Listen to the Prophet and Heed His Counsel

This is the message I received today in my inbox from daily messages from the church.  I really liked it, as usual, and I decided to post this one.

I actually clicked on the link and went and read the article.  There were a few more quotes from that article that I really liked so I posted them below.

These quotes are taken from Elder Robert D. Hale's April 1995 General conference talk, "Hear the Prophet's Voice and Obey".

"If we follow the counsel given by the prophets, we can have a life in mortality where we do not bring upon ourselves unnecessary pain and self-destruction. This does not mean we will not have challenges. We will. This does not mean we will not be tested. We will, for this is part of our purpose on earth. But if we will listen to the counsel of our prophet, we will become stronger and be able to withstand the tests of mortality. We will have hope and joy. All the words of counsel from the prophets of all generations have been given so that we may be strengthened and then be able to lift and strengthen others."

—Robert D. Hales, "Hear the Prophet's Voice and Obey"

 We live in a world of turmoil where we find sadness and destruction in every corner of the world—much of which is brought about by man’s failure to listen to the words of the true prophets of God. How different would the lives have been of those who lived in all dispensations if they had listened to the prophet Moses and followed the Ten Commandments?

There has always been a desperate need for the steady and reassuring voice of a living prophet of God: one who will speak the mind and will of God in showing the way to spiritual safety and personal peace and happiness.

Listen to a prophet’s voice and obey. There is safety in following the living prophet.

A characteristic of prophets throughout the ages is that, regardless of the consequences, they have had the strength to speak the words of God with plainness and boldness. 

“And it speaketh harshly against sin, according to the plainness of the truth; wherefore, no man will be angry at the words which I [the prophet] have written save he shall be of the spirit of the devil." 2 Nephi 33:5

The prophet Wilford Woodruff said: “This is the last dispensation. He [the Lord] has raised up men and women to carry on his work. … Many of us have been held in the spirit world from the organization of this world, until the generation in which we live”

I hope you enjoyed these quotes as much as I did.  The message is simple -- listen to the Prophet, obey the commandments, and you will avoid much sadness and self-destruction and have peace and happiness in this life. 

It works for me :-)

That's my two cents.

Gladys Knight Quote

This morning I was reading an article in LDS living.com about Gladys Knight.  I didn't know she was so cool.  I like the following quote:

"I love country music," she shares. "Give me the twang, give me the everything." The subject matter in particular draws her to the genre. "It’s the bare bones, life slice that country people write about. It’s not all fluff. It really has nothing to do all of the time even with the tempo, and it’s clean most of the time. So I like that."

...

And while country is her favorite, Gladys has a love for all types of music. "The only music I can’t really get into," she explains, "is with all of the profanity. I can’t deal with that. It messes with my spirit. I can’t do that." -- Taken from LDS living.com 9/23/2014 Click link to read article.

More Great Quotes

I might sound like a broken record but once again I want to emphasize the importance of, and power of daily Scripture study and prayer and weekly family home evening.

I received these quotes in my inbox this morning.  So I thought I would share them on my blog.

Both of the following quotes are from April 2014 General Conference.  Click on the links to read or watch the whole address.  :-) Enjoy!

"As important as it is to leave home every day with a full charge on your cell phone, it is far more important to be fully charged spiritually. Every time you plug in your phone, use it as a reminder to ask yourself if you have plugged in to the most important source of spiritual power—prayer and scripture study, which will charge you with inspiration through the Holy Ghost."

—Randall L. Ridd, "The Choice Generation"


"I must testify of the blessings of daily scripture study and prayer and weekly family home evening. These are the very practices that help take away stress, give direction to our lives, and add protection to our homes."

—Linda S. Reeves, "Protection from Pornography—a Christ-Focused Home"

Cousin Wade :-)

My cousin Wade and his family stopped by for a visit yesterday.  I think the last time I saw him was at my medical school graduation in San Francisco in 2001.

Wade is my dad's older brother's son.  Even though it was a brief visit it was fun to see him again and meet his wife and kids.

I have fond memories of riding in the back of his dad's truck with all of us cousins when they came to visit us in Utah.  We had fun.

Coming up the driveway.  Wade in the passenger seat :-)

Wade, Hudson, Julie, Abbey, Austyn

I like this picture of Wade hugging his Aunt Darleen.

Cousin picture!

Michael was still at work :-(

Me with Wade's family.

Michael was able to see Wade for a few minutes after he got off work.

I thought this picture was cute.  :-) Mom thinks Hudson looks like Uncle Ron.  What do you think?

Truths Most Worth Knowing-- President Boyd K. Packer

I was browsing LDS.org a couple of days ago and came across this article. It reminded me of the Relief Society lesson I just gave. The lesson was taken from President Packer's last conference address which also talked about truths worth knowing.

Anyway I really like this article so I thought I would post it. I was actually going to post this a few days ago but didn't put forth the effort.  I was only going to post a couple of quotes but decided to post the entire article from LDS.org. It is taken from a BYU devotional given by President Packer.  So it is not the entire talk.  If you want to read it in its entirety, click on the link.  Enjoy!  :-)

Truths Most Worth Knowing
By President Boyd K. Packer
President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

From a devotional given at Brigham Young University on November 6, 2011. For the full text in English, go to speeches.byu.edu.



Your Spiritual Account

We all live on spiritual credit. In one way or another, the account builds and builds. If you pay it off as you go, you have little need to worry. Soon you begin to learn discipline and know that there is a day of reckoning ahead. Learn to keep your spiritual account paid off at regular intervals rather than allowing it to collect interest and penalties.

Because you are being tested, it is expected that you will make some mistakes. I assume that you have done things in your life that you regret, things that you cannot even apologize for, much less correct; therefore, you carry a burden. You, perhaps, may feel inferior in mind and body and are troubled or burdened with the weight of some spiritual account that is marked “past due.” When you come face to face with yourself in those moments of quiet contemplation (which many of us try to avoid), are there some unsettled things that bother you? Do you have something on your conscience? Are you still, to one degree or another, guilty of anything small or large?

Too frequently we receive letters from those who have made tragic mistakes and are burdened. They beg: “Can I ever be forgiven? Can I ever change?” The answer is yes! (See 1 Corinthians 10:13.)

Repentance Gives Relief

The gospel teaches us that relief from torment and guilt can be earned through repentance. Save for those few—those very few—who defect to perdition after having known a fulness, there is no habit, no addiction, no rebellion, no transgression, no offense small or large which is exempt from the promise of complete forgiveness. No matter what has happened in your life, the Lord has prepared a way for you to come back if you will heed the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Some are filled with a compelling urge, a temptation that recycles in the mind, perhaps to become a habit, then an addiction. We are prone to some transgression and sin and also a rationalization that we have no guilt because we were born that way. We become trapped, and hence comes the pain and torment that only the Savior can heal. You have the power to stop and to be redeemed.

A Rattlesnake Named Pornography

President Marion G. Romney (1897–1988), First Counselor in the First Presidency, told me once, “Don’t just tell them so that they can understand, tell them so that they cannot misunderstand.”

So listen up! I will speak plainly as one called and under obligation to do so.

You live in a day when the scourge of pornography is sweeping across the world. It is hard to escape it. Pornography is focused on that part of your nature through which you have the power to beget life.

To indulge in pornography leads to difficulties, divorce, disease, and troubles of a dozen kinds. There is no part of it that is innocent. To collect it, view it, or carry it around in any form is akin to keeping a rattlesnake in your backpack. It exposes you to the inevitable spiritual equivalent of the serpent’s strike with its injection of deadly venom. One can easily understand, with the world being what it is, that you can almost innocently be exposed to it, to read it, or to view it without realizing the terrible consequences. If that describes you, I warn you to stop it. Stop it now!

The Book of Mormon teaches that all people “are instructed sufficiently that they know good from evil” (2 Nephi 2:5). That includes you. You know what is right and what is wrong. Be very careful not to cross that line.

Although most mistakes can be confessed privately to the Lord, there are some transgressions that require more than that to bring about forgiveness. If your mistakes have been grievous, see your bishop. Otherwise, ordinary confession, quietly and personally, will do. But remember, that great morning of forgiveness may not come all at once. If at first you stumble, do not give up. Overcoming discouragement is part of the test. Do not give up. And as I have counseled before, once you have confessed and forsaken your sins, do not look back.

The Lord is always there. He is willing to suffer and pay the penalty if you are willing to accept Him as your Redeemer.

The Savior’s Suffering for Our Sins

As mortals, we may not—indeed cannot—understand fully how Jesus Christ fulfilled His atoning sacrifice. But for now the how is not as important as the why of His suffering. Why did He do it for you, for me, for all of humanity? He did it for the love of God the Father and all mankind. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

In Gethsemane, Christ went apart from His Apostles to pray. Whatever transpired is beyond our power to know! But we do know that He completed the Atonement. He was willing to take upon Himself the mistakes, the sins and guilt, the doubts and fears of all the world. He suffered for us so that we would not have to suffer.

Complete Forgiveness Is Possible

If you have stumbled or even been lost for a time, if you feel that the adversary now holds you captive, you can move forward with faith and not wander to and fro in the world any longer. There are those who stand ready to guide you back to peace and security. The grace of God, as promised in the scriptures, comes “after all we can do” (2 Nephi 25:23). The possibility of this, to me, is the truth most worth knowing.

I promise that the brilliant morning of forgiveness can come. Then “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) comes into your life once again, something like a sunrise, and you and He “will remember [your] sin no more” (Jeremiah 31:34). How will you know you have been forgiven? You will know! (See Mosiah 4:1–3.)

This is what I have come to teach you who are in trouble. He will step in and solve the problem you cannot solve, but you have to pay the price. It does not come without doing that. He is a very kind ruler in the sense that He will always pay the price necessary, but He wants you to do what you should, even if it is painful.

I love the Lord, and I love the Father who sent Him. Our burdens of disappointment, sin, and guilt can be laid before Him, and on His generous terms, each item on the account can be marked “paid in full.” (See Isaiah 1:18–19.)

Live Faithfully and Remain Worthy

I promise that the brilliant morning of forgiveness can come.

The scripture “learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God” (Alma 37:35) is an invitation attended by the promise of peace and protection from the adversary. (See also 1 Timothy 4:12.)

Do not expect that all will go smoothly throughout your life. Even for those who are living as they should, it sometimes will be just the opposite. Meet each of life’s challenges with optimism and surety, and you will have the peace and faith to sustain you now and in the future.

For those who do not yet have all of the blessings you feel you want and need to have, I firmly believe that no experience or opportunity essential for redemption and salvation will be denied you who live faithfully. Remain worthy; be hopeful, patient, and prayerful. Things have a way of working out. The gift of the Holy Ghost will guide you and direct your actions.

I know you as the youth of the Church, and I understand that you’re not perfect, but you are moving along that road. Have courage. Know that any person who has a body has power over one who has not.1 Satan is denied a body; so if ever you are confronted with temptations, know that you outrank all those temptations if you will exercise the agency given to Adam and Eve in the garden and passed on to this very generation.

Note
1. See Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 211.

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