If we can find forgiveness in our hearts for those who have caused us hurt and injury, we will rise to a higher level of self-esteem and well-being. – James E. Faust [April 2007 Conference]

I think it’s probably the wrong way to think, and I could probably chalk it up to a problem with public speaking. but during Fast and Testimony meeting sometimes I think I’ll go up and say something, then someone will say something that seems like a bigger issue then what I might say and I stay in my seat because I don’t want to try and upstage someone elses problems.  Yes I know, I shouldn’t even think about it, but it’s just another easy way to keep from going up – though now all my kids seems to think they need to go and my time of sitting on the bench is probably numbered.

I can though find solace through writing. While I may not always be the most elegant writer, or make use of fancy words – it’s always helped me get out what’s stuck in my head. A healing process if you will.

I’m lucky I suppose, I usually have an easy time of forgiving people wrongs – though there have been occasions when it cut deep and it took time to come to terms with and forgive someone. I pride myself on not holding grudges. But recently, something happened. While I won’t go into specifics, suffice it to say it was a doozy.

Agency is the power to think, choose, and act for ourselves. It comes with endless opportunities, accompanied by responsibility and consequences. – Sharon G. Larsen [October 1999 Conference]

What this [event] does do, is offer a great lesson in free agency and the consequences of choice. My wife and I have tried to explain this to our children so that they can see that while we have this awesome gift from God there is also the responsibility and understanding that comes along with those choices. Each one having an effect that we may not see or even think about.

Personally, I think I was protected from this event’s fallout because of how I led my life – but my emotions come from what it does to my children. I’m angry at the effects that it will have on them. It also puts me into positions I don’t feel ready for, as I have to take on more roles. I am now responsible for more than just my own family. But don’t get me wrong – I’m not shying away from this – I’m just overwhelmed and feeling a bit unqualified for the roles I’ve now been pushed into. Like most things, it’ll take some time and I’ll need to lean more the Lord for help.

But what of forgiveness? Is it easy? As one of my new roles, I’ve had to become a great listener, an offerer of support. I listen to the anger and hatred from others and try to convert that into a willingness to forgive and while it doesn’t always work – it has put me more into a better position to forgive in myself. Honestly I don’t like the burden of being upset or hating someone – it’s too much, especially when I have to help others to move through their feelings and emotions. It just seems easier to forgive. I understand it’s not always easy to forgive, and I know it takes time. I’m not here to try and make it out like it’s as easy as flipping a switch or that the pain goes away in an hour. In this instance it was easier for me, but I’ve been through other situations where the pain and anger lasted longer and it took longer for me to forgive. But what is at stake shouldn’t be taken lightly either.

“Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin.

“I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men” (D&C 64:9–10).

The Lord understands your pain – my pain. As I’ve struggled with knowing what to say to ease the pain for others and help them in their process, Mosiah has words of comfort;

“The Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease” (Mosiah 24:15)

So if you’re struggling with forgiveness for a wrong – unburden yourself. Turn to the Lord and lean on Him to carry you. I testify that your burdens will be made lighter.

My appeal in this message is that we control our tongues, and by speaking kind words to each other emulate in our relationships with each other the loving kindness the Lord has for his people

It’s interesting because, in this day of civility there seems to be anything but. So I thought it might be a great opportunity to talk about love and kindness.

With the mass devastation that has happened in Japan, and in other countries in the Middle East and North Africa, there are so many who are in need of love and kindness. But there is more than that. I am of the opinion that it is much easier to spread our love to foreign people when we are not directly involved, and this isn’t a rub on anyone – just an opinion. But it seems harder when it’s within arms length.  In the Bible, Luke says:

“Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” (Luke 6:35–36.)

Which are great words to try and live by – I know I struggle through the day to day grind of dealing with people who seem to have no idea how to operate through simple instructions with a myriad of questions (for the unknowing I’m a web developer, and build lots of corporate applications) , then I get home and I’m bombarded with the daily issues of life; busted wash machine, busted tooth, busted cat, reading current events, etc. So I’m pretty frazzled by the end.

Again referring back to the article above, Marion G. Romney points out when Paul was speaking to the Ephesians (Ephesians 4):

31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

Gives me pause, and gives me new found energy to try and do better. I know, we’re taught from the get go to love one another – but sometimes you forget. My wife, is always striving to better herself ran across some information about an interesting experiment.

If I said Emoto Masaru, would you know where I’m going, or would you already be google-ing it to try and figure out what it is? It’s okay, when my wife first said his name I had no idea who he was either.

The quick explanation if you haven’t already hit up Wikipedia is this:

Masaru Emoto (?? ? Emoto Masaru^?, born July 22, 1943) is a Japanese author and entrepreneur known for his claim that if human speech or thoughts are directed at water droplets before they are frozen, images of the resulting water crystals will be “beautiful” or “ugly” depending upon whether the words or thoughts were positive or negative. Emoto claims this can be achieved through prayer, music or by attaching written words to a container of water.

Since we don’t have access to all his equipment, we thought we’d try it with rice. Basically we’ve put cooked rice into two glass containers – one we speak kind words to and the other we speak harsh words to. The results are interesting to say the least.

We love one jar of rice, not the other...

I don’t know if you can see the difference here, but one jar is different – can you tell which jar of rice we spoke harsh words to? Alright, if you can see it’s the right side. The left side still looks edible (it’s brown rice to begin with). You can try this at home too.

But, and this is the question you can apply to yourself and the people around you,  if rice looks like this after a week – how do the people you speak unkind words to feel inside? How does it effect them in the long run? The Lord has some words concerning that, and it’s something you might want to consider. I know I need to work on it…

26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. (James 1:24)

It’s my testimony, that if we can internalize the love that the Lord has for us then it will become part of our countenance. I know it can work, I know people that are so loving and forgiving that they epitomize the Lords love. As a parent this is where I learn how to be like God. I’ve always maintained that I love my kids no matter what they do. While it can be hard sometimes, and I sometimes get caught up in things I see that remind me what I don’t like about myself in my children – the words I choose to use can have a lasting effect on them.

So to wrap this all up I think Marion G. Romney says it best:

Let us, therefore, resolve to control our tongues and by speaking kind words to each other emulate the loving kindness of our Lord.

In the book of Mormon sometime between the years of A.D. 401-421 Moroni, the son of Mormon (for whom the entire volume of sacred writ was named), wrote:

And now, behold, we have written this record according to our knowledge, in the characters which are called among us the reformed Egyptian, being handed down and altered by us, according to our manner of speech. Mormon 9:32

One of the extremely popular criticisms relating to this verse is that “there is no evidence in Egyptology of something called ‘Reformed Egyptian,’ and that the Book of Mormon’s claim to have been written in this language is therefore suspect.”

When I was a freshman in college I took a linguistics class and got interested in dead languages, an interest that has always culminated around Egyptology. Though I have not ever given serious focus on this fascination of mine, I do enjoy nuggets of historical information relating to Egyptian script and how it relates to the Book of Mormon. I will discuss just one of the many examples of “reformed Egyptian” that scholars may not refer to as being “reformed,” yet it is as reformed as reformed gets.

WHAT IS REFORMED EGYPTIAN?

In the preceding verse Moroni is clear as day when he says “the characters which are called among us the reformed Egyptian”. Of course, Moroni did not write or speak in English so the actual term that was translated by Joseph Smith into the English phrase ‘reformed Egyptian,’ whatever it was called, was only known to the Nephites. I don’t understand this argument because obviously the Egyptians never called some version of their writing ‘reformed Egyptian.” (In fact, the Egyptians called it sš n š?.t).

Side note: I presume the Lamanites didn’t use the term as it was most likely a priestly (religious) script and not used in every day writings. Verse 33 actually eludes to the idea that every day writing among the people was done in a form of, shall I be bold as to call it, “reformed Hebrew:”

And if our plates had been sufficiently large we should have written in Hebrew; but the Hebrew hath been altered by us also… Mormon 9:33

Over the years secular egyptologists and linguists have discovered that Egyptian hieroglyphic writing underwent three different changes since its creation somewhere near 3000-4000 BC. The word hieroglyphic is a Greek word (hieroglyphikos) meaning ‘sacred writing or carving.’ The first of these transformations among the Egyptian priests occurred during the Protodynastic Period of Egypt (ca. 3200 BC to 3000 BC). Hieratic derives from the Greek phrase grammata hieratika, which literally means “priestly writing.” This first example of reformed Egyptian was developed so the scribes were able to take notes or write laws, decrees, or religious texts with a reed brush on papyrus, and allowed them to write quicker than the time it took them to engrave glyphs.

After centuries of using hieratic to write their religious texts, the Egyptians developed the demotic script, which was coined by the Greek historian Herodutus demotikós, a Greek word meaning popular. This popular script was called by the Egyptians sš n š?.t (“document writing”) and was a highly cursive script, used for everyday writing, not strictly for religious practices or just by the priests or the ruling class. It is presumed that eventually many of the common Egyptians used this form of writing. This is the script that is found in the middle section of the famous Rosetta Stone (pictured at right), which resides in the British Museum. Demotic emerged on the scene roughly around the later part of the 25th Dynasty (760 BC to 656 BC). This is extremely important because, according to the Book of Mormon, Nephi begins his summary on the plates with “I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians.” Further on he states that his father, Lehi, began prophesying “in the commencement of the first year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah” (ca. 597 BC), meanwhile demotic was already in use by the Egyptians 60 years prior to Lehi’s prophetic call.

With the arrival of the Greeks in the 1st century, Egyptian writing underwent it’s final “reformation,” into what scholars call Coptic. However, for our time frame with the Book of Mormon I’m going to focus on demotic.

It’s been shown the demotic, a cursive and highly popular form of “reformed Egyptian” was in use by as early as the 8th century BC, and Nephi tells us himself in the very first chapter of the Book of Mormon that he was writing in the language of the Egyptians. So then, if demotic existed circa 600 BC, and if Moroni claimed that the Book of Mormon was written in (what the Nephites termed ‘reformed Egyptian’ – using a Nephite word for it, of course), there must be some evidence of correlation between the characters that were engraved onto the gold plates (from which the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God through Joseph Smith) and published demotic script in the secular world, right?

Wouldn’t you know it, there are!

THE ANTHON TRANSCRIPT CHARACTERS

The Anthon Transcript was a sheet of paper upon which Joseph Smith copied a few of the “reformed Egyptian” characters from the plates of the Book of Mormon. In the winter of 1828, Martin Harris showed these characters to Dr. Charles Anthon of Columbia College (now Columbia University), and hence the name (Encyclopedia of Mormonism).

Fast forward to the 20th century…

Between 1897 and 1970 the official magazine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was entitled “The Improvement Era.” In 1942 Ariel L. Crowley (1905-2005) was a contributor to The Era and wrote an excellent three-piece series comparing characters from the Anthon transcript to well-documented Egyptian demotic characters in other publications. I have listed direct links to the PDFs below. Part II is where the fun stuff is!

• Part I: Introduction
• Part II: The Identification of the Characters as Egyptian
• Part III: The Corroborative Evidences of the Serabit Inscriptions, the Plates of Darius, and the Inscriptions of Byblos

Beginning on page 4 of Part II Crowley lists characters from the Anthon transcript in the left column and an extremely similar, if not identical, Egyptian demotic character in the right column, complete with source. The two main sources that Crowley cites and wherein he located demotic characters that matched up with characters found on the gold plates are:

• Wilhelm Spiegelberg’s Demotische Grammatik (1925)
• Heinrich Karl Brugsch’s Hieroglyphisch-Demotisches (1868)

I listed the printing of both books for those critics who love to claim that somehow an uneducated farm boy with no more than a third grade education must have done a ton of research to come up with the story of the Book of Mormon. Notice that both of these German (Joseph didn’t speak or read German) titles were printed after Joseph Smith died in 1844.

Update (1/6/2011): I have actually been to the Library of Congress and searched through the book by Spiegelberg and have seen with my own eyes the demotic characters in that book that correlate to the characters on the Anthon Transcript.

I don’t know how much more similar the proof of the evidence of “reformed Egyptian” characters individuals need, but I do know that if it was part of the LDS gospel that 2+2=4, there would always be those who tried to say that is a lie and any who believed that, despite evidence to the contrary, were doomed to hell.

For centuries critics have come up with all kinds of calumny and aspersion against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Book of Mormon, and the prophet Joseph Smith. All kinds of falsehoods, lies, and deceptions have been perpetrated with regards to the truthfulness of the Restored Gospel, but if one will sincerely show an interest in learning more and do so with an open heart, without preconceived notions, sincerely desiring to know if it is true or not, as Moroni says in his epilogue, God “will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. (Moroni 10:4-5)”

I know that the Book of Mormon is sacred writ, painstakingly engraved upon gold plates by ancient prophets on the American continent for us in these the latter-days, and that is was translated by a poor, uneducated New York farm boy only by the gift and power of God. I have discovered far too many evidences of its truthfulness to discount (and all but ignored by LDS critics), but none greater than the personal revelation I have received from the Holy Ghost that it is a second testament of our Savior Jesus Christ.

The Standard of Truth has been erected. No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing. Persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, and calamy may defame. But the Truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent till it has penetrated every continent, visited every climb, swept every country and sounded in every ear. Till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say, “The work is done.”

Tetris

It’s been a busy summer, and by busy – I don’t just mean being a lazy blogger. My job has been hectic, still trying to get a hugemungus project out the door. Not to mention the contract work I pick up from time to time, but there’s also been a new addition to the family (I’ll explain, don’t worry), scout camps, day camps, weekend trips, et cetera, et cetera…et cetera…

Today though, I’m taking a moment to blog. Well, after I found a new theme – wordpress’s update seemed to kibosh the old theme. At any rate, I felt I had been away long enough – though in my life those can be famous last words…

I’ve always found the gospel interesting. I tend to look in on it, rather then from the inside out – probably due to my rebellious youth, but nonetheless I find it curious. It’s like tetris, or bejeweled in that respect that when you take a 20,000 ft look at it, it all fits. It makes sense to me. Let’s take the creation for instance, if you understand God is the ultimate scientist and knows all the laws that governs the universe – then it makes sense how it works. I don’t think it matters exactly how it started – there very well could have been a big bang, or something else…all that matters to me is that he knew what needed to be done – like that tiny grain of sand in a pearl starts a chain reaction that results in a beautiful pearl. He knows what triggers what, and finally produces a universe. Of course this a very simple explanation of a very deep subject that can get heated and leave a lot of people bitter and angry – and that’s not my goal here.

So how does looking back  fit in to all this, well I guess it’s just a way for me to fit those pieces in, and knock out another level (or gain another level in my testimony).

The Addition

Back to the addition to our family. A couple of weeks ago, in fact exactly 14 days ago, my wife gave birth to our 4th child – a little boy of big proportions. But even back when we first found about him my wife decided that this one was going to be all natural. She wasn’t happy with her experiences with other deliveries of our other children, and so though going natural would be the best – I tried to support her in that decision, but was worried about all the pain – she was firm though and felt it was the right thing to do.

So fast forward, up to the delivery (all the checkups were fine, healthy boy, etc…) and what do we find. This little bundle of joy was standing at attention trying to get out – what this means is unlike normal where the baby tucks his head (chin to chest) to torpedo out, our little boy had his head straight up (as if he were at attention) – this presents a larger, flatter portion of the head to push through – and of course he got stuck.

It got a little frantic there at the end, not by the midwife or the nurse – but by me. The boy’s pulse was dropping as he got stuck there and I got a little worried because my wife was having troubles during the pushing and the nurse very calmly said that he needed to come out soon.

So my wife (the trooper that she is) pushed with all her might and got him out – turns out he had the cord around his neck too, but the talk was that if she had gotten an epidural she wouldn’t have had the strength to push him out and would have had to get a c-section.

So looking back, some 7 months into the past – there was a choice made that determined the fate of this delivery. I see pieces lock into place and another row drop off. I’m sure people could chalk this up to good fortune, or luck – but I don’t see it that way. I see it as divine intervention making a suggestion to my wife to go natural with this birth to save her from a lot of pain, and suffering. In fact, I’m willing to lay down money that it was also to allow for us to have my son’s baptism 6 days later and for everyone to attend. Though I’m sure it connects to other things in the future that I’m not even aware of, not to mention the things that led up to it…here’s comes the programmer in me – but look at all the if else statements going on here. For all the old basic guys – it would be one giant if then goto program.

It amazes me that people would sooner forget or ignore the connective links that brings us to where we are today – and how God manages all that – not to mention adding variables to that. I’m reminded of a commercial I remember seeing some years ago for a phone company that was trying to show off it’s ability to keep callers connected by showing the originating caller’s call following a path, and if something happened to one of the connections it would go to another one to continue on it’s path to the final destination. This also can  be a diagram for our life with sin too. While we have our final destination, there are always problems along the way – one mistake doesn’t drop the call, it only redirects momentarily to try and get us back on the to the final destination – and continues to work even if our original path changes, the end stays the same.

I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it makes sense to me – it works. Sometimes it takes a look back to realize just how awesome it is, but it is real. I testify that it is the true gospel and the only gospel on earth.

Family

So a while back I blogged about giving a FHE lesson on the (S)trength, (W)eaknesses, (O)pportunities, (T)hreats in our family, you can read about it here – well last nights FHE was a follow up to the original. I wanted to meet back with the family and see how they felt we were doing as a family.

The consensus was that we were doing better, we knew that having evening scriptures too late was problematic and that we need to recommit to having evening scriptures right before or after dinner – otherwise we fall in a trap of pushing them till late and things fall apart.

Our morning scriptures go much better – and personally I enjoy having the family around in the morning. It’s a great way to start the day, and even though it’s kind of a cheat (we tend to listen to scriptures in the morning vs reading them) it still starts us off on the right foot.

After discussing how we felt about our original goals, I asked them to offer ideas about what we could add. I had an idea in my mind about what I wanted to add, but I wanted to see what they thought might help. The ideas were a little less forthcoming this time, so I nudged and prodded – directing them to my idea.

After being spiritually edified this weekend while listening to conference, it struck me that I need to do more in my life and center it with Christ. This spawned into what can we do as a family to increase our spirituality and Christ centering. I’ve also tried to create a less TV more reading environment in our home, with limited success.

So my idea was to dedicate at least 30 minutes to LDS related reading, meditating, and journaling. So I explained to my children they need to spend at least 30 minutes reading something related to the church, whether it was the Friend magazine, or LDS themed books then to take a moment to write something in their journal about what they read, spend some time praying and meditating and then be prepared to talk about their thoughts, and feelings at the end of the week.

My goal here is to get them used to putting the gospel in the front of their lives. That there is so much more outside secular media. To try and help them get closer to the Spirit of God and try to help them feel the Holy Ghost. While I must admit this was a move to force myself into the frame of mind, the side effect is my family benefits.

My ultimate goal is that my family is completely absorbed in centering their lives around Christ and his teachings that we will be better prepared, protected, and fulfilled in tackling what the future holds.

Helaman has already touched on one of these signs.

I was flipping through the pages of my newly acquired book and glancing at the various signs that Brother Ridges covered when I was a bit startled to see that, according to Brother Ridges, number 27 has been fulfilled.

27. The Sun Will Be Darkened and the Moon Will Become as Blood

This is a very popular sign that was first introduced to the world by the prophet Joel:

Here is Brother Ridges’ explanation for why he has categorized this prophecy as having been fulfilled:

In the Saturday morning session of the October 2001 General Conference, “President Gordon B. Hinckley said something that changed my mind on this prophecy (he had previously thought it wise to leave this prophecy undefined). He revealed to us (bold added for emphasis):”

The era in which we live is the fullness of times spoken of in the scriptures, when God has brought together all of the elements of previous dispensations. From the day that He and His Beloved Son manifested themselves to     the boy Joseph, there has been a tremendous cascade of enlightenment poured out upon the world. The hearts of men have turned to their fathers in fulfillment of the words of Malachi. The vision of Joel has been fulfilled wherein he declared:

28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.

32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call”

(Joel 2:28–32).

However, he does mention that it is feasible that President Hinckley was referring to a part of the mentioned verses as being fulfilled, but not all. If that was the case, then why mention verses 31-32 after he just boldly stated that these words of Joel were fulfilled? I assume that it is possible that the latter explanation could be correct, but it does not seem plausible.

There remains a third explanation as well.

The scriptures, especially the Bible, are full of symbols. Is it possible that this well-known sign of the times could refer to concepts rather than objects? Oftentimes the sun is used to symbolize the celestial glory, while the moon is used to symbolize terrestrial glory (see D&C 76:75). Using this as a possibility, Brother Ridges suggests that the phrase the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood could symbolize “that the vast majority of the inhabitants of the earth will cease to live according to either celestial or terrestrial law.”

But then again, it could very well refer to some sort of physical change to both the sun and the moon.

What are your thoughts?

Meditation

So the next stop on the bus ride to the second coming is one that got me thinking due to the first paragraph. I’ll quote a few bits of it so you can see how my train of thought proceeded.

When the Spirit stops working with the wicked, they lose their ability to think rationally...Righteous people are seen as their enemies, and a threat to personal freedom and independence, a threat to the exercising of their agency…evil deeds and cruelty become routine…[emphasis added by me]

Those key points got me thinking about today, don’t get me wrong though there have been isolated cases of evil through out our short history. But it seems to me that there’s an increasing amount of this in our day to day lives. Just turn on the TV, or read the news (especially on the internet) and you’ll understand what I mean.

The bit that really hit me was they lose their ability to think rationally. As of late I’ve gotten more interested in what’s happening in this nations political circles and it’s really quite frightening. These men and women, and it’s independent of party seem to have serious problems thinking rationally.  But I digress…

Let’s look at the scriptures used as examples in the book.

D&C 63:32

32 I, the Lord, am ^aangry with the ^bwicked; I am holding my ^cSpirit from the inhabitants of the earth.

This was written in 1831, how much worse is it now then it was then?

Luckily though, the book points out that this is one of those signs that should be looked at in a larger context. There are still many people that receive the guidance of the Spirit as witnessed in these scriptures;

D&C 95:4

4 For the preparation wherewith I design to prepare mine apostles to ^aprune my vineyard for the last time, that I may bring to pass my ^bstrange act, that I may ^cpour out my Spirit upon all flesh—

Joel 2:28–29

28 ¶ And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will ^apour out my ^bspirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall ^cprophesy, your ^dold men shall ^edream dreams, your young men shall see ^fvisions:

29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

Receiving the Aaronic Priesthood

Now I have to preference this and say that I thought the talk came out good, but like my normal mode I was still editing it right before I got up s0 the hard copy differs from the soft copy. But I’ll post the what I have and you can be the judge of it. It would also seem that I get the opportunity to speak in sacrament a lot, well it’s more because we end up moving a lot and so as new move in’s we get to talk more than normal.

I was given the topic of the Restoration for my talk, and after spending a number of days and nights trying to decide how to approach such a vast topic, I decided I wanted to focus on the restoration of the Priesthood.

Some 74 years ago President David O. McKay, then serving as a counselor in the First Presidency of the Church, asked this question to a congregation gathered for general conference: “If at this moment each one [of you] were asked to state in one sentence … the most distinguishing feature of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, what would be your answer?”

“My answer,” he replied, “would be … divine authority by direct revelation.”

That divine authority is, of course, the holy priesthood.

President Gordon B. Hinckley added his testimony when he said: “[The priesthood] is a delegation of divine authority, different from all other powers and authorities on the face of the earth. … It is the only power on the earth that reaches beyond the veil of death. … Without it there could be a church in name only, [a church] lacking authority to administer in the things of God.” 2

President James E. Faust said to BYU students in a devotional: “[The priesthood] activates and governs all activities of the Church. Without priesthood keys and authority, there would be no church.” 3

Jeffrey R. Holland went on to say in a talk from May 2005

“these three brief citations (to which scores of others could be added) to stress emphatically just one point: that the priesthood of God, with its keys, its ordinances, its divine origin and ability to bind in heaven what is bound on earth, is as indispensable to the true Church of God as it is unique to it and that without it there would be no Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

I think it’s safe to say that the priesthood is a very important part of our church, so much so that like President Faust said, there would be no church.

So what happened, why the need for a restoration?

We know that the Savior when He formed His Church during His mortal ministry he told His senior Apostle Peter, “I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 4 Six days later He took Peter, James, and John to a mountaintop where He was transfigured in glory before them. Then prophets from earlier dispensations, including at least Moses and Elijah, 5 appeared in glory also and conferred the various keys and powers that each held.

Unfortunately those Apostles were soon killed or otherwise taken from the earth, and their priesthood keys were taken with them, resulting in more than 1,400 years of priesthood privation and absence of divine authority among the children of men.

President Gordon B. Hinckley in a talk from May 2004 said this of the dark ages…

Ignorance and evil enveloped the world, resulting in what is known as the Dark Ages. Isaiah had predicted: “Darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people” (Isa. 60:2). For centuries, disease was rampant and poverty reigned. The Black Death killed some 50 million people during the 14th century. Was not this a season of terrible peril? I wonder how humanity survived.

But somehow, in that long season of darkness, a candle was lighted. The age of Renaissance brought with it a flowering of learning, art, and science. There came a movement of bold and courageous men and women who looked heavenward in acknowledgment of God and His divine Son. We speak of it as the Reformation.

And then, after many generations had walked the earth—so many of them in conflict, hatred, darkness, and evil—there arrived the great, new day of the Restoration. This glorious gospel was ushered in with the appearance of the Father and the Son to the boy Joseph. The dawn of the dispensation of the fulness of times rose upon the world. All of the good, the beautiful, the divine of all previous dispensations was restored in this most remarkable season.

During May 1829 while translating the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith came across a reference to baptism. He discussed the matter with his scribe, Oliver Cowdery, and the two earnestly supplicated the Lord regarding the matter. Oliver wrote: “Our souls were drawn out in mighty prayer, to know how we might obtain the blessings of baptism and of the Holy Spirit. … We diligently sought for … the authority of the holy priesthood, and the power to administer in the same.”

In Joseph Smith history vol1 we can read his remarks on this occasion

68 We still continued the work of translation, when, in the ensuing month (May, 1829), we on a certain day went into the woods to pray and inquire of the Lord respecting ^abaptism for the ^bremission of sins, that we found mentioned in the translation of the plates. While we were thus employed, praying and calling upon the Lord, a messenger from heaven descended in a ^ccloud of light, and having laid his ^dhands upon us, he ^eordained us, saying:

69 Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the ^aPriesthood of ^bAaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of ^cbaptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth until the sons of ^dLevi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in ^erighteousness.

72 The ^amessenger who visited us on this occasion and conferred this Priesthood upon us, said that his name was John, the same that is called ^bJohn the Baptist in the New Testament, and that he acted under the direction of ^cPeter, James and John, who held the keys of the Priesthood of Melchizedek, which Priesthood, he said, would in due time be conferred on us, and that I should be called the first ^dElder of the Church, and he (Oliver Cowdery) the second. It was on the fifteenth day of May, 1829, that we were ordained under the hand of this messenger, and baptized.

According to the Doctrine and Covenants and Church History Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, some weeks after John the Baptist restored the Aaronic Priesthood, Peter, James, and John appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and conferred upon them the Melchizedek Priesthood.

And according to the Our Heritage book:

Later, Peter, James, and John appeared to Joseph and Oliver and conferred upon them the Melchizedek Priesthood. They also bestowed the keys of God’s kingdom upon them (see D&C 27:12–13; 128:20). The Melchizedek Priesthood is the highest authority given to men on earth. With this authority, the Prophet Joseph Smith was able to organize the Church of Jesus Christ in this dispensation and begin to establish the various priesthood quorums as they are known in the Church today.

Elder Holland goes on to say

Little wonder that the Prophet Joseph would include in those succinct and eloquent articles of our faith, “We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.” 8 Clearly, acting with divine authority requires more than mere social contract. It cannot be generated by theological training or a commission from the congregation. No, in the authorized work of God there has to be power greater than that already possessed by the people in the pews or in the streets or in the seminaries—a fact that many honest religious seekers had known and openly acknowledged for generations leading up to the Restoration.

While I was writing this, I got thinking about where we would be if these two priesthoods had not been restored. While obviously the church would not exist, what else might it be like. Luckily, I found a talk by Robert D. Hales, that answers that exact question.

Brothers and sisters, can you imagine how dark and empty mortality would be if there were no priesthood? If the power of the priesthood were not upon the earth, the adversary would have freedom to roam and reign without restraint. There would be no gift of the Holy Ghost to direct and enlighten us; no prophets to speak in the name of the Lord; no temples where we could make sacred, eternal covenants; no authority to bless or baptize, to heal or comfort. Without the power of the priesthood, “the whole earth would be utterly wasted” (see D&C 2:1–3; D&C 2:1–3). There would be no light, no hope—only darkness. What a dark world this would be without priesthood blessings for you and me.

A loving Father in Heaven has sent his sons and daughters here to mortality to gain experience and to be tested. He has provided the way back to him and has given us enough spiritual light to see our way. The priesthood of God gives light to his children in this dark and troubled world. Through priesthood power we can receive the gift of the Holy Ghost to lead us to truth, testimony, and revelation. This gift is available on an equal basis to men, women, and children. Through the blessings of the priesthood, we can be equipped with “the whole armour of God, that [we] may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (see Eph. 6:11–18). This protection is available to every one of us.

I would testify that without the restoration of the true church, my life would be wholly different. I am grateful that my mother had questions and sought out to find answers, and through that seeking that my parents met two young men and were converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I am grateful that I am worthy enough to hold the Melchizedek priesthood, and that when called upon am able to use that authority for my family, or others who need it. When I am involved in exercising those keys, it strengthens my testimony in the gospel. I know that Joseph Smith is a true prophet of God. That the priesthood is truly the foundation of our world and many others. I truly believe that like we are blessed to have been raised up during the fullness of times, and to quote President Gordon B. Hinckley;

I do not know what we did in the preexistence to merit the wonderful blessings we enjoy. We have come to earth in this great season in the long history of mankind. It is a marvelous age, the best of all. As we reflect on the plodding course of mankind, from the time of our first parents, we cannot help feeling grateful.

I am indeed grateful to have been selected to come at this time, when we have had the priesthood restored, that we’ve had the Gospel restored, that I am able to call upon the authority of God and bless my family.

I am excited for my oldest son to receive the Aaronic priesthood next year, and can not wait for him to be able to exercise the keys there of.

In closing, I just want to thank my Heavenly Father for loving us so that He gave His only begotten Son to allow us a path back to Him, and in His name Jesus Christ Amen.

I. Introduction:

With the convenience of modern medicine, doctors can counter seasonal allergy attacks by injecting the patient with tiny doses of the particular allergen over a long period of time. This process slowly desensitizes the patient’s body to the specific allergen, even though their doses continued to increase.

Much like this method of treatment, Satan deviously introduces many immoral “allergens” into our lives through the media and entertainment. His intent is to desensitize our hearts and dull our spirits so that the evils of the world are less noticeable over time. Once successful, he continues to barrage us with the intent to “ensnare the hearts of men” (Alma 28:13). The majority of these evil pollutants can be found in movies, music, television, the Internet, books and magazines.

The ancient prophet Nephi prophesied that in the latter-days the devil would wage a war against righteousness and “others he will pacify, and lull them into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion… and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell” (2 Nephi 28:21).

We have been instructed by our Church leaders to “live in the world, but not of the world.” This includes steering clear of all modern-day immorality, including the constant media bombardment. It is not an easy battle, but one that must be fought day in and day out ‘down in the trenches’, in order to maintain a level of spirituality that will help us to return to live with our Heavenly Father after this mortal existence.

II. Negative Influence of Media

Our modern-day prophets have warned and counseled us on numerous occasions to avoid the “sleaze and filth” that is rampant in today’s media. Nobody is immune to Satan’s attacks, in or out of the Church. Elder Joe. J. Christensen has warned that “Satan has made great inroads into the lives of some Latter-day Saints through the evil in the media.” He also stated that “the Lord and his living prophets are counting on [us] to avoid the trash that surrounds [us] in the media.”

Unfortunately in today’s society, there is much evil that is portrayed as popular, or normal; and much good that is portrayed as unpopular, or odd by the media. Clearly, we are living in a day and age where men “call evil good, and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). Fortunately, there is much that is good, wholesome, and positive left to be consumed in the media so that we do not need to associate ourselves with the sleazy filth peddled by those who seek nothing more than monetary gain. We, as Latter-day Saints, must not, and can not become involved with the negative. We can not give in to “the enticings of that cunning one” (2 Nephi 9:39) while trying to get closer to our Heavenly Father. The Savior taught his disciples on two separate continents that it is impossible to “serve God and Mammon” (Matthew 6:24 & 3 Nephi 13:24).

Elder Christensen further added that “if we permit ourselves to become involved with the negative, there will be much cause for the devil to laugh and his angels to rejoice.” None of us can ever expect to be unharmed from the exposure to immorality in entertainment and to not be damaged spiritually. As Elder Christensen so aptly put it, “we can’t roll around in the mud without getting dirty.”

Despite the ever-changing worldly viewpoints of what is acceptable and considered the norm, Elder M. Russell Ballard warned that “the commandments have not changed… right is still right. Wrong is still wrong, no matter how cleverly cloaked in respectability or political correctness.”

III. What Can We Do to Counter the Negative Influence of Media?

Since my days as a teenager I’ve heard the prophets convey that my generation is a choice generation. Our late beloved prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley, in speaking to the youth of the church, stated on more than one occasion that “[they] are the best generation we have ever had. [They] are stronger [than the other generations] to face the temptations which come [their] way.” He then implored the youth to live the Gospel standards, to be an ensign to the nations, a light to the world, and to pray for the guidance and protection of the Lord. My generation has now grown and there is a new generation of youth. The generations keep coming. We need to ensure that our children know and live the Gospel standards so correctly that they in turn will instill those righteous principles into the next generation.

We know that these are the latter-days. We are living in a time when Satan and his angels, through subtleties and craftiness, are desperately trying to destroy the souls of anybody they can, including families, before the Second Coming of our Savior. Christ himself taught that “the day soon cometh that ye shall see me, and know that I am” (D&C 38:8). In the short time we have before Christ’s magnificent return, we need to do all that we can to strengthen our families, to increase our spirituality, and to keep the Spirit’s presence in our daily lives.

There is no better way to strengthen the family within the walls of our own homes than to center our families and lives around Christ. When we live Christ-centered lives within our homes the Spirit will be present and we will be given the strength to withstand the temptations that indeed will come from the adversary. In meeting this standard, we can center our entertainment choices around Christ by following the guidelines that have been laid out for us by the leaders of our Church.

The For The Strength of Youth pamphlet is an excellent tool for outlining what forms of entertainment are deemed holy and worthwhile. It is an inspired manuscript. It also cautions that entertainment in any form that is immoral is not acceptable to the Lord. We have been commanded to not attend, view, or participate in entertainment that is vulgar, immoral, violent, or pornographic in any way. We are also told to stand up for what is right, to have the courage to walk out of a movie, turn off a computer or television, change a radio station, or put down a magazine if what is being presented does not meet Heavenly Father’s standards. We, as Latter-day Saints, are to seek after things which are “virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy” (Articles of Faith 1:13).

Our loving Heavenly Father has given us a precious gift that can help us make correct choices in entertainment. As baptized members of the Church, we have had the Gift of the Holy Ghost placed upon us. This magnificent gift carries a promise with it in that “it will show unto [us] all things what [we] should do” (2 Nephi 32:5). Those of us who have been baptized and who have received the Holy Ghost can have its constant promptings with us whenever we are worthy. With this special gift, we can know for certain when we are participating in inappropriate entertainment, for “the Spirit of the Lord doth not dwell in unholy temples” (Helaman 4:24). Simply put, the Holy Ghost will help us to choose the right.

We are taught this concept in a hymn that highlights this magnificent tool we’ve been given and a blessing that comes from our Heavenly Father:

Choose the right when a choice is placed before you.
In the right the Holy Spirit guides;

Choose the right! Let no spirit of digression
Overcome you in the evil hour.
There’s the right and the wrong to ev’ry question;
Be safe thru inspiration’s pow’r.

Choose the right! Choose the right!
Let wisdom mark the way before.
In its light, choose the right!
And God will bless you evermore.

Our homes should be refuges from the evils of the world. As parents, the most influential way in which we can teach our children which forms of media are and are not allowed in our homes, is by example. We can not expect our children to follow the Lord’s guidelines if they see us participating in contradictory activities. With the rising risk of online chat rooms, social networking and pornographic sites, we need to know where our children are on the Internet. There are free family filters available to protect children from the evils of the Web. Our leaders have also counseled us to know what our kids are listening to, know who their friends are, and to know what they are watching within the walls of our own homes. In addition to these, we should also encourage other forms of entertainment other than indoor activities. These include hobbies, games, exercise, sports, and service projects.

IV. Conclusion

I am confident that if we improve the choices in entertainment in our own lives, in and outside of our homes, our levels of spirituality will increase, our families will draw closer together and we will know that the Lord is proud of our lives. We can and will know that we are “in [the] strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life” (2 Nephi 31:18-19). When we make correct entertainment-related choices we will be happy. When we participate in inappropriate entertainment we may think we are happy, but as Alma taught over 2,000 years ago, “wickedness never was happiness” (Alma 41:10).

We live in wonderful times. We also live in perilous times. Satan is seeking to destroy the souls of both you and me. He knows that “he hath but a short time” (Revelation 12:12) before the Savior ushers in the Millennium. We can not give in to the wiles of temptation, no matter how flattering they may be. None of us are immune to temptation. Jacob, the brother of Nephi, warned us to “remember… the awfulness of yielding to the enticings of that cunning one” (2 Nephi 9:39). As this new year dawns, let us resolve to inspect our individual lives and those of our families to determine if we can gain just a bit more of the Holy Ghost by turning off a suggestive show, by choosing not to pay for a movie ticket of an ill-advised movie, by listening to better music, or perhaps by asking ourselves the following questions:

• Does what I am doing make me feel worthy to kneel in prayer?
• Would my parents be proud of what I am currently doing?
• Would I watch or listen to this with President Monson around?
• How would I feel if I was watching or listening to this at the time of the Second Coming?

The Lord has promised that we will be blessed for our righteous choices.

In closing, I recall the words of Alma, preaching to the people in the land of Zarahemla, when he said “all you that are desirous to follow the voice of the good shepherd, come ye out from the wicked, and be ye separate, and touch not their unclean things.” (Alma 5:57).

May we strive to live this New Year closer to our Heavenly Father and his Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to have his Spirit with us “at all times and in all things, and in all places” (Mosiah 18:9), in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Eternal Family

This is the talk I was asked to give on the family – there might be some mistakes because I was editing it right before I gave it…lol. Also not long before church was to being, I was informed that one of the speakers wasn’t going to be there so I needed to speak for about 20 minutes – I’ve never spoken for that long before and had to bulk up my talk quickly…

I want to tell you a story about my parents.

I t takes place some years ago when they met each other and fell in love. They decided to start a family, but were later devastated when their first born daughter died only hours after being born. Out of her death grew a desire to find answers to why their baby had been taken from their lives and would they ever see her again.

This desire led to searching through different religions, trying to find one that answered their questions about families, and what happens after they die and how to stop the pain of death that still pulled at their heart strings.

About 6 years and another child later while being stationed in the Philippines, my parents were getting ready for the arrival of another child. They were introduced to a pair of special young men who taught them the concepts of eternal marriage and families. These were concepts that had troubled my mother constantly since she had lost her first child. Learning about the plan of salvation and eternal families was a miracle for my mother.

While this didn’t completely take away her pain, it did bring her comfort and knowledge that she would be united with the daughter she lost.  In later years they would go through the same trial again when another one of their daughters died.  This time though they knew about eternal families and had the peace that their family would one day be reunited again.

My parents joined the church not long after I was born, and soon after that we traveled to Salt Lake City and along with my older sister we were sealed together for time and all eternity.

While this story of mine might not be unique it highlights something important, even though my parents were not members of the church, family was very important to them and is what brought them to find the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Russell  M. Nelson said in a March issue of the Ensign,

“Also pivotal to God’s plan is the family. In fact, a purpose of the plan is to exalt the family. The earth was created so that we as premortal spirit children of our Father in Heaven could come to the earth and obtain physical bodies. We are here to be tried and tested. We are here to “choose liberty and eternal life, . . . or to choose captivity and death”. And best of all, we are allowed to fall in love, to be married, and to invite children into our families.”

But why is the family so important? Why does our church put so much emphasis on having a family?

On a whim I did a search for Jesus on the church’s web site – I just wanted to see how many results came back and there were over 24 thousand. The next search I did was for Family- this came back with over 27 thousand results. This would seem to indicate that family is an important factor in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In the November 1982 Ensign, President Ezra Taft Benson, explained in a talk titled “Fundamentals of Enduring Family Relationships”

He says…

“Today we are aware of great problems in our society. The most obvious are sexual promiscuity, homosexuality, drug abuse, alcoholism, vandalism, pornography, and violence.

These grave problems are symptoms of failure in the home—the disregarding of principles and practices established by God in the very beginning. “

In his talk he lists three fundamentals for a happy, enduring  family relationship, and this is the backbone of my talk today.

1. 1. A husband and wife must attain righteous unity and oneness in their goals, desires, and actions.

In Genesis 2:24 [Gen. 2:24] we are taught, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”

In an Ensign article from Matthew O. Richardson he breaks down that verse and uses the words of prophets and other leaders to explain it.

Leaving – President Spencer W. Kimball taught that “couples do well to immediately find their own home, separate and apart from that of the in-laws on either side. President Kimball counseled, “Parents who hold, direct, and dictate to their married children and draw them away from their spouses are likely to regret the possible tragedy.” Some may wonder what possible “tragedy” awaits such couples. While it could be something as severe as divorce, perhaps the real tragedy is forfeiting a form of marriage the couple might have had, had they only enjoyed the opportunity to leave appropriately.

Cleaving – The term cleave, as used in Genesis, is derived from the Hebrew dawbak, meaning “cling, adhere, stick, catch by pursuit” or “follow close.” When the Savior speaks of cleaving to one’s wife in Matthew 19:5 [Matt. 19:5], the source word of cleave is from the Greek poskallah, meaning “glue or join.” By scriptural definition, then, we find that God expects us to “cling” to our spouse or to “stick” with him or her. But it should also be understood that this is not a one-time event but a condition that lasts throughout a couple’s marriage. President Hinckley has taught on several occasions that one’s spouse should be treated in special regard. He said that a husband should regard his wife “as the greatest treasure of his life.” In Matthew 6:21 [Matt. 6:21] we read, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (see also 3 Ne. 13:21).

Becoming One – Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught, “it takes two—a man and a woman—to form a whole.” Unity in marriage is not achieved simply by kneeling at an altar and accepting a spouse. It requires effort for a couple to become one. Marital unity doesn’t mean that spouses agree on everything. It also doesn’t mean they have to spend every minute of every day together, think the same thoughts, and order the same meal at restaurants. Rather than relying on our interpretation of what “one flesh” means in marriage, it would be well to consider this divine concept as taught in the scriptures.

One Flesh – Paul taught the concept of unity to the Corinthians by using the body as an illustration. “For the body is not one member, but many” (1 Cor. 12:14). Paul taught that in spite of obvious differences in the various parts of the body, “the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you” (1 Cor. 12:21). In summary, he taught “that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another” (1 Cor. 12:25). It is easy to see the application of this metaphor to marriage. Neither spouse is more important than the other. Undoubtedly, individuals bring varying talents into their marriage, just as they each have differing roles, tasks, and functions. But using Paul’s perspective, one can say, “For marriage is not one member, but two. And the husband cannot say unto the wife, I have no need of thee: nor the wife again to the husband, I have no need of thee.” We may likewise conclude that there should be no schism in marriage but that husband and wife should have the same care one for another. To create such a relationship, President Kimball suggested, couples should realize that “each must accept literally and fully that the good of the little new family must always be superior to the good of either spouse.”

My wife and I have been married for 11 years now. We’ve had our struggles, but we’ve started realizing that where we want to be is going to take a combined effort and only if we’re on the same team. This applies to all facets of marriage.

In our marriage we realize that sometimes we are not on the same wavelength or path, and as a result things become tougher than they really should. But we find that when we are united on a common goal, it’s much easier to work towards it and overcome it.

President Benson also mentions that

“Fidelity to one’s marriage vows is absolutely essential for love, trust, and peace. Adultery is unequivocally condemned by the Lord.

Husbands and wives who love each other will find that love and loyalty are reciprocated. This love will provide a nurturing atmosphere for the emotional growth of children. Family life should be a time of happiness and joy that children can look back on with fond memories and associations”

What are some the messages that we are being bombarded with through TV, movies and books? What has been presented as the norm?

Among other things, it’s that berating, degrading, and demeaning our spouses and children is fair game, and usually humorous to our friends and colleagues.

Some time ago, when we were first married and my wife still worked, she would come home upset and disgusted by what her coworkers would talk about when there was time to sit around and chat. They would get together and talk about their spouses in degrading ways, and often left her wondering why they were even married.

But here’s the question for us as Latter Day Saints, would we talk about our eternal spouse that way? The person that we are suppose love with all our heart, do they deserve that type of infidelity? Are we vigilant in what we say and do when it comes to our families?

President Spencer W. Kimbal l said that we should have “total fidelity in marriage” and to me that means in all aspects of it, not just physically but in our behavior and how we speak about our spouses and families.

1. 2. Nurture your children with love and the admonitions of the Lord.

I’m glad President Benson says “Rearing happy, peaceful children is no easy challenge in today’s world”, and I’m sure some of you know this first hand. But he does go on to say that it can and is being done, so there is hope.

President Benson also says “Above all else, children need to know and feel they are loved, wanted, and appreciated. They need to be assured of that often. Obviously, this is a role parents should fill, and most often the mother can do it best.”

M. Russell Ballard gives 5 ideas for how to gain that happy and enduring family:

1. Full and equal partnerships. Men and women joined together in marriage need to work together as a full partnership. However, a full and equal partnership between men and women does not imply the roles played by the two sexes are the same in God’s grand design for His children. As the proclamation clearly states, men and women, though spiritually equal, are entrusted with different but equally significant roles. These roles complement each other. Men are given stewardship over the sacred ordinances of the priesthood. To women, God gives stewardship over bestowing and nurturing mortal life, including providing physical bodies for God’s spirit children and guiding those children toward a knowledge of gospel truths. These stewardships, equally sacred and important, do not involve any false ideas about domination or subordination. Each stewardship is essential for the spiritual progression of all family members, parents and children alike.

Family stewardships thus must be understood in terms of obligations and responsibilities—and in terms of love, service, and interdependence. Men who attempt to dominate their wives, who seek to exercise unrighteous dominion without regard to spousal counsel and sensitivities, simply don’t understand that such actions are contrary to God’s will.

2. Fathers. The proclamation states, “Fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families.” They teach their families the gospel and lead in kindness, following the counsel found in section 121 of the Doctrine and Covenants (see D&C 121:34–36).

Fathers perform priesthood ordinances and give priesthood blessings, including father’s blessings to their children. They pray for and with family members, collectively and individually. They set an example of respect and love for their eternal companion and mother of their children. In all things they follow the example of the Savior and strive to be worthy of His name and His blessing. Fathers should seek constantly for guidance from the Holy Ghost so they will know what to do, what to say, and also know what not to do and what not to say. They serve the family and the Church in the spirit of love and enthusiasm, by example preparing family members to serve—especially preparing sons to serve as worthy missionaries.

3. Mothers. The proclamation teaches that “mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.” Nurturing refers to parenting behaviors such as warmth, support, bonding, attachment, recognizing each child’s unique abilities, and attending to children’s needs. Nurturing in and of itself is more important in the development of a child than is any particular method or technique of child rearing. It hardly needs saying that nurturing is best carried out in a stable, safe, family context.

A mother’s nurturing love arouses in children, from their earliest days on earth, an awakening of the memories of love and goodness they experienced in their premortal existence. Because our mothers love us, we learn, or more accurately remember, that God also loves us.

Today there is significant pressure in our materialistic world to have and spend more money. Unfortunately, this draws married mothers to work outside the home in order to provide a second income. As husbands, wives, and children recognize the difference between basic necessities and material wants, they lessen family financial burdens and contribute to helping mothers be at home. Decisions about working outside the home are difficult ones and need to be made prayerfully, keeping ever in mind the counsel of the living prophets on this complex issue.

4. Principles for marriage and families. From the proclamation we learn that “successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.” Parents should work to create loving, eternal connections with their children. Reproof or correction will sometimes be required. But it must be done sensitively, persuasively, with an increase of love thereafter lest the child esteem the parent to be an enemy (see D&C 121:43).

It can be equally destructive when parents are too permissive and overindulge their children, allowing children to do as they please. Parents need to set limits in accordance with the importance of the matter involved and the child’s disposition and maturity. Help children understand the reasons for rules, and always follow through with appropriate discipline when rules are broken. It is important as well to praise appropriate behavior. It will challenge all of your creativity and patience to maintain this balance, but the rewards will be great. Children who understand their boundaries through the consistent application of important rules are more likely to do well at school, to be more self-controlled, and to be more willing to abide by the laws of the land.

5. Family councils. As you would expect to hear from me, one of the best tools we have as parents is the family council. I cannot emphasize enough its importance in helping to understand and address challenges in the family. When members of one family began to feel unusual contention invading their home, they called a family council to discuss the situation. The father and then the mother explained to their children what they had observed and asked how each felt about it. The mother and father learned that since their two oldest children had left home, one to be married and one to go to college, an unfair burden of responsibility had been unwittingly shifted to the two oldest children remaining at home, and they were becoming resentful. By counseling together and listening to what their children were feeling, the family made a more equitable distribution of responsibility among the children, resolving much of the frustration and tension in the home.

I recognize that there are as many kinds of family councils as there are different kinds of families. Family councils can consist of one parent and one child, of two parents and several children, of just two parents, or of just siblings, and so on. Regardless of the size or makeup of the family council, what really matters are loving motivation, an atmosphere that encourages free and open discussion, and a willingness to listen to the honest input of all council members—as well as to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit.

My wife and I both agree that letting our children know that they are loved is one of the most important aspects in raising our children. While we don’t know everything, we do know that if children don’t find love in their homes they will try to find it anywhere they can, which can lead to sadness and sorrow.

While I struggle with my kids at times, luckily I have a wonderful wife who helps me remember what the goal is and how to try and reach it.

In “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” it says

“Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.”

With children in school and then homework, how much quality time is left during the day to spend with our children? Are we doing all we can to help them learn and understand the gospel and feel loved? I know this is an area where I can do better – but luckily my wife has done a great job, and my kids love listening to gospel stories and learning about the gospel.

As our children have grown and our lives have become more hectic spending quality time together get’s harder – I’m sure some family’s have even more trouble finding time when everyone is at home together.

Some years ago, when we were living in Logan I had to commute to my job – at one point I was driving for about 2 hours each way to work. That left little time for the family. But through different circumstances– the Lord has blessed my family with me working only 10 minutes away and having a lot more time together. Along with Family Home evening, we try to have an additional game night per week, and we try to have dinner together every night so we can talk about our day to each other.

1. 3. Parents must prepare their children for the ordinances of the gospel.

President Benson says

“The most important teachings in the home are spiritual. Parents are commanded to prepare their sons and daughters for the ordinances of the gospel: baptism, confirmation, priesthood ordinations, and temple marriage. They are to teach them to respect and honor the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Most importantly, parents are to instill within their children a desire for eternal life and to earnestly seek that goal above all else.

Eternal life may be obtained only by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel.

When parents themselves have complied with the ordinances of salvation, when they have set the example of a temple marriage, not only is their own marriage more likely to succeed, but their children are far more likely to follow their example.

Parents who provide such a home will have, as the Lord has said, “a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, … a house of order, a house of God.” (D&C 88:119.) Regardless of how modest or humble that home may be, it will have love, happiness, peace, and joy. Children will grow up in righteousness and truth and will desire to serve the Lord.”

In a few months Ethan will be 8 years old and in another 9 months after that Alexander will be old enough to receive the Aaronic Priesthood. I am grateful that I am worthy enough to participate in these ordinances with them and am excited for them to enter into these new chapters of their life.

We all want to succeed in raising righteous children and to have an eternal family, but it won’t happen without sacrifice and work. This happens by example and commitment to the gospel.

I want to testify that I know an eternal family is key to God’s plan, since we are created in the image of Heavenly Father and everything is patterned after him then it only makes since that marriage and family is part of the plan. In order for us to have that eternal family we need to work on our examples as parents and help our children to understand how much they mean to us. We also need to be worthy enough to be sealed to them.

I want to leave you with a quote from Joseph F. Smith.

“The home is what needs reforming. Try today, and tomorrow, to make a change in your home by praying twice a day with your family. … Ask a blessing upon every meal you eat. Spend ten minutes … reading a chapter from the words of the Lord in the [scriptures]. … Let love, peace, and the Spirit of the Lord, kindness, charity, sacrifice for others, abound in your families. Banish harsh words, … and let the Spirit of God take possession of your hearts. Teach to your children these things, in spirit and power. … Not one child in a hundred would go astray, if the home environment, example and training, were in harmony with … the gospel of Christ.”

And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ amen…