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An Address to the Young Men of the Church

 

 

A person who has courage is able to boldly (without outward fear) face difficulties and dangers, and by habit is able to trust in the Lord for his strength in all of the circumstances of life.

 

 

 

I would like to take just a few minutes to address the Young Men of the Church. My remarks will be addressed to those who are not only destined to be future leaders of the Church, but great leaders of our nation as well. I wish to address those of you who will be future missionaries for the Church. Those who will one day turn this world upside down for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is my humble prayer that some of what I say in these next few minutes will prove to be of some benefit and a blessing to you. If there were but one message that I could give to the Young Men of the Church, the message would simply be this - Be Courageous, Be Bold, Be Strong.

 

Webster defines the word courage as the ability tro conquer fear. The word bold is defined as courageous. Therefore, one who has courage is also bold.Concerning courage, Theodore Roosevelt once said, "Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they life in the grey twilight that knows not victory nor defeat." President Joseph F. Smith once said, "After we have done all we could do for the cause of truth, and withstood the evil that men have brought upon us, and we have been overwhelmed by their wrongs, it is still our duty to stand. We cannot give up. We must not lie down. Great causes are not won in a single generation. To stand firm in the face of overwhelming opposition, when you have done all you can, is the courage of faith. The courage of faith is the courage of progress. Men who possess that divine quality go on; they are not permitted to stand still if they would. They are not simply the creatures of their own power and wisdom; they are the instrumentalities of a higher law and divine purpose." (Gospel Doctrine, p. 119)

 

As you journey down the highways of life you will without a doubt encounter obstacles along the way. Some of these obstacles may seem insurmountable, but take heart, for you will overcome them. In order for you to overcome the obstacles that you will face, you will be required to have courage. Courage to make decisions - sometimes at a moment's notice. Courage to say yes. Courage to say no. Courage to be able to stand in the face of adversity for that which you know to be right, even when being right means being unpopular. No matter what the consequences, you must always have the moral courage to stand your ground for what you know to be the truth. Don't give in or compromise to be friends with those who you know are wrong. President Thomas S. Monson once said, "Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God's approval." (Ensign, November 1986, p.41) If your friends laugh at you, ridicule you, despise or even reject you, take heart, be courageous and STAND. And having done all as the Apostle Paul admonishes us in Ephesians 6:13 - STAND. Remember, even the Savior Himself was mocked, jeered, ridiculed, spat upon, and rejected.

 

Whem I think of being courageous, I am reminded of such stories in the Scriptures as the account of Daniel in Daniel chapter 2. As you will recall king Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that disturbed him greatly and he called upon the magicians, astrologers, and the Chaldeans to recall and interpret the dream or else they would be put to death. None of them were able to fulfill the king's commands. This made him angry and very furious and he commanded that all of the wise men of Babylon were to be destroyed. Daniel, who is in prison at this time, asks that he may be given a little time and he would show the king the interpretation of his dream. The secret of the king's dream is revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Daniel goes in before the king, recalls and interprets the dream. Because of Daniel's courage, the wise men of Babylon were saved from execution, the king's dream was interpreted, and Daniel was rewarded with great gifts and was made ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. Daniel's three companions, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were also given charge over the affairs of the province of Babylon.

 

I also think of the courage and boldness of the three Hebrew children, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who in spite of the king's command to bow down and worship the golden image that he had created, stood for what they knew was the right thing to do even if it meant death in the fiery furnace. The king ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than normal. Beacuse of this great heat, the men that put the three Hebrew children in the furnace perished. Because of their great courage, boldness, and trust that God would deliver them from this situation, they were unharmed by the flames. Not even the hair on their heads was singed nor were their clothes burned. The king now seeing what great faith these three Hebrew children had, issues a decree that anyone who spoke against the God of the Hebrew children would be destroyed and the three were promoted in the province of Babylon. (See Daniel 3)

 

I also think of an incident that occurred in Littleton, Colorado not too long ago. I am sure that most of you can recall the events that took place at a local school there. During that ordeal the perpetrators started taunting some of the kids by asking them if they believed in God. One brave girl stood up and said, "I believe in Jesus!" She was immediately gunned down in cold blood for her faith. I cannot help but wonder how many of us would have been that courageous, that bold, if we were the ones in that same situation. Her death was indeed tragic, but her testimony was everlasting.

 

You may never have to deal with situations quite like these, but there will be many situations that you will face that will require you to be courageous and bold. The Scriptures warn us to "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8) BE COURAGEOUS, BE BOLD.

 

Young men you are going to face many challenges in life. There are going to be times when you are tasked to do some things that may seem impossible for you to do. In your own limited strength and wisdom, those tasks may very well be impossible for you to accomplish, but just remember the words of the Apostle Paul as recorded in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." There is no situation that you may find yourself in, no crisi that may come your way, no heartache that you may bear, no trial that you may face, no obstacle that you may have to overcome, that Christ will not give you the strength to endure if you will but put your full trust in Him and be obedient to His commands and His will for your lives. 

 

May I conclude my remarks with the words of the Apostle Paul found in Ephesians 6 verses 10-18:

 

 

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace:

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perserverance and supplication for all saints;  

 

May you grow to be courageous, bold and strong in the Lord. May you also "Fight the good fight, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses" (1 Timothy 6:12). This is my humble prayer. In the Sacred name of our Lord and Savior. Jesus the Christ. Amen.

 

 

Tags: Faith Courage Patience Endurance

This Sacrament talk was delivered on Sabbath day morning, 17 May 1998 (two months after my baptism on 10 March 1998), to the congregation of the LDS Military Branch at the chapel in Reykjavik Iceland.

Introduction

This morning I would like to talk with you concerning the value of the Scriptures. In 2 Timothy 3:16 we read these words, "All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." In Romans 15:4 the Apostle Paul tells 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." Nephi, in 1 Nephi 19:23 had this to say concerning the value of the Scriptures, "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." And Christ, Himself, in John 5:39 tells us to, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."

I will always be grateful that I was introduced to the Scriptures at an early age. Growing up there was always one or more Bibles in our home and my mother taught my older brother, two younger sisters, and I to have a sincere love and respect for God's Word. That early exposure to the Scriptures has had a lasting effect upon my life. As I grow older, my love and appreciation for the Scriptures becomes greater. 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 God's Word that I find joy, peace, happiness, comfort, and most of all a deeper love for the Savior.

This morning I would like to share with you four vital steps in making God's Word an intimate part of your own lives. Those four steps are: read the Scriptures, memorize portions of the Scriptures, meditate upon the Scriptures, and finally be obedient to the Scriptures.

1. Read the Scriptures (Nehemiah 8:3)

One of the last gifts that I bought my mother was a Bible. Each day she was spend time reading a portion of the Scriptures. When she was too sick or too weak to read the Scriptures on her own she would have my younger sister read to her or she would listen to the Scriptures being read to her via cassette tape or CD. In addition to reading the Scriptures, my mother also kept a notebook where she would write out her favorite Scripture passages. If my mother could take the time to read the Scriptures in her condition, then what excuse do we who have our health have for not spending time each day reading the Scriptures?

Reading God's Word is a very important part of communicating God's Word to God's people. Public Scripture reading was a regfular part of worship services in Israel and in the early church. Today we are blessed above all people in history because we do not have to depend on someone reading the Scriptures for us, for there are enough copies of the Scriptures readily available that each person can have their own personal copy and read and study the Scriptures for themselves. Here are a few suggestions to aid you in receiving the greatest benefit from reading the Scriptures:

a. Read the Scriptures prayerfully. Ask the Holy Spirit to meet your heart's need as you read (see Psalm 119:18).

b. Read the Scriptures thoughtfully. Think about the meanings and implications of what you are reading. Don't read just the words printed on the page. Ask yourself how what you are reading may apply to you in your own particular situations in life.

c. Read the Scriptures carefully. Take careful note of not only how words are used in a particular passage of Scripture but how does the word or words relate to the overall meaning of a particular passage. One thing that I have found to be handy is to keep a note pad near by when reading and studying Scriptures to keep track of any questions that I may wish to research later or of passages that have significant meaning to me.

d. Read the Scriptures repeatedly. The more you repeat something, the more that it becomes a part of you. I can personally testify to you that having read the Bible in its entirety six times in my life has had a tremendous impact on my life. One cannot read the blessed pages of the Scripture repeatedly and not have their life changed in some manner. It may be of great help to read the same portion of Scripture over daily for a month's time. This is a good way for the words to take root in your heart. If you are reading a short book, read it every day. Divide longer books into manageable portions of two or three chapters per reading and read that portion through every day.

e. Read the Scriptures extensively. Sometimes it helps to read large portions of Scripture at one sitting. If you choose to do this, do it at a time when you are most alert and are not likely to be disturbed by outside distractions.

f. Read the Scriptures regularly. Set up a Scripture reading schedule and stick to it. I currently have four sepearte reading schedules that I use. One of them allows me to read through the entire Bible in a year by reading a portion of the Old Testament, book of Psalms , and the New Testament every day. Another of the schedules allows me to read the Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price in their entirety approximately once every forty days. Another reading schedule that I am currently using allows me to read all of the Epistles of the Apostle Paul in chronological order once each quarter. And, the fourth reading schedule allows me to read all of the major and minor prophets of the Bible once each quarter as well. Now, I realize that because of work, family obligations, and other things that come up in a day's time, most people could not maintain such a rigorous reading schedule, so you must choose a schedule that works best for you. The whole ideal is to begin reading the Scriptures on a regular basis.

g. Read the Scriptures faithfully. Don't get discouraged if you get behind in your reading schedule. Faithfully resume reading where you left off.

h. Read the Scriptures obediently. Because the Scriptures are God's words written to us, it is essential that we are obedient to what is written therein.

While preparing this talk, I came across this story from the "Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball".

The Teachings of Spencer W Kimball, p.130

With diligence one can read all the scriptures. From infancy I have enjoyed the simplified and pictorial Bible stories, but the original Bible seemed so interminable in length, so difficult of understanding that I and avoided it until a challenge came to me from Sister Susa Young Gates. She was the speaker at the MIA meeting of stake conference and gave a discourse on the value of reading the Bible. In conclusion she asked for a showing of hands of all who had read it through. The hands that were raised out of that large congregation were so few and so timid! It seemed that some of them were trying to explain: We haven’t read it through but we have done much studying of parts of it.” I was shocked into an unalterable determination to read the great book..

As soon as I reached home after the meeting I began with the first verse of Genesis and continued faithfully every day with the reading. Most of the reading was done in my attic bedroom, which I occupied alone. I burned considerable midnight oil and read long hours when I was thought to be asleep.

Approximately one year later I reached the last verse in Revelation.

It was formidable, but I knew if others dit it that I could do it.

I found that there were certain parts [of the Bible] that were hard for a fourteen-year-old boy to understand. There were some pages that were not especially interesting to me, but when I had read the 66 books and 1.189 chapters and 1,519 pages, I had a glowing satisfaction that I had made a goal and that I had achieved it.

Now, I am not telling you this story to boast, I am merely using this as an example to say that if I could do it by coal-oil light, you can do it by electric light. I have always been glad I read the Bible from cover to cover.

2. Memorize Portions of the Scriptures (Job 22:22)

We may not always be able to study the Scriptures by reading them. If we have memorized a portion of God’s Word than we are able to gain valuable insights into its meaning at times when our Scriptures are not readily available. Here are some of the benefits to be cited from memorizing portions of Scripture:

a. It keeps the child of God from sinning (Psalm 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee”).

b. It provides comfort in times of trouble (see Psalm 119:52, 92).

c. It stays your mind upon God (see Psalm 43:3).

d. It provides daily substance for the spiritual life (see Deuteronomy 8:3).

e. It provides continual and ready guidance in all situations of life (see Proverbs 6:20-23).

f. It provides for formal and informal instruction of your children (see Deuteronomy 6:6,7).

I would like to share another story with you from the “Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball”:

The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 131

When I was nine years old, I milked nine cows each day at my home in Thatcher, Arizona. I thought, “What a waste of time, to sit on three-legged stool. Maybe there is something else I could do while I am milking.” So I sang the songs of Zion until I knew all the well-known hymns that are generally sang. Then I said, “Well, I have got to have something more!”

So I got a copy of the Articles of Faith and put it on the ground right beside me and I went through them, over and over again, a thousand times. Then I got a copy of the Ten Commandments. I typed them up on cards and took them out with me where I milked and repeated them over and over until I knew them by heart.

Then, as I got a little closer to my mission, I typed scriptures that I would be helpful to me and I learned them. . . .so that when I went on my mission I would be prepared for it. Latter-day Saint would do this, I think it would be a wonderful thing.

3. Meditate Upon the Scriptures (Joshua 1:8)

Reading and memorizing God’s Word provides the basis for meditating upon God’s Word. In Joshua 1:8 we see that Joshua was to meditate upon the Word of God day and night (i.e. at all times) and as a result he was promised (1) prosperity and (2) good success in the God given tasks that lay ahead. We meditate upon the Word of God by rehearsing its thoughts over and over in order to understand its implications to the situations of life.

4. Be Obedient to the Scriptures (Deuteronomy 31:12)

Reading, memorizing and meditating upon God’s Word are of no value if we are not obedient to God’s Word. To obey the Word of God means that we do what the Word of God indicates should be done in any situation. When we are obedient to the Word of God then we as children of God are found to be pleasing to God. Some of the results of obedience to the Word of God are:

a. Being treasured by God (see Exodus 19:5)

b. Blessedness (happiness) (see Psalm 119:2)

c. Not being ashamed (Psalm 119:4-6)

d. Understanding (see Psalm 119:100)

e. Avoidance of evil (see Psalm 119:101)

f. Guidance for life (see Psalm 110:105)

g. Safety and freedom from anxiety (see Proverbs 1:33)

h. Life (see Proverbs 19:16; Ezekiel 18:19; John 8:51)

i. Promise of God’s presence (see John 14:23; 2 John 9)

j. Abiding in the love of God (see John 15:10)

k. Evidence of the doctrine that has been taught (see Romans 6:17)

l. Love of God’s children (see 1 John 5:2)

Some Concluding Remarks

John the Baptist in John 8:32 tells us that we “. . . .shall know the truth, and the truth shall make [us] free.” What is truth someone may ask. John the Baptist replies in John 17:17, “. . . .thy word is truth.” The Psalmist declares in Psalm 119:89 that “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.” And then Christ Himself puts the final exclamation point in place in Matthew 24:35 and again in Mark 13:31 when He says, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”

In conclusion may I urge each and every one of us to become more diligent students of God’s Word. May we develop the attitude of the Bereans in Acts 17:11 who”. . . .were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” May we always find ourselves feasting at the banqueting table of God’s Word.

These things I say to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Tags: Scriptures Doctrine Faith

We may not ever realize it or care to take notice, but the life that we live and the example that we set before others tells more about the type of person that we truly are than a myriad of words could ever say. We, especially those of us who call ourselves Christians, are to be the shining light of hope and inspiration to the world. We may just well be the only scriptures that some people will ever read. We need to live our lives in such a manner that others will see the light of Christ through us. We need to come to the realization that to preach a sermon is one thing, but to live that sermon is an entirely different ball game. People may be impressed by our ability to express our thoughts through eloquence of speech, but they will be even more impressed by the way we live our lives as living testimonies of the things that we say and teach. Some would rather see a sermon than hear one any day.

I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day;
I'd rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way.
The eye is a better pupil, more willing than the ear;
Fine counsel is confusing, but example is always clear,
And the best of all the preachers are the men who live their creeds,
For to see a good put in action is what everybody needs.

I can soon learn how to do it if you will let me see it done;
I can watch your hand in action, but your tongue too fast may run.
And the lectures you deliver may be very wise and true,
But I'd rather get my lesson by observing what you do.
For I may misunderstand you and the high advice you give,
But there is no misunderstanding how you act and how you live.

When I see a deed of kindness, I am eager to be kind.
When a weaker brother stumbles, and a strong man stands behind
Just to see if he can help him, then the wish grows strong in me
To become as big and thoughtful as I know that friend to be.
And all travelers can witness that the best of guides today
Is not the one who tells them, but the one who shows the way.

One good man teaches many; men believe what they behold;
One deed of kindness noted is worth forty that are told.
Who stands with men of honor learns to hold his honor dear,
For right living speaks a language which to everyone is clear.
Though an able speaker charms me with his eloquence, I say,
I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day.

--Author unknown

Tags: Life Testimony Example

I. Introduction

The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, lists for us some of the witnesses of the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. These are the words that the Apostle wrote:

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

All of this happened as it had been foretold in the Scriptures. The Old Testament was the first to bear witness of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Isaiah 53:5-12 we learn of His vicarious death. Here in these passages of Scripture we read these words:

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10 ¶ Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

In Psalm 16 verses 9 and 10, His glorious resurrection was foretold. These are the words that we read:

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

The Apostle Paul also speaks of the testimony given by the Old Testament to the resurrection of our Lord. His words are recorded for us in Acts 13:27-39:

27 For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.
28 And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.
29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.
30 But God raised him from the dead:
31 And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.
32 And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,
33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.
35 Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
36 For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:
37 But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.
38 ¶ Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

II. Witnesses to the death of Christ

John was a witness to the death of Christ. He records the account in the words that we read in John 19:31-37:

31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
32 Then came the soldiers, and broke the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they break not his legs:
34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.
37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.

Verse 37 is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy recorded in Zechariah 12:10: “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.”

Mark also witnessed the death of Christ and his account is recorded in Mark 15:37-47:

37 And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
38 And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
39 ¶ And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.
40 There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;
41 (Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him;) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.
42 ¶ And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,
43 Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.
44 And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.
45 And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.
46 And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulcher which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.
47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.

Luke was another witness to the death of Christ and his account is recorded in Luke 23:46-49:

46 ¶ And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
47 Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.
48 And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.
49 And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.

III. Witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus

The Good News is that the crucifixion and the grave did not signify finality. Three days later our Lord and Savior triumphantly arose victorious over death, proving that the grave could not hold Him. Matthew records that there were several witnesses of the glorious resurrection of Jesus in Matthew 27:62 through 28:15:

62 ¶ Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,
63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.
65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.
66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.
8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.
9 ¶ And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.
10 Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.
11 ¶ Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.
12 And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,
13 Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.
14 And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.
15 So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

The first witnesses of the resurrection were the Roman soldiers who were guarding the tomb. We read in Matthew 28:4, “And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.” Roman guards were held responsible for their charge with their lives. The penalty for allowing a prisoner to escape was death. This is the reason that the Philippian jailer in Acts 16:27 was about to take his own life when he thought his prisoners had escaped. Even though they had escaped because of an earthquake, he would have still been executed because the prisoners were under his charge.

We further read in Matthew 28:11 that “some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.” So, not only were the guards at the tomb aware that Jesus had risen from the dead, but the chief priests had full knowledge of the event as well.

The honest thing would have been for them to admit that they had been wrong about Jesus, but they were politicians, and their opposition to Jesus had nothing to do with truth. They were only concerned with preserving their own power and position so they called a meeting to decide what to do about this new disturbing turn of events. In Matthew 28:12-14 we learn that “when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers, Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.”

Even though this “false testimony” did not hold water for several reasons, what the chief priests and soldiers did not realize is that this testimony actually confirmed what really occurred. Let us examine a few facts surrounding this testimony:

1. Roman soldiers were not going to let it be known that they were asleep on watch and had allowed a prisoner to escape. They knew full well that the penalty for falling asleep while standing guard was death. They would only be willing to bear such a false testimony if they were paid to do so and if they were assured without a doubt that their lives would be spared. Furthermore, no self-respecting soldier would openly admit that he had allowed a dead man to escape. And, if this all happened while they were supposedly asleep, how could they possibly have known what happened?
2. The stone that was placed at the mouth of the tomb was a very large, heavy stone that was sealed. Are we to believe that several Roman soldiers fell asleep and kept on sleeping while some of Christ’s disciples came, broke the seal, rolled back the stone, robbed the grave of the body that was inside, and carried it away? If the soldiers had awaken just as the supposed intruders were making their get away, it would have been extremely easy for them to capture someone who was having to carry a heavy body.

Next, in Matthew 28 verses 5 and 6, we have the recorded testimony of an angel. We read, “And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”

Mark also bears record in his gospel account of some of those who were a witness to the glorious resurrection of our Savior to include: (1) an angel (16:6), Mary Magdalene (16:9), two disciples as they traveled on the road to Emmaus (16:12, see Luke 24:13-35 for details), and the eleven (16:14). We read in Mark 16:1-14:

1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.
8 And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.
9 ¶ Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
11 And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.
12 ¶ After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.
13 And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.
14 ¶ Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.

John also bears record of those who were a witness to the glorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior. In John 20:24-29 we read:

24 ¶ But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
26 ¶ And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Yes, these are they who bear witness of the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To their witness and testimony I shall now add my own personal testimony.

I testify of the infinite love that our Savior has for each and every one of us. He loves each of us so much that 2000 years ago He willingly became the sacrificial Passover lamb. He who knew no sin became sin for us. With His very life He paid a tremendous debt that He did not owe – a debt that we could not pay on our own.

Even in the midst of all of His pain and agony we hear Him cry, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” As He hung upon that cruel Roman cross on Golgotha’s lonely hill, at any time He could have called a legion of angels to come and take Him down, but He willing chose not to do so. For Him to do so would have nullified the eternal plan of redemption.

When He cried, “It is finished!” the gulf that existed between a loving Heavenly Father and sinful man was finally bridged providing a way for each of us to one day return home. No greater love than this hath any man.

He did not pick and choose who He would die for. He died for all humanity – those born and those yet to be born. He became sin’s final sacrifice, dying for all the sins of all humanity, past, present, and future. He is our Lord. He is our Redeemer. He is our Savior. He is our King. It is of these things that I do so testify and bear solemn witness in the sacred name of Him who is the Resurrection and the Life, even the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Notes:

1. Corinthians 15:5 “he was seen of Cephas” (Peter). Cf. Luke 24:34
2. 1 Corinthians 15:5 “then of the twelve” Cf. Matthew 28:16, 17; Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36; John 20:19
3. 1 Corinthians 15:6 “After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.”
4. 1 Corinthians 15:7 “After that, he was seen of James”
5. 1 Corinthian 15:7 “then of all the apostles”1 Corinthians 15:8 “And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.” Cf. Acts 9:3-6
6. John 19:34 “But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.” Medical officials will tell us that this is the sign of a person who has died from a true broken heart.
7. Mark 15:39 - The centurion [a Roman officer over 100 men] witnessed the death of Jesus.
8. Mark 15:40 - Many women who were followers of Jesus including Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses and Salome also witnessed His death.
9. Mark 15:42,46 - Joseph of Arimathea (a member of the Jewish council over the whole nation) took His dead body from the cross and buried it. According to John 19:39 we know that Nicodemus, another member of the council, was also with Joseph of Arimathea.
10. Mark 15:44-45 – Pilate accepted the testimony of the centurion who was present when Jesus died, that Jesus had already been dead for some time.
11. Mark 15:47 – Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses witnessed the burial of Jesus.
12. In John 20:1 through 21:14 a detailed account is given of various ones who saw Jesus after His resurrection.

Tags: Jesus Christ Resurrection Life Redemption Life

This Sacrament talk was delivered to the congregation of the Annapolis Maryland Ward, of the Annapolis Maryland Stake, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, on Sabbath day morning, 8 March 2009.

Scripture Reference: Romans 6:4
“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”


Good morning Brothers and Sisters. Brother Lund has asked me to speak this morning on the subject of baptism and what my baptism meant to me. Being given this assignment comes at a perfect time as this coming Tuesday, March 10th; I will celebrate 11 years as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The fourth Article of Faith states: “We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

The Savior revealed the true method of baptism to the Prophet Joseph Smith, making clear that the ordinance must be performed by one having priesthood authority and that it must be done by immersion:
In Doctrine and Covenants 20:73-74 we are taught, "The person who is called of God and has authority from Jesus Christ to baptize, shall go down into the water with the person who has presented himself or herself for baptism, and shall say, calling him or her by name: Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Then shall he immerse him or her in the water, and come forth again out of the water".

The act of immersing a person in water is symbolic of that person’s sinful life being buried and they being reborn or receiving a new life – a spiritual life – a life that is dedicated to serving God and others. Immersion is also symbolic of the death and resurrection of the Savior. In Romans 6:3-11 we read these words, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

I was born and raised as a Baptist. As such, the method of baptism by immersion was not a new concept to me. I had read the New Testament Gospel accounts of the baptism of Christ numerous times and I fully understood that being baptized by immersion was indeed following the example that the Savior had set before us when he was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River (See Matthew 3:13-17). I also understood the symbolism that Christ’s baptism represents and teaches us. I also did not have a real issue with having to be baptized again because even growing up in the Baptist church, if I transferred from a church that was a part of one sect or convention to another; re-baptism was often required before membership would be accepted. What did concern me for some time, Brothers and Sisters, was the ideal of having to be baptized by one who had proper authority. The question in my mind was. “Were not those who baptized me before authorized to do so?” It took a lot of soul searching, pondering the Scriptures, and prayer to finally come to terms with the matter.

I had no doubt in my mind that this is the Lord’s true Church and that becoming a member of His Church was indeed the right thing to do. I also came to the realization that if I were to become a member of His Church I had to be willing to be obedient to the things which He has commanded and one of things which He commanded was that baptism was to be done by immersion and the ordinance must be performed by one having priesthood authority.

One of the things that really helped to settle a lot of questions and concerns in my mind was the fact that I made a commitment to read all of the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price prior to being baptized. I had already read the Bible in its entirety several times and so I was very familiar with its teachings. As I read the Book of Mormon in particular I came across some verses in Mosiah 18 that really made me stop and think and helped me in making my decision to be baptized. In Mosiah 18:8-10 we read,

8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;
9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—
10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?

I further came to realize that if I were to become a member of His Church, I had to be willing to take His name upon me and be willing to follow His example because when we are baptized we enter into a covenant with God to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, to keep His commandments, and to serve Him to the end (See Mosiah 18:8-10; D&C 20:37). Each time that we partake of the Sacrament we renew the covenant that we made at baptism (See D&C 20:77-79).

The question is asked in 2 Nephi 31:10, “Can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?” Verses 11 through 13 go on to say,
11 And the Father said: Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son.
12 And also, the voice of the Son came unto me, saying: He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do.
 13 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.

Brothers and Sisters, 11 years ago in the far away land of Iceland, where I was stationed in the Navy at the time, I made the decision to be baptized. That decision started me on a whole new path in my life. I am convinced that had the Lord not taken me out of the main stream of things and sent me to a place as far away as Iceland, I probably would not be standing before this congregation this morning.  My goals and my priorities where definitely a lot different than what the Lord had in mind. After being baptized and becoming more learned of the Gospel, and because of my willingness to take upon me His name, to follow His example, and to be obedient to His commands, I have seen and continue to see blessing after blessing in my life. Many doors that I once thought would never be opened to me are now beginning to open and I have been blessed in so many ways with new opportunities to help me grow and mature in the Gospel.

In closing, I believe that the words of President Joseph F. Smith best describe how I felt after being baptized. He said, “When I [was] baptized for the remission of my sins, the feeling that came upon me was that of pure peace, of love and of light. I felt in my soul that if I had sinned – and surely I was not without sin – that it had been forgiven me; that I was indeed cleansed from my sin; my heart was touched, and I felt that I would not injure the smallest insect beneath my feet. I felt as if I wanted to do good everywhere to everybody and to everything. I felt a newness of life, a newness of desire to do that which was right. There was not one particle of desire for evil left in my soul . . . this was the influence that came upon me, and I know that it was from God, and was and ever has been a living witness to me of my acceptance of the Lord. (CR, April 1898, p.66)

I leave you with my testimony that I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. I know that the Bible and the Book of Mormon are the Word of God. I know that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ. I know that Joseph Smith was and is a Prophet of the Lord. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s true Church upon the earth today and that His Church is being led by a Living Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson. Of these things I do so testify and bear solemn witness in the Sacred name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Tags: Baptism Rebirth Salvation Covenant

In the Spirit of Humility and Love

 

Opening Remarks

 

This blog entry is in response to comments that were made concerning the blog that I posted of the summary of a Fireside that I conducted under the direction of my Stake Presidency on the 1978 Revelation of the Priesthood. I have titled this entry “In the Spirit of Humility and Love” because truly it is in that spirit that I humbly submit this reply and subsequent follow-up. From the positive feedback that I received from those in attendance that evening, the Fireside could be counted as a success. My only regret, if I may use that word, is that there were no Black members of the Stake who attended this Fireside which was open to all members – young and old, Young Single Adults (YSA) and Single Adults (SA) alike. Presenting this Fireside was a totally different experience for me, but I truly believe that it was an experience that I needed to help me grow and to prepare me for the next part of the journey. For that I am truly thankful.

 

Follow-up Discussion:

 

During the course of discussion I made the following statement that may have caused some misunderstanding as to the point that I was endeavoring to make. Therefore, I will now humbly defend the statement and add further clarification to the matter. The statement that I made was: “. . . not all people with brown skin are African-Americans.” I realize that there are those who will disagree with the statement that I made and will want to call me a bigot or a racist. I only submit that before using such terms so freely as water flowing from a fountain, a person needs to research the true meaning of such words in a dictionary. I think that some may be surprised to find what those words truly mean..

 

The Lord knows my heart and the statement was not intended to cause any type of hurt feelings, dissention, or confusion of any kind among my brothers and sisters. What I meant by the statement is this:

1. We cannot and we should not “judge a book by its cover.” We should not place people into a certain group or place a label upon them simply based on certain features and / or characteristics such as skin color.
2. The recent advent of DNA testing will show and prove that all people with brown skin (i.e. Blacks) are not direct descendants of Africa. Studies have emphatically shown and proven that there are some Blacks that are of European descent, some of Indian descent, and yes, some Blacks have also discovered through DNA testing that they are of English (or British) and even Irish descent.
3. With the first two points being established, we must admit that during the time of the Priesthood ban any Black male member of the Church was denied the Priesthood automatically because he was believed to be of African descent – no questions asked. We also need to emphasize the point that denial of the Priesthood was not based on skin color alone. Church leaders at that time went beyond that in so much that anyone of African descent, regardless of skin color, was denied the Priesthood. The example that I gave is if a White male member had a Black grandfather and a White grandmother, he too would have been denied the Priesthood because of his "African” heritage and lineage.
4. There were, no doubt, Bishops who may not have agreed with the practice of denying Blacks the Priesthood, but speaking as a former Bishopric member, when direction is given from the General Authorities of the Church it is to be followed and not ignored or stuffed away in a drawer to be forgotten. Having to deny faithful, deserving members the Priesthood based on their heritage, lineage, or skin color alone with no real explanation as to why, had to be heart wrenching at best.
5. I also wanted to emphasize the point that there are many Blacks today who will not join the LDS Church based on their knowledge of the Priesthood ban. They still feel that the Church was wrong in its actions against Blacks and therefore feel that the Church is prejudiced and Blacks would not be welcomed into their congregations. I am a living testimony and witness that nothing could be further from the truth. I can further testify that I have personally been in some areas of this country where I would definitely feel unwelcomed if I were to step through the doors of some churches and sat among their congregations. That simply is not the feelings that I have experienced these past almost 11 years as a member of the Lord’s true Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am humbled to be counted a member and to be able to enjoy all of the blessings of that membership without any regard to my race, heritage, or the color of my skin.

 

Now, I want to turn the tables and attempt to clear up my feelings about the use of the term “African American”. Personally, I think that the term has been overused and abused in a lot of cases. Truly, any person who migrates to this country from the nation of Africa and decides to claim United Statescitizenship is entitled to refer to themselves as African-Americans. I have no issue with that at all. I also have no issue with the fact that President Barack Obama refers to himself as an African-American. After all, his father was Kenyan and his mother was a White American. Truly, as he himself has stated, if he were to trace his family roots, those roots would be well grounded in Africa. Therefore, since the blood line is traced through the father, the term Kenyan-American or even African-American certainly does apply to him.

 

I, on the other hand, was born on 17 October 1958, in the United States of America to two wonderful parents who are now deceased, but both of them were natural born Black Americans. Therefore, if I must accept a label as to who I am, I am a Black American, not an African-American. I am a true blood American. In order for me to find any ties with Africa, if there be any, and the possibility exist that there may not be, would require a great deal of time and research on my part.

 

With that being said, as I do my genealogy work and trace my family line I find that many of my ancestors were identified in the census records as Mulatto (or members of a mixed raced of people). In my blood line there is Black blood, White blood, and Indian blood. The question has arisen as to if Mulatto was ever considered a race. The answer to the question is that society may not have used that term for people of color as the term that was commonly used was Black, but in the census records, under the race column, Mulatto was indeed considered a race. I find it truly amazing that during my short 50 year life span I have been labeled as a colored man, a Negro, a Black man, and now as an African-American. It leads me to wonder why society has felt a need to place so many labels upon one race of people. It also leads me to wonder what the next label will be. Returning to the original question, I am left to ask yet another question: If Mulatto was never considered a race, when did African-American become a race?

 

Allow me to cite a couple of interesting facts that I recently came across concerning the use of the term African-American:

1. In the 20th century, many Black Americans shifted from colored to Negro to Black and, most recently, to African-American, sometimes within one generation. The term African-American has crept steadily into the nation’s vocabulary since 1988, when the Rev. Jesse Jackson held a news conference to urge Americans to use it to refer to Blacks. “It puts us in our proper historical context,” Jackson said then, adding in a recent interview that he still favored the term. He went on to say, “Every ethnic group in this country has a reference to some land base, some historical cultural base. African-Americans have hit that level of cultural maturity.”
2. In a survey held in 1988 conducted by ABC and The Washington Post, 66 percent said they preferred the term Black, 22 percent preferred African-American, 10 percent liked both terms and 2 percent had no opinion. In 2000, the Census Bureau for the first time allowed respondents to check a box that carried the heading African-American next to the term Black.

 

I want to bring this discussion to a close by citing two examples from my own personal family history to drive my point home.

 

My paternal great-grandmother, Amanda Frances Bell was born to a Black mother and a White father who was believed to be a slave trader. I have pictures of her and her complexion is extremely light skinned. What label should be placed upon her to classify her among a race of people? Was she Black? Was she White? Was she Mulatto? Or, should we just be satisfied and say that she was African-American?

 

I cite one final example. I have a young cousin (second cousin actually as he is the son of my first cousin) whose father is Black and his mother is White. If you were to see him you might wonder who that young white boy is. However, in reality, he is not White, nor is he Black. What is he then? Where does he fit in? What label should be placed upon him? Should he also be classified as an African-American? After all, he was born in the United States of America and his father is Black.

 

Brothers and Sisters, the Lord knows my true heart. I do not mean to come across as being a racist or any such thing. The point that I return to once again is that we cannot and should not “judge a book by its cover.” Society in a lot of ways has done a great injustice by placing labels on people, especially people of color, who have had many labels placed upon them. I have no ill feelings against anyone who wants to refer to themselves as African- American or any other type of American. That is their choice. God bless them. They are all still my brothers and sisters. We are all members of the same Heavenly family and God, our Eternal Heavenly Father loves each and every one of us unconditionally. He is no respecter of persons and therefore, He does not care what label we choose to use to identify ourselves or that society places upon us.

 

To some, as I mentioned, like in the case of. President Obama, being referred to as an African-American truly applies. But for those of us who are natural born Blacks, it may not necessarily apply. We will have to agree to disagree on that point. As for me, I have always been and will continue to maintain till my dying day that I am an American. I am an American with a diverse background and a very rich heritage for which I am thankful. If my roots tie me back to Africa in some way that is good, if not, that is good also. I am satisfied that my Heavenly Father placed me in the blood line that He needed me to be a part of. If it is absolutely necessary that a label must be used to distinguish me from other people in the world, then I shall be satisfied to be referred to as a Black American and not African-American.

 

I submit these thoughts in the spirit of humility and love. May God speed the day when the use of labels to distinguish one race of people from another will no longer be necessary. What a blessed day that will be! God bless you all..

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tags: Love Family Peace Harmony Race

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

The following Sacrament talk was delivered to the congregation of the Odenton Ward in Odenton Maryland on Sabbath Day afternoon, 24 March 2002.

Key Verses:

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

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

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. – 2 Timothy 2:15

. . . .For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learning and the profit of my children. – 2 Nephi 4:15


Good afternoon Brothers and Sisters. I always count it a pleasure and an honor to be able to address a congregation such as this and share my testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am particularly excited about the assignment that I have been given as I have the opportunity to speak for a few minutes on one of my favorite subjects – that being the importance of the Scriptures.

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 also 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 43, I have been blessed to read the Bible in its entirety seven times and I am currently engaged in the eighth reading of the blessed volume. 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 “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

It was indeed my love for the Scriptures and my yearning to know more about the truths of the Gospel that sent me on a quest to find those truths. I began investigating the Church back in 1980 prior to joining the Navy. I met with missionaries on several occasions and enjoyed the Gospel discussions that we had. Once I left for boot camp, I lost all contact with the missionaries and did not pursue investigating the Church any further until 17 years later when I was stationed in Keflavic Iceland. It was while I was stationed there that I decided to investigate the Church once more and contacted the Church News concerning a subscription to the Church newspaper. One of the editors there, Mr. Doug Osborn, contacted the missionaries on my behalf and my quest for truth was begun once again. I met with many missionaries over the course of about a year. As I listened intently to the lessons that they taught about the Doctrines of the Gospel I began to wonder why I had not been taught some of the things that they were discussing with me before then. I became very interested in what the Book of Mormon was all about and not just the Book of Mormon but the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price as well.

To make a long story short, I told the missionaries one evening that I would not make a decision about being baptized until after I had read the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price each in their entirety. Through the Divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit I was able to develop a 40-day reading schedule for all three standard works and for the next forty days I spent all of my spare time reading and studying those blessed Scriptures. I knew as I read and pondered those pages of Scriptures that what I was reading was true and more importantly I gained a testimony that this is indeed the Lord’s true Church and that I could not afford to miss out on the blessings of becoming a member of His Church. So, on March 10, 1998, four short years ago, I was baptized and the rest as they say is history. Since becoming a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I have been blessed to have now read the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price five times each in their entirety and I am currently reading and studying each for the sixth time.

I would like to spend the remainder of my time with you this afternoon by sharing with you several key steps that have helped me in applying the Scriptures to my daily life. I also use these steps to aid me when preparing to teach the Scriptures.

Step 1: Read and meditate upon the Scriptures daily.

Ezra Taft Benson in an address to educators in Salt Lake City on September 17, 1976 said, “Always remember, there is no satisfactory substitute for the scriptures and the words of the living prophets. These should be your original sources. Read and ponder more what the Lord has said, and less about what others have written about what the Lord has said.”

Joshua 1:8 give us concise instructions for meditating upon the Scriptures daily. We read these words, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” I testify to you that daily Scripture reading will have a major impact on your life. Knowing that the Scriptures are true and that they testify of a Savior who loved me enough to die for me, gives me hope and courage to face the challenges that I must face on a daily basis. The Psalmist declared in Psalm 119:105 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

Concerning this subject President Brigham Young had this to say:

“The Old and New Testaments, the Book of Mormon, and the book of Doctrine and Covenants. . .are like a lighthouse in the ocean or a finger-post which points out the road we should travel. Where do they point? To the fountain of light. . .That is what these books are for. They are of God; they are valuable and necessary; by them we can establish the doctrine of Christ.” (Journal of Discourses, 26 vols. [Liverpool, England: Albert Carrington and others, 1853-1886], 8:129.)

One of the last gifts that I bought for my mother was a Bible. Each day she would spend time reading a portion of the Scriptures. When she was too sick or too weak to read the Scriptures on her own she would have my younger sister read to her or she would listen to the Scriptures being read to her via cassette or CD. In addition to reading the Scriptures, my mother also kept a notebook where she would write out her favorite Scripture passages. No matter what, she always spent a portion of each day reading and studying the Scriptures and I will forever be grateful for her example, and for her testimony of the truthfulness of the Scriptures.

Reading God’s Word is a very important part of communicating God’s Word to God’s people. Public Scripture reading was a regular part of the worship services in Israel and in the early church. Today we are blessed above all people in history because we do not have to depend on someone reading the Scriptures for us. There are enough copies of the Scriptures readily available that each person can have their own personal copy and read and study the Scriptures for themselves. Here are a few suggestions to aid you in receiving the greatest benefit from reading the Scriptures:

A. Read the Scriptures prayerfully – Ask the Holy Spirit to meet your heart’s need as you read (Psalm 119:18).
B. Read the Scriptures thoughtfully – Think about the meaning and implications of what you are reading. Don’t readjust the words printed on the page. Ask yourself how what you are reading may apply to you in your own particular situations in life.
C. Read the Scriptures carefully – Take careful note of not only how words are used in a particular passage of Scripture but how does that word or words relate to the overall meaning of the particular passage. One thing that I have found to be helpful when I am reading and studying the Scriptures is to have a note pad near by where I can record any questions that I may wish to research later or of passages that have significant meaning to me.
D. Read the Scriptures repeatedly – The more that we repeat something, the more that it becomes a part of us. I am convinced that no one can read the blessed pages of the Scriptures repeatedly and not have their lives changed in some manner.
E. Read the Scriptures extensively – Sometimes it may help to read large portions of the Scriptures at one sitting. If you choose to do this, do it at a time when you are most alert and are not likely to be disturbed by outside distractions. I have found that reading the Scriptures first thing in the morning work best for me. I make it a daily practice to begin each day by reading 5 to 6 chapters before I leave for work. I have found that this helps to set a more positive tone for the day ahead.
F. Read the Scriptures regularly – Set up a Scripture reading schedule and stick to it. One of my personal goals is to read the Bible in its entirety once each year and to read the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price each in their entirety at least twice a year. Therefore, my reading schedule is based on that goal. Each of you must choose a schedule that works best for you. The whole ideal is to begin reading the Scriptures on a regular basis.
G. Read the Scriptures faithfully – Don’t get discouraged if you get behind in your reading schedule. Faithfully resume reading where you left off.
H. Read the Scriptures obediently – Because the Scriptures are God’s Words written to us, it is essential that we are obedient to what is written therein.

Step 2: Begin your Scripture reading with prayer.

Dean L. Larsen once said, “There is a special power in the scriptures. Scripture study, combined with daily, powerful prayer, can provide much of the resolution that is necessary today to offset the influences so prevalent in the world that leads us into forbidden ways.” (Ensign, November 1989, p.63.) He also said, “I am going to give more time and attention to study and pondering of the scriptures themselves, rather than to commentaries and criticisms that others have written about them. In doing this, I am going to be open as I can be to the Spirit of the Lord so that I can understand these things for myself.” (Ensign, November 1987, p.12.)
Before we begin our daily Scripture reading we should first seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit to help us understand what we are about to read. Even after reading the Scriptures as many times as I have, I have found that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, no matter how many times I have read a passage of Scripture, there are always new things that I can learn. How true it is as once heard someone say, “The Scriptures are always fresh each morning, they never grow old.” Trying to understand the Scriptures with our finite minds can be a real challenge, but with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, reading, studying and pondering the Scriptures means so much more.

The Prophet Joseph Smith gave us these instructions:

“Search the scriptures – search the revelations which we publish, and ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, to manifest the truth unto you, and if you do it with an eye single to his glory, nothing doubting, he will answer you by the power of his Holy Spirit. You will then know for yourselves and not for another. You will not then be dependent on man for the knowledge of God; nor will there be any room for speculation . . .For when men receive their instruction from Him that made them; they know he will save them . . .. Again we say, Search the Scriptures, search the Prophets and learn what portion of them belongs to you.” (TPJS, pp. 11-12)

Step 3: Memorize Scriptures.

The Psalmist in Psalm 119:11 declared, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” We should all strive to memorize portions of the Scriptures. Start by memorizing some of your favorite passages. As we begin to memorize Scriptures they become a living part of us. In times of distress and trouble, the Holy Spirit will bring to remembrance those Scriptures that we have learned. Memorizing Scriptures also helps us to strengthen our testimonies. We are able to share with others those things that we know from the Scriptures. The more Scripture we memorize the more ready we are with a defense against those who attack our beliefs.

Conclusion.

Reuben Clark, Jr. in a fireside address on December 11, 1960 said: “Read your Scriptures, read them early and read them late, read them in your youth and do not abandon them when you get older.” President Ezra Taft Benson once said, “This is the answer to the great challenge of our time. The word of God, as found in the scriptures, in the words of the living prophets, and in personal revelation, has the power to fortify the Saints and arm them with the Spirit so they can resist evil, hold fast to the good, and find joy in this life.” (Ensign, May 1986, p.80.) And it was Ardeth G. Kapp who said, “We live and will one day die. And when we do, we will know our Savior, for we have searched the Holy Scriptures and felt his nearness as He walks with us on our journey home.” (Ensign, November 1985, p.95.)

Brothers and Sisters may I urge each and every one of us to become more diligent students of the Scriptures. May we develop the attitude of the Bereans in Acts 17:11 who “. . . .were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” These things I say unto you humbly in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. 

The 1978 Revelation on the Priesthood

An LDS Fireside held on 22 February 2009

On Sunday, 22 February 2009 I conducted a Fireside based on the subject of the 1978 Revelation on the Priesthood. The Fireside was held in the home of one of the Annapolis Maryland Ward members. at 7:30 pm that evening. There were 15 of us in attendance . The feedback that I received indicated that the Fireside was a success. I am grateful to all who attended.

I began the evening by first introducing myself and then opened up the discussion for the with a few general statements to include the following:

1. There are no definitive answers that are given or that I have found in my research as to why the Priesthood ban ever took place. I made mention of the fact that the official statement of the Church made in 1969 under the leadership of President David O. McKay declared that the ban existed for “reasons which we believe are known to God, but which He has not made fully known to man.”

2. I then stated that not all people with brown skin are African Americans. I used myself and my ancestry as an example to illustrate this point. I pointed out that many of my ancestors would have been classified as mulatto (a mixed race of people) and not as Blacks, Negroes, or African American. In my genealogical line there is Black blood, White Blood, and even some Indian blood. The point that I wanted to make is that the Priesthood ban was not strictly based on the color of a person’s skin. This brought me to my next point.

3. The Priesthood ban affected any and all members of African descent and lineage. Therefore, it was possible to be White and still be denied the Priesthood. If for example, a person had a Black grandfather and a White grandmother, that person would have been denied the Priesthood as well.

4. I briefly mentioned that one of the theories about the Priesthood ban is the “Curse of Cain” theory based on Genesis 9:20-27. I only mentioned it in passing. We did not pursue a discussion on this subject.

I next made mention of the fact that there are those who do not feel that a discussion on the Priesthood ban is even relevant. There are those who feel that it is something that occurred in Church history and we should just let it go. My response to that is simply this: if we can spend time talking about the early pioneers and all that they went through or if we can spend time talking about such things as the Mountain Meadows Massacre, things which have happened in Church history and have passed, then certainly we can spend some time and need to spend some time discussing the Priesthood ban in order to gain a better understanding – realizing that we do not have all the answers to the questions that are asked.

I pointed out that just because we wish something did not occur in Church history does not mean that it did not occur. I also mentioned that one of the reasons there are still organizations in the Church such as LDS Genesis Group (http://www.ldsgenesisgroup.org/) is to help educate people of all races and cultures and to help bridge some of the gaps of misunderstanding as well as dispel any myths or false teachings about the Church as far as race or the color of a person's skin is concerned. I made mention of the fact that our beloved Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, was one of the people that were instrumental in starting the LDS Genesis Group and still supports that group to this day. In fact, it was the LDS Genesis Group that hosted the 30 year celebration of the 1978 Revelation last year in Salt Lake City. I further stated that the first Black to be ordained to the Priesthood after the 1978 Revelation was a man by the name of Joseph Freeman and that it was Elder Thomas S. Monson who performed the sealing ordinance for Brother Freeman and his family in the Salt Lake Temple. As a side note, Brother Joseph Freeman wrote a book about his experiences and the 1978 Revelation entitled “In the Lord’s Due Time”.

With all of that important foundation being laid, I next turned our attention to some important dates in Church history. I provided handouts of an abbreviated time line which I obtained from Black LDS.Org (http://www.blacklds.org/). I wanted to illustrate that Blacks did indeed hold the Priesthood prior to the ban. One person that I highlighted in particular was Elijah Abel who was baptized in 1832 by Ezekiel Roberts and became the first Black man to receive the Priesthood in the LDS Church. I also provided a handout on a brief biography of Elijah Abel. I also mentioned that it is believed that Joseph Smith himself was the one who ordained Elijah to the office of Elder. Later, Elijah’s son and grandson would both receive the Priesthood and be ordained as Elders. It is interesting to note that even though Elijah Abel had done all of the initiatory work in the Temple he was denied the priviledge of receiving his endowments by President Brigham Young. One of the people that Elijah taught was Sister Eunice Kinney who he baptized in 1938. I provided a handout of a letter that Sister Kinney wrote in 1891 describing her conversion experience.

I made mention of the fact that the Church took an anti-slavery stand and that this is one of the things that led to their being driven from Missouri which was a slave state. It was also mentioned that when Joseph Smith ran for President, he ran on an anti-slavery platform. Furthermore, it was mentioned that perhaps one of the reasons that the Priesthood ban existed in the beginning at least was because the Church was young and in order to keep from causing any major upsets, they tried to stay within the confines of the laws of the land which in most cases prohibited Blacks from holding any type of authoritative positions. Of interesting note is the fact that there were some slaves that were baptized and became members of the Church, but it had to be done in secret.

The discussion moved forward from there as we began to wrap up the evening and discussed that the Priesthood ban was not just something that weighed heavily on President Spencer W. Kimball’s mind, but it was on the minds of many of the Church leaders. We discussed how even though people of African descent and lineage did not understand why God would allow a Priesthood ban, they still knew in their hearts that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is indeed the Lord’s true Church upon the earth and they had faith and hope that one day the ban would be lifted and all worthy males of every race, color, and ethnicity would enjoy the full blessings of the Priesthood. These faithful Saints saw beyond any color barriers and chose to worship the True and the Living God and to live a life that was pleasing unto Him. When the official announcement was made there is no small wonder that there was a great shout of “Hallelujah” by members everywhere. I concluded this part of our discussion by reading Official Declaration 2 to the group.

The final question of the evening was, “How can we do better in reaching out and bridging the gap of any mistrusts and misunderstandings that may exist among peoples of different cultures?” Unanimously the answer was fellowshipping. We must show people how much we care about them and how much we truly love them as Brothers and Sisters.

Brothers and Sisters, we may not know exactly why the Priesthood ban ever existed, but we can be thankful that today all worthy male members regardless of race or ethnicity are permitted to hold the Priesthood and enjoy the full blessings thereof.

Tags: Priesthood Revelation

Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 5:20
“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

Webster defines the word “ambassador” as a country’s representative in a foreign land.” As Christians, we are Christ’s ambassadors, sent with His message of reconciliation to the world. An ambassador of reconciliation has an important responsibility and we dare not take the responsibility lightly. We are no longer strangers, foreigners, or enemies to God when we put our trust in Christ. Because we have been reconciled to God, He now gives us the privilege to encourage others to do the same.

Now the question arises, what exactly does it mean to be an ambassador for Christ? Let us examine this issue more closely.

1. An ambassador does not appoint himself, he is appointed by Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)
2. An ambassador does not have to worry about supporting himself. He realizes that whom the Lord calls, He also prepares and will supply his every need. (Ephesians 1:3; Philippians 4:19)
3. An ambassador has clear instructions in written form – the Scriptures. (2 Timothy 3:16)
4. An ambassador cannot take insults personally; he is accepted or rejected not on his own merit but because of whom he represents. (John 15:19-21)
5. An ambassador does not enter a country to gain profit for himself. His entire efforts are spent on serving the Lord and bringing glory to His name through the sharing of Good News, which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:15)
6. An ambassador knows that he is a personal representative of someone else; everything that he says and does reflects on the one who sent him. (John 13:35; 17:23)
7. An ambassador’s perspective is service; his prospect is reward. He is commissioned for service and he will be rewarded. (Matthew 5:12; 2 John 1:8; Revelation 22:12)
8. An ambassador’s foundation is a sure foundation because it is built upon “the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God” and because he is built upon this foundation, he cannot fall. (Helaman 5:12)

Those who are called of God thus become His servants, His agents, and His ambassadors. They are sent forth to do the work that He has for them to do and to be a personal representative of Him. Their words are His words and their acts are His acts; when they serve within the field and scope of their authorization, it is as though the Lord Himself has said or done whatever is involved.

Hear the Master as He instructs His ambassadors before they embark upon their journeys, “And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no script, no bread, no money in their purse: But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats. And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city” (Mark 6:7-11).

That we may be humble, obedient, and loyal ambassadors for our Master is my humble prayer. In the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Tags: Ambassadors Missionaries Christ Service

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