What Repentance Means to Me

I don't know that I can deal with this subject adequately, because it is a central issue. Along with agency and the atonement, it is a main part of the plan of salvation.

God gave us our agency, which is an essential part of the plan. We must choose to be like Him, if we want to truly develop those characteristics. They cannot be forced upon us.

However, agency gives us the opportunity to to make our own choices, and being mortal, we all make at least some wrong choices. The atonement provides forgiveness and course corrections, if we will only repent.

True repentance is the process of becoming more like our Heavenly Father. We discard behaviors that are not like his, and replace them with behaviors that are Christlike.

Some tend to think of repentance as a sort of punishment, where we have to change our ways. This is not correct. It is an opportunity provided by a loving Father to allow us to recover from our mistakes and still progress to become like Him even after our errors.

There are steps to repentance: recognizing error, feeling a desire to change and a sorrow for having done wrong, confession, making it right where possible, by making what restitution we can, and forsaking the incorrect behavior permanently. None of this is easy. None of it can be done without the Lord's help. Some errors also require confession to and help from a Bishop or other authorized servant of the Lord.

The wonderful miracle is that, when we sincerely repent, the Lord forgives and forgets our errors, remembering them no more; and that He then applies the atonement to us, which literally cleans us of our stains and changes us for the better. The entire plan of salvation, the entire goal of the "immortality and eternal life of man" would fail without this process.

I am very grateful for repentance in my life. I am now a better man that I used to be, thanks to this privilege. And, if I continue to repent as I should, my progress and improvement will continue until I am blessed with eternal life and exaltation.

What Christmas Means to Me

Today we had our annual Christmas program during Sacrament meeting. It was wonderful. Janet and I were in the choir. We sang several songs, and there were scripture readings and two talks. The talks were really good, and emphasized not only Jesus' birth, but also his mission in life and the purpose of his coming into mortality. This was made more poignant by the circumstance that yesterday a beloved member of our ward passed away at age 79. I joined his children and grandchildren in tears off and on through the meeting. This made it all the more wonderful that the speakers emphasized all that Christ has done for us.

Because of Jesus, our friend John's story is not done. He is reunited with his parents and siblings, and his beloved Norma will join them when her time comes. Because of Jesus all of our mortal loneliness and sorrow and illness and frailty has an end. Because of Jesus we can be reunited with or families in joy for eternity. Because of Jesus we have comfort and hope.

This, to me, is the bottom line about Christmas. It's great to celebrate the new-born babe. But it is even more wonderful to give praise and thanks for the mission this baby boy performed for his Father and for us. I am awed by the whole concept that He would suffer for me personally and for each of you personally. What an amazing love and grace He has for us!

I testify that it is only through this baby Jesus, and the adult Jesus that He became, that we have any hope of salvation, peace, hope, happiness, or eternal life. To provide these things for us is the reason He chose to come to earth. This is why it is so important to me to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child, and to love and worship and obey him.

Dickens and Van Dyke: Recommended Reading for the Christmas Season

Charles Dickens wrote The Life of Our Lord for his own children. It was very personal to him and to his family, and so was not published until many years after he passed away. It is a treasure, explaining Jesus' life in terms a child can understand. It shows the strength of Dickens' testimony of Christ.

This little book contains one of my favorite first paragraphs from all literature: "My dear children, I am very anxious that you should know something about the History of Jesus Christ. For everybody ought to know about Him. No one ever lived, who was so good, so kind, so gentle, and so sorry for all people who did wrong, or were in anyway ill or miserable, as he was. And as he is now in Heaven, where we hope to go, and all to meet each other after we are dead, and there be happy always together, you never can think what a good place Heaven, is without knowing who he was and what he did."

Highly recommended. I found it on line at The Life of Our Lord.

The other short book that I like to read during this time of year is Henry Van Dyke's The Mansion. This is a sort of parable about our reward on earth vs. our reward in heaven, and is a good reminder of what our real priorities should be. Though Van Dyke did not word it this way, he clearly teaches in this story that "when you are in the service of your fellow beings you are only in the service of your God."

I also like it because one of the characters is named Harold. Not that this should make any difference...

I found it on line at The Mansion by Henry Van Dyke.

I hope you enjoy these books. I think they would be well worth your time.

What the Privilege of Serving a Mission Has Meant to Me

I served a full-time mission for the church from 1974 - 1976, in Minnesota while waiting for my visa, and then, starting in July 1975 when my visa finally came through, in the Sao Paulo Brazil South Mission.

It was a great time in my life, a wonderful opportunity to serve the Lord by sharing in his goal to bring to pass the exaltation and eternal life of man. It was great to share the gospel with those who did not know of it, in its fullness.

It was not always easy. There were times of discouragement, illness, and even not getting along as well as I should have with my companion. There were many who rejected our message, most often without even beginning to listen.

Though the stated goal was to serve others, there was a great deal of growth that occurred in me. I learned to be more reliant on the Lord, to be reliable in my service, to get along better with others, to honor my priesthood, to recognize the promptings of the spirit, and many other lessons that have been a great blessing to me since that time.

These lessons and this growth has provided a base or foundation for the rest of my life. It has enabled me to serve better in family, church, and career.

More recently, two of my children have served and been blessed in many of these same ways. I see it as a great blessing that my children love the Lord, and act like they love Him.

In the future, if circumstances allow, after I retire, Janet and I plan to serve a mission together.

What Patriarchal Blessings Mean to Me

A patriarchal blessing is a blessing given by the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood. In our day it is most often given by an ordained Patriarch, though a blessing given by a righteous father may sometimes be called patriarchal.

The First Presidency of the church wrote, "Patriarchal blessings contemplate an inspired declaration of the lineage of the recipient, and also where so moved upon by the spirit, an inspired and prophetic statement of the life mission of the recipient, together with such blessings, cautions, and admonitions as the patriarch may be be prompted to give..., it always being made clear that that realization of all promised blessings is conditioned upon faithfulness...."

Karl G Maeser described these blessings as "paragraphs from the book of one's possibilities."

I know that my own patriarchal blessing has been a comfort to me in my life, and that many of the promised blessings have already come to me.

A few years ago, when Craig Hansen was our stake patriarch, he told us that we should list the following four categories of items as we study our blessings:

1. Lineage in Israel: This tells us not only who we are descended from, but also some of our responsibilities. For example, the descendants of Ephraim are responsible in our day and age to take the gospel to the rest of Israel, and to the world.
2. Advice and Warnings: Information about what I should do and what I should watch out for in order to successfully live the life that my Father in Heaven desires of me.
3. Promises: The blessings that the Lord has in store for me if I am faithful.
4. Gifts of the Spirit: The tools, skills, abilities, and gifts that the Lord makes available to me to help me succeed in my life's tasks.

I have studied my blessing as Patriarch Hansen suggested and came away deeply touched by the depth and scope of the blessings that the Lord has in store for me. It is so with you also - we are all God's precious children.

A patriarchal blessing is a wondrous great thing! It is another witness of the love that our Father has for us.

What Genealogy and Temple Work for the Dead Means to Me

My daughter spent a semester at Nauvoo a while back, and while she was there, we helped her to research ancestors who lived there. As we learned about some of my ancestors being acquainted with some of my wife's ancestors, and about the stories of their lives, I became more and more interested in finding out more. I am realizing more and more how much I owe these ancestors, and what strong and wonderful people they were.

I am still learning more about them. For example, just this morning my wife found some information on my great great uncle, William Page, that I do not remember having heard before - he was a Pony Express rider, and at one time carried a copy of President Lincoln's inaugural address on its way to the West.

According to D&C 128:18, we cannot be made perfect without our ancestors. We need them as much as they need us. And they do need us. So many lived without the restored gospel in their lives, and had no opportunity to participate in the saving ordinances of baptism, priesthood ordination, endowments, and sealings. We believe that these ordinances are not optional, but required to enter into God's Celestial Kingdom. We also believe that they are required to be performed by mortals, and that if someone has no opportunity during mortality to perform the ordinances for themselves, they must be performed for them by mortal proxies. We have a responsibility to these ancestors, and we will be held accountable for our efforts, or our lack thereof, when we see them again after we finish this life.

Some accuse the Mormons of trying to get the dead into the Mormon church without regard to their wishes. We do not see it that way at all. Freedom of choice is essential to the plan of salvation. Those for whom we perform vicarious ordinances in the temple are free to reject or accept them. But unless we perform those ordinances, they do not have the choice. They have no way to enter into God's kingdom, or to decline the invitation to His kingdom, until the ordinances are performed in their behalf.

During the coming millennium after Christ's second coming, much of the work of that time will be in the completion of this work in behalf of all who desire it. It will bring about the salvation of the majority of our Heavenly Father's children. Otherwise, the time and effort and everything that the Lord has invested in the creation and peopling of this earth would be wasted, because His one goal with all of this is the immortality and eternal life of his children.

What My Sealing to My Family Means to Me

Elijah restored the sealing power to earth in our era. Doctrine and Covenants 2:1-3 explains that this power turns the generations to one another. Doctrine and Covenants 128:17-18 explains that the temple work (baptisms and sealings) are what will bind the generations together in the eternities.

In every righteous dispensation, God has given his servants the power that what they seal on earth will be sealed in heaven. This includes, among other things, the marriage covenant. This covenant must be sealed by this priesthood power in order to be in effect in heaven. Also, our children can be sealed to us, and we to our parents, so the the family unit may remain intact in the next life.

We are also privileged to perform these ordinances in behalf of our deceased ancestors, who can accept them if they desire.

On March 10, 1844, Joseph Smith said "If you have power to seal on earth and in heaven, then we should be wise. The first thing you do, go and seal on earth your sons and daughters unto yourself, and yourself unto your fathers in eternal glory, and go ahead ... and seal all you can, and when you get to heaven tell your Father that what you seal on earth should be sealed in heaven, according to his promise."

This is the greatest and most wonderful blessing I can imagine, to be with my wife (who is the best thing to ever happen to me) and other loved ones throughout eternity, progressing together and becoming like our Father in Heaven!

The promise that this can be makes me desire with all my heart and soul to remain true to my family, to my wife and children, to the legacy I have received from my parents and ancestors, and to my God.

What Callings in the Church Mean to Me

When we are called to serve, we are given the privilege of acting in the Lord's behalf, doing some task for Him. All of the things we do in his service also help our fellow man, for his purpose is the immortality and eternal life of man.

In serving God and others, it allows us to change our focus from self to those around us, and we thus become more like Him. This is one of the main purposes for our callings; to enable our own growth through service.

Often in our callings, we work together with other servants of the Lord. These good people become fast friends, examples for good, and the support us much in our efforts to live well and faithfully.

Also, the Lord helps us in our callings by providing inspiration through his spirit, which helps us know how best to meet our responsibilities. All those who serve faithfully and who keep themselves worthy of this spirit receive this help, and it spill over into other aspects of their lives. I testify that when I have served to the best of my ability, the guidance of the spirit has helped me an all parts of my life, and not just in my callings.

Through our callings we teach our children by example that we love the Lord and that He is important in our lives.

All of these blessings, and others not mentioned here, come to us through faithful service to the Lord's church, in what-ever calling comes our way.

What the Meetings and Organizations of the Church Mean to Me

One day, a few years ago when Shana was graduating from High School, I was very worried about her health. I prayed very hard for comfort. That Sunday a youth speaker quoted D&C 101:16, suggesting that we insert our own name in place of the word "Zion". If you put in Shana's name it reads, "Therefore, let your heart be comforted concerning Shana; for a flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God." This hit me with great force; the spirit touched me and brought comfort.

At a later meeting, Bishop Tarbet bore testimony about the miraculous preservation of a group of soldiers from Cedar City during an 18 month tour of duty in Iraq. The spirit was strong. During the closing prayer, I was brought to tears of appreciation as the ward prayed for Shana's health and strength.

I have felt the spirit and received comfort in other church meetings also.

These are blessings that come from church meetings.

And of course, the opportunity to renew covenants through the Sacrament is the most important thing provided by our Sunday meetings.

These meetings give opportunity for the saints to support and strengthen one another. As one who has received that support and strength, I believe it to be a very important function of the church.

Also, I am very grateful for the organizations of the church, both because of what they do for me, and because of what they do for my family. We have benefited greatly over the years from Primary, Young Women, Young Men and scouting, Relief Society and Priesthood. They have all helped in the growth and development of my family. I am especially thankful to have been a member of the ward choir over the years. Good spiritual music gives me a boost that helps for the entire week.

These are only a few of the many benefits I have seen come from the meetings of the church and from its organizations and activities.

Thoughts on How I Will Benefit from LDS General Conference

I have really enjoyed the conference yesterday and today. I am grateful to have this opportunity to hear and see the instruction from apostles and prophets.

However, they give instruction on so many different subjects that I find it a bit overwhelming. Since I want to do what the Lord has suggested to me through his servants, and I don't feel capable of suddenly living up to all of the instruction that has been given (too many changes to handle all at once), I have decided that I will try the following approach;

1. Prayerfully select a subject that was discussed in conference, asking Heavenly Father what he would have me change or improve on at this time.
2. Study the talks that were given on that subject, and pray and ponder about how the Lord wants me to apply that instruction in my life.
3. Take the appropriate action or start the appropriate habit to follow the promptings received in step 2.
4. When I am satisfied for the time being (I may come back to it again, later) with my progress on that subject, it will be time to repeat the process.

Hopefully this will allow me to take the fullest advantage of the conference in learning and in improving my life and in serving those around me, in a way that I can handle, without taking on more than I am able at one time.

What Does Modern Revelation Mean to Me

As I see it, there are several purposes of modern revelation. Among them are:

1. To restore truths lost in the apostasy,
2. To restore priesthood authority, organization, offices, and duties, and
3. To give God's guidance as to our own day and age

Consider the state of religious knowledge when Joseph Smith came on the scene. Much truth about our Heavenly Father and his Son had been lost. The creeds of apostate Christianity were so confused that it was obvious that man did not know whom or what they worshiped, of even that we are literally our Heavenly Father's children. Much of the other pure doctrines and truths were also lost. Without modern revelation, this apostasy would still be in effect today. The truth about God and mankind's relationship to him would have remained unknown. In fact, the remaining truths would likely have continued to be misunderstood and lost. I think the situation would still be getting worse and worse, if not for modern revelation.

Modern revelation, along with visitations of angels and ordinations to authority, also brought back to earth true priesthood authority, along with the knowledge of how to exercise it. The offices and duties of priesthood holders was revealed. This allows us to have God's power in our lives, and to use it to bless the lives of others.

The Proclamation on the Family, the recent (in terms of modern vs ancient) statement from the LDS First Presidency on marriage being between a man and a woman and the duties of husband, wife, and children, is one item I can think of right off when trying to list where modern revelation has been given concerning the immediate and present circumstances in which we live today. Others are warnings against pornography and gambling. There are many others. All one needs to do is look at the reports of the church conferences, and at the church magazines and church news to see many more examples. This helps to guide us through the pitfalls in the world that we currently face.

Another example of current revelation for our times is the personal revelation available to every worthy person, to aid them in their personal lives and in their own church duties. I testify that such revelation has helped me in my life. It has helped me make right decisions, guide my family, and find peace in hard times.

Another form of modern revelation is the patriarchal blessing, wherein the Lord, speaking through the local patriarch, gives instruction to the individual, which is tailored to his or her individual circumstances and to the Lord's plans for that person. I testify that these blessings are accurate and extremely helpful, as I have seen with my own patriarchal blessing.

I am grateful to the Lord for the blessings that I have discussed in this post, and for others, all of which cam to me because of modern revelation.

This Says it Better (On Grace)

So...

Just after my last post, I read this:

http://www.lds.org/ensign/2013/09/his-grace-is-sufficient?lang=eng

This is pretty much the idea I was trying to get across, but it says it much better than I did.

Grace and Works: Relief from the Burden of Earning Our Way into Heaven

I am leaving my normal format of "What does this or that mean to me" to address another issue that is on my mind today. A high council speaker in our meeting today gave a very thought provoking message based on John 14:15, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." He had some very good advice about why the commandments are important, and what should motivate us to keep them. I have since been pondering about this, and about the Grace and Works issue.

I am fully aware that some accuse the Latter-day Saints of trying to earn their way into heaven, as if by doing good works we could somehow make ourselves pure and worthy of salvation. While there are those in the LDS church and in other churches who take this approach in the belief that good works in themselves have some saving value, I believe that such people are misguided and do not understand the doctrines of salvation.

The scriptures are full of assurances that we are saved only through the atonement of Christ and his grace. Examples are all over the scriptures here are just a few:

• Ephesians 2:8-9 "For grace you are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

• Book of Mormon, Mosiah 13:32 "...they understood not that there could not any man be saved except it were through the redemption of God."

• Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 9:7 "...save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption. ..."

There are many more. It appears that no effort we make can compare to the infinite atonement. All of my effort plus infinity is still infinity. For that matter, all of my lack of effort plus infinity is still infinity. No effort of ours can contribute in any significant way to our salvation - we can only rely on the merits of Christ. "And since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ atone for their sins." (Book of Mormon, Alma 22:14)

So, if we are saved through his grace and by no act of our own, what is the purpose of the Lord's commandments? If any attempt to save ourselves or become pure by our own effort is doomed to failure, is there a reason for such good works as obedience to the commandments, or the making and keeping  of covenants? 

I believe there is.

For one thing, the commandments provide guidelines by which the we can invite the Holy Ghost, or the Spirit of the Lord, into our lives. The Lord gave us these commandments to enable us to live in the light of that spirit and in its guidance.

Now we come back to John 14:15. The one thing we must do is love the Lord. There is only one way we can love him, and that is by trying to serve him. Those who claim to love God, but who place no importance on obeying him, are deceiving themselves and/or trying to deceive others.

Those who truly love the Lord will naturally do all they can to obey him. And when we love him and try to obey him, He blesses us with his spirit. The Holy Ghost makes the atonement effective in our lives. The cleansing power of the atonement comes to us through the spirit. In 3 Nephi 27:20, it says "..that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost." Without this spirit we are as the unbelievers who reject the atonement, and the atonement will have no effect on us.

Moroni said, in Moroni 10:32, "Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God."

So in summary, it is God's grace that saves us. That grace becomes operative in our lives when we love him. No amount of struggle to earn our way into heaven can take the place of loving him.

The understanding of this principle will free some from a heavy burden. We do not have to do it all. We need to stop burdening ourselves with the struggle to be so good as to earn worthiness, and instead strive to love God with our all. If we truly love him, that is enough. If we truly love him, we are doing more than just going through the motions. We then do good works because, in our love for him, we want to please him. This brings his cleansing spirit into our lives. Thus, love of God overcomes our imperfections, and this is something we could never do on our own. Loving him in this way is the only way to be saved. Salvation cannot be earned, but it can be received by those to whom He grants it. And He grants salvation to all who love him.

What Does Joseph Smith Mean to Me?

In 1820, a fourteen year old boy believed the words in the fifth verse of James, chapter 3, that God will answer our questions if we just ask Him in faith. Joseph went to ask which church was right. The resulting vision of God and Christ began the restoration of the true gospel to earth.

The Book of Mormon, priesthood authority, true temple worship, and every other aspect of the gospel and church of Jesus Christ has been restored to bless our lives, all through the instrumentality of this remarkable young man.

Joseph was obedient and faithful throughout his life to the instructions that were given him in this vision and others. His faithfulness is an example to us, as is his courage in the face of persecution, his willingness to work hard and steadily in translation of the Book of Mormon, his love for family and for the brethren of the church, his dedication to Christ, and many other traits.

According to the Doctrine and Covenants, in section 135, verse 3, Joseph did more for the salvation of men than anyone in history, with the exception of Jesus Christ himself.

Personally, I am extremely grateful for all of the blessings of the gospel in my life and in the lives of my family. I thank Heavenly Father for the sealing power that binds me to them permanently. I'm grateful to hold the priesthood, and to give priesthood blessings to family members. I'm grateful for opportunities to partake in the saving ordinances of the gospel, to know about our Father's plan of salvation, and to serve in the church. I'm thankful for a living prophet, apostles, and inspired bishops and other local leaders.

All of this is available because Joseph Smith know and followed and obeyed our God, and so it follows that my gratitude for Joseph is immense.

What the Scriptures Mean to Me

Not long ago, in the second half of 2005, President Hinckley challenged all of the members of the church to read the Book of Mormon again before the end of the year. As I did this, I thought of how blessed we are to have the scriptures available to us.

The Mulekites came away from Jerusalem without any scriptures, and before many generations they were a lost and godless people. The Lamanites, when they destroyed the Nephites, also destroyed the scriptures, rejecting them intentionally.  Their descendants dwindled even further in unbelief.

The Nephites and other righteous groups who had and used the scriptures flourished, both as to things of righteousness and as to material prosperity.

Personally, my day goes better and I am spiritually stronger when I begin the day by reading in the scriptures. There is a better spirit in the home when we read as a family. This is true of the Book of Mormon and the Bible, of course, but I find that the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price also have that spirit about them. Which of the four has the most impact on us? That depends on the circumstances of the day and upon what the Lord has in store for us to learn at the time. When is the right time to start reading the Book of Mormon again? I think it's the day you finish reading it. I hope that there is never a day in which I don't read something from that book. Consistent studly of the Bible, D&C, and Pearl of Great Price are also essential.

I testify that the scriptures are a very important part of our Heavenly Father's approach to providing gospel knowledge to his children. Many of our problems in life can be answered through prayerful scripture study. I thank the Lord that this is so.

34 Best Years - Life At Its Finest

We now interrupt my normal boring blog for a tribute to my amazing wife of 34 years. She must be a really patient woman! I have no idea why she chose to become stuck with me, but it is clear that she's far too good for the likes of me. (Just now she walked by and saw what I'm writing and said that it's the other way around, but I know better.)

We celebrated our anniversary yesterday and the day before, with an outing that included a nice dinner, a Shakespeare play (The Tempest),


and a short visit to Zion National Park.

Here she is stretching her back before we went into the play, so that she would be able to sit through it without hurting.

Here is what she was looking at while she stretched.

But from my point of view, the important thing was not where we went or what we saw, but that I got to spend a couple of days away from the routine with the best travel companion imaginable.

I thought that I was completely and totally in love when we first married. And I was, I suppose. But the years and the good times and the hard times and the service to one another have broadened and deepened that love til it is many times what it was then.

I am so very glad that the Lord gave us to one another. We must have been created for one another - that's what it feels like. Except for the salvation provided by Christ's atonement, God has given me no finer gift than the privilege of life with her.

What My Testimony of Jesus Means to Me

I don't really know where to begin with this one. Any success as a father, church member, priesthood holder, husband, or in my career that I have enjoyed or that I may yet enjoy in my life, I owe to my Savior. Faith in him makes all things possible, and without him there would be no good in my life, or in the world. Faith in him allows us to have hope in trying times. It gives me strength to be a kind man and a pleasant person when circumstances or natural inclination might give an excuse to be otherwise.

Hymn Number 198 in the LDS Hymn book, "That Easter Morn", describes some of my feelings:

That Easter morn, a grave that burst
Proclaimed to man that "Last and First"
Had ris'n again, and conquered pain.

This morn renews for us that day
When Jesus cast the bonds away
Took living breath, and conquered death.

Thus we in gratitude recall
And give our love and pledge our all
Shed grateful tear, and conquer fear.

I testify that Jesus lives, that he loves us, and that through him the Father's plan of salvation and exaltation for man is put into effect. He cam, he taught, he suffered and died, he broke the bands of death to allow a resurrection for us all. He took upon himself the penalty for our sins, and also took upon himself all of the pains of mortality, that through his grace we may be made pure and at one with our God. He is God's Son, and literally a God himself, and offers us the opportunity to be heirs with him of godhood.

I feel to say, along with Elder Bruce R McConkie, "... in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet, and shall wet his feet with my tears... I know... that he is God's Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way."

My Savior is my Hero, and he is the source of the power and goodness in all of my other, lesser heroes.

So, it is this testimony that comforts us, gives us peace during turmoil and strength during trial. It enables us to know the intended end for which we exist, which is to become as our Father is, and gives us courage to live for this goal. It enables repentance and improvement, love and charity, righteousness and mercy.

This, then, is but a part of what I feel. I ramble on and an in attempt to put my feelings into words, yet I fall short.

I love him, and want to be like him.

In his holy name, even that of Jesus Christ, Amen.

What the Priesthood Means to Me

First, the doctrine associated with the priesthood, as I understand it, is that it is God's own power, delegated to man to further the salvation and exaltation of mankind. Those who hold the priesthood are thus our Father's legal agents - it is a sort of power of attorney. As such, we have great responsibility to act as he would act, as he directs, and to be worthy in every way of this great trust.

Through the priesthood, the great saving ordinances of baptism, confirmation, and the temple ordinances are made available to his children. Also, comfort is given through priesthood acts not essential to our salvation, such as father's blessings, blessing of the sick, dedications of homes and graves, etc.

The priesthood is to be used always in the blessing of others, and not with any self-aggrandizement. It is not meant for us to use it for dominion over others. We don't give ourselves priesthood blessings - it is all meant for the service of others.

The priesthood is also the organization of government in the church. The various offices and callings provide a framework through which the Lord himself can direct the church through worthy agents at all levels from local to worldwide.

It is also the power by which God does all his work, from creation of worlds to atonement to control over the whole universe. And worthy men, in the next life, will grow in the priesthood until they have this same power.

The Melchizedek Priesthood is received with an oath and a covenant. The man covenants to magnify his calling in the priesthood, obey the commandments, and "live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." God then makes an oath that all who are faithful to this covenant will receive "all that the Father hath", including godhood itself.

Now, I want to write about some of my personal feelings on all this. I can't really comprehend the eternal aspects of it, so I don't think about them as much as I should. What I do understand is that, in the here and now, the ability to provide priesthood blessings to my wife and children is a great comfort and blessing. The knowledge that I am sealed by priesthood authority to my immediate family and my extended family, so that I can dwell with them forever, is an even greater comfort.

The opportunity to serve in any calling in the church, such as teacher or clerk, is another privilege, and a great responsibility.

In short, the blessings of being a faithful priesthood holder in mortality are great, more so than any other activity in my life, and more than I can comprehend.

The blessings to come in eternity are even beyond that - the Lord truly rewards his faithful servants.

What the Knowledge that We Are Children of God Means to Me

We are children of God. As the Father of our spirits, he loves us. We dwelt with him for ages before we came to this earth. He knows each of us, better than we know ourselves. This is why he came up with the plan of salvation, by which we may become like him. This is why he asked his firstborn, Jesus, to provide an atonement for our sins. This is why he has given us scripture, prophets, the church, prayer, and all of the other blessings that lead us to worship Him in truth and righteousness.

The knowledge that I am a spiritual child of God lifts me. It gives me hope and comfort when life is hard. It gives me a goal, which is to live and behave as a child of God should behave. It makes me understand that all men are literally brothers, who deserve respect and love, and that all women are literally sisters worthy of the greatest respect and honor. It gives me hope when I am not able to obey the gospel as well as I should, because just as no human parent would fault a toddler who stumbles when trying to learn to walk, so our Father looks on us in love and excuses our errors, so long as we are sincere in our attempts to follow him.

Lastly, just as any child grows to be the same kind of being as its parents, we too have the capacity to become like our Heavenly Parents, Gods and Goddesses, and heirs to all of the power, glory, and characteristics of our Father.

If we accept the atonement and are obedient to our Father in all things, repenting when we fall short, we will become like him. We will have numberless spirit children of our own, and create worlds on which they may dwell, and our work and our glory will be the salvation and eternal life of our children.

What greater motivation to love and obey him could we have than this knowledge that we are his children?

What the Saving Ordinances of the Gospel Mean to Me

The saving ordinances of the gospel are:

1. Baptism by water and by fire. That is, baptism and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, without which baptism is not complete.
2. The temple endowments.
3. Temple marriage and sealing.

Other ordinances, such as the sacrament in which we re-affirm our baptismal covenants, and the blessings of the sick, are not required for salvation and exaltation, and thus are not performed in behalf of the deceased in our temples.

The ordinances of salvation are all associated with covenants. We promise to obey our Father's commandments and serve Him faithfully.  Our Father, if we will make these covenants and participate in these ordinances, and if we will remain faithful to the promises we make, will make us heirs to all that He has, dwelling with Him in power and glory, and in family units forever.

So, these ordinances make it possible for us to fulfill our highest destiny, which is to become as our Father is. This gives hope and peace in a difficult life. It helps me to know that all of the trials of this life are worth it, and that the goal is worthy of the difficult tasks we face as mortals.

I am very grateful for the privilege of participating in these ordinances and covenants, and hope to live worthily, with my family, of the resultant blessings.

What Does the Atonement Mean to Me?

To set the context of what I wish to say, I should first set out a summary of my understanding of the doctrine of the atonement.

Our Father's business is all about the exaltation and eternal life of His children. To have eternal life is the be as He is - a God, a parent of innumerable children, a creator of worlds for them to live on.

One of the steps in becoming like Him is to go through our mortal life. But this mortal situation is perilous. We are separated from our Father, and, what's more, we are not able, on our own, to become worthy to return to His presence. We are also subject to physical death - the separation of our spirits from our bodies. We are powerless against the situation.

So our Father provided us with a Savior, a Redeemer, a way out of this situation.

He sent his son Jesus Christ to atone for our sins. A perfect, sinless person was required for this work, and Jesus is the only one who qualifies.

Jesus voluntarily paid the price of sin and of death. He took upon Himself all of the consequences of sin, including the withdrawal of the spirit of God, and the suffering which is demanded by the law of justice. Thus, we hear Him say in his torment, "My God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

Yet He overcame all. He also took upon Himself all of the consequences of mortality, including spiritual and physical illness and pain and injury.

At His resurrection, death was defeated, so that all of us will rise immortal and with perfect bodies. At that point, no one will be ill or deformed or in pain. Also, upon conditions of repentance and the making and keeping of ordinances and covenants, we can become pure as He is, and become kings and queens, priests and priestesses, Gods and Goddesses who reign in glory forever, working for the exaltation of countless numbers of our own children on myriad earths.

The atonement thus makes life possible. It makes Jesus the source of light and life for every living thing in the mortal world and in the eternities.

Now, with that understanding of the doctrine, so far as I understand it and was able to express it in writing, the question is, "What does all of this mean to me?"  I will list some thoughts on this, in no particular order.

I and my family have the opportunity to change and improve, to repent and become better people, and to be completely cleansed from those sins of which we repent.

We can be spiritually healed. We can have the Holy Ghost to be with, comfort, and guide us.

We can, at times, when faith and the Lord's will permit, be physically healed. The power of faith and priesthood are made operative through the atonement.

Immortality is certain for all of us, and eternal life is offered to all - it can be had though obedience and faithfulness, though making and keeping covenants.

The atonement is my single greatest source of comfort during hard times. It gives me peace and strength of character that I could not otherwise have.

In summary, the atonement is the only source of life, light, faith, comfort, and hope that we have or could ever need. It is our Father's way of offering us all that He has.

I am profoundly grateful for these precious gifts, without which there could be no light, life or hope in the world.

I bear testimony that this is true, the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

What My Membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Means to Me

First and foremost, it means the opportunity to know of and take advantage of the atonement of our Savior. It means that I and my family have access to the ordinances of salvation. It means that we know that we are literally our Heavenly Father's loved children, with capacity to become as He is. It means that I am privileged to hold the priesthood, and use it to bless my family and others.

It means that I have been blessed with a testimony of Jesus Christ, the holy scriptures, the prophet Joseph Smith, and modern revelation. It means that we have access to the meetings and organizations of the church, and are given callings and responsibilities that allow us to serve and grow.

It means that my family and I have been sealed through temple marriage so that we can be together forever, and that we can do these temple ordinances for our deceased ancestors.

It means that I can have a patriarchal blessing.

My membership in the church means that I had the opportunity to serve a full time mission for the Lord, and hope to serve a couple mission with my wife when we retire.

It means that I have the opportunity to repent, that I was baptized, that I have had the gift of the Holy Ghost bestowed upon me, and that I have a chance to live so as to build greater and greater faith.

It means that I can know who Jesus and Heavenly Father are, and that I can develop a personal relationship with them.

It means that I have a legacy of ancestors and saints who made it possible for me to have been born into the church and raised to know the gospel.

It means that I live in a community of fellow saints, and am a member of a priesthood quorum who support my family and me, and who we can serve and support in return.

It means that I have the privilege to partake of the sacrament weekly, to attend sacrament meetings, Sunday school, and priesthood meetings.

It means that I get to be in ward and stake choirs.

It means that I have access to prayer, that I have scriptures to read and study, and that we have Family Home Evening weekly in our home.

Of course there is much more, but I think that is enough for this writing, except to emphasize again that it all centers in Christ and his redeeming sacrifice.

In upcoming posts I will expand on many of the themes that have been touched upon here.

Seeing and Coming to Know the Savior

I was reading in Doctrine and Covenants, section 88, verses 49 and 50, that "The light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not; nevertheless the day shall come when you shall comprehend even God; being quickened in him and by him. Then shall ye know that ye have seen me, that I am, and that I am the true light that is in you, and that you are in me; otherwise ye could not abound."

I was impressed by the statement that the light shines but we don't comprehend it. Yet we will comprehend, and then know that we have seen Christ.

Then I read in D&C 38: 7-8, where it says: "But behold, verily, verily, I say unto you that mine eyes are upon you. I am in your midst and ye cannot see me. But the day soon cometh that ye shall see me, and know that I am; for the veil of darkness shall soon be rent, and he that is not purified shall not abide the day/"

I was thinking about how the Lord tells us that he is here in our midst but we cannot see him, but we shall see him soon. As I thought about this, it came to me that he is in our lives all the time, yet we do not recognize it. His help and guidance are in a multitude of helps, blessings, and tender mercies, many of them disguised as coincidences. I suspect that when we do see him we shall be amazed at how well we know him, for we will finally see and understand that he has been with us all along, and recognized all the things that he has done for us.

Aadron - A short story about the price of freedom.

With Independence Day approaching in the United States, I thought this might be a time to post a story I wrote a few years ago, about the price of freedom. So here is the story of Aadron.

1

The old man hardly paused as he walked through the village.  No one had seen him before. He  must have been some kind of peddler or tinker, what with the big pack on the burro he led.  But he did not stop in New Meadows.  He paused only long enough to ask for permission to water the burro at the trough in front of the smithy, and went on.  Other than that, he spoke only to Aadron.

Aadron was playing with his wooden soldiers near the place where the trail passed the last house and entered the forest.  There were three of them, each hand carved by his grandfather’s father over 50 years before, and repainted at least a dozen times since then.  Aadron was busy defending the village with his little army, and had little time to look up as the old man went by.  But the stranger noticed him and his soldiers as he approached, and slowed his pace just a little as he reached into the burro’s pack, pulled out a toy swordsman, and tossed it to the boy.  “Here, son--looks like you need some reinforcements.”  Aadron had barely enough time to recover from his surprise and start to thank the man before he was past--and then was gone into the woods.

At first look, the swordsman seemed to be much like the other wooden soldiers.  But as Aadron turned it in his hands, he could see that it was a remarkable work of art.  Old and battered, yes, but showing far more detail than any other carved toy in New Meadows.  For a moment it seemed to be alive, but no, it was only imagination.  Soon the swordsman had taken his place alongside the other three soldiers, and the battle to save the town went on.

2

Eight years later, Aadron was again looking at the swordsman.  He did not know why he had searched out the old toy.  Something in him had remembered it as he had heard the rumors about the approaching war.  “They’ll never come through here--there’s nothing here that they could want,” said old man Barlow.  Junkins, the smith, had disagreed, “New Meadows is between the enemy and the capitol, and if the King’s army does not stop them soon, they’ll come right through here.”

Aadron was wrestling with his emotions.  He was trying to settle his mind as he turned the toy in his hands.  What should he do?  What would become of his home if the enemy did come through?  According to the rumors, they left little behind that was not burned out or otherwise destroyed.  What would happen to him, to his family, and the other eight families in the village?  Should he join the King’s army?  How could he make any difference?

His thoughts were interrupted as the soldier began to writhe in his hands.  Suddenly, it was no longer a toy.  It swelled and grew, and stood before Aadron.  It opened its mouth as if to speak.  Then it was as a waking dream for Aadron.  He was in battle scenes, great and small.  He saw the suffering of the innocent.  He fought aside the heroes who defended them.  Scene after scene flew by, until it was pouring into his mind in a great torrent...

...Slaves, beaten and starved as they worked to build palace for a tyrant...

...A young man rallied his people to protect their homes and families by fashioning a standard from his torn coat, on which he wrote a pledge to defend their homeland against tyranny...

...Devastation and destruction in a small village as its inhabitants were tortured and murdered by the light of their burning homes and barns...

...A band of 300 brave lads, holding an army of thousands at a pass for three moons until the last 37 gave their lives in a final battle, lasting just long enough for help to arrive at their city...

Thousands of such scenes poured into the young man’s mind, overpowering him, pounding into him the terrible cost of freedom, and the much infinitely greater price paid by those who have lost it.  Then all was black, and he slept.

When he awoke, the wooden swordsman was again a toy on the floor, as if nothing had happened.  But he was no longer simply Aadron, the miller’s son.  He knew what he had to do.

Time to Let Go

Recently as I was reading the scriptures I came again across 1 Nephi 2: 2-4, where it says: “And it came to pass that the Lord commanded my father, even in a dream, that he should take his family and depart into the wilderness. And it came to pass that he was obedient unto the word of the Lord, wherefore he did as the Lord commanded him. And it came to pass that he departed into the wilderness. And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and departed into the wilderness.”

This got me to thinking, what is it that I am holding on to that keeps me from following the Lord as completely as I should?  As I thought about it, another scripture came to mind, where the king of the Lamanites was learning about the gospel. What he said in his prayer is found in Alma 22:18: “O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day.”

Once again, the example set for me is willingness to give up whatever sin or habit or thought pattern keeps me from truly knowing the Lord.

I was reminded of the old original computer text adventure game, known as “Adventure” or “Colossal Cave”.  In this game there is a passageway called the “Tight Spot”, which is so narrow that the player cannot go through unless he leaves behind everything he has, including even his lamp. You have to be willing to take the step of faith to leave everything behind and step into the darkness in order to get past this obstacle in the game. The path is indeed “strait and narrow”.

I’m now repeating myself, but the obvious question is this: What am I holding on to that keeps me out of heaven? Am I willing to let go of it? Do I realize that if I don’t let go, I can’t get there from here?