Let's Discuss: "Be Ye Therefore Perfect—Eventually" by Jeffrey R. Holland

Be Ye Therefore Perfect—Eventually

By Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
30 September 2017, Saturday Morning Session

Hymn recommendations:
65  Come, All Ye Saints Who Dwell on Earth
277  As I Search the Holy Scriptures

Favorite quote:

...in spite of my imperfections, at least God is perfect—that at least He is, for example, able to love His enemies, because too often, due to the “natural man” and woman in us, you and I are sometimes that enemy. How grateful I am that at least God can bless those who despitefully use Him because, without wanting or intending to do so, we all despitefully use Him sometimes. 

Something to put on the board:

"Our only hope for true perfection is in receiving it as a gift from heaven." Elder Holland

Synopsis:

To be perfect (eventually) is a commandment, while perfectionism may miss the mark.

Other preparation

A talk by Elder Russell M. Nelson was referred to in two footnotes, and reading it was a suggested exercise by Elder Holland, himself.  "Perfection Pending," given October 1995.

Discussion and questions:

We might start by taking a couple minutes sharing our favorite scriptures.  I personally don't have an absolute favorite.  Many have special meaning for me.  Doctrine & Covenants 50:24 is one I like to share when pressed.  :)  Now, Elder Holland:

The scriptures were written to bless and encourage us, and surely they do that. We thank heaven for every chapter and verse we have ever been given. But have you noticed that every now and then a passage will appear that reminds us we are falling a little short?

Are there any scriptures you can think of that make the majesty of God and salvation seem too far a cry from our present state?

For example, the Sermon on the Mount begins with soothing, gentle beatitudes, but in the verses that follow, we are told—among other things—not only not to kill but also not even to be angry. We are told not only not to commit adultery but also not even to have impure thoughts. To those who ask for it, we are to give our coat and then give our cloak also. We are to love our enemies, bless those who curse us, and do good to them who hate us.1 

If that is your morning scripture study, and after reading just that far you are pretty certain you are not going to get good marks on your gospel report card, then the final commandment in the chain is sure to finish the job: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father … in heaven is perfect.”2 With that concluding imperative, we want to go back to bed and pull the covers over our head. Such celestial goals seem beyond our reach. Yet surely the Lord would never give us a commandment He knew we could not keep. Let’s see where this quandary takes us.

I like the way he phrased that last sentence.  "Let's see where this quandary takes us."  It made me wonder - when we find a quandary or a seeming paradox, how do we respond?  Do we allow doubt to enter in?  Do we explore it by searching and studying?  Do we pray about it?  Do we place it on a shelf to ignore or think about later?  I also thought of a Joseph Smith quote I came across.  He said, "by proving contraries, truth is made manifest. (HC 6:248)"  Revelation of truth can follow a seeming paradox or "contrary" if we follow it through.  Anyway, that is totally aside.  Back to the sin of perfectionism:

Around the Church I hear many who struggle with this issue: “I am just not good enough.” “I fall so far short.” “I will never measure up.” I hear this from teenagers. I hear it from missionaries. I hear it from new converts. I hear it from lifelong members. One insightful Latter-day Saint, Sister Darla Isackson, has observed that Satan has somehow managed to make covenants and commandments seem like curses and condemnations. For some he has turned the ideals and inspiration of the gospel into self-loathing and misery-making.3

If you are in a place of self-loathing or misery-making - you are in a snare of the adversary!  The good news is that we can break free with the power of Jesus Christ.

What I now say in no way denies or diminishes any commandment God has ever given us. I believe in His perfection, and I know we are His spiritual sons and daughters with divine potential to become as He is. I also know that, as children of God, we should not demean or vilify ourselves, as if beating up on ourselves is somehow going to make us the person God wants us to become. No! With a willingness to repent and a desire for increased righteousness always in our hearts, I would hope we could pursue personal improvement in a way that doesn’t include getting ulcers or anorexia, feeling depressed or demolishing our self-esteem. That is not what the Lord wants for Primary children or anyone else who honestly sings, “I’m trying to be like Jesus.”4  [emphasis added]

How do we humble ourselves and repent without demeaning ourselves?  I know that when I am motivated to repent by the Holy Spirit, I always feel HOPE - I feel optimistic, like I can change, and it will be worth it.

To put this issue in context, may I remind all of us that we live in a fallen world and for now we are a fallen people. We are in the telestial kingdom; that is spelled with a t, not a c. ...

We are in a fallen world.  That means there is evil around us (which also gives us opportunity for growth).  This is another aside, but I like that he states outright that we are in the telestial kingdom.  That is something I did not understand ... well, I won't say that I fully understand it still... but it puts a lot of our life and ordinances of salvation into perspective.

...As President Russell M. Nelson has taught, here in mortality perfection is still “pending.”5

What does it mean to you that perfection is still pending?  To me, it means I need to forgive myself when I make mistakes.  I need to continue to repent at every chance, and keep my eyes on the Savior until He finishes my faith.

So I believe that Jesus did not intend His sermon on this subject to be a verbal hammer for battering us about our shortcomings. No, I believe He intended it to be a tribute to who and what God the Eternal Father is and what we can achieve with Him in eternity. In any case, I am grateful to know that in spite of my imperfections, at least God is perfect—that at least He is, for example, able to love His enemies, because too often, due to the “natural man”6 and woman in us, you and I are sometimes that enemy. How grateful I am that at least God can bless those who despitefully use Him because, without wanting or intending to do so, we all despitefully use Him sometimes. I am grateful that God is merciful and a peacemaker because I need mercy and the world needs peace. Of course, all we say of the Father’s virtues we also say of His Only Begotten Son, who lived and died unto the same perfection.

How are we God's enemy?  How do we despitefully use Him?  Most importantly, how do we repent of these things?  Mosiah 3:19, which is footnote 6, offers great insight - putting off the natural man and becoming a saint by yielding to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, etc.

I also love that Elder Holland mentions that God loves His enemies.  I never really thought about that - but He obeys His laws, and that is one of them.  He does not ask us to do things He is unwilling or unable to do.  And if He loves His enemies, we never need fear that we have removed ourselves from God's perfect love!

I hasten to say that focusing on the Father’s and the Son’s achievements rather than our failures does not give us one ounce of justification for undisciplined lives or dumbing down our standards. No, from the beginning the gospel has been “for the perfecting of the saints, … till we … come … unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”7 I am simply suggesting that at least one purpose of a scripture or a commandment can be to remind us just how magnificent “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ”8 really is, inspiring in us greater love and admiration for Him and a greater desire to be like Him.

So Elder Holland says that the scriptures have another purpose to remind us how He is greater than all - so we know our standard - our ideal - our goal.  These scriptures aren't to beat us down, but to show Him in His righteous, elevated place.

“Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him … ,” Moroni pleads. “Love God with all your might, mind and strength, then … by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ.”9 Our only hope for true perfection is in receiving it as a gift from heaven—we can’t “earn” it. Thus, the grace of Christ offers us not only salvation from sorrow and sin and death but also salvation from our own persistent self-criticism.

So profound.  We cannot earn our way to heaven.  Perfectionism may therefore even be a lack of faith.

Let me use one of the Savior’s parables to say this in a little different way. A servant was in debt to his king for the amount of 10,000 talents. Hearing the servant’s plea for patience and mercy, “the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and … forgave … the debt.” But then that same servant would not forgive a fellow servant who owed him 100 pence. On hearing this, the king lamented to the one he had forgiven, “Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?”10

There is some difference of opinion among scholars regarding the monetary values mentioned here—and forgive the U.S. monetary reference—but to make the math easy, if the smaller, unforgiven 100-pence debt were, say, $100 in current times, then the 10,000-talent debt so freely forgiven would have approached $1 billion—or more!

As a personal debt, that is an astronomical number—totally beyond our comprehension. (Nobody can shop that much!) Well, for the purposes of this parable, it is supposed to be incomprehensible; it is supposed to be beyond our ability to grasp, to say nothing of beyond our ability to repay. That is because this isn’t a story about two servants arguing in the New Testament. It is a story about us, the fallen human family—mortal debtors, transgressors, and prisoners all. Every one of us is a debtor, and the verdict was imprisonment for every one of us. And there we would all have remained were it not for the grace of a King who sets us free because He loves us and is “moved with compassion toward us.”11

Jesus uses an unfathomable measurement here because His Atonement is an unfathomable gift given at an incomprehensible cost. That, it seems to me, is at least part of the meaning behind Jesus’s charge to be perfect. We may not be able to demonstrate yet the 10,000-talent perfection the Father and the Son have achieved, but it is not too much for Them to ask us to be a little more godlike in little things, that we speak and act, love and forgive, repent and improve at least at the 100-pence level of perfection, which it is clearly within our ability to do.  [emphasis added]

Here is the point!  Even while we cannot be perfect, we can become a little more godlike at the 100-pence level.  Can you think of an experience or example in your life where you developed more of a Christlike character?  Comment below.  That is repentance.  That is faith in action.  That is receiving grace for grace, line upon line.

My brothers and sisters, except for Jesus, there have been no flawless performances on this earthly journey we are pursuing, so while in mortality let’s strive for steady improvement without obsessing over what behavioral scientists call “toxic perfectionism.”12 We should avoid that latter excessive expectation of ourselves and of others and, I might add, of those who are called to serve in the Church—which for Latter-day Saints means everyone, for we are all called to serve somewhere.

There is rampant criticism of political leaders currently, and it is easy for this spirit of criticism to extend to our spiritual leaders.  But they are like us.  We are not perfect, and it's not fair to expect them to be.  I love this next story, and you probably do, too:

In that regard, Leo Tolstoy wrote once of a priest who was criticized by one of his congregants for not living as resolutely as he should, the critic concluding that the principles the erring preacher taught must therefore also be erroneous. 

In response to that criticism, the priest says: “Look at my life now and compare it to my former life. You will see that I am trying to live out the truth I proclaim.” Unable to live up to the high ideals he taught, the priest admits he has failed. But he cries: 

“Attack me, [if you wish,] I do this myself, but [don’t] attack … the path I follow. … If I know the way home [but] am walking along it drunkenly, is it any less the right way simply because I am staggering from side to side?

“… Do not gleefully shout, ‘Look at him! … There he is crawling into a bog!’ No, do not gloat, but give … your help [to anyone trying to walk the road back to God.]”13

Brothers and sisters, every one of us aspires to a more Christlike life than we often succeed in living. If we admit that honestly and are trying to improve, we are not hypocrites; we are human. May we refuse to let our own mortal follies, and the inevitable shortcomings of even the best men and women around us, make us cynical about the truths of the gospel, the truthfulness of the Church, our hope for our future, or the possibility of godliness. If we persevere, then somewhere in eternity our refinement will be finished and complete—which is the New Testament meaning of perfection.14  [emphasis added]

If there is time in class, I might take a minute for us to reflect on our life now versus our former life, and look for improvement.  Even if it's "I don't put my foot in my mouth near as much as I used to," that is improvement in a Christlike manner.

I don't want to be a hypocrite.  But I can't help but be human.  Let us be easier on ourselves.

I want to reiterate the last of the quote above:  "...somewhere in eternity our refinement will be finished and complete—which is the New Testament meaning of perfection."  Here's where Elder Nelson's talk from 1995 comes back into the footnotes, too.  Here is a sampling of what I liked from Elder Nelson's talk:  "men are that they might have joy—not guilt trips!" Also:

In Matt. 5:48, the term perfect was translated from the Greek teleios, which means “complete.” Teleios is an adjective derived from the noun telos, which means “end.” The infinitive form of the verb is teleiono, which means “to reach a distant end, to be fully developed, to consummate, or to finish.” Please note that the word does not imply “freedom from error”; it implies “achieving a distant objective.”

Now closing with Elder Holland:

I testify of that grand destiny, made available to us by the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, who Himself continued “from grace to grace”15 until in His immortality16 He received a perfect fulness of celestial glory.17 I testify that in this and every hour He is, with nail-scarred hands, extending to us that same grace, holding on to us and encouraging us, refusing to let us go until we are safely home in the embrace of Heavenly Parents. For such a perfect moment, I continue to strive, however clumsily. For such a perfect gift, I continue to give thanks, however inadequately. I do so in the very name of Perfection itself, of Him who has never been clumsy or inadequate but who loves all of us who are, even the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.  [emphasis added]

Let's Discuss: "The Living Bread Which Came Down from Heaven," by D. Todd Christofferson

"The Living Bread Which Came Down from Heaven"

By Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
30 September 2017, Saturday Morning Session

Hymn Recommendations:
46  Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken
115  Come, Ye Disconsolate
131  More Holiness Give Me
171  With Humble Heart
190  In Memory of the Crucified

Favorite Quote:

If we yearn to dwell in Christ and have Him dwell in us, then holiness is what we seek, in both body and spirit.

Something to write on the board:

How is Jesus Christ the Living Bread?
How do we partake of the Living Bread?

Discussion and Questions:

First off, let's get into the topic by engaging our minds: How is Jesus Christ the Living Bread? and the companion question, How do we partake of the Living Bread?  Please share your thoughts in the comments.  Two related phrases kept coming to my mind:  "partakers of the divine nature," and "feasting on the words of Christ."

As I reviewed the talk, I found that Elder Christofferson reviews with us 8 layers of the meaning and symbolism of Christ as the Bread of Life, and how we partake of this Bread.  I might write the numbers 1-8 on the board, and fill them in as we go along.  Here is a preview:

1.  Manna symbolizes Christ (the Bread of Life)
2.  Dwell in Him and Christ in us
3.  Bring the Savior into our life - into our very being - be one with Him
4.  Receive from Him the power and blessings of His Atonement
5.  The Lord's Supper symbolizes Christ (flesh and blood)
6.  Internalize the qualities and character of Christ
7.  Pursue holiness
8.  Repentance - turn heart and will to God

Now let's dive in.

The day after Jesus miraculously fed the 5,000 in Galilee with only “five barley loaves, and two small fishes,”1 He spoke to the people again in Capernaum. The Savior perceived that many were not so much interested in His teachings as they were in being fed again.2 Accordingly, He tried to convince them of the immensely greater value of “that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you.”3 Jesus declared:

“I am that bread of life.

“Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.

“This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 

“I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”4

Ok - so the manna that the children of Israel fed on in the wilderness was symbolic of Jesus Christ coming from heaven. Instead of saying Christ is the Bread of Life, we could say He is the Manna in the wilderness, or the Manna from heaven.  Let's explore this symbolism.  How is Christ like the manna in the wilderness?  Share your thoughts in the comments.  Here are some of the properties of manna and connections I came up with.  In a classroom setting, I might skip this, but for my study, I had fun with it!

• Manna translates as "what is it?"  They saw it, but did not recognize or understand it - it was beyond their existing comprehension.  Similarly, when Christ came to earth born of a mortal woman, He was not recognized by all.  Also, His blessings are beyond what we can conceive of.  You know that expression - "You can't make this stuff up!"  That is like manna, and like the joy and grace and blessings in store for them that Love Him.  Ponder further: How can we seek to recognize the influence of Christ in and around us?
• It could not be left overnight.  This made me think of a couple things.  First, if we miss a chance to obey the Lord, the chance is gone.  Also, every day is a new day, and we need continual nourishment by the good word of God.  Our prayers, our scripture study, our efforts, all must be daily for greatest effect.
• It was round and white.  It could be ground for cakes or boiled.  How we develop our relationship with Christ will be different for each person - our gifts (how we cook the manna?) demonstrate how multi-faceted Christ is - He speaks to us in ways we understand.  He wants to be "palatable" to us.
• It required physical humility to kneel and collect it off the ground.  Similarly, spiritual humility is required to access the life and power of Jesus Christ.
• They could gather it for 6 days, but could not find it in the field on the Sabbath.  The Sabbath day is special to the Lord - the Lord's day.
• They were given laws for how to gather (don't keep it extra day, except gather twice as much on 6th day).  We are given laws, commandments, and covenants.
• A golden pot of manna was gathered and laid up in temple in the ark of the covenant.  I think this is significant, but I'm not sure how.  The ark is the throne of God.  Perhaps this represents the significant, spiritual events in our lives that draw us to Christ.
• They ate manna for 40 years.
• Manna fell on dew.
• Manna ceased when the fruit of Canaan, the promised land, produced - when we reach our eternal promised land, perhaps we will produce our own "bread"
• Moses didn't send manna; Jehovah did - that which is good comes from Christ (Moroni 7)
• He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.  Rev 2:17  I just really loved pondering this scripture.

The Savior’s intended meaning was totally lost on His hearers who understood His statement only literally.

...Recoiling at the thought, they wondered, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”5 Jesus pressed the point further:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

“Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

“For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.”6

He then expressed the profound meaning of His metaphor:

"He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
“As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.”7

Here we have the first explanation of the metaphor (Number 2. above), and it is the one given by Christ, Himself, so it may even be the most important - all the other meanings stem from this one.  Eating Christ's flesh and drinking His blood is dwelling in Him and living by Him.  I found a couple more scriptures that helped me understand what dwelling in Christ means: 2 Corinthians 5:17, and 1 John 2:5  Elder Christofferson will also help us understand what it means.

Still His hearers did not grasp what Jesus was saying, and “many … , when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? … [And] from that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”8  

In footnote 8, Elder Christofferson shares an aside that isn't totally relevant to the topic of the talk, but is interesting nonetheless, about loyalty to Christ.  I'm skipping it here.

To eat His flesh and drink His blood is a striking way of expressing how completely we must bring the Savior into our life—into our very being—that we may be one. How does this happen? [emphasis added]

The above is Number 3. in the list I've been making.

First, we understand that in sacrificing His flesh and blood, Jesus atoned for our sins and overcame death, both physical and spiritual.9 Clearly, then, we partake of His flesh and drink His blood when we receive from Him the power and blessings of His Atonement.  [emphasis added]

And above is Number 4. which is closely connected to Number 3.  Next, Elder Christofferson will tell us HOW we do (3-4).  Have your class listen carefully, and call out afterwards what we do to bring the Savior into our live - what we do to access the power and blessings of His Atonement:

The doctrine of Christ expresses what we must do to receive atoning grace. It is to believe and have faith in Christ, to repent and be baptized, and to receive the Holy Ghost, “and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.”10 This is the gate, our access to the Savior’s atoning grace and to the strait and narrow path leading to His kingdom. 

“Wherefore, if ye shall press forward [on that path], feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life. 

“… Behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end.”11

Some of the answers from the class may be to believe and have faith, to repent and be baptized, to receive a remission of sins, to follow the strait and narrow path, to press forward, feasting on the word of Christ, to endure to the end.  Ask if there are any other comments.

Next, Elder Christofferson takes some time to talk about the symbolism of the Sacrament.  This is point Number 5.  It seems to parallel point Number 1.

The symbolism of the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is beautiful to contemplate. The bread and water represent the flesh and blood of Him who is the Bread of Life and the Living Water,12 poignantly reminding us of the price He paid to redeem us. As the bread is broken, we remember the Savior’s torn flesh. Elder Dallin H. Oaks once observed that “because it is broken and torn, each piece of bread is unique, just as the individuals who partake of it are unique. We all have different sins to repent of. We all have different needs to be strengthened through the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom we remember in this ordinance.”13 As we drink the water, we think of the blood He shed in Gethsemane and on the cross and its sanctifying power.14 Knowing that “no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom,” we resolve to be among “those who have washed their garments in [the Savior’s] blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end.”15

The bread and water of the Sacrament remind us of His sacrifice.  We figuratively eat His flesh and drink His blood.  We remember Him.  We repent.  We are sanctified a little more.  But wait, there's more:

I have spoken of receiving the Savior’s atoning grace to take away our sins and the stain of those sins in us. But figuratively eating His flesh and drinking His blood has a further meaning, and that is to internalize the qualities and character of Christ, putting off the natural man and becoming Saints “through the atonement of Christ the Lord.”16 As we partake of the sacramental bread and water each week, we would do well to consider how fully and completely we must incorporate His character and the pattern of His sinless life into our life and being. Jesus could not have atoned for the sins of others unless He Himself was sinless. Since justice had no claim on Him, He could offer Himself in our place to satisfy justice and then extend mercy. As we remember and honor His atoning sacrifice, we should also contemplate His sinless life.  [emphasis added]

I bolded the text of point Number 6.  It is the spiritual counterpart to point 5.  How do we internalize the qualities and character of Christ?  How do we incorporate His character into our life and being?  I believe we have to study it out, and put forth that effort - I believe that He will help us as we show we are serious.  We can't do it alone.  Now, Elder Christofferson's insights:

This suggests the need for a mighty striving on our part. We cannot be content to remain as we are but must be moving constantly toward “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”17 Like King Lamoni’s father in the Book of Mormon, we must be willing to give away all our sins18 and focus on what the Lord expects of us, individually and together.

Beautifully put.

Next, Elder Christofferson shares an experience of a friend who was shown that he had much farther to go than he thought:

Not long ago, a friend recounted to me an experience he had while serving as a mission president. He had undergone a surgery that required several weeks of recuperation. During his recovery, he devoted time to searching the scriptures. One afternoon as he pondered the Savior’s words in the 27th chapter of 3 Nephi, he drifted off to sleep. He subsequently related: 

“I fell into a dream in which I was given a vivid, panoramic view of my life. I was shown my sins, poor choices, the times … I had treated people with impatience, plus the omissions of good things I should have said or done. … [A] comprehensive … [review of] my life was shown to me in just a few minutes, but it seemed much longer. I awoke, startled, and … instantly dropped to my knees beside the bed and began to pray, to plead for forgiveness, pouring out the feelings of my heart like I had never done previously. 

“Prior to the dream, I didn’t know that I [had] such great need to repent. My faults and weaknesses suddenly became so plainly clear to me that the gap between the person I was and the holiness and goodness of God seemed [like] millions of miles. In my prayer that late afternoon, I expressed my deepest gratitude to Heavenly Father and to the Savior with my whole heart for what They had done for me and for the relationships I treasured with my wife and children. While on my knees I also felt God’s love and mercy that was so palpable, despite my feeling so unworthy. …

“I can say I haven’t been the same since that day. … My heart changed. … What followed is that I developed more empathy toward others, with a greater capacity to love, coupled with a sense of urgency to preach the gospel. … I could relate to the messages of faith, hope, and the gift of repentance found in the Book of Mormon [as] never before.”19

It is important to recognize that this good man’s vivid revelation of his sins and shortcomings did not discourage him or lead him to despair. Yes, he felt shock and remorse. He felt keenly his need to repent. He had been humbled, yet he felt gratitude, peace, and hope—real hope—because of Jesus Christ, “the living bread which came down from heaven.”20

We don't have to be doing grievous sins to repent. We can always change something - a habit, a pasttime, a thought pattern, an emotion - to become more Christlike.  And like Elder Christofferson points out, when moved by the Holy Spirit, we feel hope!  This is a key to discern between the adversary's snares of despair and discouragement.  Hope and peace accompany true repentance.

My friend spoke of the gap he perceived in his dream between his life and the holiness of God. Holiness is the right word. To eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ means to pursue holiness. God commands, “Be ye holy; for I am holy.”21

Ah - here we have point 7.  "To eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ means to pursue holiness."  What is holiness?  How do we pursue it? Share your thoughts below!

Enoch counseled us, “Teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ.”22 As a boy, I wondered why in the New Testament Jesus is often referred to (and even refers to Himself) as the Son of Man when He is really the Son of God, but Enoch’s statement makes it clear that these references are actually a recognition of His divinity and holiness—He is the Son of Man of Holiness, God the Father.

So Man of Holiness is a name of our Heavenly Father - holiness is a recognition of divinity.  That answers the first question.  Now for the second question:

If we yearn to dwell in Christ and have Him dwell in us,23 ...

 I just wanted to remind us that this was Christ's explanation of eating His flesh.

...then holiness is what we seek, in both body and spirit.24 We seek it in the temple, whereon is inscribed “Holiness to the Lord.” We seek it in our marriages, families, and homes. We seek it each week as we delight in the Lord’s holy day.25 We seek it even in the details of daily living: our speech, our dress, our thoughts. As President Thomas S. Monson has stated, “We are the product of all we read, all we view, all we hear and all we think.”26 We seek holiness as we take up our cross daily.27

I wanted to make a special mention of footnote 27 before continuing- it includes several references (I linked the first one above) which are their own interesting study.  I recommend it! Now more on pursuing holiness:

Sister Carol F. McConkie has observed: “We recognize the multitude of tests, temptations, and tribulations that could pull us away from all that is virtuous and praiseworthy before God. But our mortal experiences offer us the opportunity to choose holiness. Most often it is the sacrifices we make to keep our covenants that sanctify us and make us holy.”28 And to “the sacrifices we make” I would add the service we give.

I especially like the idea that we can CHOOSE holiness.  It's a choice we make during every trial, during every day - maybe even every moment of every day.

We know that “when [we] are in the service of [our] fellow beings [we] are only in the service of [our] God.”29 And the Lord reminds us that such service is central to His life and character: “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”30 President Marion G. Romney wisely explained: “Service is not something we endure on this earth so we can earn the right to live in the celestial kingdom. Service is the very fiber of which an exalted life in the celestial kingdom is made.”31

Service is holiness.  How interesting and revealing that the exalted life is a life of service - and truly Christ condescended on our behalf - His life was one of continual service.  How can we live more of a life of service in this life?

Zechariah prophesied that in the day of the Lord’s millennial reign, even the bells of the horses would bear the inscription “Holiness unto the Lord.”32 In that spirit, the pioneer Saints in these valleys affixed that reminder, “Holiness to the Lord,” on seemingly common or mundane things as well as those more directly associated with religious practice. It was inscribed on sacrament cups and plates and printed on certificates of ordination of Seventies and on a Relief Society banner. “Holiness to the Lord” also appeared over the display windows of Zion’s Cooperative Mercantile Institution, the ZCMI department store. It was found on the head of a hammer and on a drum. “Holiness to the Lord” was cast on the metal doorknobs of President Brigham Young’s home. These references to holiness in seemingly unusual or unexpected places may seem incongruous, but they suggest just how pervasive and constant our focus on holiness needs to be.  [emphasis added]

There are pictures of some of the items he mentions on the webpage.

How can we focus on holiness more?  Do the daily items in our lives remind us to focus on holiness?

Now for the last point, Number 8.:

Partaking of the Savior’s flesh and drinking His blood means to put out of our lives anything inconsistent with a Christlike character and to make His attributes our own. This is the larger meaning of repentance: not only a turning away from past sin but also “a turning of the heart and will to God”33 going forward. As happened with my friend in his revelatory dream, God will show us our flaws and failings, but He will also help us turn weakness into strength.34 If we sincerely ask, “What lack I yet?”35 He will not leave us to guess, but in love He will answer for the sake of our happiness. And He will give us hope.

Does anyone have any examples they would like to share of asking "What lack I yet?" and being directed by the Spirit?  I have done this many times as I've felt like I've reached a plateau, or met success with the last lacking.  One time, when I asked "What lack I yet?" I received the impression "I love you in spite of your faults and foibles."  It was beautiful and humbling, and what I needed to hear ... and 3 years later, I realized it was also the answer to my question - I needed to learn to love myself in spite of my imperfections!  I made a huge breakthrough in recognizing my worth, loving myself, and halting negative self-talk.  The "What lack I yet?" way of repentance (becoming more like Christ) really works!

It is a consuming endeavor, and it would be terribly daunting if in our striving for holiness we were alone. The glorious truth is we are not alone. We have the love of God, the grace of Christ, the comfort and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the fellowship and encouragement of fellow Saints in the body of Christ. Let us not be content with where we are, but neither let us be discouraged. As a simple but thoughtful hymn urges us:

Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;spend much time in secret with Jesus alone.By looking to Jesus, like him thou shalt be;thy friends in thy conduct his likeness shall see.36 

I love this hymn.  Herein is another key to becoming more Christlike - to dwelling in Him.  It is taking time to be holy - taking time every day for those habits and pursuits that will draw us to Him.

I bear testimony of Jesus Christ, “the living bread which came down from heaven,”37 and that “whoso eateth [His] flesh, and drinketh [His] blood, hath eternal life,”38 in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Let's Discuss: "The Trek Continues!" by M. Russell Ballard

"The Trek Continues"

By Elder M. Russell Ballard, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
1 October 2017, Sunday Afternoon Session

Hymn recommendations:
30  Come, Come, Ye Saints
36  They, the Builders of the Nation
81  Press Forward, Saints
84  Faith of our Fathers
255  Carry On

Favorite quote:

Despite their many differences in language, culture, and nationality, they shared a testimony of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and  desire to build Zion—a place of peace, happiness, and beauty in preparation for the Second Coming of the Savior.

Something to put on the board:

"Oh how I suffered of cold and hunger, but the Lord gave us faith and grace to stand it all."  - Jane Manning James

(The above is not in Elder Ballard's talk - it is something I found when studying about Sister James.)

Synopsis:

Living the Gospel daily requires continued faith and service - make sure our footsteps of faith are taking us to the destination we want to go, by following counsel from Church leaders and contributing to our household (quorums and relief societies) of faith.

Other preparation:

I enjoyed reading about the life of Jane Manning James at history.lds.org

Discussion and questions:

One hundred seventy years ago, Brigham Young looked across the Salt Lake Valley for the first time and declared, “This is the right place!” He knew the place because the Lord had revealed it to him.

What is the "right place" in our lives?  The Lord can reveal it to us, too.  It might be with our families, with a Lord-approved eternal companion, in the temples, in a calling of service, ... the answer may be different for everyone, but no matter what happens, we always have a right place in our quorums/Relief Societies, and at His Church.  Elder Ballard will talk of this more later.

By 1869, more than 70,000 Saints had made a similar trek. Despite their many differences in language, culture, and nationality, they shared a testimony of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and a desire to build Zion—a place of peace, happiness, and beauty in preparation for the Second Coming of the Savior.

Sometimes, it's easier to notice our differences.  Elder Ballard shows two important commonalities here - a testimony and a desire to build Zion.  Do you have these two things?

Among those first Saints to arrive in Utah was Jane Manning James—the daughter of a freed slave, a convert to the restored Church, and a most remarkable disciple who faced difficult challenges. Sister James remained a faithful Latter-day Saint until her death in 1908.

She wrote: “I want to say right here, that my faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is as strong today, nay, it is if possible stronger than it was the day I was first baptized. I pay my tithes and offerings, keep the word of wisdom, I go to bed early and rise early, I try in my feeble way to set a good example to all.”

Why do you think Elder Ballard used Sister Jane Manning James as an example?  She was a racial minority, abandoned by her husband, denied temple ordinances, suffered hunger and cold.  How do these relate to us today?  How long would you say her trek continued?  Are there aspects of your life where you feel like an outsider, or second-class church citizen (I testify you're not, but maybe you feel like it)?  We can take strength in our faith in Christ, like Sister James did:

Sister James, like so many other Latter-day Saints, not only built Zion with blood, sweat, and tears but also sought the Lord’s blessings through living gospel principles as best she could while holding on in faith to Jesus Christ—the great healer to all who sincerely seek Him.

I love this last phrase describing Christ as "the great healer to all who sincerely seek Him."  Elder Ballard will talk about healing practices later on in this talk, so I think this inclusion connects to later on, as well.

The early Saints were not perfect, but they established a foundation upon which we are building families and a society that love and keep covenants, which is highlighted in various news stories around the world because of our commitment to Jesus Christ and our volunteer efforts to help those nearby and far away.

President Eyring, may I add appreciation to the tens of thousands of yellow-shirt angels serving in Texas, Mexico, and other places to your tribute. 

I have noticed recently that Elder Ballard loves to help everyone feel included!  Here, he includes people (other than those involved in Florida) who donned the yellow shirts to give helping hands.  During a recent Face 2 Face with Elder Oaks, Elder Ballard also made a point to apologize to Texans (after Elder Oaks made a not-trying-to-be-offensive comment about the pride Texans often have for being Texan).  I think he is really mindful of people's feelings and inclusion - which also makes sense in this talk - Sister James may have had to struggle with inclusion - Elder Ballard wants all to know we have a place - the "right place" even - in the Church.

I have a deep conviction that if we lose our ties to those who have gone before us, including our pioneer forefathers and mothers, we will lose a very precious treasure. I have spoken about “Faith in Every Footstep” in the past and will continue in the future because I know that rising generations must have the same kind of faith that the early Saints had in the Lord Jesus Christ and His restored gospel.

What examples of pioneer faith do you strive to emulate?  Did they have greater faith than we do today?  A terrible "sifting" happened during the early church - some people left the Church, and those left were purged through trials upon trial.  We today have not experienced much of a sifting, although there is some sifting happening.  I am sure there is more to come.

My own pioneer forefathers and mothers were among those faithful pioneers who pulled handcarts, rode wagons, and walked to Utah. They, like Sister Jane Manning James, had deep faith in every one of their footsteps as they made their own trek. 

Their journals are filled with descriptions of hardships, hunger, and sickness and also testimonies of their faith in God and the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. 

They had few worldly goods but enjoyed an abundance of the blessings from the brotherhood and sisterhood they found in the Church of Jesus Christ. When they could, they lifted the downtrodden and blessed the sick through service to one another and by the priesthood of God.

I found it interesting he brought up this idea of brotherhood and sisterhood found in the Church.  Do you feel this community feeling he speaks of?  Are we doing it wrong?  How can we foster brotherhood and sisterhood in our wards?

I also like that he specifically mentions blessing the sick through service to one another and by the priesthood of God.  He is going to give some counsel about healing later on, so here we have another inference of helping the sick done right - through service and priesthood.

The sisters in Cache Valley, Utah, ministered to the Saints in the spirit of the Relief Society to “work in unity to help those in need.”5 My great-grandmother Margaret McNeil Ballard served at the side of her husband, Henry, as he presided as bishop of the Logan Second Ward for 40 years. Margaret was the ward Relief Society president for 30 of those years. She took into their home the poor, the sick, and the widowed and orphaned, and she even clothed the dead in their clean temple robes.

Poor, sick, widowed, orphaned, and dead - I thought those were interesting inclusions.

Although it is appropriate and important to remember the historic 19th-century Mormon pioneer trek, we need to remember that “the trek through life continues!” for each of us as we prove our own “faith in every footstep.”

Here we have the first reference to the title of the talk.  Let's read on for more understanding of what he's referring to:

New converts no longer gather to pioneer settlements in the western United States. Instead, converts gather to their local congregations, where the Saints worship our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ. With more than 30,000 congregations established around the world, all are gathered to their own Zion. As the scriptures note, “For this is Zion—the pure in heart.”6

How can we make our ward more of a gathering place of Zion?  How can we be more pure in heart?  We can start by changing ourselves, our marriages and families.

As we walk the road of life, we are tested to see if we will “observe to do all things whatsoever [the Lord has] commanded.”7 

Many of us are on amazing journeys of discovery—leading to personal fulfillment and spiritual enlightenment. Some of us, however, are on a trek that leads to sorrow, sin, anguish, and despair.

A warning!

In this context, please ask yourself: What is your final destination? Where are your footsteps taking you? And is your journey leading you to that “multiplicity of blessings” the Savior has promised?8

When he was giving this address, I thought of Nephi's vision of the tree of life.  If we want to reach the tree, we have to be on the path to the tree, not forbidden paths, not feeling towards the world.

As I was looking up the references in this talk, I realized that 6, 7, and 8 are all consecutive from the same section of the Doctrine & Covenants, 97.  I thought it might be worthwhile to read them (bolded) in context - so here are all the verses and the ones in between!  I think Elder Ballard's warning and meaning becomes more clear when we read these verses:

21 Therefore, verily, thus saith the Lord, let Zion rejoice, for this is Zion—the pure in heart; therefore, let Zion rejoice, while all the wicked shall mourn.

22 For behold, and lo, vengeance cometh speedily upon the ungodly as the whirlwind; and who shall escape it?

23 The Lord’s scourge shall pass over by night and by day, and the report thereof shall vex all people; yea, it shall not be stayed until the Lord come;

24 For the indignation of the Lord is kindled against their abominations and all their wicked works.

25 Nevertheless, Zion shall escape if she observe to do all things whatsoever I have commanded her.

26 But if she observe not to do whatsoever I have commanded her, I will visit her according to all her works, with sore affliction, with pestilence, with plague, with sword, with vengeance, with devouring fire.

27 Nevertheless, let it be read this once to her ears, that I, the Lord, have accepted of her offering; and if she sin no more none of these things shall come upon her;

28 And I will bless her with blessings, and multiply a multiplicity of blessings upon her, and upon her generations forever and ever, saith the Lord your God. Amen.  [emphasis added]

Now read again Elder Ballard's words.  I'm re-pasting them below:

With more than 30,000 congregations established around the world, all are gathered to their own Zion. As the scriptures note, “For this is Zion—the pure in heart.”6 

As we walk the road of life, we are tested to see if we will “observe to do all things whatsoever [the Lord has] commanded.”7 

Many of us are on amazing journeys of discovery—leading to personal fulfillment and spiritual enlightenment. Some of us, however, are on a trek that leads to sorrow, sin, anguish, and despair. 

In this context, please ask yourself: What is your final destination? Where are your footsteps taking you? And is your journey leading you to that “multiplicity of blessings” the Savior has promised?8

To me, there is added meaning and urgency and warning.  We don't know when this vengeance spoken of in D&C 97 will come.  But we know Zion - the pure in heart - can rejoice, while the wicked mourn.  So - have we achieved Zion?  Are we doing what we should be?  Are we following the Lord's commandments?  Are our hearts pure?  Are we doing what Elder Ballard next counsels us:

A trek back to our Heavenly Father is the most important trek of our lives, and it continues each day, each week, each month, and each year as we increase our faith in Him and in His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

We must be careful where our footsteps in life take us. We must be watchful and heed the counsel of Jesus to His disciples as He answered these questions: “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 

“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man [and I add woman] deceive you.”9

Today I repeat earlier counsel from Church leaders.

• Brothers and sisters, keep the doctrine of Christ pure and never be deceived by those who tamper with the doctrine. The gospel of the Father and the Son was restored through Joseph Smith, the prophet for this last dispensation.

• Do not listen to those who have not been ordained and/or set apart to their Church calling and are not acknowledged by common consent of the members of the Church.

• Be aware of organizations, groups, or individuals claiming secret answers to doctrinal questions that they say today’s apostles and prophets do not have or understand.

• Do not listen to those who entice you with get-rich schemes. Our members have lost far too much money, so be careful.

About when I heard this part of the talk, I remember thinking that I wanted to study this list more closely.  I am still not sure I understand if there are some groups in particular Elder Ballard is warning us about or whether it is more of a generic warning.  I am inclined to feel the latter.  We must be cautious and wise.

In some places, too many of our people are looking beyond the mark and seeking secret knowledge in expensive and questionable practices to provide healing and support. 

An official Church statement, issued one year ago, states: “We urge Church members to be cautious about participating in any group that promises—in exchange for money—miraculous healings or that claims to have special methods for accessing healing power outside of properly ordained priesthood holders.”11 

Remember the references to healing Elder Ballard included earlier?  Christ is "the great healer to all who sincerely seek Him," and we bless the sick "through service to one another and by the priesthood of God."  I think Elder Ballard is not saying these are our only avenues for healing.  Indeed, the next paragraph is another standard:

The Church Handbook counsels: “Members should not use medical or health practices that are ethically or legally questionable. Local leaders should advise members who have health problems to consult with competent professional practitioners who are licensed in the countries where they practice.”12 

Rather, Elder Ballard is warning us of schemes, priestcrafts... and counseling us to "be wise and aware" as follows:

Brothers and sisters, be wise and aware that such practices may be emotionally appealing but may ultimately prove to be spiritually and physically harmful. 

For our pioneer ancestors, independence and self-reliance were vital, but their sense of community was just as important. They worked together and helped one another overcome the physical and emotional challenges of their time. For the men, there was the priesthood quorum, and the women were served by the Relief Society. These outcomes have not changed in our day. 

The Relief Society and the priesthood quorums provide for the spiritual and temporal well-being of our members.

I for one, am really excited about the 2018 format with council meetings on the first Sunday of the month!  I think it will foster the brotherhood and sisterhood he speaks about.

Stay on the gospel path by having “faith in every footstep” so you can return safely back to the presence of Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord is our precious Savior. He is the Redeemer of the world. We must honor His sacred name and not misuse it in any way, always striving to keep His commandments. If we do so, He will bless us and lead us safely home. 

I invite everyone within the sound of my voice to welcome and embrace anyone who is making his or her own trek today, no matter where they are in their journey. 

Please remember there is no blessing anyone can share greater than the message of the Restoration, which, when received and lived, promises everlasting joy and peace—even eternal life. Let us use our energy, strength, and testimonies in assisting our missionaries to find, teach, and baptize God’s children so they may have the power of the gospel doctrine guiding their daily lives.

This spoke to me when I considered that while watching the signs of the times is important, there is so much information (and a lot of it is wrested, fearful, and wrong) that we could waste a lot of time on - whereas the focus God has given the Church right now is still sharing the Gospel!

We need to embrace God’s children compassionately and eliminate any prejudice, including racism, sexism, and nationalism. Let it be said that we truly believe the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ are for every child of God.

I noticed that several speakers mentioned racism and other -isms.

I testify that “the trek continues,” and I invite you to stay on the gospel path as you continue pressing forward by reaching out to all of God’s children in love and compassion, that we may unitedly make our hearts pure and our hands clean to receive the “multiplicity of blessings” awaiting all who truly love our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, for which I humbly pray in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

The hearts pure goes back to the Zion passage.  Hearts pure and hands clean in particular refer to temple worthiness.  Our treks should always allow for us to be temple worthy.

Let's Discuss: "Fear Not to Do Good," by Henry B. Eyring

"Fear Not to Do Good"

By President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency
1 October 2017, Sunday Morning Session

Hymn recommendations:
124  Be Still, My Soul
223  Have I Done Any Good
252  Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel
258  O Thou Rock of Our Salvation

Favorite quote:

We know that in the midst of whatever trouble comes, the Lord will lead faithful Latter-day Saints to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. And we know that the Lord’s true disciples will be worthy and prepared to receive Him when He comes again. We need not fear. [emphasis added]

Something to put on the board:

Because they have no doubt He watches over them, they become fearless.

Synopsis:

Even President Eyring follows the prophet, and experiences the promised blessings.  In particular, by increasing his study of the Book of Mormon, doubt and fear were driven out and desire/love to go to the rescue (fearing not to do good) increased.

Other Preparation

I benefitted from rereading President Monson's talk from April 2017:  "The Power of the Book of Mormon."  President Eyring alludes to it many times throughout his talk, and I missed some of the references until I reread it.

There is so much in this talk.  So many directions a discussion could go.  While in general, I go through a talk start to finish, in this talk, there are some topics that were almost tangents.  For example, President Eyring mentions overcoming Doubt and Fear so much, I  decided to follow the words as word links to see what is added each time he brings doubt/fear up.  If I were in a classroom setting, I might discuss these separately - outside of just going through the talk.  I might even create an entire discussion with these "topics" that seem to jump around the talk, and then if there's spare time go through the more consecutive points of the talk.  The Spirit knows what your group needs.  I put the topics discussions after the main analysis.

Discussion and Questions

I wanted to start with something I noticed during conference, which is that SEVERAL speakers referenced President Monson's short talk from the previous conference.

For other talks that reference President Monson, see:
"Seek Ye Out of the Best Books" by Elder Ian S. Ardern of the 70,
"The Book of Mormon:  What Would Your Life Be Like without It?" by President Russell M. Nelson of the 12 Apostles
"The Truth of All Things," by Elder David F. Evans of the 70, and
an honorable mention to President Dieter F. Uchtdorf - who mentioned it in the live version, but it is not in the transcribed version:  Three Sisters (video around 16:05)
Also, although not credited, I wonder if it was the inspiration for Elder Callister, "God's Compelling Witness: The Book of Mormon."  That might be a stretch, though!

You may want to reread his entire message together in the class before starting a discussion on President Eyring's talk.  In fact, I decided to paste it here.  I emphasized bits that come up in President Eyring's talk.

This morning I speak about the power of the Book of Mormon and the critical need we have as members of this Church to study, ponder, and apply its teachings in our lives. The importance of having a firm and sure testimony of the Book of Mormon cannot be overstated. 

We live in a time of great trouble and wickedness. What will protect us from the sin and evil so prevalent in the world today? I maintain that a strong testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and of His gospel will help see us through to safety. If you are not reading the Book of Mormon each day, please do so. If you will read it prayerfully and with a sincere desire to know the truth, the Holy Ghost will manifest its truth to you. If it is true—and I solemnly testify that it is—then Joseph Smith was a prophet who saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. 

Because the Book of Mormon is true, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s Church on the earth, and the holy priesthood of God has been restored for the benefit and blessing of His children. 

If you do not have a firm testimony of these things, do that which is necessary to obtain one. It is essential for you to have your own testimony in these difficult times, for the testimonies of others will carry you only so far. However, once obtained, a testimony needs to be kept vital and alive through continued obedience to the commandments of God and through daily prayer and scripture study. 

My dear associates in the work of the Lord, I implore each of us to prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day. As we do so, we will be in a position to hear the voice of the Spirit, to resist temptation, to overcome doubt and fear, and to receive heaven’s help in our lives. I so testify with all my heart in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.  [emphasis added]

Wonderful, right?  ♥

Now we're ready for President Eyring

Last April, President Thomas S. Monson gave a message that stirred hearts across the world, including mine. He spoke of the power of the Book of Mormon. He urged us to study, ponder, and apply its teachings. He promised that if we dedicated time each day to studying and pondering and kept the commandments the Book of Mormon contains, we would have a vital testimony of its truth, and the resultant testimony of the living Christ would see us through to safety in times of trouble. (See “The Power of the Book of Mormon,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 86–87.) 

Like many of you, I heard the prophet’s words as the voice of the Lord to me. And, also like many of you, I decided to obey those words. ...

I love that first, President Eyring is pointing out that we are all the same.  Yes, he is an apostle, but that doesn't mean we can't receive revelation, and that doesn't mean that he is beyond following the prophet!  Also, when the prophet gives promises (and there were several in the quote above), we can count on them being fulfilled.

...Now, since I was a young boy, I have felt the witness that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, that the Father and the Son appeared and spoke with Joseph Smith, and that ancient Apostles came to the Prophet Joseph to restore priesthood keys to the Lord’s Church.

With that testimony, I have read the Book of Mormon every day for more than 50 years. So perhaps I could have reasonably thought that President Monson’s words were for someone else. ...

We never "arrive" where we can't obey the prophet, or discern the voice of the Lord to us personally through the prophet.  He has over 50 years of reading the Book of Mormon every day!  I'm ashamed to admit I don't think I've read the Book of Mormon every day for the past 50 days!  Now that's partly because I've been reading in the Bible ... but why not include the Book of Mormon every day, too?  It's not a race - it doesn't have to be an entire chapter.

...Yet, like many of you, I felt the prophet’s encouragement and his promise invite me to make a greater effort. Many of you have done what I did: prayed with increased intent, pondered scripture more intently, and tried harder to serve the Lord and others for Him.
The happy result for me, and for many of you, has been what the prophet promised. Those of us who took his inspired counsel to heart have heard the Spirit more distinctly. We have found a greater power to resist temptation and have felt greater faith in a resurrected Jesus Christ, in His gospel, and in His living Church. 

Can anyone share an example of something you've done to follow a prophet that has yielded the promised blessings?

In a season of increasing tumult in the world, those increases in testimony have driven out doubt and fear and have brought us feelings of peace. ...

See Doubt and Fear as word links number 1 below.

Heeding President Monson’s counsel has had two other wonderful effects on me: First, the Spirit he promised has produced a sense of optimism about what lies ahead, even as the commotion in the world seems to increase. ...

Are you feeling optimistic?

And, second, the Lord has given me—and you—an even greater feeling of His love for those in distress. We have felt an increase in the desire to go to the rescue of others. That desire has been at the heart of President Monson’s ministry and teaching.

Are you going to the rescue?

President Eyring is going to base most of the rest of his talk on these two "other wonderful effects" of optimism and love/service.

The Lord promised love for others and courage to the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery when the tasks ahead of them could have seemed overwhelming. The Lord said that needed courage would come from their faith in Him as their rock:
“Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward.
“Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail.
“Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and sin no more; perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you.
“Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.
“Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven” (D&C 6:33–37).  [emphasis added]

See Doubt and Fear as word links number 2 below.

I bolded the talk title, because I think we can gain better understanding of what President Eyring is trying to share with us by studying this.  Courage comes from faith.

Reread the scripture above.  How do you feel when you read these words?  I feel like I'm not alone.  I feel like I want to side with the Savior and I want His sacrifice to bless everyone.  Here is the point President Eyring's is making from the scripture:

The Lord told His leaders of the Restoration, and He tells us, that when we stand with faith upon His rock, doubt and fear are diminished; the desire to do good increases. As we accept President Monson’s invitation to plant in our hearts a testimony of Jesus Christ, we gain the power, the desire, and the courage to go to the rescue of others without concern for our own needs.  [emphasis added]

See Doubt and Fear as word links number 3 below.

Next, President Eyring is going to give some examples of this faith and courage to bless others (with optimism).  I pay close attention when the leaders give examples, because I noticed that they often are speaking in parables.  The examples he gives may very well be examples of future events, and if we study how the people responded, we can be prepared to respond with similar faith and courage and optimism.

Example of a broken dam:

I have seen that faith and courage many times when believing Latter-day Saints have faced fearsome trials. For one example, I was in Idaho when the Teton Dam broke on June 5, 1976. A wall of water came down. Thousands fled from their homes. Thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed. Miraculously, fewer than 15 people were killed. 

What I saw there, I have seen whenever Latter-day Saints stand firmly on the rock of a testimony of Jesus Christ. Because they have no doubt He watches over them, they become fearless. They ignore their own trials to go to the relief of others. And they do so out of love for the Lord, asking no recompense.  [emphasis added]

 See Doubt and Fear as word links number 4 below.

For example, when the Teton Dam broke, a Latter-day Saint couple was traveling, miles away from their home. As soon as they heard the news on the radio, they hurried back to Rexburg. Rather than going to their own home to see if it was destroyed, they went looking for their bishop. He was in a building that was being used as the recovery center. He was helping to direct the thousands of volunteers who were arriving in yellow school buses.

The couple walked up to the bishop and said, “We just got back. Bishop, where can we go to help?” He gave them the names of a family. That couple stayed mucking out mud and water in one home after another. They worked from dawn to dark for days. They finally took a break to go see about their own home. It was gone in the flood, leaving nothing to clean up. So they turned around quickly to go back to their bishop. They asked, “Bishop, do you have someone for us to help?”

That miracle of quiet courage and charity—the pure love of Christ—has been repeated over the years and across the world. ...

Have you experienced this quiet courage and charity?  Maybe we all have to some extent - accepting God's will and pressing forward.

Next, the example of persecutions and an exodus:

It happened in the terrible days of the persecutions and trials at the time of the Prophet Joseph Smith in Missouri. It happened as Brigham Young led the exodus from Nauvoo and then called Saints to desert places all over the western United States, to help each other create Zion for the Lord. 

If you read the journal entries of those pioneers, you see the miracle of faith driving out doubt and fear. And you read of Saints leaving their own interests to help someone else for the Lord, before getting back to their own sheep or to their own unplowed fields.  [emphasis added]

See Doubt and Fear as word links number 5 below.

Does anyone have a favorite pioneer story that illustrates faith amid trial?  Please share in the comments below.

Next, the example of a hurricane:

I saw that same miracle a few short days ago in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Puerto Rico, Saint Thomas, and Florida, where Latter-day Saints partnered with other churches, local community groups, and national organizations to begin cleanup efforts.

Like my friends in Rexburg, one nonmember couple in Florida focused on helping the community rather than laboring on their own property. When some Latter-day Saint neighbors offered help with the two large trees blocking their driveway, the couple explained that they had been overwhelmed and so had turned to helping others, having faith that the Lord would provide the aid they needed at their own home. The husband then shared that before our Church members arrived with offers of assistance, the couple had been praying. They had received an answer that help would come. It came within hours of that assurance.  [emphasis added]

I love that President Eyring includes experiences of "nonmembers."  We are not the only people who receive answers to prayers.  They trusted in the Lord, too.

I have heard a report that some have started calling the Latter-day Saints who are wearing yellow Helping Hands T-shirts “The Yellow Angels.” One Latter-day Saint took her car in for service, and the man helping her described the “spiritual experience” he had when people in yellow shirts removed trees from his yard and then, he said, they “sang some song to me about being a child of God.”

Another Florida resident—also not of our faith—related that Latter-day Saints came to her home when she was working in her devastated yard and feeling overwhelmed, overheated, and close to tears. The volunteers created, in her words, “a pure miracle.” They served not only with diligence but also with laughter and smiles, accepting nothing in return.  [emphasis added]

Here we see optimism along with the service.

I saw that diligence and heard that laughter when, late on a Saturday, I visited with a group of Latter-day Saints in Florida. The volunteers stopped their cleanup labor long enough to let me shake some hands. They said that 90 members of their stake in Georgia had created a plan to join in the rescue in Florida just the night before.

They left Georgia at 4:00 in the morning, drove for hours, worked through the day and into the night, and planned to labor again the next day. 

They described it to me all with smiles and good humor. The only stress I sensed was that they wanted to stop being thanked so they could get back to work. The stake president had restarted his chain saw and was working on a downed tree and a bishop was moving tree limbs as we got into our vehicle to go to the next rescue team. 

Earlier that day, as we pulled away from another site, a man had walked up to the car, taken off his hat, and thanked us for the volunteers. He said, “I’m not a member of your church. I can’t believe what you have done for us. God bless you.” The LDS volunteer standing next to him in his yellow shirt smiled and shrugged his shoulders as if he deserved no praise.  [emphasis added]

President Eyring seems to be giving us a big pat on the back, although that's not why we serve (he will get into that more later).  Does anyone want to share their feelings as we watched Harvey, Irma, or another disaster and how we helped or desired to help?  I am so grateful to be a member of a Church who serves others in need.

While the volunteers from Georgia had come to help this man who couldn’t believe it, hundreds of Latter-day Saints from that very devastated part of Florida had gone hundreds of miles south to another place in Florida where they had heard the people were harder hit.

That day I remembered and understood better the prophetic words of the Prophet Joseph Smith: “A man filled with the love of God, is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 426). [emphasis added]

Are you filled with the love of God?  President Eyring will give us some clues to developing this love.  First, President Eyring is going to talk about this love that precedes our service.

We see such love in the lives of Latter-day Saints everywhere. Each time there is a tragic event anywhere in the world, Latter-day Saints donate and volunteer to the Church’s humanitarian efforts. An appeal is seldom needed. In fact, on some occasions, we have had to ask would-be volunteers to wait to travel to the recovery site until those directing the work are prepared to receive them. 

That desire to bless is the fruit of people gaining a testimony of Jesus Christ, His gospel, His restored Church, and His prophet. That is why the Lord’s people doubt not and fear not. ...  [emphasis added]

See Doubt and Fear as word links number 6 below.

...That is why missionaries volunteer for service in every corner of the world. That is why parents pray with their children for others. That is why leaders challenge their youth to take President Monson’s request to immerse themselves in the Book of Mormon to heart. The fruit comes not by being urged by leaders but by the youth and members acting on faith. That faith, put into action, which requires selfless sacrifice, brings the change of heart that allows them to feel the love of God.  [emphasis added]

Here, President Eyring teaches us a principle that will increase our love and desire to serve others: Faith put into action through sacrifice.

Our hearts, however, remain changed only as long as we continue to follow the prophet’s counsel. If we stop trying after one burst of effort, the change will fade. 

Here, President Eyring teaches us a second principle to increase our love and desire to serve others:  Follow the prophet with continued effort.

Faithful Latter-day Saints have increased their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in the Book of Mormon as the word of God, and in the restoration of priesthood keys in His true Church. That increased testimony has given us greater courage and concern for others of God’s children. But the challenges and the opportunities ahead will require even more. 

We cannot foresee the details, but we know the larger picture. We know that in the last days, the world will be in commotion. We know that in the midst of whatever trouble comes, the Lord will lead faithful Latter-day Saints to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. And we know that the Lord’s true disciples will be worthy and prepared to receive Him when He comes again. We need not fear.   [emphasis added]

See Doubt and Fear as word links number 7 below.

Here we talk about future challenges.  This quote made me wonder what is a "true disciple" of the Lord, and am I a "true disciple" of Jesus Christ?  One of the fruits, according to President Eyring is that desire to bless the whole human race!  Do I have that desire?  Do you have that desire?  The quote also reminded me of Moroni 7:48 (which President Eyring will quote and reference shortly) - which says that true followers of His Son are given charity from the Father - which is just the love that President Eyring is speaking about!

So, as much as we have already built faith and courage in our hearts, the Lord expects more from us—and from the generations after us. They will need to be stronger and braver because they will do even greater and harder things than we have done. And they will face increasing opposition from the enemy of our souls. [emphasis added]

Wow - more on future challenges.  Are we instilling our children and youth this desire to bless, this love and testimony that overcomes doubt and fear?  How do we do this?  President Eyring gives a few examples of things that will help us do that next:

The way to optimism as we go forward was given by the Lord: “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not” (D&C 6:36). President Monson told us how to do that. We are to ponder and apply the Book of Mormon and the words of prophets. Pray always. Be believing. Serve the Lord with all our heart, might, mind, and strength. We are to pray with all the energy of our hearts for the gift of charity, the pure love of Christ (see Moroni 7:47–48). And above all, we are to be consistent and persistent in following prophetic counsel. 

See Doubt and Fear as word links number 8 below.

Above, we also have a third principle for opening our heart and increasing our love - that is to pray for charity with all energy of heart.  President Eyring also says that above all, follow prophetic counsel.  This will be interesting since we will sustain a new prophet in a few months.

When the way is difficult, we can rely on the Lord’s promise—the promise President Monson has reminded us of when he has often quoted these words of the Savior: “Whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up” (D&C 84:88). 

I testify that the Lord goes before your face whenever you are on His errand. Sometimes you will be the angel the Lord sends to bear others up. Sometimes you will be the one surrounded by angels who bear you up. But always you will have His Spirit to be in your heart, as you have been promised in every sacrament service. You have only to keep His commandments.

The best days are ahead for the kingdom of God on the earth. Opposition will strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ, as it has since the days of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Faith always defeats fear. Standing together produces unity. And your prayers for those in need are heard and answered by a loving God. He neither slumbers nor does He sleep.

I bear my witness that God the Father lives and wants you to come home to Him. This is the true Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. He knows you; He loves you; He watches over you. He atoned for your sins and mine and the sins of all of Heavenly Father’s children. Following Him in your life and in your service to others is the only way to eternal life.

Well, blogger messed something up and the rest of the post did not get published.  Future edits to come.

Doubt and Fear as word links

1. One of the promises President Monson promised us in April 2017 was that as we prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day, we will be in a position to overcome doubt and fear.  Here, President Eyring testifies that this promise was fulfilled.
2. "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not" - these sound like commandments!
3. Doubt and fear are diminished when we stand with faith upon the rock of Jesus Christ.
4. We become fearless when we have testimony (no doubt) that Jesus Christ watches over us.
5. President Eyring teaches that faith to drive out doubt and fear is a miracle.
6. The love of God in our souls is why we doubt not and fear not.
7. True disciples of the Lord, Jesus Christ need not fear.
8. President Eyring teaches that looking unto the Lord in every thought (doubt not, fear not) is the way to optimism.
9.