Progression is a Process – Choice and Accountability

Although Who's Packing Your Parachute was posted in December it was really a catch up post for November. December's post is below.

One of the Young Women Values – Choice and Accountability – has sparked my interest. When embracing this value young women of the Church promise:

I will choose good over evil, and will accept responsibility for my actions.

Such a commitment requires long-term dedication to the gospel and the Great Plan of the Eternal God (GPEG – Alma 34:9). Learning to choose good over evil is a lifelong process. Knowledge is the key to right choices. We cannot make good choices if, because of lack of knowledge, we cannot recognize a good choice. I have used the following quote from Mary Wollstonecraft before, but it seems appropriate here:

No man [or woman] chooses evil because it is evil. He [or she] only mistakes it for good; the happiness he [she] seeks.

Mistaking evil for good is the result of a lack of eternal knowledge concerning good and bad choices. Among other things, learning to differentiate between good and evil is why we are here in mortality.  During the April 19,^.2015 Music and the Spoken Word program Lloyd Newell said this:

…progression is a process, and we resist putting undue pressure and unrealistic expectations on others—or on ourselves—knowing that it will only hinder growth and create frustration.

It is a great comfort to me to know that the Lord does not expect me to become perfect in one fell swoop. He knows that I will not always make the best choices. Rather, He hopes that we will begin at the age of accountability (or whenever we become converted to the gospel), when our accountability is very small, based on our simple knowledge of the gospel. We begin to travel the return path to our eternal Father by acquiring knowledge, spirituality, and testimony. Doing so increases our accountability slowly and at a pace that we can accommodate. As our knowledge increases, so does our understanding of what we must do to progress. Elder Neal A. Maxwell, in his book, Men and Women of Christ, said this;

Paced progress not only is acceptable to the Lord but also is recommended by Him. Divine declarations say: "Ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now" (D&C 50:40); "I will lead you along" (D&C 78:18). Just as divine disclosure usually occurs line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, so likewise we will achieve our spiritual progress gradually (see D&C 128:21; 98:12).

In my mind, accountability is a very complex doctrine. It seems obvious that a child of eight cannot be held accountable for the doctrine of the new and everlasting covenant of eternal marriage. Nor would the Lord hold a new convert accountable for that most complex and beautiful doctrine, because a convert’s “age of accountability” begins with their baptismal date. But those of us who have received the eternal gift of endowment and accepted the very solemn covenants we made in the temple will be held responsible for our actions with regard to these sacred things.

Accordingly, as we grow in knowledge we grow in accountability, faith, and understanding. But rather than accountability (properly understood) becoming a burden, broader and deeper knowledge of the path to salvation propels us along the path to the celestial kingdom with less and less deviation and more and more resolve.

As we grow in accountability, we grow more able to shoulder the burdens of this life and we gain in understanding of the joys of mortality and the world to come. But it is equally true that we will not be held accountable for those things we have never been taught, or did not understand – if we truly had no opportunity to receive them. There are myriad nuances that must be considered as part of this doctrine. Luckily for me and you, the Lord will be the judge of circumstances and opportunities as they apply to our eternal progress and accountability.

It seems to me that accountability is a gift rather than a burden. We are counseled to study, ponder, and pray about the scriptures and the doctrines of the gospel. As we do so, we gain eternal knowledge and truth. What follows defines for me four steps to the freedom that the Savior talked about. As we gain knowledge, our accountability increases. As our accountability increases, so does our ability to live our lives in a way that pleases the Lord. As we please the Lord and use the knowledge we acquire, our agency increases. The key to agency is knowledge and accountability – the more knowledge we have, the more agency we have. Choices are limited when knowledge is limited. When we have knowledge, we have the ability to make good choices based on eternal truth rather than our own mortal and flawed reasoning. Then we gain the freedom that the Lord spoke of in John 8:32, when he said:

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

That’s why I see accountability as a gift without which we could not obtain what we seek eternally. I see the sequence leading to becoming free as follows: Knowledge, accountability, agency, and choice, which leads to true freedom. As a matter of fact, all of these are gifts bestowed upon us by our Father-in-Heaven; gifts which properly used will lead us back to His presence.

But as we grow in knowledge, we learn that constantly seeking knowledge and understanding and constantly growing in righteousness and love for the Lord are responsibilities distinctly defined and identified by the GPEG.

If we let it, knowledge can become a burden that exerts pressure on our souls and stultifies our ability to gain further light and knowledge. We find that we cannot raise our heads to look up at the eternities, or even to look for the comfort that comes from true knowledge of the joy and happiness that comes from the gospel.

This is another of Satan’s counterfeits: “It’s too much. You can’t do it. You will never live the gospel adequately. You are weak and wicked. You might as well quit now. Give it up and just enjoy life.” Satan whispers to us daily of these things, but a true understanding of our accountability and the great gift that it is brings eternal joy rather than the despair that the adversary would have us feel.

Knowledge and agency without accountability is anarchy and  chaos. It would be impossible to achieve perfection without accountability. Knowledge and accountability give us the ability to choose and to repent. The adversary would have us believe that we need not be accountable for our actions. Anarchy and chaos are exactly what he seeks. But without accountability and agency, there is no progress.  In 2 Nephi 31:20, we read:

Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

Eternal life in the celestial kingdom is “the good, the happiness we seek.” As we gain in knowledge by pressing forward, seeking further light and knowledge, we will prepare ourselves to hear the Lord say, at the judgment day, as he is quoted in Matthew 25:21:

Well done, thou good and faithful servant.: Thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.

True eternal knowledge, together with service and charity, is the key to this joyful approbation being pronounced upon our heads at the last day.

So at this Christmas season, let us be grateful for the gifts of knowledge, accountability, agency, and choice that God the Father has so graciously bestowed upon us, which leads to the fifth gift of the true freedom of which the Savior spoke.

Who's Packing Your Parachute?

Recently, I have been troubled by back pain that has made it difficult to write my thoughts for this blog. I have resolved to continue to post each month regardless of circumstances. Please continue to come to these humble pages in the future.

I received this narrative recently in an e-mail from a good friend.

Charles Plumb was a US Navy jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison. He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience!

One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!"

"How in the world did you know that?" asked Plumb.

"I packed your parachute," the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said, "I guess it worked!" Plumb assured him, "It sure did. If your chute hadn't worked, I wouldn't be here today."

Plumb couldn't sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb says, "I kept wondering what he had looked like in a Navy uniform: a white hat; a bib in the back; and bell-bottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said 'Good morning, how are you?' or anything because, you see, I was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor." Plumb thought of the many hours the sailor had spent at a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn't know.

You could learn to be a parachute packer. You could learn to align the cords, make the folds, and pack it carefully in its bag. The military teaches technical school classes for parachute packers. You could perhaps even save a life if you executed your task properly. In reality, we are all figurative parachute packers at one time or another in our lives, when we respond to someone’s cry for help, spoken or unspoken, when we speak a kind word, when we offer a loaf of hot bread, when we help move furniture for someone, when we comfort the sick, or when we perform any one of a myriad of selfless acts, we help pack someone’s parachute – their lifeline in this life – perhaps the single thing that they need to keep them on the path to salvation.  The e-mail continued:

Sometimes in the daily challenges that life gives us, we miss what is really important. We may fail to say hello, please, or thank you, congratulate someone when something wonderful has happened to them, offer condolences for difficulties, give a compliment, or just do something nice for no reason.

When we do these things, we help to align some strings or make some folds in another person’s figurative parachute. Sometimes, these small things can be lifesaving. Recently, we ate lunch in a restaurant; our waitress was obviously having a hard day. I paid her a small compliment about her service, and she burst into tears! People at another table had been rude to her, her children had kept her up all night, and she had to come in early for an extra shift. You never know.

Sister Marjorie Pay Hinckley often said: “Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

As I read this narrative, the thought occurred to me that the anonymous parachute packer is evocative of the Savior and the grace he offers us. There are mortal parachutes, both real and figurative, and there is an eternal parachute. Of course, dear reader, you must realize that I am going to suggest that the parachute packing supervisor, manager, and quality assurance inspector for our eternal parachute is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Elder Neal A. Maxwell, in an April 1983 General Conference talk, said the following:

We poorly serve the cause of the Lord, at times, with programmatic superficiality and by our lack of empathy for those who drift in despair .Truly, we live and walk on "a streetful of splendid strangers," whom we are to love and serve even if they are uninterested in us.

It’s easy to help others when they are grateful. It’s easy to reach out when you feel that they reciprocate. It’s easy to love and serve, even strangers, when they have some appreciation for our efforts.

When gratitude is not expressed for a kindness we render, when the recipient offers no thanks for service rendered, the real test of our faith and desire to serve comes. As described in Luke 17:11-19, the Savior encounters ten lepers who wanted to receive the benefit of his healing powers:

And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

So the Lord’s grace and power helped the leper pack his own parachute. The interesting thing is that when we help to pack someone else’s parachute, we are also packing our own parachute. At the end of this mortal sojourn, when we enter the spirit world, all we will take with us is the service we have rendered, the good we have done, and the aid we have offered. Ralph Waldo Emerson said:

It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.

Everything in mortality is transient. The gold we acquire, the accolades we receive, the status we achieve,are flickers in eternity, and are lost when we depart mortality. Only when we lose ourselves, only when we are more intent on helping others pack their parachutes, only when we truly serve, do we create eternal gold. Ethel Percy Andrus (A long-time educator and the first woman high school principal in California, she was also an elder rights activist and the founder of AARP in 1958). said:

What I spent is gone; what I kept, I lost; but what I gave away will be mine forever.

Service to others is the key to eternal salvation. Selfless service, with no thought to reward or recognition, is the epitome of service. George Bernard Shaw said:

I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live.

Elder Henry D. Taylor, Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles, told the following story in General Conference of April 1959:

Gratitude, brethren and sisters, results in love, unselfishness, and consideration for others. It has a refining influence, and when expressed, can be a beautiful thing. A recent newspaper account carried an interesting incident:

"The District of Columbia police auctioned off about 100 unclaimed bicycles Friday. `One dollar,' said an eleven year-old boy as the bidding opened on the first bike. The bidding however, went much higher. `One dollar,' the boy repeated hopefully each time another bike came up.

 "The auctioneer, who has been auctioning stolen or lost bikes for 43 years noticed that the boy's hopes seemed to soar highest whenever a racer was put up.

"There was one racer left. Then the bidding mounted to $8.00. `Sold to that boy over there for $9.00,' said the auctioneer. He took $8.00 from his own pocket and asked the boy for his dollar. The youngster turned it over—in pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters—took his bike and started to leave. But he went only a few feet. Carefully parking his new possession, he went back, gratefully threw his arms around the auctioneer's neck, and cried."

The crowd never knew what the old auctioneer did. They didn’t see him render precious service to the boy who wanted that bicycle, but the Lord did. The Lord knows what we do. He is the judge of how well we pack our mortal and eternal parachutes, and how well we perform as we help others pack theirs. An eternal parachute, properly packed, will help us land safely in the Celestial Kingdom, no more to go out. 

The Least of These

There is a sculpture by Christian artist Timothy P. Schmalz, titled “Homeless Jesus” that depicts the Savior beneath a blanket lying on a park bench.

He is huddled under the folds of a heavy blanket as if he were very cold. His face and hands are hidden. The only evidence of the Biblical Jesus is the statue’s pierced feet.

The sculpture has sparked controversy from the Vatican to North Carolina and beyond. The Pope accepted the sculpture and blessed it. St. Michael’s Cathedral in Toronto and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York both refused the sculpture. A North Carolina church refused the sculpture because they said that the Savior was not homeless. But in fact, the Savior himself in Matthew 8:20, said:

…The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

This bronze Jesus finally found a resting place at a Jesuit theology school in Toronto and in other places since. If you look closely, you can see the marks of the nails in his feet. Personally, I think that the sculpture should be re-titled: “The Least of These.” In my mind, this sculpture is very powerful and is immediately evocative of the scripture in Matthew 25:35-40:

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.(bold Italics added)

The scriptures are replete with the challenge to serve others and to give to those in need. Every person is a child of our Father-in-Heaven. He loves us all, from Adolph Hitler to Mother Teresa. He gives us the opportunity to serve those lying on a virtual park bench – those in want of succor, comfort, love, and compassion, as well as temporal needs. Bruce C. Hafen and Marie K. Hafen, in their book, The Belonging: The Atonement and Relationships with God and Family Heart, offer great insight into the Lord’s view of giving and service to others:

"Because I have been given much," we sing, "I too must give." [Hymns no. 219] As we reach our hands toward theirs, sometimes their reaching touches ours—and we somehow sense the Lord's grace coming back to us, multiplied, through them. So we sing again, "Each life that touches ours for good reflects thine own great mercy, Lord." [Hymns no 293] As we receive God's love, we extend it to others in a circle that brings it back to us and brings us back to him. In this kind of life, a full life of gracious connections with other people, we live the spirit of charity.

In Mosiah 4:16-19, we learn that the Lord instructs us not to stand in judgment of those in need but simply to give. The consequences of such judgment are also clearly stated:

And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.

Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—

But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God.

For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?

Elder Neal A. Maxwell, with his always profound insights, tells us:

We poorly serve the cause of the Lord, at times, with programmatic superficiality and by our lack of empathy for those who drift in despair.

Truly, we live and walk on "a streetful of splendid strangers," whom we are to love and serve even if they are uninterested in us (CR1983 Apr:11)

In Acts 3:6, Peter heals a man without any judgment of the man’s situation, and although he had no money, he gave him a greater gift than money could have ever provided:

Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

Chieko N. Okazaki, in her book, Disciples, explains the eternal blessings that come when we aid “one of the least of these:”

Think of the joy we will experience when we hear Christ the Lord speak for us on that great day when he is our advocate with the Father. I cannot help thinking that he experiences equally great joy when he hears us—weak, limited, and imperfect as we are—speak for the "least of these, my brethren [and my sisters]."

It is Christ who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. He is both means and motive for our service. We long to serve others because of the love he has blessed us with. May we be linked in heaven as we are on earth by the outpouring of love from our Savior.

I close with an e-mail from my wonderful granddaughter, Sister Chloe Anderson, who is currently serving a mission in Brazil, in the Ribeirao Preto Mission. (You can read her mission blog at http://sisterchloekathleenanderson.blogspot.com/ ) She describes a “least of these” experience:

I had one of my most powerful spiritual experiences this week as we were visiting people in a neighborhood really far from our house and at the end of our area. We were walking with a sister in the ward that was with us when we came across a woman that was crying uncontrollably, begging us to save her. I took both her hands in mine but she continued wailing and crying and shaking.

I grabbed her hands and told her: "Sister, look into my eyes and I promise everything will be all right." She looked at me and slowly calmed down and we told her that as representatives of Jesus Christ. We were there to help her and that the Lord would bless her in her suffering.

I said a prayer with her hands clasped in mine. I prayed with more intent and concern for this woman than I ever have in my life. I looked down at her feet and saw the skin opening, revealing the sensitive flesh underneath. I felt such a sadness and pain that I knelt down at her feet, removed my own shoes that I’ve used every day for the last 11 months, and carefully put them on the feet of my new friend.

I walked around the whole rest of the day with the worn out flip-flops that she had been using and later that night we found the shack of old clothes and umbrellas that she was living in and left her shoes there at the opening.

I know for certain that she walked with God that day, as did I. I am my sister’s keeper, but i am also my sister’s sister. In that tender moment when it wasn’t expected of me, no one was around, and no one had asked for it, I felt the presence of my lord and Savior Jesus Christ so strongly that as we were leaving her in what appeared to be an only slightly better circumstance, I felt the Savior comforting her and testifying to me of the divinity of this work and the importance of simple Christ-like acts of charity.

Sister Anderson’s shoes were worn with service, but they must have felt heavenly to the woman. “the least of these” indeed.

The Holy Ghost and the Light of Christ

For years I wondered how the Holy Ghost could inspire millions simultaneously. He is a personage of spirit, but a personage nonetheless, and like the Savior and God the Father, can only be in one place at one time. President Joseph Fielding Smith, in his book, Doctrines of Salvation, provides insight into the personage of the Holy Ghost:

The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead. He is a Spirit, in the form of a man. The Father and the Son are personages of tabernacle; they have bodies of flesh and bones. The Holy Ghost is a personage of Spirit, and has a spirit body only…

As a Spirit personage the Holy Ghost has size and dimensions. He does not fill the immensity of space, and cannot be everywhere present in person at the same time.

If he is a personage who can be in only one place at one time, how can he dwell in the hearts of the millions who seek comfort and guidance each day?

Every Sunday, there are many thousands of sacrament meetings taking place at the same time. Prayers, both individual and congregational, are offered for guidance and inspiration. There are all kinds of administrative meetings taking place (bishopric, stake presidency, ward council, youth council, high council, and many others) in which a prayer is said asking for inspiration and guidance as they consider the needs of their area of responsibility.

There are many individuals not necessarily in any meeting, who pray for inspiration as they read the scriptures, ponder their life’s direction, and seek comfort and peace as they deal with crises and tragedies in their own lives. These prayers are offered every second of every day all over the world.

The Holy Ghost, named the Comforter, the Holy Spirit of Promise, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of Truth, and the Holy Spirit (among others), is the emissary of the Father and the Son. Again, President Joseph Fielding Smith, in his book, Doctrines of Salvation, provides insight into the mission of the Holy Ghost:

His mission is to teach us all truth. He partakes of the things of the Father and the Son and reveals them to those who serve the Lord in faithfulness. It was through the teachings of the Comforter, or Holy Ghost, that the teachings of Jesus Christ were recalled by the apostles. It is through the teachings of the Holy Spirit that prophecy comes.

But how does he do this? Elder McConkie explains the process in his book, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith:

The light of Christ (also called the Spirit of Christ and the Spirit of the Lord) is a light, a power, and an influence that proceeds forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space. It is everywhere present and accounts for the omnipresence of God. It is the agency of God's power and the law by which all things are governed. It is also the agency used by the Holy Ghost to manifest truth and dispense spiritual gifts to many people at one and the same time. For instance, it is as though the Holy Ghost, who is a personage of spirit, was broadcasting all truth throughout the whole universe all the time, using the light of Christ as the agency by which the message is delivered. But only those who attune their souls to the Holy Spirit receive the available revelation. It is in this way that the person of the Holy Ghost makes his influence felt in the heart of every righteous person at one and the same time.

The next question, then, is just what is the Light of Christ? To requote Elder McConkie from the above:

The light of Christ (also called the Spirit of Christ and the Spirit of the Lord) is a light, a power, and an influence that proceeds forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space. It is everywhere present and accounts for the omnipresence of God. It is the agency of God's power and the law by which all things are governed.

Hyrum L. Andrus, in his book, The Glory of God and Man's Relation to Deity offers more insight into the Light of Christ:

Above and beyond the powers that quicken life in the natural man are the more pure, refined, and highly endowed elements of light and power that center in Jesus Christ. Here, as far as they are manifested in mortality, we find these divine powers in their highest, most pure and refined degrees. We may call this portion of the Light of Christ the "Light of the Gospel." Here is the source of the power that arises out of the manifestation of true faith. Here also is the power of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost as a Personage draws upon these powers that center in Christ to fulfill His mission.

We have something called “the internet” that has changed the whole culture of every country in the world, which, by the way was given to us through the Light of Christ. In Mormon doctrine, Elder Bruce R. McConkie explains:

This light of Christ is the Spirit which is being poured out upon all flesh in the last days, according to Joel's promise. (Joel 2:28-29; Jos. Smith 2:41.) As a result of this outpouring of the Lord's power the great inventions and advancements of modern times have been made possible.

The internet is a wonderful thing. Because of my computer geek background, I tend to simplify the light of Christ, as the Father and the Savior’s internet, with the Holy Ghost as the IT manager. Elder Bruce R. McConkie, in his book,  A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, describes the light of Christ much better than I do:

There is a spirit—the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of Christ, the light of truth, the light of Christ—that defies description and is beyond mortal comprehension. It is in us and in all things; it is around us and around all things; it fills the earth and the heavens and the universe. It is everywhere, in all immensity, without exception; it is an indwelling, immanent, ever-present, never-absent spirit. It has neither shape nor form nor personality. It is not an entity nor a person nor a personage. It has no agency, does not act independently, and exists not to act but to be acted upon. As far as we know, it has no substance and is not material, at least as we measure these things. It is variously described as light and life and law and truth and power. It is the light of Christ; it is the life that is in all things; it is the law by which all things are governed; it is truth shining forth in darkness; it is the power of God who sitteth upon his throne.

My own simple-minded description of the Light of Christ is obviously completely inadequate.. Let me try again. Cave paintings are to our technologically advanced internet as our internet is to the Light of Christ. Anyone with the right electronics can connect to the internet. We can do this almost anywhere with the right tools. Whether we are good or evil, kind or cruel, celestial or carnal, we can connect just like anyone else, and use it for any purpose, good or evil.

We are all born with the light of Christ within us. But we can connect to this incomprehensible network of God’s power only by the choices we make. As we choose to live the gospel, as we choose to serve others and listen to the promptings of that connection, we can maintain the connection. Again quoting from Elder McConkie’s book,  A New Witness for the Articles of Faith:

…it is as though the Holy Ghost, who is a personage of spirit, was broadcasting all truth throughout the whole universe all the time, using the light of Christ as the agency by which the message is delivered. But only those who attune their souls to the Holy Spirit receive the available revelation. It is in this way that the person of the Holy Ghost makes his influence felt in the heart of every righteous person at one and the same time.

We have only begun to scratch the surface of the Holy Ghost’s mission and his use of the immeasurable powers available to him and us through the Light of Christ. Let us live so as to make the connection to that wonderful network daily. Doing so is the only way to ensure regular communication with the Savior and the Father, and the only way to receive the inspiration and guidance we need to return to our Father-in-Heaven.

The Precious Years

As I grow older, the years seem to move faster, and mortal life becomes more precious. I tend to drive a little more carefully (sometimes irritating my younger friends on the road). I tend to see the small things (sunsets, something my grand child says, the cool, soothing touch of my wife’s hand, the beauty of a scripture) with more enjoyment.

Even though I have at least an inkling of eternal life after mortality, I really don’t want to move on into that state quite yet. I want to see my grandchildren grow and mature. I want to have more of my “golden” years to spend with my wife and family. I want to see and do many things. Carlos E. Asay, in his book, The Road to Somewhere: A Guide for Young Men and Women, quoted one of my favorite songs (sung by Tevye) from my favorite musical, Fiddler on the Roof:

Sunrise, sunset,
Swiftly fly the years,
One season following another,
Laden with happiness and tears.

Then Elder Asay said:

The years do come and go in rapid succession, especially as one grows older. And they truly are filled with happiness and tears. I am convinced, however, that the seasons of happiness will far outnumber the seasons of tears for those who make the right decisions during the critical years of youth and anticipate the future with faith and a worthy plan of action.

Church leaders often tell us that the precious years are the formative ones – in an October 1991 Church News article, Elder David B. Haight was quoted thusly:

…young men need to take full advantage of these valuable teen years to prepare for life—precious years with meaningful, never-to-be-forgotten spiritual experiences…

When I was young, growing up in northern California, life seemed to stretch before me in an endless summer. I went to dances, swam in the city pool and the river, went boating, hung out with my friends, and basically lived a life that seemed to me to be without end, with the Church way in the background.

On the other hand, all of mortality seems precious. My grandson is getting married soon, and I am certain that he would tell you that these years of discovery – preparing for marriage with his eternal companion and preparing himself spiritually and temporally for his mortal life to come – are most precious and exciting. The bloom of youth colors everything for them. Life, at least the portion of my life still allotted to me is so far off for them as to be of no concern. This is as it should be.

As we move through the various stages of our lives, each year is precious. When our first child came into our lives, I thought that it was the most exciting time I had yet experienced in mortality. I was scared, of the responsibility, of my own lack of experience and capability, of whether I would be up to the task of teaching and loving her sufficiently to help the Lord create an eternal being with the strength to live the gospel (and many other equally weighty concerns). I didn’t worry so much about my wife’s capabilities – I knew she could do it. I remembered with considerable concern the words of the Savior found in Matthew 18:6:

But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

As each of our other children entered our lives, I felt the same joy and trepidation as with the first. Each of them is a precious spirit of our Father-in-Heaven, deserving of our continued care and love.  President Joseph Fielding Smith, author of Life of Joseph F. Smith, quoted his father as saying:

The objects of my life become more apparent as time advances and experience grows. … [the] most important of which to me is that of my family. The richest of all my earthly joys is in my precious children. Thank God!

The years during which our children rose to maturity, as we all grew and learned together, were, indeed, for our family, precious years. Sometimes trying and difficult, but years to be cherished.

Perhaps the apex of these years, and all the years that followed, were those times when our children were either sealed to us in the temple of the Lord or born to us under the covenant, forming our eternal family.

Now we watch them continue to grow in strength and maturity. We watch them make life choices, perhaps offer advice and influence when we can, and see them passing through the same precious years we enjoyed and sometimes, endured. Some of them have children of their own, our precious grandchildren, while others are still awaiting that opportunity.

We cherish these years too. Our later years, the years of real maturity, bring somewhat diminished physical capacity, but we see with different eyes the challenges of mortality and the coming eternities. We see that our great challenge is to live these years with as much vigor and joy as we have in our hearts. We expect that we have challenges and tests ahead of us, but happiness consists in enduring well, or “enjoying to the end” as my home teacher of years ago, Lynn Arbuckle, often said. We certainly expect to be tried and tested in various ways as we pass through these mature years. Trials and tests do not diminish with age.  What does diminish is our unwillingness to accept and endure them. But our ability to endure increases as we move closer to the Savior and the transcendent love he has for each of us. President James E. Faust, in his book , Finding Light in a Dark World, said this:

It is an inevitable fact of life that from time to time each of us suffers some of the troubles, challenges, and disappointments of this world. When we face the challenges of mortality, we wish there was a sure cure for heartache, disappointment, torment, anguish, and despair. The Psalmist stated, "He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds" (Psalm 147:3). The healing is a divine miracle; the wounds are a common lot of all mankind.

During a satellite fireside for young single adults in November of 1995, President Faust counseled the young adults thusly:

Happiness comes from living the teachings of the Savior and having the vision to see what He would have us become. Remember that “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matt. 10:39.) Because we have been given the challenges of mortality, this life is a proving ground for the eternities."

Happiness and joy in this life and in the eternities is what we all seek. The adversary, of course, is angered and frustrated when we seek happiness through the gospel instead of the cunning counterfeits he offers. In their book, Breaking the Cycle of Compulsive Behavior, Martha Nibley Beck and John C. Beck tell us:

The "pursuit of happiness" is one of the "self-evident" truths that the Declaration of Independence acknowledges as the right of every human being. Every action taken by most of us is in some way an effort to become happier, to feel more of this sensation we call joy. In short, we all know perfectly well that, as Joseph Smith said, "happiness is the object and design of our existence." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1938], p. 255.) This fact is so baldly obvious that Satan rarely even tries to convince us it is not true. Instead, he throws out a smoke screen of deceit to convince us that we can't really credit such a simple definition of life's meaning, that there must be more to it than we can understand. A vast pool of learned treatises, theological, philosophical, and artistic, parade as Satan's substitute for the fourteen words, "Adam fell that men might be, and men are, that they might have joy."

All of the years of our mortality are precious in different ways. All of them are to be cherished even as we endure the tests of mortality. So let us avoid Satan’s counterfeits and continue in the pursuit of happiness through the gospel, the Savior and his teachings. Let us seek the only possible way to eternal happiness as we walk the path that leads to eternal life and joy with our families in the Celestial Kingdom.

Eating the Moon

This morning, I got up early (as I often do). I knew that there was a full lunar eclipse at 4:00 am, so at 5:30 (when I got up) I walked out on my deck to see if I could still see anything of the moon being covered by the shadow of the earth. Happily, the eclipse was still nearly total. Only a very small sliver of the bright moon was visible. This was a first for me – the first time I actually saw an eclipse. I had seen pictures on the news and on the internet, but this was the first time ever I saw an eclipse as it happened. About 7:30, I went onto the deck again and a larger crescent of the moon was again visible as it sank toward the horizon and into the morning mists – very unusual and beautiful. A small treat for me; one probably not to be repeated in my lifetime.

My Father's Hammer

My dad was a builder. He built an indoor bathroom in his father’s house in Virgin, Utah after he came home from World War II – using his mustering-out pay to pay for it – a huge improvement for his young bride and his parents, who used an outhouse prior to that time, and a small indication of things to come.

who Are Your Friends -- The Codicil

Last month, I discussed Joseph Smith’s quote:

How good and glorious it has seemed unto me, to find pure and holy friends, who are faithful, just, and true, and whose hearts fail not; and whose knees are confirmed and do not falter, while they wait upon the Lord…

My premise was that we should follow the prophet’s counsel when we choose friends. But I thought about my premise all month – off and on—and finally decided that limiting ourselves in that way is a rather narrow and selfish view of friendship in general, and severely limits our ability to enrich our lives. And so I write this codicil.

Who Are Your Friends?

Nearly everybody has something to say about how to find true friends, how to keep them, and how to recognize them. The internet is full of advice, good and bad. Perhaps the best source for this advice is the prophet of the restoration. He defined for us the eternal and celestial qualities true friends should have. Joseph Smith wrote the following about the family members and friends who visited him on August 11, 1842, while he was in hiding in and around Nauvoo from a Missouri extradition order: