1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: ~Ecclesiastes 3:1
I do know where I was at the time. I was a newly baptized member of the church (17 months) living in Utah as a newlywed (5 months) while Nate finished up undergrad. I was most likely working that day at Maceys grocery store in Orem. I wasn't liking living in Utah very much at this time, but I was trying not to let a few bad apples spoil the bunch.
My point is this. I just realized a couple of years ago how amazing Elder Holland was. I think it was his testifying of the Book of Mormon talk that made me wake up and take notice of him. I had always watched, taken notes and payed attention. The good years I would even read the articles again in the ensign when it came out (although usually not all of them, just the ones I remembered liking) Saturday session was never high on my priority list. My time and season was learning how to be a member of this new church, being newly married, having a husband attending medical school and starting a family and everything that came after that. I was in survival mode and knowing where the life preserver was and making my best attempts to reach for it, but not very valiantly. That's the trouble with learning line upon line. Each new line you realize how blind you were previously and how much of your life you wasted not living where you are now. It's the circle of life. It happens to everyone. We aren't supposed to wallow in that, but gain sympathy for others still farther back on the trail than we now find ourselves -because once your eyes are open, everything becomes so clear and easy to understand and you have a hard time figuring out why others can't see as clearly - even though you were recently there yourself. Does that all make sense? I hope so.
Anyway. That talk was the bomb. He was humbled by his recent call and testified of the priesthood and how a new prophet is called - Ezra Taft Benson had just passed away. I realized that he is the same today as he was then. Some of the apostles have a growth period and they become better with time. He was born better. I could have listen to that talk today and said "rock on!" He knows how to love, inspire and encourage. I joke that I go to Elder Bednar to get my butt kicked and then to Elder Holland for a hug. If I were in a room with both of them and told I could only speak to one of them, I think I would die from the choice.
I was talking with someone about the new challenge that come with each new level of learning and understanding that you reach. Like I mentioned, clear eyesight doesn't mean you remember how to relate to your previous eyesight. This conversation made me remember a BYU speech given by Gordon B Hinckley November 4, 1969 called "The Loneliness of Leadership." Seriously good talk. He talks about the loneliness of faith and virtue in a world that doesn't value those principles. A lot of times we will find ourselves standing alone.....even among our own peers. He didn't mention the part about our own peers, but that is an even lonelier path. Many want to fit in with the world instead of stand out and confuse that with not being judgmental (this seems to be the internet topic of discussion as of late).
Looking up this speech led me to a follow up talk that he gave in the April 1995 general conference , "This Is the Work of the Master." The newly ordained president was humbled by his new calling as the prophet because Howard W Hunter had passed away. He wanted to follow up on his speech that he had given 26 years earlier. This is one of the most inspiring talks I've ever read. Again, I don't know where I was (probably at my bro and SIL's house playing with their kids instead of paying attention) when he gave this. It didn't make a mark on my brain, but when I read it now -oh my gosh!
Because I love the cut and paste feature, I'm going to use it - hey I showed restraint in the previous talks mentioned -no quotes....well, 1 little scripture! I need to leave a fun journey of self discovery for anyone else wanting to take it.
"Your obligation is as serious in your sphere of responsibility as is my obligation in my sphere. No calling in this church is small or of little consequence. All of us in the pursuit of our duty touch the lives of others. To each of us in our respective responsibilities the Lord has said: “Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees” (D&C 81:5).
And then later he said- after lots of other good stuff:
"This is a season to be strong. It is a time to move forward without hesitation, knowing well the meaning, the breadth, and the importance of our mission. It is a time to do what is right regardless of the consequences that might follow. It is a time to be found keeping the commandments. It is a season to reach out with kindness and love to those in distress and to those who are wandering in darkness and pain. It is a time to be considerate and good, decent and courteous toward one another in all of our relationships. In other words, to become more Christlike.
We have nothing to fear. God is at the helm. He will overrule for the good of this work. He will shower down blessings upon those who walk in obedience to His commandments. Such has been His promise. Of His ability to keep that promise none of us can doubt."
Listening to these talks right after a prophet had died and a new prophet was sustained it got me thinking of how short of a time Howard W Hunter was a prophet - he only spoke in 1 general conference. This made me wonder. What did he need to say to us? What was his final message? Now that my eyes are more open, I was ready to receive.
Even today I reminded of the feelings I had while watching him in that general conference. The man oozed love. Though I can't remember a word he said when I watched live all those years ago, I can still remember that I felt like I was listening to the Prophet of the Lord. He spoke in the general RS meeting, Priesthood session and on Sunday morning of conference. Between all three of those talks he managed to testify of the most saving principles of the gospel. The most important things we need to gain exhalation.
The RS talk was "Stand firm in the Faith." It was a love letter to women. It was beautiful. Then he brought everything together with this:
"As our Lord and Savior looked to the women of his time for a comforting hand, a listening ear, a believing heart, a kind look, an encouraging word, loyalty—even in his hour of humiliation, agony, and death—it seems to me that there is a great need to rally the women of the Church today to stand with and for the Brethren in stemming the tide of evil that surrounds us and in moving forward the work of our Savior. Together we must stand firm in the faith against greater numbers of other-minded people. Nephi said, “Ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men” (2 Ne. 31:20). When we are obedient to God, we are a majority. But only together can we accomplish the work he has given us to do and be prepared for the day when we shall see him.
As we labor with our might to minister to needs in the same caring way that our Lord did among the women of his day, so we entreat you to minister with your powerful influence for good in strengthening our families, our church, and our communities. As you are anxiously engaged in good causes, you can show others that by taking Christ into their lives and accepting his gospel, with its saving ordinances and covenants, they can reach their true potential in this life and in the hereafter.
Those who follow Christ seek to follow his example. His suffering in behalf of our sins, shortcomings, sorrows, and sicknesses should motivate us to similarly reach out in charity and compassion to those around us. It is most appropriate that the motto of the longest-standing women’s organization in the world—the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—is “Charity Never Faileth.”
The Priesthood session was "Being a Righteous Husband and Father." This talk was also really good and he laid it all out there for the men of the church. He didn't mince words, in fact he closed by saying:
"Brethren, I have spoken plainly to you regarding your responsibility as holders of the holy priesthood. If there are areas in your life where improvement may be needed, I encourage you to make this a matter of prayerful consideration."
What did he say to the general body of the church during the Sunday morning session of general conference October 1994? In his talk "Exceeding Great and Precious Promises" he testified of the priesthood and the authority given by God to the quorum of the 12 apostles. He explained that he does not act alone. The quorum is a body doing the will of the Lord who's church it is. He testified that this is the Lord's church and not mans. He talked about the disintegration of the family and the calamities that will bring that were foretold by the prophets. He also extended 2 invitations:
First, I invite all members of the Church to live with ever more attention to the life and example of the Lord Jesus Christ, especially the love and hope and compassion he displayed. I pray that we will treat each other with more kindness, more patience, more courtesy and forgiveness.
To those who have transgressed or been offended, we say, come back. The path of repentance, though hard at times, lifts one ever upward and leads to a perfect forgiveness.
To those who are hurt or are struggling and afraid, we say, let us stand with you and dry your tears. Come back. Stand with us in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Take literally his invitation to “come, follow me” (see Matt. 16:24; Matt. 19:21; Mark 8:34; Mark 10:21; Luke 9:23; Luke 18:22; John 21:22; D&C 38:22). He is the only sure way; he is the light of the world.
We will, as you would expect us to do, continue to hold to the high standards of conduct which define a Latter-day Saint. It is the Lord who established those standards, and we are not free to set them aside.
Let us study the Master’s every teaching and devote ourselves more fully to his example. He has given us “all things that pertain unto life and godliness.” He has “called us to glory and virtue” and has “given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these [we] might be partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet. 1:3–4).
I believe in those “exceeding great and precious promises,” and I invite all within the sound of my voice to claim them. We should strive to “be partakers of the divine nature.” Only then may we truly hope for “peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come” (D&C 59:23).
In that spirit I invite the Latter-day Saints to look to the temple of the Lord as the great symbol of your membership. It is the deepest desire of my heart to have every member of the Church worthy to enter the temple. It would please the Lord if every adult member would be worthy of—and carry—a current temple recommend. The things that we must do and not do to be worthy of a temple recommend are the very things that ensure we will be happy as individuals and as families.
Let us be a temple-attending people. Attend the temple as frequently as personal circumstances allow. Keep a picture of a temple in your home that your children may see it. Teach them about the purposes of the house of the Lord. Have them plan from their earliest years to go there and to remain worthy of that blessing.
If proximity to a temple does not allow frequent attendance, gather in the history of your family and prepare the names for the sacred ordinances performed only in the temple. This family research is essential to the work of the temples, and blessings surely will come to those who do that work.
We desire to bring the temples closer to our people. New temples have been announced and are under construction. Others are being planned. Soon we will dedicate the Orlando Florida and Bountiful Utah temples
My purpose in this post is to encourage myself and others that it's never too late to listen to the voice of the Lord given thru His prophets here upon the earth today. To take that council into our hearts and change our very natures. We have been given council since the beginning of this church. We can now look back thru these invitations and see prophecy being fulfilled, but how will we ever know unless we read and understand the things which have been given us? The way has been paved for us. It is a lonely road at times. I am grateful to have about 5 people in my life that are on the same part of the road that I am that we can draw strength from each other. Today I asked my seminary class to write down 1 thing they can do to strengthen and watch over the members of our church and their friends- that is a responsibility of the priesthood, which I am apart. I am under the same obligation. I hope this little blog of my ramblings offers strength to someone else.
I leave you with the testimony of Gordon B Hinckley in that speech back in 1969:
"God bless you, my dear young friends, you of the noble birthright, you of the covenant, you who are the greatest hope of this generation—young men and women of ability and conscience, of leadership and tremendous potential.
God bless you to walk fearlessly, even though you walk in loneliness, and to know in your hearts that peace which comes of squaring one’s life with principle, that “peace of God, which passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:7), I humbly pray, as I leave with you my witness and my testimony of the divinity of this holy work. And as a servant of the Lord, I invoke upon you every joy as you go forward in your lives to rich and marvelously fruitful experiences, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."
Guess what? I wasn't even born yet when that speech was given. Who is also part of the noble birthright and rising generation? Yep, that's right, me. We always talk about the youngest generation, but everyone from this dispensation has the same noble birthright, so let's start acting like it and stop thinking it's for someone else to step up their game (just a little plain speak there) ;0)
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