When I was younger, I would often become frustrated listening to firesides, sacrament meeting talks, and even General Conference. There was nothing new! Everything was about repentance, reading the Book of Mormon, being good to your family, etc. It seemed that was all they could talk about! I wanted something more, something dramatic. I’m not sure, looking back, exactly WHAT I wanted – just something other than what I was getting. I am pretty sure that many of you have felt that way from time to time.
In my last ward was a good sister named Victoria Stovall. She was in her 90s and was still very young at heart. She was a life-long member of the Church and had lived to see some very dramatic things happen to her and the Church. She had lived through two world wars and numerous other global and political upheavals. She had seen the Church membership grow dramatically – even exponentially. She had seen temples begin to dot the land in fulfillment of prophecy. Church welfare became a reality, as did priesthood blessings for every worthy male member. And she had seen the earth become flooded with the Book of Mormon and a million missionaries serve the Lord.
Sister Stovall had been a member of the Church for at least 82 years. Assuming that she went to Church meetings of some kind 50 weeks per year, that means she had sat through over four thousand meetings – Sunday School, Relief Society, Sacrament Meeting – she’d been there and done that so many times – I can’t even begin to comprehend. She had spent literally eleven years of her life attending Church meetings of some kind.
Why? Why would she do this?
Why did she continue to attend? Surely there was nothing this great woman could have heard that would have been new. She’d heard all there was about the Church. She knew the Gospel, knew it was true. So what was her motivation to sit through yet another meeting?
I have thought a lot about that over the years. Sometimes meetings are boring. Sometimes they run long. Sometimes the speakers are unprepared and unpolished. I would suggest that perhaps the preparation lies with us. Brother A Roger Merrill, the Sunday School General President addressed some of these things:
I would ask you to think about the implications of this principle in terms of your own ability to have great spiritual experiences as you attend a class or a sacrament meeting on Sunday. What is your role in creating the environment in which the Spirit can teach you the things you need to know? If you find a Church class or a sacrament meeting boring, does that say more about the teacher—or about you?
Consider the response of President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) when someone once asked him, “What do you do if you find yourself caught in a boring sacrament meeting?” President Kimball thought a moment, then replied, “I don’t know; I’ve never been in one.” With his long years of Church experience, President Kimball had undoubtedly been to many meetings where people had read their talks, spoken in a monotone, or given travelogues instead of teaching doctrine. But most likely, President Kimball was teaching that he did not go to sacrament meeting to be entertained; he went to worship the Lord, renew his covenants, and be taught from on high. If he attended with an open heart, a desire to be “nourished by the good word of God” (Moroni 6:4), and a prayer—rather than judgment—for the speakers, the Spirit would teach him what he needed to do to be a more effective and faithful disciple. President Kimball was teaching the principle of learning by the Spirit.
I have also recently been thinking about Naaman from the Old Testament. 2nd Kings talks about Naaman’s experience with Elisha. Elisha was the prophet during a time of political turbulence. The Syrian army was beginning to make forays into Samaria and in one of the raids captured a young Hebrew girl who became a slave in Naaman’s household. She said she wished that Naaman were in Samaria, where a prophet could help him overcome his problem.
Naaman was a captain in the Syrian army, a man of wealth and influence, But he was also leper. Leprosy is a bacterial disease that destroys nerve cells and causes skin lesions, which may lead to numbness and other secondary infection. 95% of the world’s population is naturally immune to leprosy, but for the remaining 5% it can be a devastating illness, particularly if left untreated. Perhaps the most difficult thing that is associated with leprosy is the stigma that is associated with it. For a long time, people associated leprosy with wickedness or cursing or being spiritually unclean. While this may be the rare exception, it is also possible that people just came by the disease as others would the common cold. In the last 20 years, more than 15 million people have been cured of the disease using modern medicine.
Naaman did not have the luxury of modern medicine. Treatments in his day were rudimentary at best and the stigma associated with the disease was in full force. He suffered greatly as a result of the disease. There was nothing he wished more than a cure, as was witnessed by his sending much gold and silver in the hope of procuring a cure. Elisha, however, on hearing of Naaman’s concern acted out of a sense of love and compassion. Elisha sent a messenger to Naaman telling him to wash in the Jordan River seven times and he would be healed.
Naaman was upset. He thought that the servant of the Lord would come and do some great miraculous feat and cure him of his leprosy. He also was disappointed in the choice of the river, thinking that Syria had rivers that were far more desirable for bathing. But one of his servants, being wise, gave this great counsel – If the prophet had bid thee to do some great thing, woudest thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? (2 Kings 5:13).
The outcome was miraculous. Naaman humbled himself and went to the Jordan River. However begrudgingly and with whatever reluctance, he bathed seven times according to God’s direction. The scriptures note that he came out with flesh like a little child “and he was clean” (2 Kings 5:14).
Why is it that we get bogged down with the simple things? Why do we, as the Savior said, “strain at a gnat and swallow a camel”? (Matt 23:24)
I am further reminded of the experience of the children of Israel in the wilderness. They were being attacked by poisonous serpents. The poison of these snakes was particularly lethal – they were called “fiery” (Numbers 21:6). In Numbers it just notes that Moses made a serpent of brass and put it on a pole and that if anyone looked he would live. Alma in Alma chapter 33 expounds on that:
19 Behold, he was spoken of by Moses; yea, and behold a type was raised up in the wilderness, that whosoever would look upon it might live. And many did look and live.
20 But few understood the meaning of those things, and this because of the hardness of their hearts. But there were many who were so hardened that they would not look, therefore they perished. Now the reason they would not look is because they did not believe that it would heal them.
21 O my brethren, if ye could be healed by merely casting about your eyes that ye might be healed, would ye not behold quickly, or would ye rather harden your hearts in unbelief, and be slothful, that ye would not cast about your eyes, that ye might perish?
This brass serpent was a great symbol of Christ. If we look to Christ we will live. The task is just that simple. Really.
Think also of Nephi in the wilderness. They had been given the Liahona, which was a ball or director made of brass (1 Nephi 16:10). He explains further in chapter 16 of 1st Nephi that:
28 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the pointers which were in the ball, that they did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them.
29 And there was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things.
We have been given our own Liahona, our own Brass Serpent. We have direction from our living prophets – a source to which we can look for language which changes from time to time, is plain to be read and understood, and teaches us concerning the ways of the Lord. All of this is predicated on our faith and diligence – the faith and diligence which we give to these small and simple things will bring about great things in our lives.
We have been asked to read the Book of Mormon. This is not new. In the Doctrine and Covenants, the Saints of that time (1832) were reprimanded by the Lord:
54 And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—
55 Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.
56 And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.
57 And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written—
In April Conference, 1975, then Elder Ezra Taft Benson (President of the Twelve) gave a talk regarding the Book of Mormon. He asked the question: Are we still under that condemnation? In November 1986, speaking as President of the Church he answered his own question of more than 10 years earlier:
Every Latter-day Saint should make the study of this book a lifetime pursuit. Otherwise he is placing his soul in jeopardy and neglecting that which could give spiritual and intellectual unity to his whole life. There is a difference between a convert who is built on the rock of Christ through the Book of Mormon and stays hold of that iron rod, and one who is not
I reaffirm those words to you this day. Let us not remain under condemnation, with its scourge and judgment, by treating lightly this great and marvelous gift the Lord has given to us. Rather, let us win the promises associated with treasuring it up in our hearts.
Brethren and sisters, the challenge issued by our Stake President to read the Book of Mormon and ponder its message has eternal implications. Our examples of faithfulness and diligence in this matter will serve as Nephi’s example does for us. Our willingness to look to the Lord and live will strengthen our families forever.
D&C 6:36 states that we must “Look unto [the Lord] in every thought; doubt not, fear not.” It is my humble prayer that we will be able to do this. My life has been blessed by the obedience we have shown to the counsel received from our Stake President. I look forward to continuing my relationship with the Book of Mormon while instilling it into the lives of my children. If there is one thing I could teach them, that would be it.
In my last ward was a good sister named Victoria Stovall. She was in her 90s and was still very young at heart. She was a life-long member of the Church and had lived to see some very dramatic things happen to her and the Church. She had lived through two world wars and numerous other global and political upheavals. She had seen the Church membership grow dramatically – even exponentially. She had seen temples begin to dot the land in fulfillment of prophecy. Church welfare became a reality, as did priesthood blessings for every worthy male member. And she had seen the earth become flooded with the Book of Mormon and a million missionaries serve the Lord.
Sister Stovall had been a member of the Church for at least 82 years. Assuming that she went to Church meetings of some kind 50 weeks per year, that means she had sat through over four thousand meetings – Sunday School, Relief Society, Sacrament Meeting – she’d been there and done that so many times – I can’t even begin to comprehend. She had spent literally eleven years of her life attending Church meetings of some kind.
Why? Why would she do this?
Why did she continue to attend? Surely there was nothing this great woman could have heard that would have been new. She’d heard all there was about the Church. She knew the Gospel, knew it was true. So what was her motivation to sit through yet another meeting?
I have thought a lot about that over the years. Sometimes meetings are boring. Sometimes they run long. Sometimes the speakers are unprepared and unpolished. I would suggest that perhaps the preparation lies with us. Brother A Roger Merrill, the Sunday School General President addressed some of these things:
I would ask you to think about the implications of this principle in terms of your own ability to have great spiritual experiences as you attend a class or a sacrament meeting on Sunday. What is your role in creating the environment in which the Spirit can teach you the things you need to know? If you find a Church class or a sacrament meeting boring, does that say more about the teacher—or about you?
Consider the response of President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) when someone once asked him, “What do you do if you find yourself caught in a boring sacrament meeting?” President Kimball thought a moment, then replied, “I don’t know; I’ve never been in one.” With his long years of Church experience, President Kimball had undoubtedly been to many meetings where people had read their talks, spoken in a monotone, or given travelogues instead of teaching doctrine. But most likely, President Kimball was teaching that he did not go to sacrament meeting to be entertained; he went to worship the Lord, renew his covenants, and be taught from on high. If he attended with an open heart, a desire to be “nourished by the good word of God” (Moroni 6:4), and a prayer—rather than judgment—for the speakers, the Spirit would teach him what he needed to do to be a more effective and faithful disciple. President Kimball was teaching the principle of learning by the Spirit.
I have also recently been thinking about Naaman from the Old Testament. 2nd Kings talks about Naaman’s experience with Elisha. Elisha was the prophet during a time of political turbulence. The Syrian army was beginning to make forays into Samaria and in one of the raids captured a young Hebrew girl who became a slave in Naaman’s household. She said she wished that Naaman were in Samaria, where a prophet could help him overcome his problem.
Naaman was a captain in the Syrian army, a man of wealth and influence, But he was also leper. Leprosy is a bacterial disease that destroys nerve cells and causes skin lesions, which may lead to numbness and other secondary infection. 95% of the world’s population is naturally immune to leprosy, but for the remaining 5% it can be a devastating illness, particularly if left untreated. Perhaps the most difficult thing that is associated with leprosy is the stigma that is associated with it. For a long time, people associated leprosy with wickedness or cursing or being spiritually unclean. While this may be the rare exception, it is also possible that people just came by the disease as others would the common cold. In the last 20 years, more than 15 million people have been cured of the disease using modern medicine.
Naaman did not have the luxury of modern medicine. Treatments in his day were rudimentary at best and the stigma associated with the disease was in full force. He suffered greatly as a result of the disease. There was nothing he wished more than a cure, as was witnessed by his sending much gold and silver in the hope of procuring a cure. Elisha, however, on hearing of Naaman’s concern acted out of a sense of love and compassion. Elisha sent a messenger to Naaman telling him to wash in the Jordan River seven times and he would be healed.
Naaman was upset. He thought that the servant of the Lord would come and do some great miraculous feat and cure him of his leprosy. He also was disappointed in the choice of the river, thinking that Syria had rivers that were far more desirable for bathing. But one of his servants, being wise, gave this great counsel – If the prophet had bid thee to do some great thing, woudest thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? (2 Kings 5:13).
The outcome was miraculous. Naaman humbled himself and went to the Jordan River. However begrudgingly and with whatever reluctance, he bathed seven times according to God’s direction. The scriptures note that he came out with flesh like a little child “and he was clean” (2 Kings 5:14).
Why is it that we get bogged down with the simple things? Why do we, as the Savior said, “strain at a gnat and swallow a camel”? (Matt 23:24)
I am further reminded of the experience of the children of Israel in the wilderness. They were being attacked by poisonous serpents. The poison of these snakes was particularly lethal – they were called “fiery” (Numbers 21:6). In Numbers it just notes that Moses made a serpent of brass and put it on a pole and that if anyone looked he would live. Alma in Alma chapter 33 expounds on that:
19 Behold, he was spoken of by Moses; yea, and behold a type was raised up in the wilderness, that whosoever would look upon it might live. And many did look and live.
20 But few understood the meaning of those things, and this because of the hardness of their hearts. But there were many who were so hardened that they would not look, therefore they perished. Now the reason they would not look is because they did not believe that it would heal them.
21 O my brethren, if ye could be healed by merely casting about your eyes that ye might be healed, would ye not behold quickly, or would ye rather harden your hearts in unbelief, and be slothful, that ye would not cast about your eyes, that ye might perish?
This brass serpent was a great symbol of Christ. If we look to Christ we will live. The task is just that simple. Really.
Think also of Nephi in the wilderness. They had been given the Liahona, which was a ball or director made of brass (1 Nephi 16:10). He explains further in chapter 16 of 1st Nephi that:
28 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the pointers which were in the ball, that they did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them.
29 And there was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things.
We have been given our own Liahona, our own Brass Serpent. We have direction from our living prophets – a source to which we can look for language which changes from time to time, is plain to be read and understood, and teaches us concerning the ways of the Lord. All of this is predicated on our faith and diligence – the faith and diligence which we give to these small and simple things will bring about great things in our lives.
We have been asked to read the Book of Mormon. This is not new. In the Doctrine and Covenants, the Saints of that time (1832) were reprimanded by the Lord:
54 And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—
55 Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.
56 And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.
57 And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written—
In April Conference, 1975, then Elder Ezra Taft Benson (President of the Twelve) gave a talk regarding the Book of Mormon. He asked the question: Are we still under that condemnation? In November 1986, speaking as President of the Church he answered his own question of more than 10 years earlier:
Every Latter-day Saint should make the study of this book a lifetime pursuit. Otherwise he is placing his soul in jeopardy and neglecting that which could give spiritual and intellectual unity to his whole life. There is a difference between a convert who is built on the rock of Christ through the Book of Mormon and stays hold of that iron rod, and one who is not
I reaffirm those words to you this day. Let us not remain under condemnation, with its scourge and judgment, by treating lightly this great and marvelous gift the Lord has given to us. Rather, let us win the promises associated with treasuring it up in our hearts.
Brethren and sisters, the challenge issued by our Stake President to read the Book of Mormon and ponder its message has eternal implications. Our examples of faithfulness and diligence in this matter will serve as Nephi’s example does for us. Our willingness to look to the Lord and live will strengthen our families forever.
D&C 6:36 states that we must “Look unto [the Lord] in every thought; doubt not, fear not.” It is my humble prayer that we will be able to do this. My life has been blessed by the obedience we have shown to the counsel received from our Stake President. I look forward to continuing my relationship with the Book of Mormon while instilling it into the lives of my children. If there is one thing I could teach them, that would be it.
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