment to serve the Lord. President David O. McKay taught, “The partaking of the Sacrament is one of the most sacred ordinances of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Associated with it are the principles fundamental in character-building and essential to man’s advancement and exaltation in the kingdom of God. . . . In the partaking of the Sacrament, there is danger of people’s permitting formality to supersede spirituality, but he who partakes of the Sacrament worthily and sincerely is truly an acceptable follower of the Son of God.” (IE, 64:214.) 

Elder John H. Groberg made these comments:

The Lord instituted the sacrament, as we know it today, during what we commonly call the Last Supper. In one sense, it was the last supper, but in another, it was the first supper—the beginning of many spiritual feasts.

The resurrected Lord instructed the Book of Mormon people:

“[Ye] shall break bread and bless it and give it unto the people of my church, unto all those who shall believe and be baptized in my name.

“And this shall ye always observe to do, even as I have done. …

“And this shall ye do in remembrance of my body, which I have shown unto you. And it shall be a testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you.” (3 Nephi 18:5-7.)

The moving tenderness and deep significance of this transcendent event are still available to us today. But we must do as they did and follow the doctrine of Christ, which is to believe in Jesus, rely on him, repent of our sins, take his name upon us by being baptized in his church, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and faithfully follow Christ all of our lives.

He knows we need much help to do this, so he provides that the ordinance of the sacrament be repeated often.

This invitation of the Savior to come unto him is issued regularly and is universal. Everyone is included—men, women, and children. Old and young alike participate. None are barred except by themselves.

The Lord said, “And ye see that I have commanded that none of you should go away, but rather have commanded that ye should come unto me.” (3 Ne. 18:25.)

But the Lord, who knows the terrible consequences of hypocrisy, also warned:

“Ye shall not suffer any one knowingly to partake of my flesh and blood unworthily, …

“For whoso eateth and drinketh my flesh and blood unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to his soul.” (3 Ne. 18:28-29.)

What does it mean to partake of the sacrament worthily? Or how do we know if we are unworthy?

If we desire to improve (which is to repent) and are not under priesthood restriction, then, in my opinion, we are worthy. If, however, we have no desire to improve, if we have no intention of following the guidance of the Spirit, we must ask: Are we worthy to partake, or are we making a mockery of the very purpose of the sacrament, which is to act as a catalyst for personal repentance and improvement? If we remember the Savior and all he has done and will do for us, we will improve our actions and thus come closer to him, which keeps us on the road to eternal life.

If, however, we refuse to repent and improve, if we do not remember him and keep his commandments, then we have stopped our growth, and that is damnation to our souls.

The sacrament is an intensely personal experience, and we are the ones who knowingly are worthy or otherwise.

("The Beauty and Importance of the Sacrament," Ensign, May 1989, p. 38.)

Luke 22:19 - 20

 19 ¶ And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

The Importance of Family Prayer. . .

“Family prayer is the greatest deterrent to sin, and hence the most beneficent provider of joy and happiness. The old saying is yet true: “The family that prays together stays together.” (Ensign, November 1988, p.69.)  -- Thomas S. Monson

James H. Moyle wrote to his grandchildren concerning the family prayer of his own home:

“We have not gone to bed before kneeling in prayer to supplicate divine guidance and approval. Differences may arise in the best governed families, but they will be dissipated by the … spirit of prayer. … Its very psychology tends to promote the more righteous life among men. It tends to unity, love, forgiveness, to service.” 

From the Teachings of President Gordon B. Hinckley:

Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Blessings of Family Prayer,” Ensign, Feb. 1991, 2

The Apostle Paul declared to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:1-4:

1 THIS know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

There needs to be a new emphasis on honesty, character, and integrity in our time. Only as we build again into the fiber of our lives the virtues that are the essence of true civilization will the pattern of our times change. The question that confronts us is where shall we begin?

I am satisfied that it must begin with recognition of God as our Eternal Father, of our relationship to Him as His children, with communication with Him in recognition of His sovereign position, and with daily supplication for His guidance in our affairs.

I submit that a return to the old pattern of prayer, family prayer in the homes of the people, is one of the basic medications that would check the dread disease that is eroding the character of our society. We could not expect a miracle in a day, but in a generation we would have a miracle.

A generation or two ago, family prayer in the homes of Christian people throughout the world was as much a part of the day’s activity as was eating. As that practice has diminished, the moral decay discussed by the Apostle Paul has ensued.

I feel satisfied that there is no adequate substitute for the morning and evening practice of kneeling together—father, mother, and children. This, more than soft carpets, more than lovely draperies, more than cleverly balanced color schemes, is the thing that will make for better and more beautiful homes.

There is something in the very posture of kneeling that contradicts the attitudes described by Paul: “proud … heady, highminded.”

There is something in the very practice of father and mother and children kneeling together that evaporates others of those qualities he described: “disobedient to parents, … without natural affection.”

There is something in the act of addressing Deity that offsets a tendency toward blasphemy and toward becoming lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.

The inclination to be unholy, as Paul described it, to be unthankful, is erased as together family members thank the Lord for life and peace and all they have. And as they thank the Lord for one another, there is developed within the family a new appreciation, a new respect, a new affection one for another.

The scripture declares: “Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things.” (D&C 59:7.) And again: “In nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand.” (D&C 59:21.)

In remembering together before the Lord the poor, the needy, and the oppressed, there is developed, unconsciously but realistically, a love for others above self, a respect for others, a desire to serve the needs of others. One cannot ask God to help a neighbor in distress without feeling motivated to do something oneself toward helping that neighbor. What miracles would happen in the lives of the children of the world if they would lay aside their own selfishness and lose themselves in the service of others. The seed from which this sheltering and fruitful tree may grow is best planted and nurtured in the daily supplications of the family.

I know of no better way to inculcate love for country than for parents to pray before their children for the land in which they live, invoking the blessings of the Almighty upon it that it may be preserved in liberty and in peace. I know of no better way to build within the hearts of our children a much-needed respect for authority than remembering in the daily supplications of the family the leaders of our respective countries who carry the burdens of government.

I remember seeing on a billboard a statement that read, “A nation at prayer is a nation at peace.” I believe this.

I know of nothing that will so much help to ease family tensions, that in a subtle way will bring about the respect for parents which leads to obedience, that will affect the spirit of repentance which will largely erase the blight of broken homes, than will praying together, confessing weaknesses together before the Lord, and invoking the blessings of the Lord upon the home and those who dwell there.

The family is the basic unit of society. The praying family is the hope of a better society. “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:” (Isaiah 55:6.)

Using the Scriptures As A Family Resource:

And upon these I write the things of my soul, and many of the scriptures which are engraven upon the plates of brass.  For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learning and the profit of my children. Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard. (2Nephi 4:15-16)

Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.  Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life. (2 Nephi 31:20)

 

Excerpts From A Talk By President Spencer W. Kimball:

(Spencer W. Kimball, "How Rare a Possession—The Scriptures!" Tambuli, Dec. 1985, 3)

Only the faithful will receive the promised reward, which is eternal life. For one cannot receive eternal life without becoming a “doer of the word” (see James 1:22) and being valiant in obedience to the Lord’s commandments. And one cannot become a “doer of the word” without first becoming a “hearer.” And to become a “hearer” is not simply to stand idly by and wait for chance bits of information; it is to seek out and study and pray and comprehend. Therefore the Lord said, “Whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me.” (D&C 84:52.)

Besides the almost constant encouragement and promptings which we receive from our present-day leaders, the prophets of old seem to cry out to us in almost every page of the scriptures, urging us to study the word of the Lord, the holy scriptures, “which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Tim. 3:15.) But we do not always hear, and we might well ask ourselves why.

Sometimes it seems we take the scriptures too much for granted because we do not fully appreciate how rare a thing it is to possess them, and how blessed we are because we do have them. We seem to have settled so comfortably into our experiences in this world and become so accustomed to hearing the gospel taught among us that it is hard for us to imagine it could ever have been otherwise.

But we need to understand that it has only been 165 years since the world emerged from the long night of spiritual darkness that we call the Great Apostasy. We need to sense something of the depth of the spiritual darkness that prevailed before that day in the spring of 1820 when the Father and the Son appeared to Joseph Smith—a darkness which was foreseen by the prophet Nephi and described as “that awful state of blindness” in which the gospel was withheld from man. (See 1 Ne. 13:32.)On the American continents, the remnant of the Book of Mormon peoples had been utterly without divine guidance for more than fourteen centuries when the Book of Mormon was first published in 1830. Their sacred record had been sealed up to come forth in this dispensation of the gospel. I am deeply moved when I read the account of the great prophet Mormon standing amidst the final slaughter and destruction of his people, the Nephites, in a terrible scene of blood and carnage; for even though he knew, as did all the Book of Mormon prophets, that the dark age of apostasy must come about as prophesied, it was with anguish of soul that he reported:

“Behold, the Spirit of the Lord hath already ceased to strive with their [the Lamanites’] fathers; and they are without Christ and God in the world; and they are … led about by Satan, even as chaff is driven before the wind, or as a vessel is tossed about upon the waves, without sail or anchor, or without anything wherewith to steer her.” (Morm. 5:16, Morm. 18.)

In the Old World the people were also virtually without anchor, for the early church had sunk into apostasy with the death of the apostles; and although manuscripts of the Bible were in existence, they were in the hands of a comparatively few uninspired men. It was during this time that many of the “plain and most precious parts” were lost. (See 1 Ne. 13:28, 1 Ne. 32.)

We are pilgrims upon this earth, sent here with a mission to perform, a great work to do, for which we need guidance from the Lord. The fact that I was not born in the times of spiritual darkness in which the heavens were silent and the Spirit withdrawn fills my soul with gratitude. Truly, to be without the word of the Lord to direct us is to be as wanderers in a vast desert who can find no familiar landmarks, or in the dense darkness of a cavern with no light to show us the way to escape.

In one passage when the prophet Isaiah referred to the Great Apostasy, he said: “For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.” (Isa. 29:10; see also 2 Ne. 27:5.) 

Immediately afterward, however, Isaiah made direct reference to the end of darkness and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon:

“And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:

“And the book is delivered to him that is not learned.” (Isa. 29:11-12.)

And thus began the marvelous work, “even a marvellous work and a wonder” which the Lord promised he would proceed to do. (Isa. 29:14.)

In this regard, the story of King Josiah in the Old Testament is a most profitable one to “liken … unto [our]selves.” (1 Ne. 19:24.) To me, it is one of the finest stories in all of the scriptures.

Josiah was only eight years old when he began to reign in Judah, and although his immediate progenitors were extremely wicked, the scriptures tell us that “he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.” (2 Kgs. 22:2.) This is all the more surprising when we learn that by that time (just two generations before the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C.) the written law of Moses had been lost and was virtually unknown, even among the priests of the temple!

But in the eighteenth year of his reign, Josiah directed that the temple be repaired. At that time Hilkiah, the high priest, found the book of the law, which Moses had placed in the ark of the covenant, and delivered it to King Josiah.

When the book of the law was read to Josiah, he “rent his clothes” and wept before the Lord.

“Great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us,” he said, “because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.” (2 Kgs. 22:11, 2 Kgs. 13.) 

The king then read the book before all the people, and at that time they all made a covenant to obey all the Lord’s commandments “with all their heart and all their soul.” (2 Kgs. 23:3.) Then Josiah proceeded to clean up the kingdom of Judah, removing all the idols, the groves, the high places, and all the abominations that had accumulated during the reign of his fathers, defiling the land and its people. He also held a solemn passover, and “surely there was not holden such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah.” (2 Kgs. 23:22.) All this that he “might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord.

“And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.” (2 Kgs. 23:25.)

I feel strongly that all of us must return to the scriptures just as King Josiah did and let them work mightily within us, impelling us to an unwavering determination to serve the Lord.

Josiah had the law of Moses only. In our scriptures we have the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fulness; and if a taste is sweet, in fulness there is joy.

The Lord is not trifling with us when he gives us these things, for “unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required.” (Luke 12:48.) Access to these things means responsibility for them. We must study the scriptures according to the Lord’s commandment (see 3 Ne. 23:1-5); and we must let them govern our lives and the lives of our children; and, having them, we must see the responsibility we have to turn our hearts to our beloved ancestors, many of whom endured the long night of darkness that we might be, and who perhaps even now anxiously await our efforts in their behalf.

The Lord’s teachings have always been to those who have “eyes to see” and “ears to hear.” The voice is clear and unmistakable, and against those who neglect so great an opportunity the witness is sure.

So I ask all to begin now to study the scriptures in earnest, if you have not already done so. And perhaps the easiest and most effective way to do this is to participate in the study program of the Church.

We invite you to join in this excellent opportunity to study “the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68.) Teach yourself and your family “the doctrine of the kingdom,” that you may be “instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God.” (D&C 88:77-78.)

May we all read the scriptures prayerfully, study them carefully, and receive a testimony of their message that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, and that his gospel plan is the path to happiness here and eternal life hereafter.

Elder L. Tom Perry once said, "The Scriptures that are never read will never help us." (Ensign, May 1985, p.23). Franklin D. Richards once said, "Knowledge received from studying the scriptures assists us in making correct decisions in all areas of life´s activities and helps us to know God and understand his purposes." (Ensign, May 1981, p.51) And J. Richard Clark once said, "Brothers and sisters, you don´t have to be a natural student to read the scriptures; you just need to love the Lord." (Ensign, November 1982, p.15)

For as long as I can remember the Scriptures has always been an integral part of my life. I will always be grateful for a loving mother who took the time to introduce the Scriptures to each of her children at an early age and taught them not only through words but by example, just how important the Scriptures are and the impact that they can have on our lives. Growing up as a Baptist boy, I can remember that there were always one or more copies of the Bible in our home and my mother taught my brother, sisters and I to have a sincere respect and love for the Word of God.

That early exposure to the Scriptures has had a lasting effect on my life. As I grow older, my love and appreciation for the Scriptures grows deeper. At the age of 44, I have been blessed to have read the Bible in its entirety seven times. Daily Scripture reading is an intimate part of my life. I have found that there is no greater joy in my life than to feast daily at the banqueting table of God’s Word. It is through the study of the Scriptures that I find joy, peace, happiness, comfort, and most of all a deeper love for my Savior. Christ taught us in John 5:39 to "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." The apostle Paul in Romans 15:4 taught us that "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." 

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. - John 5:39

And I did read many things unto them which were written in the books of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning. - 1 Nephi 19:23

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. - John 6:32-34

2 Nephi 29: 8-13

8 Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word?  Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another?  Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another.  And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also.

9 And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure.  And because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever.

10 Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains all my words; neither need ye suppose that I have not caused more to be written.

11 For I command all men, both in the east and in the west, and in the north, and in the south, and in the islands of the sea, that they shall write the words which I speak unto them; for out of the books which shall be written I will judge the world, every man according to their works, according to that which is written.

12 For behold, I shall speak unto the Jews and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the Nephites and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the other tribes of the house of Israel, which I have led away, and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto all nations of the earth and they shall write it.

13 And it shall come to pass that the Jews shall have the words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews; and the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the lost tribes of Israel; and the lost tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews.

 

Why are families important? Families are important because the home is the nation’s most fundamental institution, and the strength of the family unit within each home becomes a very vital link to the survival of our society as a whole. How we interact with our family members is a direct reflection on how we will interact with others in society. History has shown that a society that upholds the family and family life will be morally preserved, while a society that neglects the family, and allows sinful influences to destroy and fragment the family, will become morally decadent. President Thomas S. Monson once said, “The home is the laboratory of our lives, and what we learn there largely determines what we do when we leave there.” (Ensign, November 1988, p. 69.) O. Leslie Stone once said, “The home is where we learn what is right, what is good, and what is kind. It is the first school and the first church. (Ensign, November 1976, p. 60.) And Rex D. Pinegar once said, “Our Heavenly Father has organized us into families for the purpose of helping us successfully meet the trials and challenges of life. The home also exists to bless us with the joys and privileges of family associations. Our family is our safety place, our support network, our sanctuary, and our salvation.” (Ensign, May 1990, p. 9.)

President David O’ McKay once said, “No other success can compensate for failure in the home. The poorest shack in which love prevails over a united family is of greater value to God and future humanity than any other riches. In such a home God can work miracles and will work miracles.” (CR, April 1964, p.5). And President Spencer W. Kimball taught us, “It is important for us to cultivate in our own family a sense that we belong together eternally, that whatever changes outside our home, there are fundamental aspects of our relationship which will never change.” (CR, October 1974, p.161.)

Brothers and sisters, our Heavenly Father expects us to regard the family with the same great regard that He has for it. And because of this, we must strengthen our commitment to our family, and most of all we must strengthen our commitment to the Lord. That we may do so humbly is my prayer. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, Amen.

 

“Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.” – Psalm 127:3-4

 

 

Tags: Family Blessings Church

This was shared with me via email a little while ago and I thought I would share it with all of you. This would make a great foundation for a future Sacrament talk.

_________________________________________________________

 

Do We Really Know What We Have?

This is an entry from the journal of Elder Scott Anderson.

 

We had an unexpected moment in the mission field. We knocked on a door and a lady said something to us we had never heard, "Come in."  Now remember, I was a German missionary. This never happened to us; not even the members would say that to us.

 

At this point, suddenly, this dear lady invited us in. My companion said, "Do you know who we are?"   "You want to talk about religion, don't you?" she said.  "Yes, we do" explained my companion. "0h come in.  I've been watching you walk around the neighborhood.  I'm so excited to have you here.  Please come into my study."  We went in and seated ourselves and she sat down behind the desk.

  

She looked at us with a smile, then pointed to three PhD's hanging over her head. One in Theology, the study of religion, one in Philosophy, the study of ideas, and one in European History specializing in Christianity.  She then kind of rubbed her hands together and said, "Do you see this row of books here?" We looked at a well-arranged row of books. She then said, "I wrote them all. I'm the Theology professor at the University of Munich. I've been doing this for 41 years. I love to talk about religion. What would you like to discuss?"  My inspired companion said "We'd like to talk about the Book of Mormon."  She said , "I don't know anything about the Book of Mormon." He said, "I know." 

 

Twenty minutes later we walked out of the room.  We had handed her a Book of Mormon and this trade off that we had been on was over. I didn't see this lady again for another eight and a half weeks. 

 

It was in a small room filled with people (when I saw her again); she was standing in the front dressed in white. This Theology professor at the University of Munich was well known throughout Southern Germany. She stood up in front of this small congregation of people and said, "Before I'm baptized I'd like to tel1 you my feelings. In Amos Chapter 8:11 it says there will be a famine of the work of God. I've been in that famine for 76 years. Why do you think I have three PhD's?

 

I've been hungering for truth and have been unable to find it. Then eight and one-half weeks ago, two boys walked into my home. I want you to know these boys are very nice and wonderful young men, but they didn't convert me. They couldn't; they don't know enough."  

 

And then she smiled and said, "But since the day they walked through my door I have read the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price, all of Talmage's great writings, Evidence and Reconciliation's by John A. Widsoe and 22 other volumes of church doctrine."  She then said something which I think is a challenge for every one of us here. She said, "I don't think you members know what you have." 

 

Then in her quiet, powerful way, she said, "After all those years of studying philosophy, I picked up the D&C and read a few  little verses that answered some of the greatest questions of Aristotle and Socrates!  When I read those verses, I wept for four hours." Then she said again, "I don't think you members know what you have.  Don't you understand the world is in a famine? Don't you know we are starving for what you have?  I am like a starving person being led to a feast. And over these eight and one-half weeks I have been able to feast in a way I have never known possible."

 

Her powerful message and her challenging question was then ended with her favorite scripture, "For you don't see the truth can make you free." She said, "These missionaries don't just carry membership in the church in their hands, they carry within their hand the power to make the atonement of Jesus Christ full force in my life. Today I'm going into the water and I'm going to make a covenant with Christ, for the first time, with proper authority. I've wanted to do this all my life."  None of us will ever forget the day she was baptized. After being baptized, and before receiving the Holy Ghost, she stood and said; "Now I would like to talk about the Holy Ghost for awhile."  She then gave us a wonderful talk about the gift of the Holy Ghost.

 

 (Later in Elder Anderson's journal)

 

Two young missionaries, both relatively new, (one had been out about five months, the other three weeks) accidentally knocked on the door of the Seminary in Reagansburg.  Inside 125 wonderful men were studying to become priests. They didn't realize this was the door they had knocked on because it looked like any other door. They were invited in. In somewhat of a panic, the man said, "I'm sorry we just don't have time right now."  

 

The two missionaries were relieved, but then he said, "Would you come back next Tuesday and spend two hours addressing all 125 of us and answer questions about your church?"  They agreed that they would, and ran down the road screaming. They made a phone call to the mission president and cried for help. The mission president called us and said, "Do you think that dear lady that you have just brought in to the church would like to come help these two missionaries with this assignment?"  I called her to explain what was to happen, and she said, "More than I would like to eat, more than I would like to sleep, more than.."  I said, "Fine, you don't have to explain."

 

We  drove her to the seminary, and as we went in she grabbed the two missionaries that had originally been invited, put her arms around them and said, "You are wonderful, young men. Would each of you spend about two minutes bearing your testimony and then sit down and be quiet please?" They were grateful for their assignment. They bore their testimony and then seated themselves. Then she got up and said,

 

"For the next 30 minutes I would like to talk to you about historical apostasy." She knew every date and fact. She had a PHD in this.  She talked about everything that had been taken away from the great teachings the Savior had given, mostly organizational, in the first part of her talk. Then the next 45 minutes was doctrinal. She gave every point of doctrinal changes; when it happened and what had changed. By the time she was done, she looked at them and said; "In 1820 a young boy walked into a grove of trees. He had been in a famine just like I have been. He knelt to pray, because he was hungry, just like I have been. He saw God the Father and His Son. I know that is hard for you to believe, that they could be two separate beings, but I know they are."  She shared scriptures that showed that they were and then said, "I would like to talk about historical restoration of truth."  She then, point by point, date by date, from the Doctrine and Covenants put back the organizational structure of Christ's church.

 

The  last 20 minutes of her talk were absolutely brilliant. She doctrinally put the truth back in place, point-by-point; principle by principle. When she finished this profound talk, she said, "I have been in a famine as talked about in Amos. You know that, because last year I was here teaching you." For the first time, we realized that she was their Theology professor.  She continued by saying, "Last year when I was teaching you, I told you that I was still in a famine.  "Well I have been led to a feast.   I invite you to come." 

 

She finished with her testimony and sat down. What happened next was hard for me to understand. These 125 sincere, wonderful men stood and for the next 7 minutes gave a standing ovation. By the time four minutes had gone by I was crying. I remember standing and looking into their eyes and seeing the tears in their eyes too. I wondered why they were applauding after the message she had given. I asked many of them later. They said, "To hear someone so unashamed of the truth, to hear someone teaching with such power, to hear someone who finally has conviction."

 

 The truth is what can set us free...    Do we really know what we have?

Tags: Testimony Faith Scriptures Truth Gospel

The Gift and the Power of Faith

By Brother Keith L. Brown

The following Sacrament talk was delivered to the congregation of the Broadneck Ward on Sabbath day afternoon, 27 April 2003.

The history of this Church is a history of the expression of such faith. It began with a farm boy in the year 1820 when he read that great promise set forth in the Epistle of James:

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” (James 1:5-6.)

It was faith, the simple faith of a fourteen-year-old boy, that took him into the woods that spring morning. It was faith that took him to his knees in pleading for understanding. The marvelous fruit of that faith was a vision glorious and beautiful, of which this great work is but the extended shadow.

It was by faith that he kept himself worthy of the remarkable manifestations which followed in bringing to the earth the keys, the authority, the power to reestablish the Church of Jesus Christ in these latter days. It was by faith that this marvelous record of ancient peoples, this testament which we call the Book of Mormon, was brought forth by the gift and power of God “to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ.” It was by faith that a small band of early converts, notwithstanding the very powers of hell brought against them, strengthened and sustained one another, left home and family to spread the word, moved from New York to Ohio and from Ohio to Missouri and from Missouri to Illinois in their search for peace and freedom to worship God according to the dictates of conscience.

It was through the eyes of faith that they saw a city beautiful when first they walked across the swamps of Commerce, Illinois. With the conviction that faith without works is dead, they drained that swampland, they platted a city, they built substantial homes and houses for worship and education and, crowning all, a magnificent temple, then the finest building in all of Illinois.

Again came persecution, with profane and murderous mobs. Their prophet was killed. Their dreams were shattered. Again it was by faith that they pulled themselves together under the pattern he had previously drawn and organized themselves for another exodus.

With tears and aching hearts they left their comfortable homes and their workshops. They looked back upon their sacred temple, and then with faith turned their eyes to the West, to the unknown and to the uncharted, and while the snows of winter fell upon them, they crossed the Mississippi that February of 1846 and plowed their muddy way over the Iowa prairie.

With faith they established Winter Quarters on the Missouri. Hundreds died as plague and dysentery and black canker cut them down. But faith sustained those who survived. They buried their loved ones there on a bluff above the river, and in the spring of 1847 they started west, moving by faith up the Elkhorn and beside the Platte toward the mountains of the West.

It was by faith that Brigham Young looked over this valley, then hot and barren, and declared, “This is the place.” Again by faith, four days later, he touched his cane to the ground a few hundred feet east of where I stand and said, “Here will be the temple of our God.” The magnificent and sacred house of the Lord to the east of this Tabernacle is a testimony of faith, not only of the faith of those who built it but of the faith of those who now use it in a great selfless labor of love.

Wrote Paul to the Hebrews, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1.) All of the great accomplishments of which I have spoken were once only “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” But with vision, with labor, and with confidence in the power of God working through them, they brought their faith to reality.

(God Grant Us Faith, Gordon B. Hinckley)
(Gordon B. Hinckley, "God Grant Us Faith," Ensign, Nov. 1983, 51)

Good afternoon brothers and sisters. I bring you love and greetings from our Stake Presidency and wish to express their sincere love and appreciation for each of you and all that you do as you humbly serve in this Stake of Zion.

Robert D. Hales has taught us that “Obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel is essential to obtain faith in the Lord Jesus Christ”. (Ensign, May 1990, p. 39.) It is faith that I would like to speak about this afternoon.

What is faith? George Albert Smith once said, “Faith is a gift of God; it is the fruitage of righteous living. It does not come to us by our command but is the result of doing the will of our Heavenly Father.” (CR, October 1913, p. 103.) Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught us that, “Faith is a gift of God bestowed as a reward for personal righteousness. It is always given when righteousness is present, and the greater the measure of obedience to God’s laws the greater will be the endowment of faith. (Mormon Doctrine, Bruce R. McConkie, Salt lake City: Bookcraft, 1966, p. 264.) And, in Alma 32: 21 we are taught that, “. . . faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.”

The apostle Paul tells us: “… faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1.) Faith and belief are sometimes used synonymously and it is sometimes difficult for us to differentiate between the two. However, there is a difference.

We cannot have faith without belief, but we can believe without having faith. Belief is the foundation of faith. Faith is trusting in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

As a principle of power and of action, and as the key to our salvation, our individual faith, then, becomes of absolute importance to us.

The Apostle Paul admonishes us to “be thou an example of the bel