Their nearness makes a difference

by

Wayne E. Brickey

To a particular family one evening, word came of a foul event, an insulting deed against one of the family members.  Jason, an older brother, was inflamed at the news.  In rage he stormed to the door, vowing to take revenge.  The family had just been shocked in one way, and now Jason was shocking them in another.  But then came another surprise.  Mild mannered Andrew, a four year old, ran to the door and blocked Jason’s path.

“Out of my way,” yelled Jason. “No,” Andrew answered with nostrils flaring, “not till we pray.”  When Jason tried to move Andrew to the side and swing the door open, Andrew dove through Jason’s reach and wrapped his little arms around one of Jason’s knees, clamping his teeth on the pant leg.  Jason dragged his leg and his little brother out into the front yard but finally stopped.  Anger was suspended by a special kind of courage, the moral courage of love.  Soon, with the smallest family member still attached to the biggest, the whole family was at Jason’s side.  They all reentered the house, where they would council together about their new challenge.

Courage can, and usually does, transfer from one person to another.  Bravery spreads between soldiers on fields of mortal danger.  It spreads in workplaces and on teams.  Firmness rubs off of heroes we haven’t even met.  Many a bedridden patient, awaiting the next step in some medical ordeal, has found new resolve in the mere presence of a loving visitor.  Likewise, we may be transformed by beings we do not know and cannot see.  As the Lord predicted, they will be “round about you, to bear you up”.   Their nearness makes a difference.  With power they bear us up, stimulation us to Action. Perhaps little Andrew was so decisive because of love and firmness pouring into him through the veil.

As the love of a small boy gave moral courage to a big boy, our unseen friends bear us up by their pure love.  As John the Beloved said, “Perfect love casteth out fear”, or as Mormon said, “all fear”.

Along with purer love, those beings have gone on to mightier faith.  Just as we mortals strengthen each other by bearing testimony, they can instill faith in our hearts.  Like love, faith dispels fear.

If we try to follow Jesus praying without fail, tithing without fail, fulfilling our callings without fail we have the nearness of Him who is firm without fail.  Then we can face anything.

He and the courageous host of heaven, by their nearness, move us to Action.

Holiness speaks when there is silence

"You develop faith by doing things that require faith."

John H. Groberg

"There never was another like you in this world. God throws the mold away every time he makes a man or woman... I think He made you what you are in order that you might do some particular thing better than anyone else in the world could do it."

 Hugh B. Brown

"More than anything else we should be concerned about meekness, or our standing in God's sight. If that standing is as it should be, nothing else matters. If it is not, nothing else counts."

John H. Groberg

"Honesty is more than not lying. It is truth telling,

truth speaking, truth living, and truth loving."

James E. Faust

"Even water carves monuments of stone,

so do our thoughts shape our character."

Hugh B. Brown

"We lose our life by serving and lifting others. By so doing we experience the only true and lasting happiness. Service is not something we endure on this earth so we can earn the right to live in the celestial kingdom. Service is the very fiber of which an exalted life in the celestial kingdom is made. Oh, for the glorious day when these things all come naturally because of the purity of our hearts... We are truly happy only when we are engaged in unselfish service. Service is what godhood is all about."

Marion G. Romney

"Holiness is the strength of the soul. It comes by faith and through obedience to God's laws and ordinances. God then purifies the heart by faith, and the heart becomes purged from that which is profane and unworthy. When holiness is achieved by conforming to God's will, one knows intuitively that which is wrong and that which is right before the Lord. Holiness speaks when there is silence, encouraging that which is good or reproving that which is wrong."

 James E. Faust

Favorite story is told by Elder Marion G. Romney who recalled it being said of President Wilford Woodruff "that while the sacrament was being passed, his lips could be observed in silent motion as he repeated to himself over and over again, 'I do remember thee, I do remember thee.'"

 

…and they remembered…
Luke 24:8

"Try to live…so that you can have the Spirit with you in all your activities. Pray for the spirit of discernment that you may hear the promptings of the Spirit and understand them and then pray for courage to do them, to follow the guidance of the Spirit."

Marion G. Romney

"No matter what your past has been, your future is spotless."

 Hugh B. Brown

"Sometimes we carry unhappy feelings about past hurts too long. We spend too much energy dwelling on things that have passed and cannot be changed. We struggle to close the door and let go of the hurt. If, after time, we can forgive whatever may have caused the hurt, we will tap 'into a life-giving source of comfort' through the Atonement, and the 'sweet peace' of forgiveness will be ours. Some injuries are so hurtful and deep that healing comes only with help from a higher power and hope for perfect justice and restitution in the next life. . . . You can tap into that higher power and receive precious comfort and sweet peace."

 James E. Faust

"For some, the refiner's fire causes a loss of belief and faith in God, but those with eternal perspective understand that such refining is part of the perfection process."

James E. Faust

"Indolent and unworthy the beggar may be but that is not your concern: It is better, said Joseph Smith, to feed ten impostors than to run the risk of turning away one honest petition."

Hugh Nibley

"While life lasts, one must look upon each new achievement as a challenge and a beginning. Mile posts marking the way were not intended for camping grounds. The gospel is a challenge to finish the course, not simply to begin it. All the fine accomplishments of a worth-while life may be defeated by a poor ending."

 Hugh B. Brown

"When we resist the counsel of the Lord,

we manifest stubbornness and rejection of his inspired guidance."

Marion G. Romney

"No matter where we begin, if we pursue knowledge diligently and honestly,

our quest will inevitably lead us from the things of the earth to the things of heaven."

Hugh Nibley

"To fight the good fight is one of the bravest and noblest of life's experiences. Not the bloodshed and the battle of man with man, but the grappling with mental and spiritual adversaries that determines the inner caliber of the contestant. It is the quality of the struggle put forth by a man that proclaims to the world what manner of man he is far more than may be by the termination of the battle.

It matters not nearly so much to a man that he succeeds in winning some long-sought prize as it does that he has worked for it honestly and unfalteringly with all the force and energy there is in him. It is in the effort that the soul grows and asserts itself to the fullest extent of its possibilities, and he that has worked will, persevering in the face of all opposition and apparent failure, fairly and squarely endeavoring to perform his part to the utmost extent of his capabilities, may well look back upon his labor regardless of any seeming defeat in its result and say, "I have fought a good fight."

As you throw the weight of your influence on the side of the good, the true and the beautiful,

your life will achieve an endless splendor.

It will continue in the lives of others, higher, finer, nobler than you can even contemplate."

 Hugh B. Brown

"Don't be like anybody else. Be different.
Then you can make a
contribution.
Otherwise, you just echo something; you're just a reflection."

Hugh Nibley

The Candle of the Lord

"The heart is a tender place. It is sensitive to many influences, both positive and negative.

It can be hurt by others. It can be deadened by sin. It can be softened by love.

Early in our lives, we learn to guard our hearts. It is like we erect a fence around our hearts with a gate in it.

No one can enter that gate unless we allow him or her to.

"In some cases the fence we erect around our hearts could be likened to a small picket fence with a Welcome sign on the gate. Other hearts have been so hurt or so deadened by sin that they have an eight-foot chain-link fence topped with razor wire around them. The gate is padlocked and has a large No Trespassing sign on it.

"Let us apply the idea of a gateway to the heart to receiving personal revelation. 'When a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men' Elder David A. Bednar noted the use of the word unto: 'Please notice how the power of the Spirit carries the message unto but not necessarily into the heart. . . . Ultimately, . . . the content of a message and the witness of the

Holy Ghost penetrate into the heart only if a receiver allows them to enter'

Gerald N. Lund

The Candle of the Lord

The voice of the Spirit is described in the scripture as being neither “loud” nor “harsh.” It is “not a voice of thunder, neither … voice of a great tumultuous noise.” But rather, “a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper,” and it can “pierce even to the very soul” and “cause the heart to burn.” Remember, Elijah found the voice of the Lord was not in the wind, nor in the earthquake, nor in the fire, but was a “still small voice.”.

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.

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.”

This is the Lord’s Church! Jesus is the Christ! There presides over us a prophet of God! The day of miracles has not ceased, neither have angels ceased to appear and minister unto man! The spiritual gifts are with the Church. Choice among them is the gift of the Holy Ghost!

Boyd K. Packer

His blessings are eternal

The Savior has promised angels on our left and our right…

and His angels round about you, to bear you up...

 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Matthew 24:31

"These early Saints were indeed homeless, but they were not hopeless. Their hearts were broken, but their spirits were strong. They had learned a profound and important lesson. They had learned that hope, with its attendant blessings of peace and joy, does not depend upon circumstance. They had discovered that the true source of hope is faith, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in His infinite Atonement,

the one sure foundation upon which to build our lives."

 Wilford W. Andersen

"Testimony is to know and to feel,
Conversion is to do and to become."

Dallin H. Oaks

"We may not know when or how the Lord’s answers will be given, but in His time and His way, I testify, His answers will come. For some answers we may have to wait until the hereafter. This may be true for some promises in our patriarchal blessings and for some blessings for family members. Let us not give up on the Lord. His blessings are eternal, not temporary."

 Robert D. Hales

"Things don't always turn out the way we plan,

but don't ever let what you haven't done eclipse all the good you have done and are doing."

 Ardeth G. Kapp

"Personal faith is a reality you need in your life. It is a source of strength and comfort and

 resolution under the happiest and most trying moments of your life."

 Elaine Jack

"Each of us has some things we could complain about,

but what good would it do? Complaining seldom changes anything."

Marjorie Pay Hinckley

"Things we cannot solve, we must survive."

 Boyd K. Packer

"Healing blessings come in many ways, each suited to our individual needs, as known to Him who loves us best. Sometimes a ‘healing’ cures our illness or lifts our burden. But sometimes we are ‘healed’ by being given strength or understanding or patience to bear the burdens placed upon us."

Dallin H. Oaks

"The Savior knows each of us in a personal way. He has assured us of His personal acquaintance, His awareness of our needs, and His presence in our times of need. He counseled, ‘I say unto you that mine eyes are upon you. I am in your midst and ye cannot see me’.  ‘The Savior is in our midst, sometimes personally, frequently through his servants, and always by his Spirit’."

L. Lionel Kendrick

"Our challenges, including those we create by our own decisions, are part of our test in mortality. Let me assure you that your situation is not beyond the reach of our Savior. Through Him, every struggle can be for our experience and our good. Each temptation we overcome is to strengthen us, not destroy us. The Lord will never allow us to suffer beyond what we can endure. We must remember that the adversary knows us extremely well. He knows where, when, and how to tempt us. If we are obedient to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, we can learn to recognize the adversary’s enticements. Before we yield to temptation, we must learn to say with unflinching resolve, “Get thee behind me, Satan”. Our success is never measured by how strongly we are tempted but by how faithfully we respond. We must ask for help from our Heavenly Father and seek strength through the Atonement of His Son, Jesus Christ. In both temporal and spiritual things, obtaining this divine assistance enables us to become provident providers for ourselves and others."

Robert D. Hales

"Prayer is an essential part of conveying appreciation to our Heavenly Father. He awaits our expressions of gratefulness each morning and night in sincere, simple prayer from our hearts for our many blessings, gifts, and talents. Through expression of prayerful gratitude and thanksgiving, we show our dependence upon a higher source of wisdom and knowledge God the Father and his Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We are taught to ‘live in thanksgiving daily.’

Robert D. Hales

"Gratitude is a divine principle: ‘Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things.’ This scripture means that we express thankfulness for what happens, not only for the good things in life but also for the opposition and challenges of life that add to our experience and faith. We put our lives in His hands, realizing that all that transpires will be for our experience. When in prayer we say, ‘Thy will be done,’ we are really expressing faith and gratitude and acknowledging that we will accept whatever happens in our lives."

 Robert D. Hales

May we walk in holiness before the Lord

Dost Thou Wash My Feet?

by Emily Freeman

John 12:7 – John 16:11

Every celebration begins with a moment of anticipation. Expectation fills the air as guests mingle, waiting for the host to seat them around a table that has been carefully spread.

Little can compare with an evening spent with friends.

This feeling of anticipation surely filled the upper level room on the evening of the Last Supper.

In all that had happened previous to that night, the disciples must have looked forward to a quiet evening alone with the Lord.  Entering the room from the dusty, crowded streets below each would have removed their sandals at the door as they found a seat around the table.

It was at this moment when Christ taught a powerful lesson that was completely unexpected.  Just before supper began, the Savior took a bowl and after girding himself with a towel, knelt beside every guest to wash their feet.

This service caught the disciples by surprise.

Traditionally washing the feet of the guest was deemed a lowly act, one that only a servant would perform. As was His nature, the Savior connected this unexpected act of service with a teaching moment, “…to share in this washing, was, as it were, the way to have part in Christ’s service of love, to enter into it, and to share it… There was deep symbolical meaning, not only in that Christ did it, but also in what  He did…What He did, meant His work and service of love; the constant cleansing of one’s walk and life in the love of Christ…it is the daily consecration of our life to love after the example of Christ.” 

After performing this sacred act, Christ introduced the ordinance of the Sacrament we are familiar with today.

“The weekly opportunity of partaking of the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is one of the most sacred ordinances of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  We may fail to recognize the deep spiritual significance this ordinance offers to each of us personally.”

David B. Haight

Just as washing the disciples’ feet was a reminder to the disciples in the time of Christ, the covenant we renew each Sunday should remind us to follow in the footsteps of the Lord daily.   The Lord instructed that, “the members shall manifest before the church, and also before the elders, by a godly walk and conversation, that they are worthy…walking in holiness before the Lord.”  (D&C 20:69 emphasis added)

By partaking of the Sacrament we covenant that we are willing to take upon us the name of His Son, and always remember Him especially in our daily walk and conversation. (D&C 20:77)

Think over some of the situations you encountered this past week.  Were your actions consistent with the covenant you took?  Were you able to always remember Him?  How did you walk in His footsteps?

May we think of the walk of our lives.

May we be known as someone who is willing to consecrate our lives to love like Christ.

May we walk in holiness before the Lord.