Tag: General Conference

Do These Count?

What podcasts are you listening to?

In the Past, often listened to: Top of Mind with Julie Rose through BYUradio.

Today: Addresses given at the April 2006 General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through the Gospel Library App.

Nurturing Marriage by Russell M. Nelson

As Now We Take the Sacrament By L. Tom Perry

See the End from the Beginning By Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Our Rising Generation By Elder Ronald A. Rasband

Repentance, a Blessing of Membership By Richard G. Hinckley

A Royal Priesthood By President James E. Faust

Our Sacred Priesthood Trust By President Thomas S. Monson

Currently listening to The Need for Greater Kindness By President Gordon B. Hinckley

“Brethren, there is no basis for racial hatred among the priesthood of this Church. If any within the sound of my voice is inclined to indulge in this, then let him go before the Lord and ask for forgiveness and be no more involved in such.” -President Gordon B. Hinckley.

Looking Forward to: Youth Music Festival 2023 through the Gospel Media App

How Do We Move Forward in Love and Unity Amongst Diversity? 

Back in Nov 2020, on the radio program, Top of Mind with Julie Rose, Pastor Oscar T. Moses, from Calvary Baptist Church in Salt Lake City,Utah, USA, shared his background as a police officer in Chicago, what it meant to receive a call to ministry, and perspectives on race and faith in the time of Black Lives Matter.

On the show, Pastor Moses describes his experience in the PD, including witnessing people who were treated as if their lives didn’t matter because of the perspective coming from the police officers. Some of these officers came from war, and they viewed citizens in a similar way, as the enemy.

He discussed that there comes a point when you have to speak up, for if you have a voice and you don’t speak up, you become complicit. 

He relates the modern affliction and devastation that many face today to the ancient judaic roots of the human family saying,

“From the biblical perspective, I see the scriptures from a harmonudic perspective. The lenses of those who have been marginalized. I can relate to the children of Israel coming out of the flesh pots of egypt.

“We are preaching in the midst [of many who are suffering from all manner of ailments]. Christ was in the midst of poor people, hurting people, those who didn’t receive equal distribution of wealth or power. I preach to the gospel that comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comforted.”

Moses, 2020

The challenge today is finding unity amongst diversity of beliefs, backgrounds, goals, and desires. Martin Luther King Jr., described the end result if our goals are approached with hatred and anger when he stated,

“Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? [2010], 64-65

Loving others is not easy. Pure religion, as described by James, who is writing to the 12 tribes of Israel (James 1:1), aka us, is this, “To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world (1:27).

How do we move forward during these times of tribulation, calamities, and a spectrum of illness, trauma, addiction, and affliction especailly when the way we associate has changed? 

Robert D.Hales once advised David A. Bednar with these words, “When you cannot do what you have always done, then you only do what matters most.” 

What does this mean? Search, ponder, and pray. I believe it is different for each person, which would require the ability to receive personal revelation from the Lord. He will guide you. Believe He is guiding you. Trust that he will guide you. This is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.


Sources

http://byuradiostage.byu.edu/episode/4eb6e3b7-4026-495d-95e4-49afa0b8e2d5/in-good-faith-pastor-oscar-t-moses

Why Did The Lord Send Elijah?

Henry B. Eyring, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints discusses this question during the April 2005 General Conference which was held in SLC, Utah, USA.

He’s states,

It is important to know why the Lord promised to send Elijah. Elijah was a great prophet with great power given him by God. He held the greatest power God gives to His children: he held the sealing power, the power to bind on earth and have it bound in heaven. God gave it to the Apostle Peter. And the Lord kept His promise to send Elijah. Elijah came to the Prophet Joseph Smith on April 3, 1836, just after the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, the first temple built after the Restoration of the gospel. Joseph described the sacred moment.

“Hearts Bound Together,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2005, 78


Eyring then quotes Joseph Smith’s account of “visions manifested to Joseph Smith the Prophet and Oliver Cowdery in the temple at Kirtland, Ohio, April 3, 1836” as recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 110. This experience describes “Elijah’s return and he commits the keys of his dispensation as promised by Malachi” (see Doctrine and Covenants 110).

13 After this vision had closed, another great and glorious vision burst upon us; for Elijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death, stood before us, and said:
14 Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi—testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come—
15 To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse—
16 Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors.

Doctrine and Covenants 110:13–16

What did Elijah restore?

President Henry B. Eyring said: “It is important to know why the Lord promised to send Elijah. Elijah was a great prophet with great power given him by God. He held the greatest power God gives to His children: he held the sealing power, the power to bind on earth and have it bound in heaven” (“Hearts Bound Together,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2005, 78).

See Come Follow Me, January 11–17
Doctrine and Covenants 2; Joseph Smith—History 1:27–65 “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn to Their Fathers”

See also Doctrine and Covenants 110:13–16; David A. Bednar, “Let This House Be Built unto My Name,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 84–87.

I believe the earth was created for families as taught throughout scripture (insert reference here) and as found in The Family: A Proclamation to the World. The family is sacred. Marriage is sacred. Many share different beliefs, but The Savior’s love is infinite and eternal (see D. Todd Christofferson) just as the family can be and is meant to be (insert scripture reference here). However, we all have our own agency (reference) and we must decide for ourselves the path we will follow. In the end, “Decisions determine destiny” (Thomas S. Monson).

Will a Man Rob God?

The following article is taken from a General Conference Address given by Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi Of the First Quorum of the Seventy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in April 2007.

A few years ago I received the assignment to reorganize the Carey Idaho Stake. The plane landed at Twin Falls, and President Roy Hubert, who had served so well, met me there and drove me to his home. While we were driving, I asked him, “Is there anything I can do for you and your Saints?”  He said: “Oh, we have had a terrible drought for the last few years. This year it is particularly severe, and many farmers have left town to find employment elsewhere.”  I was so disturbed for our faithful members who love the Lord and the Church yet were losing their farms.  A young bishop, R. Spence Ellsworth, was called to serve as the new stake president. During the Sunday general session, results of the drought weighed heavily on my mind. As I was speaking, a strong prompting came. I asked them to do the following:      Faithfully pay an honest tithe, both young and old.      Humbly hold regular individual and family prayers.      Devotedly have daily personal and family scripture study.      Thankfully keep the Sabbath day holy.      Gratefully go to the temple often, there offering thanksgiving.      Willingly sustain and follow the new leaders.      Hold a stakewide fast, including everyone in the affected communities who would like to participate.      For the next couple of days following the stake conference, many members planted their crops with complete faith, even though there was no forecast of rain.  On Wednesday, under the direction of President Ellsworth, the whole stake fasted. That same week many members, the leaders, and their spouses went to the Boise Idaho Temple and offered their thanksgiving. While these faithful Saints were in the temple, rain began to fall on the entire community, though the weather forecast indicated no moisture for the next few weeks. The following Saturday, good rain fell again and continued for a few days. This happened late in the month of April. Significant snow fell in the mountains, providing enough moisture. In the Dietrich and Richfield communities, their reservoir had been under 30 percent, but after the people fasted, the reservoir was nearly full. The Carey water supply increased from about 44 percent to more than 100 percent of normal. Through the rest of the growing season, as members of the Carey Stake increased their faith by fasting a few more times, paying honest tithes, and attending the temple more frequently, the Lord heard and answered their prayers. Frost came late that year, so the farmers were able to harvest grain, sugar beets, alfalfa, potatoes, and other crops. From that day, and each year since, they have offered their thanksgiving prayers, and “because of … his tender mercies,” the Lord continues to bless them.

Yoshihiko Kikuchi

Will a Man Rob God? Access to this General conference address is available through YouTube, the Gospel Library App, and on the TheChurchofJesusChrist.org

Strive for Progress

I’m currently studying Marriage and Family Studies through BYU-Idaho online after completing Pathway Connect in April 2018. I was at the crossroads again of deciding what major or career to pursue in college. This process is similar to picking a restaurant for date night. We need to eat, and we’d be happy with many different cuisines, but what will fill us up and make us happy on a typical Friday night? Usually it’s pizza. But, sometimes I want something more healthy and that makes me feel good.

There are many flavors to life and multiple careers I would be happy with, but what will be most filling and most “healthy” for my life? Sometimes I just want God to say, “This career is your best option, so pick this one.” It doesn’t work like this (D&C 58:27-28). A question asked by a loving family member helped me to form my own ideas and opinions of what would be best for me. She asked, “What area of study will benefit your family the most?” I began asking myself other questions like, “What goals do I want to accomplish?” “What career will help me progress the most and become a better person and help others?” “What career will best suit my interest, my talents, my taste and create a satisfying and fulfilling life?”

I am going to write metaphorically about health and work to connect the dots. Most days I prefer to eat in a pattern that promotes energy, health and vitality to my mind, body and soul (D&C 89:18), and I prefer to do work that does the same (D&C 88:15; Abr. 5:7). So, how did I choose to move forward with my educational path? I made a list of what I enjoy doing, what I’m good at, what skills I’ve developed, what skills I’d like to develop, and my talents (D&C 60:2). I read The Family: A Proclamation to the World (read by President Gordon B. Hinckley, 1995, General Relief Society Meeting), I pondered and studied it out in my mind of what I wanted then I prayed about it (D&C 9:7-8). I know my taste is ever changing, so I wanted to make sure that what I did satisfied a higher purpose.

Right now I want to learn about the family and how I can create healthy family relationships. *Yawn for some and, at one point, for me too. But as I have gotten older, my season of life has changed. I no longer have the ambition to move to Paris and model like I did when I was fifteen (I was tall and wanted to escape my town). I no longer have the desire to pursue a career as a nurse anesthetist like I did when I was 25 (independence and living in comfort was my goal). As I pursued education and learned to follow promptings from the spirit, I was able to choose what would fit me best. As long as I didn’t get any “red lights,” “stop signs,” or “red flags” I continued going (see Elder Rasband’s talk, “Let the Holy Spirit Guide” APRIL 2017).

I know if I desire to be happy in my career choice then I must choose to read my scriptures, pray, have faith, and participate in Sacrament meeting; I must choose to turn to God constantly through prayer to overcome hardships and trials for the rest of my life. Slowly but certainly, I will progress and become better and be happy through the atonement of Jesus Christ and by having the companionship of the Holy Ghost.

peru-books-scriptures-1191800-gallery
Peru

References

Photo. Web Accessed. Oct 21. 2018. https://www.lds.org/media-library/images/category/pictures-of-the-scriptures?lang=eng