What Does it Mean to be Naked?

Friday I spent the day in the temple doing some family names. Later that evening, as we were going out to dinner, I shared some insights concerning the portion of the temple movie when Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, with Mom .  She then shared with me an experience one of the councilor's in the temple presidency shared with the temple workers that day in their prayer meeting.

He talked of one of his monthly family home evenings he had with his married kids. In this particular FHE he read a couple of scriptures regarding Adam and Eve.

 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. (Moses 3:25)

And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they had been naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons. (Moses 4:13)

And he said: I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I beheld that I was naked, and I hid myself. (Moses 4:16

He then asked his children, and their spouses, this question, "What does it mean to be naked?"

Can you imagine the types of responses we would have in our family if this question was asked? 

Well, that question generated a good discussion and some deep symbolic understandings with his family, about the term naked, as it relates to Adam and Eve. Keep in mind that the temple endowment is packed full of symbolism. Once we dig under the surface of what we see and hear in the endowment, we uncover a wealth of understanding about us and our place in all of this.

So I took some time Friday evening to dig under the surface of the meaning of "naked" as it is used in the scriptures with Adam and Eve. Here is what I found.

From his book "The Serpent," Alonzo L. Gaskill says this:

Naked and yet not ashamed. When the metaphorical or symbolic aspects of the scriptural accounts of the Fall are missed, readers tend to interpret the nakedness of Adam and Eve as evidence that they were intellectually infantile. However, scripture is intending to make no such claim about our first parents. On the contrary, God held them accountable for their choices in Eden, which establishes that Adam and Eve knew what they were doing. You and I, on the other hand, do begin this mortal test "naked and unashamed." In our childhood we are innocent, unassuming, and infantile.

Nakedness can also be a symbol for being unashamed. Scripture informs us that when we are righteous our "confidence [will] wax strong in the presence of God" (D&C 121:45). We feel no fear of judgment or condemnation. One fourth-century Christian commentary states: "They were not ashamed because of the glory with which they were clothed. It was when this glory was stripped from them after they had transgressed the commandment that they were ashamed because they were naked." The nakedness of Adam and Eve, without shame, prior to the Fall, highlights our feelings of confidence when we are keeping the Lord's words, commands, and covenants.

Made themselves fig-leaf aprons. Symbols can have multiple meanings. For example, blood can have a negative connotation (such as sin), and also a positive one (life). Similarly, eagles are sometimes positive symbols (representing maternal instincts and protection, for example), and sometimes negative symbols (scavengers). Commentators tend to highlight both negative and positive symbols in the fig and its leaves. Since Adam and Eve did what was right, the symbolism attached to them can only be positive. Since you and I tend to do what's wrong, the symbolism would be (in the cases where we do wrong) negative.

Thus, these aprons symbolized one thing for our first parents and another for us (as fallen Adams and Eves). For you and me the donning of aprons is a symbol of our fallen state—a symbol of the desire to cover our guilt. Anciently, to be naked meant to be innocent or exposed. To cover one's nakedness symbolized the effort to make excuses for one's actions. When we sin, we are symbolically naked or exposed in our sins before God. Thus, we tend to seek to cover ourselves (i.e., cover our sins) by making excuses, depicted by the donning of the aprons. One modern typologist wrote: "Those fig-leaves were but a picture of themselves; for, plucked from the parent stem, death had set in, and though for a time they might remain glossy and beautiful, they would soon be withered and dead." Adam and Eve's nakedness is often associated with a loss of the Spirit, which left them outside of the scope of the Atonement—having nothing to cover their guilt. It is the realization that they are without God's protection.

In Judaism their nakedness symbolizes that "they became aware that they were bare of good deeds." Jacob Neusner wrote: "The word 'naked' is associated with 'being clothed by the merit accruing from the performance of religious duties.' " Similarly, Philo of Alexandria stated that nakedness symbolized the state of being "wholly deficient in and destitute of virtue." Are we as Latter-day Saints ever found "bare of good deeds"? Are we living Christlike lives of service, virtue, and faithfulness? Are we attending to our covenant responsibilities at home, at Church, and in the temple? Or will we be found at the judgment day standing before God naked of the very virtues, attributes, and acts He commanded us to develop and perform here in mortality?

So, let me see if I can summarize what I feel "naked" means in context with Adam and Eve, and we, as Adams and Eves. I'm going to address this from a symbolic nature.

As we learn in the temple, we are all to consider ourselves as if we are Adam and Eve. So when we are born into this world, we are born naked. We are symbolic naked (innocent and unashamed), not accountable for our sins, until we reach the age of accountability (8 years of age). When we turn 8 years of age, we are baptized, make special covenants, which are renewed each week as we partake of the sacrament. Our baptism, and our weekly sacramental renewals, invoke the power of the atonement in our lives. The atonement (fig leaf coverings) was necessary to cover or atone for our guilt of sin. Further more, our garments (coats of skins; garments of the holy priesthood) are provided to us as additional protection and coverings from sin. They protect us from the destroyer (One who encourages sin) until we have finished our work here on earth.

At one point, Adam and Eve were naked (innocent) and not ashamed. Then after they sinned, they were ashamed of their nakedness (guilt from sin), and thus needed a covering (The atonement) to cover their nakedness.

We likewise, come to this earth naked (innocent and free from sin), but at some point in time become ashamed of our nakedness (guilt from sin), and need a covering (Fig leaves, apron, garments, atonement) to cover our nakedness (sin) and free us from the grasp of the destroyer (Satan).

There is a lot more to consider as we peel off the layers of symbolism, one layer at a time. I hope this post will motivate us to look deep below the surface of the temple ceremony, and the fullness of the Gospel, and ponder the profound significance of our lives in this amazing Plan of Salvation.

We are part of a great plan, that we don't even fully understand or appreciate right now, but will over time, as the spirit reveals line upon line.

Love, Dad

Gratitude - A Time of Thanksgiving

The Prophet Joseph is reported to have said at one time that one of the greatest sins for which the Latter-day Saints would be guilty would be the sin of ingratitude. President Brigham Young uttered very much the same warning as the Prophet Joseph-that this would be one of our great sins as Latter-day Saints. I do not think this is because we are less grateful than other people-but we have so much more to be grateful for.

The Lord said to the Prophet Joseph, "And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?" (D&C 122:7-8.)

How do you measure your reversals or problems against those of the Prophet Joseph Smith, or more particularly the Lord Jesus Christ, when they were on the earth? How much we have to be grateful for! Our prayers and the prayers of our children should ascend to heaven full of gratitude and love for the mercies of the Lord unto us.

With Thanksgiving coming up this week, it would be appropriate to look outside of ourselves and realize all that we have been given and all that the Lord has blessed us with. We need to be more grateful. I think there is no true character without gratitude. It is one of the marks of a real strong character to have a feeling of thanksgiving and gratitude for blessings. We need more of that spirit in our homes, in our daily associations, in the Church, everywhere. It doesn't cost anything, and it is so easy to cultivate.

I remember my mission president, George T. Frost, often quoting a poem relating to gratitude:

Today, upon a bus, I saw a girl with golden hair.
I envied her, she seemed so happy, and wished I was as fair.
When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobbled down the aisle.
She had one leg and wore a crutch.
And as she passed... a smile.

Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I have 2 legs, the world is mine

I stopped to buy some candy. The lad who sold it had such charm.
I talked with him, he seemed so glad.
If I were late, it'd do no harm.
And as I left, he said to me, "I thank you, you've been so kind.
It's nice to talk with folks like you. You see," he said, "I'm blind."

Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I have 2 eyes, the world is mine.

Later while walking down the street,
I saw a child with eyes of blue.
He stood and watched the others play.
He did not know what to do.
I stopped a moment and then I said,
"Why don't you join the others, dear?"
He looked ahead without a word. And then I knew,
he couldn't hear.

Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I have 2 ears, the world is mine.
With feet to take me where I'd go.
With eyes to see the sunset's glow.
With ears to hear what I'd know.

Oh God, forgive me when I whine.
I've been blessed indeed, the world is mine........

Beginning this week, and the weeks to follow, let's try to focus on all that we have, instead of what we don't have, knowing that the Lord knows our wants and desires, and will continue to bless us accordingly. I have found when I turn my attention towards others, finding ways to serve, and less focused on my own struggles, some how my problems seem a lot less significant, and the world a much greater and wonderful place to live and serve.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Love, Dad

(Source material: Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson)

Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?

Before I start with my blog post, I have been working on a new website for my posts that will have a lot more features than this one. It is located at: ponderitinyourheart.com. It is password protected with the password "stone81". Feel free to take a look at it. I will probably finish it within the next couple of weeks and stop using this one. I have already transferred all the past posts over there. The website will be set up so that you can look up the past posts by category or search by keyword. I am also setting up a photo section, a family forum, a family calendar and a section of "good reads," articles that I have hand picked. It will still email you when a new post is posted. This website will also be mobile friendly.

Now for today's post...

Over the years I have often asked this question "Why do bad things happen to good people?" I'm sure you have asked this as well. You may even be asking this question, "Why are bad things happening to me now?"

It is hard to understand sometimes how a loving Heavenly Father can allow such bad things to happen to good, innocent people, his children. If he truly loved us, wouldn't he want to shield us from such pain and sorrow? The answer is just one word, "agency".

In order for agency to work, to be developed, we had to have choices placed before us. And in order for us to use our agency and make choices, we had to have opposition so that we would be enticed to choose.

One of the great sermons on this subject ever given is in the Book of Mormon (2 Nephi 2). Nephi, speaking to his firstborn son, Jacob says:

11 For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

12 Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.

13 And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away.

16 Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other.

27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

I know as a parent, when I see one of my children in pain or suffering, if I could, I would step in and take the pain away. But I have learned over the years that those painful experiences have made you what you are today. And the pain you are feeling now will make you even better tomorrow. It is hard to understand this when the pain hurts so bad. But it is the opposition, and your choices during these times of opposition, that develop your God-like characteristics to become what the Father would have you be.

We are not suffering alone. Heavenly Father and his Only Begotten Son, have been through the same suffering processes;

And he [the Son of God] shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. (Alma 7:11–12)

Within a span of fifty-eight years, Mormon fought in several major battles and witnessed the death of tens of thousands of his people! Yet he was filled not with hate and bitterness but with the pure love of Christ. Try to imagine a large, powerful, battle-hardened career general standing up in testimony meeting and saying this:

Charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen. (Moroni 7:47–48)

How did Mormon manage to keep his spiritual sensitivity while growing up in an environment of war? He must have been renewed by the Atonement, which can take away not only the pain of our sins but also the pain of things that happen to us over which we have no control (Alma 7:11).

Is the Atonement powerful enough to help someone who has suffered physical or sexual abuse? Absolutely. The atonement of Jesus Christ is infinite and eternal. Dr. Carlfred Broderick, a Latter-day Saint and noted family counselor, related the story of a woman who had endured such abuse. On one occasion, she asked Dr. Broderick a tough question that evoked an inspired answer:

"Where is the justice? How can God pretend to be just and send some little girls into homes where they are loved . . . and made to feel like somebody and others into homes where they are beat and molested and abused and neglected? What did I do in the pre-earth life to deserve such a family?" I felt inspired at that time to tell her that she had volunteered in the preexistence to be a savior on Mount Zion, to come to a family drowning in sickness and sin and to be the means of purifying that lineage. Before her in that line were generations of ugly, destructive, family relationships. Downstream from her purifying influence every generation would be blessed with light and love. The role of a savior, I said, is to suffer innocently for the sins of others that still others may not suffer. There can be no higher calling.

This woman had suffered abuse as a child, but the Atonement gave her the power to refuse to pass it on. It's hard to imagine a greater evil that could be done to a child. The impact of such an evil would require a power greater than the evil to bring peace and healing. The greatest power available is the atonement of Jesus Christ. Christ suffered not only for our sins but also for the bad things that happen to us.

In like manner, I see Adam and Sarah playing the role of savior as they rescue these abused children from similar generational chains of abuse. Thanks to them.

Some things in life are temporary, and some are permanent. Our temporal life is temporary. Our trials are temporary. Our pain is temporary. Because of the Savior and his atonement, our mortality will become immortality, and we may dwell with God in a state of permanent, or "never-ending happiness" (Mosiah 2:41). President Howard W. Hunter taught, "Please remember this one thing. If our lives and our faith are centered upon Jesus Christ and his restored gospel, nothing can ever go permanently wrong. On the other hand, if our lives are not centered on the Savior and his teachings, no other success can ever be permanently right."

We know that the Lord will be victorious and that his victory will be permanent. That very thought should give us faith and hope. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has observed:

The future of this world has long been declared; the final outcome between good and evil is already known. There is absolutely no question as to who wins because the victory has already been posted on the scoreboard. The only really strange thing in all of this is that we are still down here on the field trying to decide which team's jersey we want to wear!

Those who have done needlepoint know it's important which side of the fabric to display. One side is full of crisscrossing threads and tiny knots that make the design difficult to recognize. But when it's turned over, the entire picture comes into view. I have always loved the following poem about a needlepoint or weaving design. It helps me trust God when I can't understand why things happen the way they do.

My life is but a weaving between my God and me;
I cannot choose the colors He worketh steadily.
Ofttimes He weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride,
Forget that He seeth the upper, and I the under side.
Not till the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly,
Shall God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why.
The dark threads are as needful in the Weaver's skillful hand,
As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.

Someone once said that in this life suffering is mandatory, but misery is optional. No one's going to make it out of here alive. We're all going to pass through some trials and perhaps even some tragedies.

But what do we know for sure, from a source whose answers don't change? We know that God loves his children (1 Nephi 11:17). We know that part of his plan is to allow evil to exist in the world and that he is not unaffected by what happens here on earth (Moses 7:26–33). We know that if we're still alive, we have a work to accomplish (Alma 14:13). We know that the Savior suffered not only for our sins but also for our pains and afflictions (Alma 7:11–12). And we know that one day the Lord will conquer the evil one, answer all of our questions, and bless us with a fulness of joy (D&C 101:32-36).

Love, Dad

(Source material: When Times Are Tough, John Bytheway)

We're Not Alone...

I believe I've written a post or two on this topic before, but, given a recent study, I thought I would revisit it again.

This study finds the Milky Way is teeming with billions of planets that are about the size of Earth, orbit stars just like our sun, and exist in the Goldilocks zone – not too hot and not too cold for life.

Astronomers using NASA data have calculated for the first time that in our galaxy alone, there are at least 8.8 billion stars with Earth-size planets in the habitable temperature zone.

The study was published this last Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

For perspective, that's more Earth-like planets than there are people on Earth.

As for what it says about the odds that there is life somewhere out there, it means "just in our Milky Way galaxy alone, that's 8.8 billion throws of the biological dice," said study co-author Geoff Marcy, a longtime planet hunter from the University of California at Berkeley.

This should be nothing new for us Latter-day Saints. We have been taught, as God spoke to Moses that, "...worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten." (Moses 1:33)

Reading this recent study reminded me of the book "The Kolob Theorem," written by Lynn M. Hilton, a BYU professor of education and LDS author. I have shared this book with several of you before. It may be a good exercise to revisit the book again. It is a short read, but very compelling in thought and discovery.

You can access a free, authorized PDF copy of the book here: http://www.rogerknecht.com/uploads/2011/12/The_Kolob_Theorem.pdf

Brother Hilton's theory is that our Milky Way Galaxy holds the earthly creations of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. That the center of the galaxy is where God dwells and creates new earths from the core of the Milky Way Galaxy's black hole. He further states that our galaxy has three, distinct layers or levels; the outer part of the galaxy being the telestial state, where our earth currently resides; the middle ring is the terrestial state, and the center, or core, where God resides, as the celestial state.

I would encourage you to read this book again. For me, if in fact it is a correct theory, puts the physical creation process, as well as the existence of billions of earths, into a clearer and more understandable perspective.

This theory received a little more validation in the recent depiction of the creation process in the new temple movie, with the movie going into a more detailed process of creation, than in earlier versions. 

The fact that there are others of our brothers and sisters living on other earths, going through the same plan of salvation as we are, impresses upon my mind the greatness and immensity of God's love for his children, and the progressive nature of our existence here and now.

As we get enveloped in the day to day affairs of life, its challenges and trials, its always good to take a step back and realize we are part of a grand plan to have our spirits occupy our physical bodies on this earthly planet with a promise that if we live and progress as God would have us do, that we someday can be standing at the center of our own galaxy, creating earths for our spirit children to occupy and progress as we have done so before them.

And to think that we, as a family, are taking this journey together.

Love, Dad

When We Put God First...

In 1988, as a 35 year old father, watching General Conference, I remember being so impressed by a talk that President Ezra Taft Benson gave called "The Great Commandment -- Love the Lord." (Ensign: May 1988)

There was one particular part of his talk I memorized, and tried to apply it in my life.

When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities.

I would like to challenge each of you to memorize these two simple, yet powerful, sentences, and apply them in your life.

It was during a time when a Pharisee was trying to catch the Savior in a snare by asking a question, that the Savior taught this important lesson of putting God first by saying, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:37-40)

Ponder this statement from the Savior, "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

All the points of doctrines and the Gospel itself are built upon this first great commandment, of loving God by putting him first. Just as President Benson said, that as we put God first in everything we do, everything else will fall into place or drop out of our lives. Think about that. When we focus our thoughts and actions and center them in God, the things that matter most will stay and grow, and the things that are not important will fall and fade away.

It is just that simple. Follow the Lord and live. Follow not the Lord and die. That is, die spiritually.

I'm going to keep this blog post short, allowing you the extra time that you normally would  take to read the rest of the blog and ask that you take the extra time and memorize these two sentences from President Benson.

When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities.

Love, Dad

Promptings - Guiding the Way

The american poet Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) believed that "All creation is one" and that people should try to live a simple life in harmony with nature and with others. He describes the currents of the Universal Being being circulating through him - "I am part or particle of God".

In a revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith in December of 1832, the Lord said, referring to God,  "He comprehendeth all things, and all things are before him, and all things are round about him; and he is above all things, and in all things, and is through all things, and is round about all things; and all things are by him, and of him, even God, forever and ever." (D&C 88:41)

Earlier in the same section, we are told that our Father in Heaven gives directions and light to the universe, "which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space-the light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things." (D&C 88:12-13)

God is omnipresent, meaning our Father in Heaven-as a person-can only be in one place at a time. His actual residence is near a great star named Kolob. (Abr. 3:3) However, by means of spirit-his universal Holy Spirit-he can permeate the vast expanse of the universe and thus be omnipresent. Consider again the following scripture:

He comprehendeth all things, and all things are before him, and all things are round about him; and he is above all things, and in all things, and is through all things. (D&C 88:41)

By means of his Holy Spirit, God "is in the midst of all things." He is omnipresent.

His Holy Spirit centers in his presence, and communicates with and extends to the utmost verge of his dominions, comprehending and controlling all things. (Pratt, Key to Theology, p. 48.)

So God, being all knowing, all powerful and in all things and places, leads me to my topic for this blog post. Our lives are constantly being influence from unseen forces that come from God. These influences are all around us. They come through thoughts and impressions, coincidental occurrences and peoples actions, that all seem to be heavenly orchestrated in our behalf.

I am not saying that our lives are controlled by someone or something else and we have no choice. We have our agency. That is a law that God cannot break or take away. Satan tried to.

What I am saying is that there are many thoughts, impressions and occurrences, which are divinely influenced, that are helping us to make our way back into the presence of God. If we follow those promptings, whether seen or unseen, we usually will find that it results in positive outcomes that influence our lives, or the lives of others, for good. And everything which is good comes from God.

12 Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually.

13 But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do  good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God. (Moroni 7:12-13)

I don't fully understand how it all works, but I do know that it works. Consider the frequent times (Almost daily), when you have had an impression to do this or that. Sometimes we push those thoughts aside, or discount them as nothing. But, almost without exception, when we have not acted upon an impression, we've looked back and realized I should have followed that feeling. 

I have had those types of feelings many, many times in my life, and when followed, have led to positive outcomes, and when not followed have led to negative outcomes.

Why do they come? They come because God loves us and wants us to have what he has.  His goal is "...to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39)

How do they come? They come through many avenues and means. They come from the Light of Christ. They come through the Holy Ghost. And they come from his angels, our kindred spirits, who are very interested in our lives and our outcomes. "... God knowing all things, being from everlasting to everlasting, behold, he sent angels to minister unto the children of men..." (Moroni 7:22)

We are sometimes part of this process for others, and sometimes we are the recipients. In other words, we are sometimes Heavenly Father's vehicle to help others, and sometimes others are vehicles in His hands to help us. As we tune into the proper spiritual channels, we become part of this incomprehensible,  powerful network that moves God's children to that eternal destination.

For us, it becomes imperative, to listen to and understand when those promptings are coming, and to act upon them. It is difficult to feel or hear them when we have a lot of commotion and distractions going on around us. The voice of the spirit is quiet and calm. It takes practice and experience to discern it and to hear it.

Here are several quotes from Elder Boyd K. Packer, giving us some understanding into the workings of these spiritual promptings:

The voice of inspiration comes as a feeling. That voice of inspiration is so quiet and still that it can be explained away. It is easy to be disobedient to that voice. It often takes great courage to follow it. But to Latter-day Saints it is a clear signal.

The voice of the Spirit is generally felt rather than heard. We do not have the words (even the scriptures do not have words) which perfectly describe the Spirit. The scriptures generally use the word voice, which does not exactly fit. These delicate, refined spiritual communications are not seen with our eyes, nor heard with our ears. And even though it is described as a voice, it is a voice that one feels, more than one hears.

The depth of personal revelation comes as a feeling. If you listen with your mortal ears for the revelations of the Almighty, you will receive part of it because of the patterns of preaching. But that depth of personal revelation comes to you when you feel. You don't hear the words of an angel, you feel the words of an angel, because "angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ."

Inspiration comes as thoughts, feelings, and impressions. The Holy Ghost communicates with the spirit through the mind more than through the physical senses. This guidance comes as thoughts, as feelings, through impressions and promptings. It is not always easy to describe inspiration. The scriptures teach us that we may "feel" the words of spiritual communication more than hear them, and see with spiritual rather than with mortal eyes.

Spiritual communication comes into the mind. Spiritual communication comes into the mind, it comes more as a feeling, an impression, than simply as a thought. Unless you have experienced it, it is very difficult to describe that delicate process.

The whisperings of the Spirit come gently and quietly. The Spirit does not get our attention by shouting or shaking us with a heavy hand. Rather it whispers. It caresses so gently that if we are preoccupied we may not feel it at all. (No wonder that the Word of Wisdom was revealed to us, for how could the drunkard or the addict feel such a voice?)

Occasionally it will press just firmly enough for us to pay heed. But most of the time, if we do not heed the gentle feeling, the Spirit will withdraw and wait until we come seeking and listening and say in our manner and expression, like Samuel of ancient times, "Speak [Lord], for thy servant heareth."

Through worthiness we have the right to spiritual guidance. We are to be in the world but not of the world. And in the world we have the right, if we would live for it, to be possessed of that quiet spiritual guidance—if we will not seek for the manifestations of it, if we will not seek after signs. If we will live to be worthy, there will attend us a guiding Spirit that will preclude our doing anything in mortality, if we are obedient, that would ultimately interfere with our exaltation and our right to return to the presence of Him who is our Father.

We must follow the promptings of the Spirit. We must be sensitive to the Spirit. We must be tuned in, and have the courage and faith to follow the promptings of the Spirit. If we do not listen to the voice of the Spirit, there is not much purpose in the Lord's communicating to us through that channel.

If one ignores promptings, the Spirit will leave. This voice of the Spirit speaks gently, prompting you what to do or what to say, or it may caution or warn you. Ignore or disobey these promptings, and the Spirit will leave you. It is your choice—your agency. 

It is reassuring to know that we are not alone in this world. We have many helping us, seen and unseen, to work out our salvation. 

... Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. (2 Kings 6:16)

Let's do all we can to draw upon these spiritual powers to guide us in our decision process and in aiding our brothers and sisters.

Love, Dad

Profile of a Prophet

While serving on my mission, I heard a talk that was delivered at BYU by Elder Hugh B. Brown in 1955. To me it is one of the classics. It helped me immensely with my testimony of this Church and the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Below is the transcript of the talk. I would encourage you to go to this site: http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=114 and download a free audio copy of the talk.

Before  you read or listen to this talk, I want to add my personal witness that I know (Which is different than just believing) Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. Why? Because the spirit has born such a strong witness to me time and time again. I had that personal witness while reading the Book of Mormon, reading his personal history, working on our past Youth Conference, standing in the Sacred Grove, on the Hill Cumorah, at the John Johnson farm, in the Kirtland Temple, in Nauvoo, in the Whitney Store, at Winter Quarters, and many, many other times. With that witness of the Prophet Joseph Smith comes a witness of this true church and the work we are engaged in. 

With being part of this true and great work, comes immense responsibility for all of us to do our part in building the kingdom. We cannot be casual members of the Church. We must be anxiously engaged in this work. It is expected of us.

Enjoy this classic talk!

Love, Dad 

Talk Transcript:

Profile of a Prophet by Hugh B. Brown

I should like to dispense with all formality, if I may, and address both faculty and students as my brothers and sisters. I adopt that form of salutation for several reasons: first, practically all who are here are members of the Church that established and maintains this university; second, I believe in the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man; and third, I do not intend to give a lecture, certainly not an oration or even a sermon, but simply wish to bear my testimony to my brothers and sisters.

I should like to be for a few minutes a witness in support of the proposition that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored in our day and that this is His Church, organized under His direction through the Prophet Joseph Smith. I should like to give some reasons for the faith I have and for my allegiance to the Church.

Perhaps I can do this more quickly by referring to an interview I had in London, England, in 1939, just before the outbreak of the war. I had met a very prominent English gentleman, a member of the House of Commons, formerly one of the justices of the supreme court of England. In my conversations with this gentleman on various subjects—“vexations of the soul,” he called them—we talked about business, law, politics, international relations, and war, and we frequently discussed religion.

He called me on the phone one day and asked if I would meet him at his office and explain some phases of the gospel. He said, “I think there is going to be a war. If there is, you will have to return to America and we may not meet again.” His statement regarding the imminence of war and the possibility that we would not meet again proved to be prophetic.

When I went to his office he said he was intrigued by some things I had told him. He asked me to prepare a brief on Mormonism.

I may say to you students that a brief is a statement of law and facts that lawyers like President Wilkinson prepare when they are going into court to argue a case.

He asked me to prepare a brief on Mormonism and discuss it with him as I would discuss a legal problem. He said, “You have told me that you believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet. You have said to me that you believe that God the Father and Jesus of Nazareth appeared to Joseph Smith. I cannot understand how a barrister and solicitor from Canada, a man trained in logic and evidence, could accept such absurd statements. What you tell me about Joseph Smith seems fantastic, but I think you should take three days at least to prepare a brief and permit me to examine it and question you on it.”

I suggested that we proceed at once and have an examination for discovery, which is, briefly, a meeting of the opposing sides in a lawsuit where the plaintiff and defendant, with their attorneys, meet to examine each other’s claims and see if they can find some area of agreement, thus saving the time of the court later on.

I said perhaps we could see whether we had some common ground from which we could discuss my “fantastic ideas.” He agreed to that quite readily.

I can only give you, in the few minutes at my disposal, a condensed and abbreviated synopsis of the three-hour conversation that followed. In the interest of time I shall resort to the question-and-answer method, rather than narration.

I began by asking, “May I proceed, sir, on the assumption that you are a Christian?”

“I am.”

“I assume you believe in the Bible—the Old and New Testaments?”

“I do!”

“Do you believe in prayer?”

“I do!”

“You say that my belief that God spoke to a man in this age is fantastic and absurd?”

“To me it is.”

“Do you believe that God ever did speak to anyone?”

“Certainly, all through the Bible we have evidence of that.”

“Did He speak to Adam?”

“Yes.”

“To Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jacob, Joseph, and on through the prophets?”

“I believe He spoke to each of them.”

“Do you believe that contact between God and man ceased when Jesus appeared on the earth?”

“No, such communication reached its climax, its apex, at that time.”

“Do you believe that Jesus was the Son of God?”

“He was.”

“Do you believe, sir, that after Jesus was resurrected, a certain lawyer—who was also a tentmaker by the name of Saul of Tarsus—when on his way to Damascus talked with Jesus of Nazareth, who had been crucified, resurrected, and had ascended into heaven?”

“I do.”

“Whose voice did Saul hear?”

“It was the voice of Jesus Christ, for He so introduced Himself.”

“Then, my Lord—that is the way we address judges in the British Commonwealth—I am submitting to you in all seriousness that it was standard procedure in Bible times for God to talk to man.”

“I think I will admit that, but it stopped shortly after the first century of the Christian era.”

“Why do you think it stopped?”

“I can’t say.”

“You think that God hasn’t spoken since then?”

“I am sure He hasn’t.”

“There must be a reason. Can you give me a reason?”

“I do not know.”

“May I suggest some possible reasons? Perhaps God does not speak to man anymore because He cannot. He has lost the power.”

He said, “Of course that would be blasphemous.”

“Well, then, if you don’t accept that, perhaps He doesn’t speak to men because He doesn’t love us anymore and He is no longer interested in the affairs of men.”

“No,” he said, “God loves all men, and He is no respecter of persons.”

“Well, then, if He could speak, and if He loves us, then the only other possible answer, as I see it, is that we don’t need Him. We have made such rapid strides in science and we are so well educated that we don’t need God anymore.”

And then he said—and his voice trembled as he thought of impending war—“Mr. Brown, there never was a time in the history of the world when the voice of God was needed as it is needed now. Perhaps you can tell me why He doesn’t speak.”

My answer was: “He does speak, He has spoken; but men need faith to hear Him.”

Then we proceeded to prepare what I may call a “profile of a prophet.”

Perhaps you students would like to amplify what I must condense today and draw your own standard or definition of a prophet and see whether Joseph Smith measures up.

We agreed between us that the following characteristics should distinguish a man who claims to be a prophet:

1. He will boldly claim that God had spoken to him.

2. Any man so claiming would be a dignified man with a dignified message—no table jumping, no whisperings from the dead, no clairvoyance, but an intelligent statement of truth.

3. Any man claiming to be a prophet of God would declare his message without any fear and without making any weak concessions to public opinion.

4. If he were speaking for God he could not make concessions, although what he taught would be new and contrary to the accepted teachings of the day. A prophet bears witness to what he has seen and heard and seldom tries to make a case by argument. His message and not himself is important.

5. Such a man would speak in the name of the Lord, saying, “Thus said the Lord,” as did Moses, Joshua, and others.

6. Such a man would predict future events in the name of the Lord, and they would come to pass, as did those predicted by Isaiah and Ezekiel.

7. He would have not only an important message for his time but often a message for all future time, such as Daniel, Jeremiah, and others had.

8. He would have courage and faith enough to endure persecution and to give his life, if need be, for the cause he espoused, such as Peter, James, Paul, and others did.

9. Such a man would denounce wickedness fearlessly. He would generally be rejected or persecuted by the people of his time, but later generations and descendants of his persecutors would build monuments in his honor.

10. He would be able to do superhuman things—things that no man could do without God’s help. The consequence or result of his message and work would be convincing evidence of his prophetic calling: “By their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:20).

11. His teachings would be in strict conformity with scripture, and his words and his writings would become scripture. “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21).

Now I have given but an outline that you can fill in and amplify and then measure and judge the Prophet Joseph Smith by the work and stature of other prophets.

As a student of the life of the Prophet Joseph Smith for more than 50 years, I say to you young men and women: by these standards Joseph Smith qualifies as a prophet of God.

I believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God because he talked like a prophet. He was the first man since the apostles of Jesus Christ were slain to make the claim that prophets have always made—viz., that God had spoken to him. He lived and died like a prophet. I believe he was a prophet of God because he gave to this world some of the greatest of all revelations. I believe that he was a prophet of God because he predicted many things that have come to pass—things that only God could bring to pass.

John, the beloved disciple of Jesus, declared, “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10). If Joseph Smith had the testimony of Jesus, he had the spirit of prophecy. And if he had the spirit of prophecy, he was a prophet.

I submit to you, and I submitted to my friend, that as much as any man who ever lived, he had a testimony of Jesus, for, like the apostles of old, he saw Him and heard Him speak. He gave his life for that testimony. I challenge any man to name one who has given more evidence of the divine calling of Jesus Christ than did the Prophet Joseph Smith.

I believe the Prophet Joseph Smith was a prophet because he did many superhuman things. One was translating the Book of Mormon. Some people will not agree, but I submit to you that the Prophet Joseph Smith in translating the Book of Mormon did a superhuman work. I ask you students to undertake to write a story on the ancient inhabitants of America, to write as he did without any source of material. Include in your story 54 chapters dealing with wars, 21 historical chapters, and 55 chapters on visions and prophecies. And, remember, when you begin to write on visions and prophecies, you must have your record agree meticulously with the Bible. You must write 71 chapters on doctrine and exhortation, and here, too, you must check every statement with the scriptures or you will be proven to be a fraud. You must write 21 chapters on the ministry of Christ, and everything you claim He said and did and every testimony you write in your book about Him must agree absolutely with the New Testament.

I ask you, would you like to undertake such a task? I would suggest to you too that you must employ figures of speech, similes, metaphors, narrations, exposition, description, oratory, epic, lyric, logic, and parables. Undertake that, will you?

I ask you to remember that the man who translated the Book of Mormon was a young man who hadn’t had the opportunity of schooling that you have had, and yet he dictated that book in just a little over two months and made very few, if any, corrections. For over one hundred years some of the best students and scholars of the world have been trying to prove from the Bible that the Book of Mormon is false, but not one of them has been able to prove that anything he wrote was not in strict harmony with the scriptures—with the Bible and with the word of God.

The Book of Mormon not only declares on the title page that its purpose is to convince Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, but this truth is the burden of its message. In 3 Nephi it is recorded that multitudes of people testified, “We saw Him. We felt of His hands and His side. We know He is the Christ” (see 3 Nephi 11:14–15).

Joseph Smith undertook and accomplished other superhuman tasks. Among them I list the following:

He organized the Church. (I call attention to the fact that no constitution effected by human agency has survived 100 years without modification or amendment, even the Constitution of the United States. The basic law or constitution of the Church has never been altered.)

He undertook to carry the gospel message to all nations, which is a superhuman task still in progress.

He undertook, by divine command, to gather thousands of people to Zion.

He instituted vicarious work for the dead and built temples for that purpose.

He promised that certain signs should follow the believers, and there are thousands of witnesses who certify that this promise has been fulfilled.

I said to my friend, “My Lord, I cannot understand your saying to me that my claims are fantastic. Nor can I understand why Christians who claim to believe in Christ would persecute and put to death a man whose whole purpose was to prove the truth of the things they themselves were declaring; namely, that Jesus was the Christ. I could understand their persecuting Joseph if he had said, ‘I am Christ,’ or if he had said, ‘There is no Christ,’ or if he had said someone else is Christ. Then Christians believing in Christ would be justified in opposing him.

“But what he said was, ‘He whom ye claim to serve, declare I unto you,’ paraphrasing what Paul said in Athens: ‘Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you’ (Acts 17:23). Joseph said to the Christians of his day, ‘You claim to believe in Jesus Christ. I testify that I saw Him and I talked with Him. He is the Son of God. Why persecute me for that?’

“When Joseph came out of the woods, he had at least four fundamental truths, and he announced them to the world: first, that the Father and the Son are separate and distinct individuals; second, that the canon of scripture is not complete; third, that man was created in the bodily image of God; and fourth, the channel between earth and heaven is open and revelation is continuous.”

Perhaps some of you are wondering how the judge reacted to our discussion. He listened intently; he asked some very pointed and searching questions; and, at the end of the period, he said, “Mr. Brown, I wonder if your people appreciate the import of your message. Do you?” He said, “If what you have told me is true, it is the greatest message that has come to this earth since the angels announced the birth of Christ.”

This was a judge speaking—a great statesman, an intelligent man. He threw out the challenge: “Do you appreciate the import of what you say?” He added, “I wish it were true. I hope it may be true. God knows it ought to be true. I would to God,” he said, and he wept as he said it, “that some man could appear on earth and authoritatively say, ‘Thus saith the Lord.’”

As I intimated, we did not meet again. I have brought to you very briefly some of the reasons why I believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. But undergirding and overarching all that, I say to you from the very center of my heart that by the revelations of the Holy Ghost I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God.

Although these evidences and many others that could be cited may have the effect of giving one an intellectual conviction, only by the whisperings of the Holy Spirit can one come to know the things of God. By those whisperings I say I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. I thank God for that knowledge and pray for His blessings upon all of you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Fight the Good Fight!

This recent General Conference, Elder Holland delivered another premier address focusing this time on a topic that I think hit a cord for all of us, that of depression, discouragement and self-doubt.

His talk entitled "Like a Broken Vessel," as the Psalmist says,  addressed an issue that a lot of people deal with. Elder Holland went on to explain "we must remember, that vessel is in the hands of the divine potter. Broken minds can be healed just the way broken bones and broken hearts are healed. While God is at work making those repairs, the rest of us can help by being merciful, nonjudgmental, and kind."

If we have suffered with this in the past or do so now, we are not alone. Some of the greatest men and woman in the history of the world have suffered with this mental disorder at some point in time in their lives, such as Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchhill, President George Albert Smith and even Elder Holland.

We should never consider ourselves alone in this struggle. It is something that is real and has, or does now, affect us. I think all of you, at one point in time, have shared with me your personal struggles in this area. And I've shared with you my struggles with it as well, trying to cope with the trials and opposition in life. It is something that is sometimes difficult to share or admit we have or are going through. But it is critical to not ignore it, hoping that it will just go away, or that we can work through it. Elder Holland said, " However bewildering this all may be, these afflictions are some of the realities of mortal life, and there should be no more shame in acknowledging them than in acknowledging a battle with high blood pressure or the sudden appearance of a malignant tumor."

Elder Holland went on to say, " In striving for some peace and understanding in these difficult matters, it is crucial to remember that we are living—and chose to live—in a fallen world where for divine purposes our pursuit of godliness will be tested and tried again and again. Of greatest assurance in God’s plan is that a Savior was promised, a Redeemer, who through our faith in Him would lift us triumphantly over those tests and trials, even though the cost to do so would be unfathomable for both the Father who sent Him and the Son who came. It is only an appreciation of this divine love that will make our own lesser suffering first bearable, then understandable, and finally redemptive."

He also counseled, " Whatever your struggle, my brothers and sisters—mental or emotional or physical or otherwise—do not vote against the preciousness of life by ending it! Trust in God. Hold on in His love. Know that one day the dawn will break brightly and all shadows of mortality will flee."

My father, Grandpa Stone, struggled with this demon most of his life. I never noticed it in him as I was growing up, but it was very noticeable after his brain tumor surgery, when he lost the nerve feelings in the left side of his face, causing it to droop. That is the Grandpa you all probably remember. I learned later that he actually suffered with depression most of his life. My Dad is now free from this mortal trial and busy giving his family love, encouragement and support.

So this leads me to a question. Is depression hereditary? And is it something that we can inherit?

Experts largely agree that the origins of depression could be caused by a mixture of genetic and other reasons such as stress, and that our genes help determine the likelihood of depression. In a 2001 study, they found that a person's genetic makeup does matter in how she or he reacts to stress and supports earlier findings that people who had a less functional short allele on a certain area of the serotonin gene had a more difficult time recovering from trauma compared to those with long alleles. (An allele is one of a number of alternative forms of the same gene or same group of genes. Source: Wikipedia)

So yes, this type of disorder can be hereditary. But because it is, doesn't mean we have to live with it all our life. There are ways to work with it. But before I get into that let's look at just what physically, or mentally, causes this disorder.

To understand this further, the website www.aboutdepressionfacts.com, states, "The hormone serotonin serves a crucial role within our brain chemistry. The level of serotonin within the brain has a major affect on our emotions, thinking and behavior. Given that anti depressants modify the amount of serotonin within the brain, it’s always been thought that the hormone plays a part in the forming of mental illness. As a result, the level of serotonin which your body makes and keeps seems to be vital in the struggle against depression. Since the TPH2 gene is a key part in controlling the serotonin level, experts believe that TPH2 plays a part in the development of psychiatric disorders.

So depression can be a chemical imbalance from our brain. There are prescribed medications, and other supplements and activity that can help to bring this imbalance into balance.

In my efforts to personally fight this demon,  I have tried the prescribed medications and did not like the way it left me emotionless and flat. So I went about doing some Internet research and found some good alternatives that have worked well for me. These are not in any particular order. But all of them are important to use in combination. If you do one and not another, I feel it will not have the same result. So here they are.

Exercise - Exercise in almost any form can act as a stress reliever. Being active can boost your feel-good endorphins and distract you from daily worries. Regular exercise can increase self-confidence and lower the symptoms associated with mild depression and anxiety. Exercise also can improve your sleep, which is often disrupted by stress, depression and anxiety. All this can ease your stress levels and give you a sense of command over your body and your life.

I love to play racquetball. When I was playing, it was a great stress reliever. But with the deterioration of my knees, it has become a little more difficult to do. I have found cycling to fit the bill best for me. (I have to thank Adam for getting me into it) You've probably noticed recently that I have picked up the pace with this activity. I'm feeling much better for having done so.

Vitamin Supplements - I found vitamin supplements, namely vitamin D, that help in improving the chemical imbalance area of the brain that causes depression. A study of more than 81,000 women found those with the highest intake of vitamin D from food sources had a significantly lower prevalence of depressive symptoms. The researchers suggested that vitamin D may affect the function of dopamine and norepinephrine. These are neurotransmitters that are likely involved in depression, while also modulating the relationship between depression and inflammation.

I've tried a couple of different vitamin B supplements, and am finding the Walmart brand of "Stress Vitamin B Complex" to be working the best. It has the key B vitamins for stress, as well as vitamin C and Zinc. I would recommend this kind.

Your Family - One of the most important aspects of dealing with stress and depression is to rely upon family members for support and help. Aside from just talking with them about it (Which is extremely important to do), allow them to help and pitch in. Don't carry the burden of heavy responsibilities all on your shoulders. Be willing to allow them to help. But, you say, "They are so busy with their own lives, how can I lean on them?" Dealing with this disorder is a two way street. Let's say you ask a sibling, who is also dealing with depression. Their help will give you some relief, and them helping (Serving) is good medicine for their own struggles. To me, it seems when we are helping others, it takes our mind off of our own problems, and makes us feel better.

Spiritual Nourishment - Seek God and His spirit. Live your life such that you are constantly inviting the spirit into your life. Pray and read the scriptures every single day. Never miss a day! And don't just read the scriptures, but study, ponder and pray about them. There is great solace in studying the Word of the Lord. It is the iron rod (The Word of God) that will lead you through the dark and dreary mist of discouragement and stress, and lead you to the Tree of Life, which is the love of God.

Speaking of God's love, Elder Holland said, "Above all, never lose faith in your Father in Heaven, who loves you more than you can comprehend. As President Monson said to the Relief Society sisters so movingly last Saturday evening: 'That love never changes. … It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve [it]. It is simply always there.' Never, ever doubt that, and never harden your heart. Faithfully pursue the time-tested devotional practices that bring the Spirit of the Lord into your life. Seek the counsel of those who hold keys for your spiritual well-being. Ask for and cherish priesthood blessings. Take the sacrament every week, and hold fast to the perfecting promises of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Believe in miracles. I have seen so many of them come when every other indication would say that hope was lost. Hope is never lost. If those miracles do not come soon or fully or seemingly at all, remember the Savior’s own anguished example: if the bitter cup does not pass, drink it and be strong, trusting in happier days ahead."

And lastly, know that Mom and I are always there for you. We love you and are amazed, on a daily basis, of how blessed our family is. We have 5 adorable and beautiful children. Your beauty is deep, both physical and spiritual. You have, along with your spouses, brought into this world, through birth and adoption, beautiful and talented grandchildren. You and your children (Our grandchildren) have been held back in the heavens to be on this earth at this particular time. You have the greatest responsibility, more than any other parent who has ever lived on this earth, throughout the history of time, to raise a generation of young people who will prepare the world for the glorious second return of our Savior Jesus Christ. They are here, living in your homes. And He will return, sooner than you may think.

That is why challenges are immense and trials unbearable. Satan knows who you and your children are and how close the Lord's return is. He has unleashed every stratagem to destroy this earth and its people. With gold and silver, he has bought armies, navies, corrupt governments and the media. He wants us to be depressed and discouraged. He wants us to to think we are worth nothing... because he knows our true value. The question is, do you?

As a family, lets pull together and fight the good fight!

For we are the army of Stones!

Love, Dad

Unlocking the Mysteries in the Scriptures

I don't know how many times I have found myself reading a part of the scriptures, and have found a verse or section that I hadn't remembered reading before.

I have often said to myself "Where did that verse come from? I don't remember ever reading it before."

Over the years, as I've matured in my scripture reading, I have come to realize that the scriptures are literally alive. They ebb and flow with the mysteries of Godliness, and those mysteries come alive to our understanding when the Lord feels we are ready to receive them.

It has been said that the Book of Mormon contains the fullness of the gospel. I've often wondered about that statement, as I've not immediately found all the doctrines listed there. But I have learned over time,  they are there. They have always been there. They have just been masked by the spirit and are revealed to us when we are ready to receive them.

In D&C 76:7 it says, "And to them will I reveal all mysteries, yea, all the hidden mysteries of my kingdom from days of old, and for ages to come, will I make known unto them the good pleasure of my will concerning all things pertaining to my kingdom."

So where are the mysteries, and how do we find them? Where in the scriptures are they? They're actually easy to find. Read until you come to a passage or phrase you don't understand, most probably it is oft repeated, and one which causes you to ponder. You've just found a mystery. There are thousands of them.

These precious pearls remain mysteries until revealed through revelation. Once we have learned a mystery, mortal language is not able to make them known to another. No combination of words, no matter how powerful or inspired, can be used to explain the concept. Each must acquire them through personally revealed truth.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie, in quoting from the Doctrine and Covenants said:

"The power and authority of the higher, or Melchizedek Priesthood, is to hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church -- To have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, to have the heavens opened unto them, to commune with the general assembly and church of the Firstborn, and to enjoy the communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus the mediator of the new covenant." (D&C 107:18-19)

From all of this it follows, automatically and axiomatically, that if and when the holy priesthood operates to the full in the life of any man, he will receive its great and full blessings, which are that rending of the heavens and that parting of the veil of which we now speak. (McConkie: TPM 588, commenting on 107:18-19)

The mysteries are those principles of the Gospel which must be received and understood by the Holy Ghost. Mysteries are not to be shunned, but rather appropriately sought under the guidance of the Spirit. It is the mysteries which give us the key to the knowledge of God, and in time, the actually knowledge of God -- which is life eternal. (John 17:3)

How do we prepare and qualify ourselves to receive and understand the mysteries of the kingdom? The Lord gave the Prophet Joseph Smith the answer:

 "It is your privilege, and a promise I give unto you that have been ordained unto this ministry, that inasmuch as you strip yourselves from jealousies and fears, and humble yourselves before me, for ye are not sufficiently humble, the veil shall be rent and you shall see me and know that I am -- not with the carnal neither natural mind, but with the spiritual. For no man has seen God at any time in the flesh, except quickened by the carnal mind. Ye are not able to abide the presence of God now, neither the ministering of angels; wherefore, continue in patience until ye are perfected. Let not your minds turn back; and when ye are worthy in mine own due time, ye shall see and know that which is conferred upon you by the hands of my servant Joseph Smith, Jun." (D&C 67:10-14)

So here are the qualifications:

• Strip yourself from jealousies and fears.
• Humble yourself before the Lord.
• Continue in patience.
• Don't allow your minds to turn back.
• In the Lord's due time.

May the scriptures come alive in our lives, as we allow the spirit to reveal to us the mysteries of the kingdom of God.

Love, Dad

The Miracle we call Birth & The Father's Blessing

The the birth of the newest member of our family, Sophie Kaikala Hirschi, to Jen and Braden, is an amazing miracle. I am just in awe how something which starts off as a single cell inside a woman's womb, grows and develops into a human being with an intellect, a child of God.

I mentioned this to Braden several times this week, "Isn't it just amazing how this beautiful baby was developed? How can anyone raise doubt of a supreme maker who controls the growth and development of these precious little babies?"

Stop and consider the process that this baby goes through to develop a heart, a brain, arms and legs, lungs, all the internal organs, and then becomes a housing to its spirit. A baby is the greatest of God's creations. It indeed is a miracle.

When it is proper to do so, Sophie will receive a father's blessing from Braden. She will also be given her official name that she will be known on the records of the Church and throughout her life.


So just what is the baby's blessing all about? What is the process, its purpose and meaning. I found an article from William E. Berrett, an LDS author, that outlined the baby's blessing.

The Blessing of Children

Each fast meeting babies are brought to the chapels of the Church for a blessing. Where and when did this practice begin? And why has it become an important ordinance in the Church?

The ancient Hebrews brought their babies to the priests for a blessing. Usually the temple was the place where the ordinance was performed. Jesus was blessed in the temple and given a name by the aged priest Simeon.  In his time this ordinance was usually performed when the baby was forty days old.

In this dispensation, the ordinance was established with the very origin of the Church. Thus we read in the famous revelation or articles presented to the elders gathered together April 6, 1830:

Every member of the church of Christ having children is to bring them unto the elders before the church, who are to lay their hands upon them in the name of Jesus Christ, and bless them in his name.

There has been no commandment in our time concerning the age at which the blessing and name should be given. The practice varies considerably, but usually it is performed at the first fast meeting after the baby's birth and when the mother of the baby is well enough to attend the services.

Who May Give the Blessing

The giving of a blessing is a right belonging to the High or Melchizedek Priesthood. The prophets of old gave blessings to their children. This same power has been restored in our day.

And again, verily I say, whomsoever you bless, I will bless, and whomsoever you curse, I will curse, saith the Lord; for I, the Lord, am thy God.

As in the case of all ordinances, the keys or directing power rest with certain officers of the Church. The bishop of the ward holds the keys of this power within his ward, and designates the elder who is to bless the particular infant. Ordinarily, the father of the infant is so designated if he is a holder of the High Priesthood.

Purpose of the Blessing
A child is worthy of a blessing because he came into the world innocent and has done nothing to mar that innocence:

But behold, I say unto you, that little children are redeemed from the foundation of the world through mine Only Begotten;

Wherefore, they cannot sin, for power is not given unto Satan to tempt little children, until they begin to become accountable before me;

For it is given unto them even as I will, according to mine own pleasure, that great things may be required at the hand of their fathers.

But little children are holy, being sanctified through the atonement of Jesus Christ; and this is what the scriptures mean.

The purposes of a blessing are threefold:

To give the child a name upon the records of the Church;

To bind the Lord to a promise to use his spirit to advise and counsel the child as he grows toward a period of understanding and responsibility;

To bring to parents and to the Church a sense of responsibility for the welfare of the child.

How the Lord Bestows the Blessing

The giving of a blessing is no guarantee that the blessing will be realized. The Lord has made it clear that:

There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—

And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.

There are those parents who have their child blessed and do little more in teaching him the gospel. But the fulfilment of the blessing depends, in large part, upon the parents, and if the parents want the blessing upon their infant to be fulfilled, they should give heed to the Lord's instructions to them on the matter:

And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents.

For this shall be a law unto the inhabitants of Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized;

And their children shall be baptized for the remission of their sins when eight years old, and receive the laying on of the hands,

And they shall also teach their children to pray and to walk uprightly before the Lord.

And the inhabitants of Zion shall also observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy.

And the inhabitants of Zion also shall remember their labors, inasmuch as they are appointed to labor, in all faithfulness; for the idler shall be had in remembrance before the Lord.

Now, I the Lord, am not well pleased with the inhabitants of Zion, for there are idlers among them; and their children are also growing up in wickedness; they also seek not earnestly the riches of eternity, but their eyes are full of greediness.

Also:

But I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth.

You have not taught your children light and truth, according to the commandments; and that wicked one hath power, as yet, over you, and this is the cause of your affliction.

And now a commandment I give unto you—if you will be delivered you shall set in order your own house, for there are many things that are not right in your house.

The Lord not only fulfils his blessing upon the child by instructing and guiding the parents in their training of the child, but also he fulfils his blessing through his arm on the earth—the Church. The Lord provides a chapel in which the child can worship and grow in spirit. He appoints teachers to instruct the child in the gospel; elders to administer to him the ordinances of the Church and to visit and instruct him and his parents in their home. The Lord provides a treasury of spiritual experience through the holy scriptures, and brings opportunities for service. Through the Church, he teaches the child the gospel in song, shows him how to pray, to bear testimony, and to walk uprightly before the Lord. The Lord provides schools for children, wherein the blessings pronounced upon their heads might be realized. Thus, in June of 1831, he instructed William W. Phelps:

And again, you shall be ordained to assist my servant Oliver Cowdery to do the work of printing, and of selecting and writing books for schools in this church, that little children also may receive instruction before me as is pleasing unto me.

We do err if we fail to see the part played by the Church in the fulfilment of the blessing, or fail to see the obligation upon the Church members to see that no blessing upon the head of a child shall fall to the ground through failure of the Church members to assist the Lord in his work.

Thanks Braden and Jen for doing your part to bring this beautiful baby into our family. We will watch with great interest to see her grow and develop into a beautiful daughter of God who will then take her part, along with her eternal companion, to do what you have just done for her, that is bringing more spirit children into this world, and our family.

We are so happy for you!

Love, Dad