There is Help & Happiness Ahead

A few years ago Jeffery R. Holland shared an experience he had when he was headed to graduate school 2500 miles from home. He and his small family put everything they had in a trailer and hitched it to their old car. After driving only 34 miles the car over heated and they were stranded. He had to leave his family and walk 3 miles to the nearest town where a man offered to take him back to his car. Elder Holland said they drove slowly back to St. George and had the car looked at but they could not find anything wrong with it. They started their journey again and at the very same spot the car overheated again. He had to walk the three miles to the same man’s home for help once again. Many years later he drove that same road with his wife. Their children were now grown and raising children of their own, yet Elder Holland said:

Yet in my mind’s eye, for just an instant, I thought perhaps I saw on that side road an old car with a devoted young wife and two little children making the best of a bad situation there. Just ahead of them I imagined that I saw a young fellow walking toward Kanarraville, with plenty of distance still ahead of him. His shoulders seemed to be slumping a little, the weight of a young father’s fear evident in his pace. In the scriptural phrase his hands did seem to “hang down.” ¹⁵ In that imaginary instant, I couldn’t help calling out to him: “Don’t give up, boy. Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead—a lot of it—30 years of it now, and still counting. You keep your chin up. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come.” (“An High Priest of Good Things to Come”, Elder Jeffery R. Holland, General Conference, October 1999)

Like Elder Holland, I look back over the many years that my wife and I have traveled and have witnessed the many times that we have had help from friends, family, strangers and the Lord. If I had the opportunity to go back and see that young family as we were just starting our journey through life, I would say “hang on, it is worth every struggle, all of the good times and bad times”. I also know that Heavenly Father and His son have been there with us when we needed them. The scriptures promise:

And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up. (Doctrine & Covenants 84:88)

And again he has given us this promise:

Behold my Spirit is upon you, wherefore all thy words will I justify; and the mountains shall flee before you, and the rivers shall turn from their course; and thou shalt abide in me, and I in you; therefore walk with me.  (Moses 6:34)

The promise that the Savior will be there by our side in good times and especially in hard times is sure. I know that these promises are real. Ten years ago I was stricken with pancreatitis and the doctor told my wife that I might not survive. I was given a blessing by my bishop and was told that it was not time for me to go and that there would be angels standing by to help when needed. Obviously I did survive that experience and I know that during the six months that my family and I went through that experience that there were angels, seen and unseen, there to help us. We had the help of our home teacher who came and mowed our lawn and provided many other hours of service. There were other ward members and friends that provided meals, and helped my wife and I in so many different ways. We were so grateful for the many acts of kindness that we were given during that difficult struggle.

Mt St. Helens eruption on May 18, 19080

On May 18, 1980 we were living near Vancouver, Washington only 30 miles from Mt. St. Helen’s when it erupted sending a pyroclastic flow of 2000 degrees out of the mountain destroying everything in it’s path within 230 square miles of the side that blew with the force of a bomb 500 times than the one that was dropped on Hiroshima (http://www.history.com/topics/us-states/washington/videos/mount-st-helens-erupts). 57 lives were lost; most of them were from individuals that were not supposed to be in the area that was restricted at that time. There were about 7,000 big game animals lost and it is estimated that the total damage was about 1 Billion dollars in homes destroyed, jobs lost and the effect on the economy of the area.  The destructive eruption went in the direction that was wilderness and not populated areas. If it had come in our direction many more lives and property would have been destroyed. I am sure that the Lord’s hand was round about us all that day and that the effect of that mountain’s eruption was turned out of it’s more destructive course.

A car destroyed near Mt. St. Helens

There have been many other experiences we have had that I know the Lord had his hand in directing and protecting the lives of our family members. Though it is easy to look back and see the Lord’s hand in our lives it is difficult to see it when you are experiencing hard times. My message to all who are struggling to never lose hope, the promise of the Lord is sure that his angels will be round about you and his spirit in our hearts. Elder Holland testifies:

“My declaration is that this is precisely what the gospel of Jesus Christ offers us, especially in times of need. There is help. There is happiness. There really is light at the end of the tunnel. It is the Light of the World, the Bright and Morning Star, the “light that is endless, that can never be darkened.” ³ It is the very Son of God Himself. In loving praise far beyond Romeo’s reach, we say, “What light through yonder window breaks?” It is the return of hope, and Jesus is the Sun.  To any who may be struggling to see that light and find that hope, I say: Hold on. Keep trying. God loves you. Things will improve. Christ comes to you in His “more excellent ministry” with a future of “better promises.” He is your “high priest of good things to come.” Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come.” (“An High Priest of Good Things to Come”, Elder Jeffery R. Holland, General Conference, October 1999)

I can also testify that through the gospel of Jesus Christ we can find true happiness and that as we live worthy, the Lord will be with us on our right hand and our left, and his angels will be round about us to bear us up. I know that help and happiness will be ours as we keep the commandments and give thanks for the many blessings that the Lord provides.

I invite you to watch this five-minute video clip of Elder Holland's experience with his young family and the help he needed and received called "Good Things to Come".

Your comments and questions are welcome.

Joseph Smith - Prophet or Pretender?

One of the biggest objections that people have with our claim that the true Church of Jesus Christ has been restored again on the earth is they have a problem with Joseph Smith and his claim of seeing God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. While no one can prove what we in the LDS Church call “The First Vision” because no one else was there to witness it, we can nonetheless look at other fruits of Joseph Smith. The Lord Jesus Christ said:

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (Matthew 7:16-20)

First let’s take a look at what Joseph said about that vision with God and Jesus Christ. At age fourteen, Joseph and his family attended many of the religious revival meetings that where being held at that time. Joseph indicated that the ministers of the different churches claimed that their church was the true church. This was confusing to the boy Joseph. He said:

While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: 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.

Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.

At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to “ask of God,” concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture. (Joseph Smith – History 1:11-13)

Joseph Smith did decide to ask God for help. He went into a grove of trees near his home and knelt down and offered up his prayer to God. While he was praying he said he saw a light over his head that descended gradually until it fell on him. He then said:

When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him! (Joseph Smith – History 1:17)

The personages that appeared to Joseph were God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. The first thing Joseph learned that day was that God and Jesus were two distinct individuals and not part of a trinity that the religions of his day taught and most still believe today. The purpose of Joseph’s prayer was to know what church he should join. When he asked God his question, Joseph said:

I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.” (Joseph Smith – History 1:19)

What an amazing experience that must have been for a fourteen year old boy? Is it hard to believe that such an experience could really have happened? If it were not for the many scriptures in the Old and New Testaments that tell of experiences of other prophets, some old and some very young, that had similar experiences it would be hard to believe. The scriptures say that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. If God appeared to prophets anciently then he could and would do it today.

Now let’s look at a small sampling of the fruits of the Prophet Joseph Smith. In a April 2014 General Conference address Elder Lawrence Corbridge, of the Seventy, testified that we could know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God because of the many revelations that he received that challenged the teachings of today. He said:

“The revelations poured out upon Joseph Smith affirm that he was a prophet of God. Let’s just look at some of them—just look at some of the light and truth revealed through him that shines in stark contrast to the common beliefs of his day and ours:

• God is a personal, exalted being, an Eternal Father. He is our Father.

• God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are separate beings.

• You are more than human. You are a child of God the Eternal Father and may become like Him⁶ if you will have faith in His Son, repent, receive ordinances, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end.

• The Church of Jesus Christ today is fundamentally the same Church He organized during His mortal ministry, with prophets and apostles, Melchizedek and Levitical Priesthoods, elders, high priests, deacons, teachers, bishops, and the seventy, all as described in the Bible.

• Priesthood authority was withheld from the earth following the deaths of the Savior and His Apostles and was restored again in our day.

• Revelation has not ceased, and the heavens are not closed. God speaks to prophets today, and He will speak to you and me as well.

• There is more after this life than only heaven and hell. There are degrees of glory, and it matters a great deal what we do in this life.

• More than having a mere passive belief in Christ, we should “look unto [Him] in every thought,” “do all that [we do] in the name of the Son, and “always remember him and keep his commandments … that [we] may always have his Spirit to be with [us].”

• The billions who live and die without the gospel and the ordinances necessary for salvation are not lost. “Through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel,” administered for both the living and the dead.

• Everything did not begin at birth. You lived before in the presence of God as His son or daughter and prepared for this mortal life.

• Marriage and family are not conventions of men until only death do us part. They are intended to be made eternal through covenants we make with God. The family is the pattern of heaven.”

“And this is only a part of the flood of revelation poured out upon Joseph Smith. Where did it all come from, these revelations which give light to darkness, clarity to doubt, and which have inspired, blessed, and improved millions of people? Which is more likely, that he dreamed it all up on his own or that he had the help of heaven? Do the scriptures he produced sound like the words of man or the words of God?” (“The Prophet Joseph Smith”, Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge, General Conference, April 2014)

There are only two possible answers to the question if Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, one answer is yes and the other no. Either he was telling the truth about his first vision with God and Jesus Christ or he was not. There is no partial truth. As you examine the fruits of his teachings and revelations the answer is yes he was a true Prophet of God. The other important thing to consider is if he was a true prophet then all of his revelations and teachings are true whether we understand or believe them or not. If Joseph Smith was a true prophet, you cannot disregard some teaching or principle because you don’t like it or understand it.

The same is true about the prophet that is leading the church today. If Joseph Smith was a true prophet and he did restore the true Church of Jesus Christ on the earth again, then all of the prophets since are true prophets including the current Prophet, Thomas S. Monson. What he teaches today is God’s will no matter how much the world disagrees or others try to persuade us otherwise. There is no middle ground. Either the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true Gospel of Jesus Christ or it isn’t.

To the honest seeker of truth the promise is the same as it was for the young boy Joseph Smith, if you want to know the truth, ask God and he will give you the answer if you ask in sincere prayer.  Not only does the promise in James 5:1 apply to use today, so also does  the promise that the Prophet Moroni gave us:

I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truthof it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. (Moroni 10:4)

I have tested the promise and can tell you that I know that Joseph Smith did see God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, that he did receive the priesthood authority to restore the true Church of Jesus Christ again on the earth, that President Thomas S. Monson is God’s Prophet today, that Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon by the power of God and it is another witness of Jesus Christ and that revelation continues from God to his prophets today.

Joseph Smith was not a pretender, what he said and did are true. He was and is the prophet of the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that Gospel and priesthood authority is in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Your comments and questions are welcome.

The Law of the Harvest

I love the fall season. The temperatures are mild and the nights cool. It is also a time of harvest, a time that we enjoy the blessings of the law of the harvest. Yesterday we pulled up the garden and put what is left of the tomatoes, onions, potatoes and peppers into the greenhouse where we will enjoy the fruits of our labor for a little longer.  We have enjoyed fresh tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, lettuce, garlic, onions, lettuce and peppers for several months now and the season is coming to an end. Tomorrow we are expecting a hard frost thus the reason for picking the last of the garden and laying it up in storage. Last week we picked the apples off our tree and we will enjoy them for several months this fall and winter. We also enjoyed an abundance of cherries and peaches. We have really been blessed this season.

Each spring when we prepare our soil and plant the seeds in the garden, we never know how well things will grow. We always do our part by continuing to water and pull the weeds. To be honest weeds do not dare grow in our garden because for years my wife has made sure that there were few weeds. Usually if we do our part, we end up having an abundance of fruits and vegetables.  Our fruit trees are a different story. We always pray for a good crop, but things depend on whether there is a frost just as the trees are in blossom. We are also dependent on the bees pollinating the trees to provide the fruit. Last year we had no apples on our tree and very few cherries due to a bad frost that killed all the blossoms. This year made up for the lack of fruit last year.

Growing up both of our families had gardens that provided opportunities for us to learn the principle of the harvest and to see the blessings of hard work. This is a great principle that we tried teaching our children and now our grandchildren are learning it from their parents. Elder L. Tom Perry tells of his experiences as a child and now with his children and their gardens:

“(the) growth cycle has always been a marvel to me—the process of fertilizing, tilling, planting, weeding, and irrigating to produce a harvest. I am continually amazed with the power in a single seed as it multiplies itself many, many times. I’ve tried to perpetuate this understanding in the lives of my children. Each has had his turn in tilling, planting, weeding, and watering. Exposing yourself to the Lord’s system cannot help but give you an appreciation for his bounteous blessings to us. There have been very few years in my life when I have not been responsible for a garden. Even now as a city condominium dweller, I still plant and harvest a garden each year.

“When my daughter moved to Bountiful, Utah, three years ago, we went out to inspect her new home. To my great disappointment, the backyard was too small to produce much of a garden. However, in looking over her back fence, I discovered a vacant lot that was for sale. I quickly made arrangements with the owner to purchase it. Now the Perry family has its own welfare farm. As a family we soon learned to appreciate the parable of the sower. The vacant lot had been used for years by good neighbors as a dumping ground for weeds, grass clippings, rocks, tree limbs, etc. Many hours of work produced only a small garden of minimum yield that first year. The next year more of the good soil was made productive with additional hours of labor. Now, the third year, all but a small hill at the front of the property is bringing forth an abundant harvest. It has removed from us the worry of food cost inflation, for we have been able to increase our yield much faster than food cost inflation has increased.

“The great blessing is that we are only beginning. The yield has no limits on its increase. Our labors will continue to bring forth more abundant harvest each year as we follow the Lord’s law of the harvest. He has bound himself to provide us with abundance so long as we will live his law in righteousness and labor for that blessing.

“Each spring as I look over an insignificant, small seed and place it in a well-prepared seed bed, I marvel at how much it will produce. Then my soul is filled with thanksgiving when I realize what can happen when that small seed begins to multiply itself, and I contemplate my potential as part of the greatest of all creations, man. I am one of His spirit children. If a seed can multiply thirty, sixty, or even a hundredfold, what then is my potential if I would but cast out the stones, clean out the thorns, cultivate deeply into the soil for a good seedbed, irrigate, and nourish? It is then that I realize there is no limit to my potential so long as I conform my life to the Lord’s law of the harvest.” (“The Law of the Harvest”, Elder L. Tom Perry, New Era, October 1980)

As Elder Perry mentioned, the law of the harvest applies to our lives as well as our gardens and fruit trees. We will reap the rewards of what we sow in our lives. If we keep the commandants of God and serve our brothers and sisters, we will enjoy the blessings of eternal life with God and His Son. Jesus taught this principle when he told the parable of the sower:

Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. (Mark 4:3-8)

When the disciples asked what the parable meant he said unto them:

The sower soweth the word.

And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.

And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred. (Mark 3:14-20)

It is interesting to note that even when the gospel seed is sown on good ground the yield is different. I believe that the difference is how much we apply the gospel principles in our lives. Not only must we be careful not to sow in stony ground or poor soil, but also we must not give in to the cares of the world that will choke the spirit in our lives. We must also be willing to serve others and help them nourish the gospel seed in their lives and help them enjoy the blessings of the harvest. As we lose ourselves in serving others, our harvest becomes even richer and fuller.  And in so doing others and we will enjoy the rewards of the law of the harvest.

Your questions and comments are welcome.