Respect for fathers

While many in society are denigrating fathers and diminishing their role in the home, James E. Faust claims a father in the home is more important than ever. Social scientists indicate that the absence of a father is a greater predictor of criminal behavior than income, education or race. While individual children may do all right, few come "unscathed through fatherless communities."

Although mothers may play the primary role as caregivers, the role of fathers in the home needs to be strengthened. To this we need to "sustain and respect" the father in his position and show him love, understanding and appreciation.

On the other hand, fathers must not shirk their responsibilities. American general Douglas MacArthur, described the important role of fathers when he said: "By profession I am a soldier and take pride in that fact. But I am prouder—infinitely prouder—to be a father. A soldier destroys in order to build; the father only builds, never destroys. The one has the potentiality of death; the other embodies creation and life. And while the hordes of death are mighty, the battalions of life are mightier still. It is my hope that my son, when I am gone, will remember me not from the battle but in the home repeating with him our simple daily prayer, 'Our Father who art in heaven.' "

The Savior showed through his example how to truly respect fathers for throughout his life he showed great love for his Father in Heaven. He said he did nothing except it was what his father had done. And because his Father loved him he showed him all that he had done. (John 5:19,20) He did all things the Father expected of him. In return, the Father did not leave him alone. (John 8:29) Similarly, when we show our love and respect to our Heavenly Father through obeying his commandments, he has promised that he will be with us. What a great blessing that is in our lives.

Reference: James E. Faust, "The Father Who Cares," Ensign, Sept. 2006, 3. Retrieved September 30, 2006 from http://www.lds.org.

The Book of Mormon and Isaiah

The Book of Mormon prophet Nephi loved Isaiah and quoted extensively
from him. (The Book of Mormon contains 414 verses from Isaiah, about
32% of the book of Isaiah. Isaiah began prophesying about 740 BC and
Nephi lived about 600 BC.) Here are some quotes from Nephi about the
value of Isaiah. Note that he not only felt Isaiah's writings would
be valuable to his own people, but also to us in the last days.
Isaiah testifies and prophesies of Christ as our redeemer. That is
why it is of such great worth.

"And I did read many things unto them which were written in the
books of Moses; but that I might more fully persuade them to believe
in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written
by the prophet Isaiah; for I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it
might be for our profit and learning." (1 Nephi 19:23)

"And now I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, for my soul
delighteth in his words. For I will liken his words unto my people,
and I will send them forth unto all my children, for he verily saw my
Redeemer, even as I have seen him." (2 Nephi 11:2)

"Wherefore, they are of worth unto the children of men, and he that
supposeth that they are not, unto them will I speak particularly, and
confine the words unto mine own people; for I know that they shall be
of great worth unto them in the last days; for in that day shall they
understand them; wherefore, for their good have I written them." (2
Nephi 25:8)

A gospel-sharing home

Elder M. Russell Ballard, an apostle, suggests that we need to create "a gospel-sharing home" (M. Russell Ballard, "Creating a Gospel-Sharing Home," Ensign, May 2006, 84). A gospel-sharing home is one where anyone who enters feels the spirit of the Lord and desires to know more about his gospel. It is a home where we naturally feel love for the Lord, have testimonies of his eternal reality, and show gratitude for all he has done. The Savior showed us the way when he invited his disciples to "Come and see ... where he dwelt, and [they] abode with him that day" (John 1:39). What better way to teach his followers than to show them how he lived his life.

In our homes we are most comfortable and people coming into our homes can themselves relax and enjoy our association. My parents always had an open door. For 4 1/2 years while we lived in France our home was constantly full of young servicemen who had no other home away from home. It became a place of safety where they were protected from the cares and sins of the world. This was typical of our home while I was young. Seldom was there a Sunday meal that we ate alone.

My wife and I have tried to follow this same example in our home. We have tried to make our home a welcoming place where anyone who enters feels our love for each other and our love for the Savior. Our home is not always perfect. It is not always clean. Sometimes there is contention. However, I'm confident as we open our home to others our lives will be enriched and bettered. If we live Christ's teachings, our guests will feel of the Spirit and their lives will be better as well.

Two Sticks

The prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 37:15-28) prophesied that in the latter-days two sticks (scriptures) would be brought together and they would become one.  These two scriptures would serve to gather Israel in the latter-days.

 
15  The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,

16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:

17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.

This promise has literally been fulfilled in joining the Bible and the Book of Mormon as witnesses of the divinity of Jesus Christ. 

Wilford Woodruff, prophet and president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1890-1898, said about the relationship of the Bible and Book of Mormon:

"Does the Book of Mormon contain a different gospel to that contained in the Bible? It does not. It gives a history of the people who dwelt upon [the American] continent anciently, tells where they came from and how they came here, tells of the dealings of God with them, and the establishment of the Church of Christ among them. They were visited by Jesus after His resurrection. Hence He said "Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd." [John 10:16.] … Both books contain the same gospel. There was never but one gospel and there never will be any other revealed to the human family" (Deseret News: Semi-Weekly, August 16, 1881 published in Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 2004).

The Lord looketh on the heart

When Saul no longer was worthy to be king, the Lord sent the prophet Samuel to Jesse to anoint one of his sons to be king. Jesse’s older sons were brought before Samuel, but they were rejected. “Is this all?” asked Samuel. The youngest, David, was tending the sheep. So David was called for and the Lord indicated that he should be anointed king.

The lesson we learn from this story is that the Lord doesn’t look on the outward appearance of people, but rather what is in the heart.

1 Samuel 16:6,7
6 ¶ And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him.
7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

How then can I have a change of heart so that I am acceptable to he Lord? King Benjamin gave some indication in his farewell speech to the Nephites.

Mosiah 3:18,19
18 For behold he judgeth, and his judgment is just; and the infant perisheth not that dieth in his infancy; but men drink damnation to their own souls except they humble themselves and become as little children, and believe that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.
19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

The key then is to become as little children, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, then we can be saved through Christ’s atonement.

Avoid the noise of the world by following the Spirit

James E. Faust in an article in the June 2006 Ensign magazine, described the many kinds of noises which distract people today from hearing the voice of the Lord. Some of the voices he described were murmuring and complaining, whining and seductive, intellectual and proud, flattering and entertaining, commercial and cynical.  Paul described this time as well as his own when he said there are "so many different kinds of voices in this world" (1 Cor. 14:10). 

I was reading his article on my computer, when in the bottom right hand corner an envelope started flashing saying I had new mail.  So I left the article and went to read my mail -- a distracting noise that took me away from what I was doing. This was a strong illustration of Faust's point. So many times in my life distractions take me away from my real purpose. The distractions may entertain or sooth me, but they also keep me from doing the things I really should be doing.  For example, it is so much easier to turn on the TV instead of reading scriptures and praying. 

Faust said, "It may be harder for our rising generation to be faithful, perhaps in some ways even more challenging than pulling a handcart across the plains. When someone died in the wilderness of frontier America, that person's physical remains were buried and the handcarts continued west, but the mourning survivors had hope for their loved one's eternal soul. However, when someone dies spiritually in the wilderness of sin, hope may be replaced by dread and fear for the loved one's eternal welfare." 

To avoid distractions that lead us away from God, he suggests we have a purpose, exercise moral agency, search the scriptures, and strengthen our testimonies of Christ's redemptive powers.   A simple solution "for selecting the channel to which we attune ourselves" is to "listen to and follow the voice of the Spirit." This solution "requires patience in a world that demands instant gratification. This solution is quiet, peaceful, and subtle in a world enamored of that which is loud, incessant, fast paced, garish, and crude. This solution requires you to be contemplative while your peers seek physical titillation.... This solution is one unified, consistent, age-old message in a world that quickly becomes bored in the absence of intensity, variety, and novelty. This solution requires us to walk by faith in a world governed by sight."

Teaching with the spirit

Yesterday, my lesson at Church went flat. I didn't seem to have a good rapport with my audience. At one time I contradicted a student speaker and that set a bad tone. Although there was good class participation, the material and discussion didn't flow. The power to persuade wasn't there. I was unhappy by the result.

The reason for the lack of success, I feel was that I was not teaching with the spirit. The LDS Doctrine and Covenents (42:13,14) suggests that "if ye receive not the Spirit ye shall not teach." It was one of those moments when I really wish I was somewhere else and someone else was teaching the lesson. However, often times our assignments require us to teach even though we may not want to.

If you want to learn to teach with the spirit, I recommend a talk by Apostle Tom Perry, published in the May 1999 Ensign of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (http://www.lds.org), called "Teach Them the Word of God with All Diligence."

He lists a number of scriptures about teaching with the spirit and suggests some practices he has used in his own life.

"And I give unto you a commandment that you shall teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom.

"Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand" (D&C 88:77,­78).

We first need to follow the example of the Savior in our teaching. If we are to be good teachers, read about his life, study the way he taught and emulate his qualities both as the son of God and as a teacher.

When He was 12 years of age, He accompanied His parents to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of the Passover, as was their custom. As they were returning to their home after the celebration, they discovered that Jesus was not with them. Returning to Jerusalem, they found Him.

"And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, and they were hearing him, and asking him questions.

"And all who heard him were astonished at his understanding, and answers" (JST, Luke 2:46­47)

According to Perry, "fundamental to becoming good teachers is serious study of the word of the Lord, that we are able to impart our acquired knowledge to others."

The lord declared, "Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men" (D&C 11:21).

Effective teaching requires humble prayer and study. Then the Spirit of God can be with the teacher and can be felt by the students.

"Verily I say unto you, he that is ordained of me and sent forth to preach the word of truth by the Comforter, in the Spirit of truth, doth he preach it by the Spirit of truth or some other way?

"And if it be by some other way it is not of God.

"And again, he that receiveth the word of truth, doth he receive it by the Spirit of truth or some other way?

"If it be some other way it is not of God.

"Therefore, why is it that ye cannot understand and know, that he that receiveth the word by the Spirit of truth receiveth it as it is preached by the Spirit of truth?

"Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together" (D&C 50:17­-22).

To read Perry's complete talk, search under Gospel Library at lds.org.