My Sacrament Meeting Talk

The following is the talk I gave this past Sunday. It's been a few years since I've given one and as soon as I received the assignment, I groaned because of the topic. After initially being bummed out, I quickly remembered I knew exactly where to go with it. I've used this analogy before, but it was perfect for this talk...here it is: 

In preparation for my assignment I asked my children to tell me how they thought our FHE, FSS, &FP we’re going. The last thing I wanted to do was give a talk and have my children thinking to themselves “what family is she talking about.” The feedback they gave me provided me with what I will speak about today.

We’ve all heard of the importance of FHE, FS, &FP emphasized from our prophets and the blessings attached. So, what’s the problem? Why do we fall short? Why do we give up? I would be willing to bet that upon hearing the topic I will be speaking I probably began sounding like the teacher’s voice from Charlie Brown. It’s just one of those topics that we tune out. It is my prayer that through and by the spirit our conversation today can edify, uplift, and most importantly - inspire action and move us closer to becoming truly converted to following the council of our prophet’s.

I have always been fascinated and captivated by people who’s life goal is climbing Mnt Everest. We watched (as a family ) a documentary series where we witnessed what people were willing to sacrifice and the large portions of their lives they dedicate to this achievement. The time, money, and sometimes limbs that are offered up as sacrifice for their ultimate goal- reaching the summit.  Isn’t it interesting that those making this ascent don’t spend time fighting against their trainers because they are being told what to do or complaining that too much is expected of them or that there are too many restrictive rules. They are willing to do anything and know they have to trust in their trainers and team leaders to make this dream possible because without them their efforts would not be enough and they would fail and in some cases, experience physical death.

It is easy to draw a parallel between this physical ascent and our spiritual ascent to the mountain of the Lord. Our spiritual ascent is full of all the same dangers and commitment. However, unlike the looming danger of physical death, it can be conquered. Spiritual death, is a far worse fate. We are all on this journey to the summit. We find in psalms 24:3-4 the question “who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord, and who shall stand in His holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart.” Our first step on this journey with our families is to make sure That we have in check our own faithfulness and obedience so that we are not trying to teach our children in hypocrisy.

Of this hypocrisy, Elder Bednar  councils: “The hypocrisy in our lives is most readily discerned and causes the greatest destruction within our own homes. And children often are the most alert and sensitive when it comes to recognizing hypocrisy. Publicly declaring testimony when faithfulness and obedience are missing within our own homes is hypocrisy—and undermines the foundation of a great work. The commandment “Thou shalt not bear false witness” applies most pointedly to the hypocrite in each of us. We need to be and become more consistent. “But be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity”

To make this journey to the summit there are 2 key people everyone needs with them to be successful. A Sherpa and a team captain.   I had an experience few years ago which I will be sharing from a married perspective, but I promise it applies to every one no matter your circumstances.

I came to realize that I was going about FHE, FSS, & FP all wrong. Being chastised by the Lord is always painful at first, but I have begun to trust that it will always be for my good. Somewhere along the way I very innocently began taking on my husband’s priesthood responsibilities in an effort to lighten his burdens. I had forgotten that there is wisdom and order in ALL things like Nephi demonstrated when he broke his bow by having respect for his father’s priesthood and asking him where he should go to obtain food. It was then that I remembered the role of the Sherpa in an Everest expedition.

The Sherpa’s job is to be in constant communication with the team captain who remains at the base of the mnt looking through a telescope for dangers, traffic, and monitoring the condition of hikers. He also has several computers monitoring the weather because getting caught in bad weather often results in death depending on where you are on the mnt. The Sherpa receives guidance and the power and authority to act from the captain. The Sherpa is the one that leads the team up the mountain. He also carries the oxygen tanks for the team members until they are needed and then constantly checks on the levels in the tanks for each member, he helps carry the load, replaces missing anchors for the guide ropes and makes sure they are secure before anyone can use them. The Lord’s way to provide that kind of assistance to our families is through priesthood authority. Just like on Everest there is usually more than 1 Sherpa per team which would be similar to our Bishops, stake presidents, area authorities etc.. The one I’m focusing on today is the priesthood authority my husband has to preside in our home, and I needed to learn to help him be a successful Sherpa instead of doing it for him. 

”Elder Claudio Costa said: It is our responsibility as fathers to lead our families in daily prayer, daily study of the scriptures, and in family home evening. We must prioritize and preserve these opportunities to build and strengthen the spiritual underpinnings of our families.”

Lds.org- Women are likewise counseled to honor the priesthood, to be grateful for its power, and to show respect to those who hold it. We are also responsible to support the priesthood. To support means “to promote the interests or cause of; … to uphold or defend as valid or right” 

This priesthood authority and power is available to all of God’s covenant children and in my home that is through my husband.

We knew that if we were going to be successful in our responsibility to teach our children the way to follow Christ, we had to have a sure foundation for our children.  We had to ask ourselves; “ do our children know that we know it?” Like the army of Heleman knew their mothers did which caused them not to doubt. The children we have been given deserve the opportunity to be seen as converts, because they are. We all are. Our testimonies aren’t a given just because of the family we were born into. The important question is; have we earned their trust to help them on this climb to their spiritual summit. This kind of dedication and commitment to living what you preach requires a valiant effort and it is not easy. While trying to help your children on their journey you may be struggling through yours. I spent years bouncing between thinking I would never be as spiritual as so and so, so why bother and thinking that I didn’t want to become too spiritual so that I could still live in the world. I overcame those feelings because I began to see with new eyes the more I trusted in the words of prophets.  No matter how poorly we may be doing at doing FHE every Monday or having scripture study every night or whether we get into some deep discussion on gospel topics without it turning very spirited or having blank faces stare back at us. We know that through our continued efforts despite our deficiencies, our children know we know. The only help one of my children when asked on this topic was that I have spiritual turrets, by that I would say he knows I know.

When asked about how they  thought we were doing as a family in these 3 areas, one of my other children said: “I don’t know the definition of good.” How insightful and profound. I believe we get ourselves caught up on our barometer of what being successful is and not how the Lord measures things.

Elder Bednar relayed the following about his families efforts I these areas and explained that they: “were exasperated because the righteous habits we worked so hard to foster did not seem to yield immediately the spiritual results we wanted and expected.

Of his sons’ memory of how things went…”They likely would not identify a particular prayer or a specific instance of scripture study or an especially meaningful family home evening lesson as the defining moment in their spiritual development. What they would say they remember is that as a family we were consistent.”

He went on to say that they “ thought helping our sons understand the content of a particular lesson or a specific scripture was the ultimate outcome. But such a result does not occur each time we study or pray or learn together. The consistency of our intent and work was perhaps the greatest lesson.”

Another child when asked to remark on the topic said that she liked that we aren’t too formal and if the discussion is going somewhere good we just let it go there instead of focusing on reading a certain amount. She also liked how we started discussing what we are going to pray for before we pray because it’s helped make our prayers more meaningful.

On LDS.org the front page has an article titled “how to pray so God can answer.” Elder Bednar has taught how we can learn from Nephi about not praying for our circumstances to change, but rather the strength to change our circumstances.” One of the things I loved learning about Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego was their great faith being delivered from the fire with a simple yet powerful declaration “BUT IF NOT”  they knew it was God’s will. An example of a prayer from the article was “God, please bless that I will be included in my group of friends, but if not, even if I feel excluded, help me be kind and generous.” We need to learn to focus our prayers more toward character development and not the give me’s. Our family is still a work in progress when it comes to being able to change how we communicate with the Lord so that he can bless us. These are skills that take time to acquire so be patient with yourself and your family. One does not simply say one day that they are going to climb mount Everest and then do it. It takes months and years of conditioning to prepare and then several acclimations, resting, and conditioning camps, all along the way up to the summit.

Everyone is climbing to the summit whether they want to admit they’re on the mnt or not. Whether they like the team captain or not. Whether they have the Sherpa they want, or they are traveling with the team members they want. The truth remains, we are on the mountain and our only goal is to make it to the summit, and just like climbing Everest- the closer you get to the summit, the harder it becomes and when the temptation to quit grows the strongest.

If we are to make that summit we need to have faith and trust that the team captain is telling us the correct information we need to be successful and I know this assurance from the Lord found in D&C 1:38 is true because I have tested it ;

 38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my ^aword shall not pass away, but shall all be ^bfulfilled, whether by mine own ^cvoice or by the ^dvoice of my ^eservants, it is the same. 

What have the prophets told us that we need to do to make it successfully up the mountain with our familes? FHE, FSS, FP. Richard G Scott counseled us:

“If you want your children to recognize, understand, and act on the promptings of the Spirit, you must study the scriptures with them.

Don’t yield to Satan’s lie that you don’t have time to study the scriptures. Choose to take time to study them. Feasting on the word of God each day is more important (yes he said more important) than sleep, school, work, television shows, video games, or social media. You may need to reorganize your priorities to provide time for the study of the word of God. If so, do it!”

He continued with; “I add my voice with this promise: as you dedicate time every day, personally and with your family, to the study of God’s word, peace will prevail in your life. That peace won’t come from the outside world. It will come from within your home, from within your family, from within your own heart. It will be a gift of the Spirit. It will radiate out from you to influence others in the world around you. You will be doing something very significant to add to the cumulative peace in the world.”

We must also always remember in our efforts to be successful that we must put our own hypocrisy in check. Do we have clean hands and a pure heart to qualify for blessings and power from heaven to be able to accomplish the work we’ve been given. Then we need to understand that each of our children are converts and we need to be patient, kind, and loving while they are finding their way –which for me is easier said than done most of the time. We also need to remember that even if every attempt we make at being successful in these 3 areas ends in a fight, tears, mumbles of boredom, dissent. If you grumble at your companion in a snippy tone. Whether you forget to have prayer every night.  Whether some or all of your children reject the gospel that they’ve all been taught. Whether you have the family you want. Whether you think it’s all too late.

Remember the words of Elder Holland “If for awhile the harder you try, the harder it gets, take heart. So it has been with the best people who have ever lived.” And another “don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying, there is help and happiness ahead…”

We have been blessed with families so that we need not make this journey alone. We’ve been given the tools we need to succeed if we will use them. We’ve been given sherpas and team captains. We have been given the power of the priesthood to tap into so that our journey is successful as we set out doing all things in wisdom and order. While we cannot carry our fellow team members up the dangerous, steep and oxygen deprived terrain, the atonement of Jesus Christ makes each step possible for those who accept it’s enabling power in their lives, for without it we are doomed to make it no further than the base of the mnt. All we can do is teach, encourage, and never give up on each other. We need to keep walking, Keep climbing, and do it together by 3 of the means our prophets have told us will yield the most success. FHE, FSS, FP.

I love the proverb that Sister Burton referenced “Thee lift me and I’ll lift thee, and we’ll ascend together.”

I know that we are not doomed to fail. Each person who wants to make the summit will. I know that we are lead and guided by prophets today and they are trustworthy to follow. I know that Jesus Christ is the head of this church. I am grateful for the priesthood and I’m grateful for the love I have felt from my Heavenly Father. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.