The theme for our conference is taken from the words of Joshua in the Old Testament.
After the death of their beloved prophet Moses – Joshua was called to lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land.
Forty years of wondering in the wilderness, now they were being allowed to enter the land of their inheritance.
Because of the inhabitance that lived there, there was a general feeling of anxiety and fear. The timing of this entrance had been postponed for more than forty years because of disobedience and a lack of faith.
Shortly after Moses led the children of Israel out of bondage, he sent twelve men to search out the Promised Land and to bring back word of the conditions there. Joshua and a man named Caleb were among that group. After spending forty days on their mission, the twelve men returned. They brought back figs and pomegranates and a cluster of grapes so large it took two men to carry them on a pole.
The majority of the search party gave a very discouraging report on the land and its inhabitants. Although they found a land that was beautiful and flowing with milk and honey, they also found that the cities were walled and fortified and that the people, in their words ” looked like giants.” The scouts said that they felt like grasshoppers in comparison. Caleb, however, saw things a little differently, with what the Lord called “another spirit,” and his account of the journey and their challenges was quite different. He said, “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it” (Num. 13:30).
Joshua and Caleb were men of great faith, and they joined together encouraging the Israelites to go immediately, to the Promised Land, saying:
“If the Lord delights in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.
“Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for … the Lord is with us: fear them not” (Num. 14:8–9).
But the faint-hearted Israelites, remembering the security of their Egyptian slavery and lacking faith in God, rejected Caleb and Joshua and sought even to stone them.
Because of their lack of faith, the children of Israel were required to spend the next forty years wandering in the desert, when they might have feasted on milk and honey.
They questioned the commandment given through Moses, their living prophet. They spread their questioning to others. How could Israel defeat the giants of Canaan when they saw themselves, by comparison, as grasshoppers? (Num. 13:31–33).
The questioning turned to rationalization and excuses. They claimed to fear for their wives and children. “It would have been better for us in Egypt!” they declared (Num. 14:2–3).
The murmuring became disobedience when Israel sought to appoint a captain who would lead them back to Egypt (Num. 14:4).
They simply refused to follow the living prophet. For their murmuring, the Lord took away the promised blessing that He would destroy the Canaanites and give them their promised land. Instead, He sent Israel into the wilderness to wander for 40 years.
The promised blessings of God are always given on condition of our faithfulness and dedication to the covenants that we have been given. Caleb and Joshua remained faithful and were the only ones of the search party that were still alive and allowed to enter the Promised Land.
President Spencer W Kimball -
From Caleb’s example we learn very important lessons. Just as Caleb had to struggle and remain true and faithful to gain his inheritance, so we must remember that, while the Lord has promised us a place in his kingdom, we must ever strive constantly and faithfully so as to be worthy to receive the reward.
Caleb concluded his moving declaration with a request and a challenge with which my heart finds full sympathy. The giants were still inhabiting the Promised Land, and they had to be overcome. Said Caleb, now at 85 years of age, “Give me this mountain” (Josh. 14:12).
This is my feeling for the work at this moment. There are great challenges ahead of us, giant opportunities to be met. I welcome that exciting prospect and feel to say to the Lord, humbly, “Give me this mountain,” give me these challenges.
How many of us meet our challenges with this enthusiasm – “Give me this mountain,” Do we look at them with optimism and faith or do we let them get us down almost paralyzing us from doing the difficult things that bring us direction, faith and the promptings of the spirit. Satan tries to make good look evil and evil to appear good, or to make it seem too hard when everyone else is doing it differently. Or do we rationalize that because everyone else is doing it - it’s not a big deal.
Over the past few weeks we all could come up with examples of small things that could be rationalized or deemed as no big deal. Our fifteen-year-old daughter had a school project that required her to write some letters as if they were written hundreds of years ago. She texted Cha Cha and asked how she could make paper look old – the answer came back that you should soak them in coffee. Now this isn’t something we have lying around the house, so Lori and I decided to drive to a fast food chain to order to get a large coffee – we decides to go through he drive thru window as to not be seen. Everything seemed to be all right until the young man helping us happened to be a member of our stake. How would you feel handing a large cup of coffee to a member of your stake presidency?
Reflecting on it since, what even made it worse is that he isn’t that active in the church and could have viewed the words of his priesthood leader as a little hypocritical? Thus justifying his lack of dedication.
Another example also involves two other fifteen year olds in our stake. Just a few months away from their sixteenth birthday they wanted to be involved in an upcoming school dance. The young man knew that his parents wouldn’t give him permission to go – but because it was a girl’s choice, they would allow him to go if he was asked - as to not hurt the young women’s feelings. So he told another fifteen-year-old girl to ask him so they could go together. Now is a sixteen year old that much more matures than an individual fifteen years and ten months old. I don’t think so – but is following the words of a prophet with exactness more important than attending such an activity.
Elder Maxwell – likening sins to rocks and boulders, stated that many people have a hard time pushing the boulders or large sins from their lives because they are slipping and sliding on the pebbles or small sins beneath their feet. Disobedience for small things is the same trend used by the children of Israel – they questioned the prophet – they rationalized and made excuses – then their murmuring became disobedience.
As parents and leaders how can we expect our children to be faithful if we are slipping and sliding on the pebbles of the simple things the prophets of God have asked us to do.
The Lord counsel to Joshua as he is commanded to take the people in the Promised Land is found in Joshua chapter 1 – in verse seven it reads:
Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. (Joshua 1:7)
His counsel is to do according to the law – which their prophet Moses had given them. Then he stated to not turn to the right or the left.
This counsel has been given over and over – the Lord to the Prophet Joseph Smith stated:
For God doth not walk in crooked paths, neither doth he turn to the right hand nor to the left, neither doth he vary from that which he hath said, therefore his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round. (D&C 3:2)
The path to exaltation is straight, sure and very thin. Except for the little children or perhaps some investigators that may be here today – for the most part all of us here know what we are suppose to be doing in our lives. Why then does the Lord say that few there be that find it?
Satan is a master of deceit, Nephi talked about how he deceives us –
And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.
And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance. (2 Nephi
If we can understand that he cheats and slowly convinces us to put the things of the world before the things of God. He diverts our attention many times to things that are good - but that take our time from those that are essential. We have been counseled so many times in certain areas – including those that will be discussed today that we often turn a deaf ear toward the direction that is being delivered. Our desires should be centered on coming unto Christ – this requires constantly recommitting ourselves and using the power of the atonement in our lives.
As individuals and families we need to evaluate our desires and commitments – which occasionally get a little out of whack.
When we look at the problems and difficulties facing the world and it’s governments – wouldn’t we all have more confidence and faith if those in authority had the counsel and direction of a living prophet?
As I mentioned earlier - we all have had experiences were we have done something where those with more wisdom and direction have counseled us otherwise.
Over the past year – in an attempt to write my personal history – I have written close to ninety stories of experiences that have happened in my life. Eighty-three of which I have even posted on a personal blog. A couple of these are partially written by someone I love that tells their side of the story. I would like to read part of a story written by my wife Lori.
“ We moved back to Logan in May of 1993, it was the year Spencer turned three, so that is how I remember. We had been reading the Book of Mormon as a family and Paul had the idea that we could chart our progress and when we finished he told the kids we could go to Disneyland!!!
It just so happened that we finished our goal about the time that we moved in to our new home. Not a great time to spend money on a vacation, but I told Paul that we couldn’t break that promise. So we went ahead with our plans. Paul came up with the idea to pay the kids money for every hour that they could be good in the car and not bother each other. It worked out great because you (have) to give them money for souvenirs anyway. Well we had a good drive and several of my family members decided to tag along. We wanted to go to Sea World along with Disneyland, but my family didn’t care to go with us to Sea World so we went there first.
We had fun at Sea World seeing as many shows as possible. When it was time for the Shamu show Paul really wanted to sit in the splash zone so he coaxed the kids to sit with him, as usual I decided to stay clear of the splash zone. It is called the splash zone for a reason and so during the show Shamu came swimming by and did a jump right in front of them - sure enough those sitting in that area were drenched. All of the kids were crying and the worse part was that our video camera got drenched as well. Good idea Paul!
Luckily it is southern California, even though it was October it was warm so the clothes dried quickly, but I did make Paul go to the car for some dry shoes and socks for the kids. Unluckily for us I don’t think that our video camera ever did work properly after being soaked in salt water.”
Brothers and sisters this was only the second time I had been to Sea World and the first time those sitting in the splash Zone had been speared. My wife on the other hand had been there many times and knew from experience and logic that the consequences far out weighed the benefits. Despite her pleas I chose to live contrary to that wisdom and I and my innocent children suffered.
When we live contrary to the counsel of God or his inspired leaders, sometimes the consequences of those choices are not obvious – we don’t get wet. But these choices lead to complacency and further experimentation, and eventually sorrow and regret. We can also lose the spirit and the direction it brings us.
No comments:
Post a Comment