Jan morning 2014

In the Oct. 2013 General Conference, Sister Stephens - 1st counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency gave a talk entitled "Do we know what we have?" It was a wonderful talk and I recommend it all of you -  I was especially intrigued with the title.

When each of us contemplate such a question - "Do we know what we have" - we would all have a different perspectives. Those of you with hair probably wouldn't give a second thought about what it would be like if you were to loss it.

Those of us with good health - don't worry about it as much as we should, until it is threatened or difficulties arise. Sadly many of us don't show as much love or appreciation for loved ones as we should until they have move away or worse, pass on to the other side of the veil. Others of us are offended when things don't go the way we think that they should, giving up blessing for something that at the time seems big - but later could be viewed as trivial or unimportant compared to the blessing we have lost.

Thankfulness and gratitude for our blessings - too often takes a back seat to the concerns of our immediate needs or desires.

In Moroni's great promise to find out the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon -  is a formula not only for the Book of Mormon, but to answer any question that we need revelation to receive. The first step in that formula is too remember - remember how merciful The Lord has been unto the children of men from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things and ponder it in your hearts.

Brother and sisters, do we remember or understand how blessed we really are?

All of us know that there are a lot of problems or difficulties in the world - trials, many of which are of our own making, others that we have no control over or are just thrust upon us. Many of these become more difficult when those with whom we love make mistakes or abandon the principles of happiness that make up the gospel of Jesus Christ. Despite these situations we are an extremely blessed people and need to understand how much the Lord is looking out for us and helping us along the way.

In the Old Testament one of the greatest examples of enduring and gratitude is that of the life of Job.  Even the Savior to the unjustly imprisoned Joseph Smith, who suffered so much himself, said "Thou art not yet as Job, they friends do not content against thee, neither charge thee with transgression as they did Job." He lost basically  everything but his life, but it was still said of him, "he was a perfect and upright man." He lived his life to the point that he was likened unto the Savior - yes he made mistakes, as the Savior was the only sinless being to ever live on the earth. But Job continued to praise and thank God during his time of trial and loss. He became a perfect and upright man despite or maybe because of his trials.

Looking at the end result, maybe we should pray for more trials or difficulties in our life. No, I don't plan on doing that - but perhaps I should be more patient during me trials and look for the lessons I can learn from the experiences. Or what I can do to worthy to receive forgiveness or additional assistance.

Do we really know what we have? We are a covenant making people - given promises that are guaranteed to be ours if we keep our end of the agreements. After entering the waters of baptism we were given the opportunity to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. With this gift we have access to the constraint companionship of the spirit, which can get us through our difficulties.

Talking about the spirit, Sister Stephens quoted President Wilfred Woodruff when he said:

“Every man or woman that has ever entered into the church of God and been baptized for the remission of sins has a right to revelation, a right to the Spirit of God, to assist them in their labors, in their administrations to their children, in counseling their children and those over whom they are called upon to preside. The Holy Ghost is not restricted to men, nor to apostles or prophets; it belongs to every faithful man and woman, and to every child who is old enough to receive the gospel of Christ.”

Not only do we as members of the church have access to the spirit, but the counsel and voice of living prophets to guide and direct us.

The themes of our Stake and Ward conferences have been President Monson's  plea for us to  "Hasten the Work of Salvation." Hastening is to quicken our pace or resolve. Making it a greater priority in our lives. This has increased the urgency of doing the things we know we should have always been doing in the first place, as we follow the counsel of a living prophet.

But even with our obedience we will have trials and difficulties - some of which could be some of the greatest blessings we will ever receive, others hopefully we can just get through.

A number of years ago, I told the story of my father and how he joined the church.  I would like to do so again. His mother Nell Nunheimer Champlin died because of complication relating to his birth. A short time latter his dad married another woman that was unwilling to raise my father for a number of reasons. My grandfather would make arrangements for my father to be put in a foster home close to where ever he was stationed in the military. Those early years he was considered more of a servant or house boy than a child that needed nurturing and affection. During those years my grandfather was transferred to Hill Air Force Base. He put an add in the Salt Lake papers - "home needed for young boy." That add was misplaced and put in real estate for sale. There was a family in Box Elder County that was looking for a piece of land to add to their small farm. The mother read the add and said she couldn't  sleep for a number of days - she knew she needed to answer the add. When my father was placed in the Turner home, he said it was the first time in his life that he had felt loved and had had the opportunity to feel the power of the spirit. A short time later he was once again up-rooted and taken to Florida. Years latter he was able to come back to Utah and live with the Turners - then joining the church, going on a mission and meeting and then marrying my mother in the Logan Temple. These events, as cruel or as hard as they may seem - led my father to the gospel of Jesus Christ to an eternal family and the blessings that followed.

My father has made some mistakes like all of us do - but he is the closest person I have ever associated with that I could say, he became a perfect and upright man - in spite of / or because of his trials or difficulties. His ten children, fifty-eight grandchildren, and sixty great-grandchildren have a rich heritage of faith and dedication to the gospel of Christ. Because of his experiences, he did everything in his power to share his love and testimony with his family and those with whom he came in contact with.

Very few people are asked to go through the type of experiences that my father did - the complete contrast of those different homes and circumstances made the feeling of love and the spirit easier for him to recognize. All of us have situations that may be difficult or challenging. One problem that many of us have is that we were raised with the spirit in our homes with blessings that very few generations have had - and too often we take these many blessing for granted, not realizing and appreciating what we have and how blessed we are.

When we are able to remember or realize what we are a part of - we have a greater desire to express our gratitude and to be obedient to the commandment and promises we have made - the more we come to this realization we can feel the love of the Savior, our thoughts and desire turn from ourselves to God and what we can do to further his kingdom. We are more concerned with and what we can do to bring all of his children to the happiness and love of the gospel.

This is exactly what happened to the sons of Mosiah as they came to a knowledge of the truth.

Mosiah 28:

 Now it came to pass that after the sons of Mosiah had done all these things, they took a small number with them and returned to their father, the king, and desired of him that he would grant unto them that they might, with these whom they had selected, go up to the land of Nephi that they might preach the things which they had heard, and that they might impart the word of God to their brethren, the Lamanites—

 That perhaps they might bring them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and convince them of the iniquity of their fathers; and that perhaps they might cure them of their hatred towards the Nephites, that they might also be brought to rejoice in the Lord their God, that they might become friendly to one another, and that there should be no more contentions in all the land which the Lord their God had given them.

Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble.

Brothers and sisters, Indeed they had desires to "Hasten the Work of Salvation." They had felt the redeeming Love of the Savior and wanted to share it with those that needed it the most. No longer were they more concern with their own problems and difficulties -  but, they turned their attention to helping Gods children who didn't have the blessings of the gospel.

Very few people that knew my father, know the things that he was asked to go through as a child. In similar fashion, I have no idea what difficulties each of you have been asked to endure. I believe that many of you have passed though situations that I could not have done. A least not without the help of a Loving Savior - strengthening and guiding me along the way.

It's interesting to me that when we go through such difficulties many of us turn closer to the Savior and his teaching, depending on that assistance and direction. Then there are others that turn the other way, either blaming God or questioning their beliefs and how a loving God could allow such a thing to take place. Perhaps some of us do both at the same time. My heart and prayers go out to all of Gods children in their time of pain, because I do not understand what they are going through.

But there is someone that does.

 And he 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.

The Savior is the only person that can truly understand and succor or help us in our time of need.