A short talk given by ten-year-old Anna Cleverly on Sunday, February 19, 1989, in the Primary of the Bountiful Twentieth Ward, Bountiful Utah South Stake. The talk was published in the March 1989 issue of the Family Journal. Anna at the time was a fourth grader at Bountiful Elementary.
My talk is on Daniel in the lions’ den. Daniel lived a long time ago. One day the king’s princes got so jealous of him they wanted to kill him. They made up a law that said nobody could pray for thirty days. Then the princes spied on Daniel at his home. They saw him praying, so they reported it to the king. The king liked Daniel, and he didn’t want him to be killed. Then they threw him in the lions’ den. And then he prayed the lions wouldn’t eat him. The next day the king rushed to see if he was hurt, and he wasn’t. Then the king threw all the princes in the lions’ den, and they were killed instantly by the hungry lions. I hope we can all pray like Daniel. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Showing posts with label Prayer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prayer. Show all posts
Saturday, August 23, 2008
59. He Just Said "No!"
A talk given by six-year-old Camilla Cleverly on Sunday, March 20, 1988, in the Primary of the Bountiful Twentieth Ward, Bountiful Utah South Stake. Camilla at the time was in Kindergarten.
Once there was a boy, and his name was Michael. He had a cold. He wanted to go out and play in the snow. He went and asked his mom. She said no.
He remembered what he learned in Primary about Heavenly Father answering prayers. He prayed to Heavenly Father that Mom would change her mind.
Then his friend came over and wanted him to play outside in the snow. Michael said, “No, my mom said I can’t. But come back after lunch because I prayed to Heavenly Father that she’d change her mind.”
He came back after lunch, and Michael asked, “Mom, can I go outside and play?” She still said no.
His friend said, “I guess Heavenly Father didn’t answer your prayer.”
“Yes, he answered, but he just said no.”
Heavenly Father always hears our prayers and answers them but sometimes not in the way we want. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Once there was a boy, and his name was Michael. He had a cold. He wanted to go out and play in the snow. He went and asked his mom. She said no.
He remembered what he learned in Primary about Heavenly Father answering prayers. He prayed to Heavenly Father that Mom would change her mind.
Then his friend came over and wanted him to play outside in the snow. Michael said, “No, my mom said I can’t. But come back after lunch because I prayed to Heavenly Father that she’d change her mind.”
He came back after lunch, and Michael asked, “Mom, can I go outside and play?” She still said no.
His friend said, “I guess Heavenly Father didn’t answer your prayer.”
“Yes, he answered, but he just said no.”
Heavenly Father always hears our prayers and answers them but sometimes not in the way we want. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Friday, July 4, 2008
47. The Song of the Righteous
A talk I gave on Sunday morning, April 26, 1981, on radio stations KISN–FM and KLUB–AM in Salt Lake City, Utah. The text of the address was later published in the May 1981 issue of the Family Journal and the June 1981 issue of the Cleverly Newsletter.
The Savior of mankind, that perfect Being Who is our example and teacher in all things, taught that “men ought always to pray” (Luke 18:1).
“And in those days” following His resurrection and ascension into heaven, “when the number of disciples was multiplied, . . . the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said,” among other things, “we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:1–4).
When I was a boy I used to wonder about such instruction. How do you pray always? How do you give yourself continually to prayer when there is so much else to be doing in the day-to-day world of gaining an education, earning a living, caring for a family, and the myriads of other things with which we occupy ourselves?
As I searched for an answer, it became obvious from other scriptures that there were right ways and wrong ways of praying always:
“And when thou prayest,” the Savior said, “thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which is in secret shall reward thee openly.
“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
“Be not ye therefore like unto them” (Matthew 6:5–8).
I learned from this passage that “praying always” has little to do with vain repetitions or much speaking or a multiplicity of words. Indeed, the Savior used very few words to teach His disciples how to pray:
“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
“Give us this day our daily bread.
“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen” (Matthew 6:9–13).
From this divine model of prayer, I think we learn that “praying always” has somewhat to do with our attitudes and our reverence for God and all that is sacred. It has to do with the way we live our lives.
But, from still other scriptures, I found that there are ways to keep our thoughts and hearts continually centered in Him who is “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). The Apostle Paul taught the Saints of his day “to be filled with the Spirit;
“Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:18–20).
And in another place: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16).
And the Lord Himself speaking: “For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing on their heads” (D&C 25:12).
So here we have a key, I think, to one way that we can pray always. The song of the righteous, by the Lord’s own definition, is a prayer unto God. We can speak to ourselves “in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in [our] heart[s] to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19).
Who of us is not moved, inspired, instructed, strengthened in our faith, brought closer to God by the great hymns of Christianity?
Some of the hymns and sacred songs remind us of our daily duty:
Have I done any good in the world today?
Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad,
And made someone feel glad?
If not I have failed indeed.
And this one:
Do what is right; be faithful and fearless;
Onward, press onward, the goal is in sight;
Eyes that are wet now, ere long will be tearless;
Blessings await you in doing what’s right!
Other hymns remind us of important truths about the gospel, about ourselves, and about our relationship to God, such as in the ever-popular children’s song:
I am a child of God,
And he has sent me here,
Has given me an earthly home
With parents kind and dear.
Among my favorites, however, are those hymns that focus my thoughts on Jesus Christ, that bring me in closer communion with Him, that increase my appreciation for what He has done for me:
Redeemer of Israel,
Our only delight,
On whom for a blessing we call,
Our shadow by day,
And our pillar by night,
Our King, our Deliverer, our all!
Come, thou Fount of every blessing;
Tune my heart to sing thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Praise him for his mercy;
Praise him for his love;
For unnumbered blessings
Praise the Lord above.
Let our happy voices
Still the notes prolong;
One alone is worthy
Of our sweetest song.
Or what comfort from these marvelous promises:
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!
And these promises:
How gentle God’s commands!
How kind his precepts are!
Come, cast your burden on the Lord
And trust his constant care.
Beneath his watchful eye,
His saints securely dwell;
That hand which bears all nature up
Shall guard his children well.
Why should this anxious load
Press down your weary mind?
Haste to your heavenly Father’s throne,
And sweet refreshment find.
His goodness stands approved,
Unchanged from day to day;
I’ll drop my burden at his feet
And bear a song away.
Consider also the profound message and the simple beauty in the words of this great hymn:
How great the wisdom and the love
That filled the courts on high
And sent the Savior from above
To suffer, bleed, and die!
His precious blood he freely spilt;
His life he freely gave,
A sinless sacrifice for guilt,
A dying world to save.
By strict obedience Jesus won
The prize with glory rife:
“Thy will, O God, not mine be done,”
Adorned his mortal life.
He marked the path and led the way,
And every point defines
To light and life and endless day
Where God’s full presence shines.
How great, how glorious, how complete,
Redemption’s grand design,
Where justice, love, and mercy meet
In harmony divine!
There are many other great hymns. Let me conclude with just a final one—a hymn that is loved by many people:
And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin;
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee;
How great thou art, how great thou art!
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, What joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
And there proclaim, my God, how great thou art!
Yes, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto God. We need not be musicians. We need not even know how to carry a tune particularly. But, as we go about our daily affairs, we can have the words in our minds, we can have the songs in our hearts and thus be found praying always.
May that be our happy lot, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
The Savior of mankind, that perfect Being Who is our example and teacher in all things, taught that “men ought always to pray” (Luke 18:1).
“And in those days” following His resurrection and ascension into heaven, “when the number of disciples was multiplied, . . . the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said,” among other things, “we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:1–4).
When I was a boy I used to wonder about such instruction. How do you pray always? How do you give yourself continually to prayer when there is so much else to be doing in the day-to-day world of gaining an education, earning a living, caring for a family, and the myriads of other things with which we occupy ourselves?
As I searched for an answer, it became obvious from other scriptures that there were right ways and wrong ways of praying always:
“And when thou prayest,” the Savior said, “thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which is in secret shall reward thee openly.
“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
“Be not ye therefore like unto them” (Matthew 6:5–8).
I learned from this passage that “praying always” has little to do with vain repetitions or much speaking or a multiplicity of words. Indeed, the Savior used very few words to teach His disciples how to pray:
“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
“Give us this day our daily bread.
“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen” (Matthew 6:9–13).
From this divine model of prayer, I think we learn that “praying always” has somewhat to do with our attitudes and our reverence for God and all that is sacred. It has to do with the way we live our lives.
But, from still other scriptures, I found that there are ways to keep our thoughts and hearts continually centered in Him who is “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). The Apostle Paul taught the Saints of his day “to be filled with the Spirit;
“Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:18–20).
And in another place: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16).
And the Lord Himself speaking: “For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing on their heads” (D&C 25:12).
So here we have a key, I think, to one way that we can pray always. The song of the righteous, by the Lord’s own definition, is a prayer unto God. We can speak to ourselves “in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in [our] heart[s] to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19).
Who of us is not moved, inspired, instructed, strengthened in our faith, brought closer to God by the great hymns of Christianity?
Some of the hymns and sacred songs remind us of our daily duty:
Have I done any good in the world today?
Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad,
And made someone feel glad?
If not I have failed indeed.
And this one:
Do what is right; be faithful and fearless;
Onward, press onward, the goal is in sight;
Eyes that are wet now, ere long will be tearless;
Blessings await you in doing what’s right!
Other hymns remind us of important truths about the gospel, about ourselves, and about our relationship to God, such as in the ever-popular children’s song:
I am a child of God,
And he has sent me here,
Has given me an earthly home
With parents kind and dear.
Among my favorites, however, are those hymns that focus my thoughts on Jesus Christ, that bring me in closer communion with Him, that increase my appreciation for what He has done for me:
Redeemer of Israel,
Our only delight,
On whom for a blessing we call,
Our shadow by day,
And our pillar by night,
Our King, our Deliverer, our all!
Come, thou Fount of every blessing;
Tune my heart to sing thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Praise him for his mercy;
Praise him for his love;
For unnumbered blessings
Praise the Lord above.
Let our happy voices
Still the notes prolong;
One alone is worthy
Of our sweetest song.
Or what comfort from these marvelous promises:
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!
And these promises:
How gentle God’s commands!
How kind his precepts are!
Come, cast your burden on the Lord
And trust his constant care.
Beneath his watchful eye,
His saints securely dwell;
That hand which bears all nature up
Shall guard his children well.
Why should this anxious load
Press down your weary mind?
Haste to your heavenly Father’s throne,
And sweet refreshment find.
His goodness stands approved,
Unchanged from day to day;
I’ll drop my burden at his feet
And bear a song away.
Consider also the profound message and the simple beauty in the words of this great hymn:
How great the wisdom and the love
That filled the courts on high
And sent the Savior from above
To suffer, bleed, and die!
His precious blood he freely spilt;
His life he freely gave,
A sinless sacrifice for guilt,
A dying world to save.
By strict obedience Jesus won
The prize with glory rife:
“Thy will, O God, not mine be done,”
Adorned his mortal life.
He marked the path and led the way,
And every point defines
To light and life and endless day
Where God’s full presence shines.
How great, how glorious, how complete,
Redemption’s grand design,
Where justice, love, and mercy meet
In harmony divine!
There are many other great hymns. Let me conclude with just a final one—a hymn that is loved by many people:
And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin;
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee;
How great thou art, how great thou art!
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, What joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
And there proclaim, my God, how great thou art!
Yes, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto God. We need not be musicians. We need not even know how to carry a tune particularly. But, as we go about our daily affairs, we can have the words in our minds, we can have the songs in our hearts and thus be found praying always.
May that be our happy lot, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
44. More Joy in His Service
A talk I gave in a Missionary Department devotional on Tuesday morning, March 14, 1978, on the 12th floor of the Church Office Building in Salt Lake City, Utah. I worked in the Presiding Bishopric’s Office from April 1974 until November 1976, when I transferred to the Missionary Department. Just before I spoke, we sang the hymn “More Holiness Give Me” (number 114 in the 1948 hymnal in use at that time; number 131 in the 1985 hymnbook). The story I told about my great-grandparents, Charles and Eliza Batt, can be found in chapter 2 of Batt & Lee Ancestors.
There is a line in the hymn we just sang that I want to use as my theme this morning:
More joy in his service,
More purpose in prayer.
One hundred and thirty-six years ago this Friday the Prophet Joseph Smith founded the Relief Society organization. One of its stated purposes—both then and now—was to render compassionate service. “This is a charitable society,” taught the Prophet, “and according to your natures; it is natural for females to have feelings of charity and benevolence. You are now placed in a situation in which you can act according to those sympathies which God has planted in your bosoms” (Teachings, 226).
I want to talk a minute this morning about compassionate service by first relating two stories—both of them true—and then reading a scripture, and then making a few comments.
The first story comes from the history of my great-grandparents, Charles and Eliza Batt. As a young couple in England they heard the gospel, were baptized, and within a month left to come to America. This was in the 1880s. They had been married just a few years and had one small child when they came.
As soon as they arrived in Utah, they went to the Cache Valley, and after only three days my great-grandfather left his wife and baby alone in a strange new land without any friends and went away for the rest of the summer to help put railroad tracks and telephone lines into the Cache Valley. He was gone all summer, and the record states that “by the time he had paid for his board and room, he had only five dollars to take home to his family.”
Well, Charles tried farming and wasn’t very successful at it. In England he had been a gardener, a landscaper, and had been employed on the estate of the poet Shelley, evidently one of the most beautiful estates in all of England at that time. But he wasn’t a very good farmer—as I wouldn’t be if I were a farmer—and the family got poorer and poorer. They also kept having babies, which didn’t seem to help matters.
I mention all of this just to set the scene for the incident I want to read from their history; let me quote from a few places here:
“Charles wasn’t a good farmer, and the land was sandy and rough. . . . Charles and Eliza worked hard, but the crops didn’t do well. Eliza helped pick up potatoes to help Charles. She also did washing for a lady in Lewiston in order to get a tub, a washboard, and soap so she could do her own wash.
“Another baby was on the way. The family was so poor that they finally had to ask for help. Sister Kemp went with Eliza to the president of the Relief Society to ask for clothes for the new baby.”
One year, according to the record, the potatoes were so small that they couldn’t peel them, and evidently that was one of the main things they had to eat. Then comes this classic statement:
“The longer Charles tried to farm the poorer they got. Farming in Utah was so different from the farming in England.”
After a time, Charles went into Logan to see if he could find more suitable work there. Through a series of experiences and acquaintances, he finally obtained a job at the then Utah Agricultural College—now Utah State University—which was just then being built in Logan. He was hired initially as a handyman, a sort of jack-of-all-trades I guess, and then later as a gardener. And now I’m to the incident I wanted to relate:
“Sickness struck shortly after their move to Logan. All three children became desperately ill. The baby Ernest wasn’t quite 15 months old when he passed away October 21, 1890. Doll and Bill were still very sick children at the time their little brother died. Charles and Eliza were saddened and had a great decision to make. Where were they going to get the money to bury their little son? Charles had not received his first paycheck from the college, and they didn’t know anyone who could loan them the money. Charles decided to go see the undertaker and see what could be arranged. Eliza got on her knees and offered a humble prayer that things would work out.
“Charles went to the Lindquist Mortuary and told Mr. Lindquist of his troubles. He said he would sign a bank note or anything Mr. Lindquist thought best. After hearing Charles’s story of joining the Church in England and coming to America for the gospel, Mr. Lindquist told Charles he would not have to sign a note or anything else. He would take Charles at his word and knew he would pay him when he could. Mr. Lindquist had been a convert himself and had come to America too and knew how Charles felt.
“While Charles was in Mr. Lindquist’s office, a Mr. H. G. Hayball came in. Mr. Lindquist introduced them, telling Mr. Hayball that Charles was one of his countrymen and also a convert to the Church. Mr. Hayball and his brother owned a grocery store in Logan. Mr. Lindquist told Mr. Hayball that the Batt family needed some food. Mr. Hayball invited Charles to come with him and take home some groceries. Charles could pay him anytime.
“Charles was so overcome by the kindness of these two men that he couldn’t talk. Mr. Hayball asked Charles what part of town he lived in. When he found out, he told Charles to go see Mrs. Ross Neil-son and to tell her that H. G. Hayball said to let him have some fresh milk for the sick children and that he’d make it good to her.
“Charles took the groceries and went home. He found Doll feeling a little better, but Bill [he was my grandfather] was still burning with fever and was a very sick little boy.
“Charles took a small bucket and went in search of Mrs. Neilson. He told her who had sent him and why he wanted the milk. After hearing his story, Sister Neilson put a shawl over her, took a larger bucket, and got some milk. She also got some eggs and went home with him. Sister Neilson was not a woman of many words, nor very easy to get acquainted with, but she was a good Latter-day Saint who reached out her helping hand. After she talked to Eliza . . . and gave [her] some words of faith and comfort, she left. A short while later, she returned with her daughter and some material to make the burial clothes for [the baby].”
I’m always moved by this story, perhaps because it happened to my people, but also I think because it is a good example of a need and a heartfelt prayer and Christian service in response.
The second story was told by President Harold B. Lee in a Relief Society conference in the Tabernacle:
“Another matter of importance we call compassionate service. My Aunt Jeanette McMurrin told me this interesting story. She was widowed and living with her daughter. One morning her daughter came to her and said, ‘Mother, we don’t have anything to eat in the house. My husband, as you know, has been out of work. I am sorry, Mother.’
“Aunt Jeanette said that she dressed and worked around the house, then closed the door, knelt down, and said, ‘Heavenly Father, I have tried all my life to keep the commandments; I have paid my tithing; I have given service in the Church. We have no food in our house today. Father, touch the heart of somebody so we won’t have to go hungry.’ She said she went about with a feeling of gladness, thinking all would be right.
“There came a knock at the door in a few hours, and there was a little neighbor girl with food in her arms. Choking back the tears, the widow brought the child into the kitchen and said, ‘Set them here, and tell your mother that this came today as an answer to our prayers. We didn’t have any food in our house.’
“Needless to say, the little girl went back and carried that message, and in a little while she returned with still a larger armload. As she brought the bags to the kitchen table, she asked, ‘Did I come this time as an answer to your prayers?’
“My Aunt Jeanette replied, ‘No, my darling, this time you came as a fulfillment of a promise. Fifty years ago when your grandmother was expecting a little child, she didn’t have anything to eat and she was lacking in strength and nourishment. I was the little girl who carried food into her house so that she would have the strength to bring her little baby—your mother—into the world.’ Then she said, ‘The Lord said, “Cast your bread upon the waters, and after many days it shall return again.” This time you have been carrying back to me the foodstuff that I carried into the home of your grandmother so you mother could be born into the world.’ Compassionate service” (Ensign, Feb. 1972, 55–56).
Notice the common threads running through these two stories: a need, earnest prayer, and compassionate service. As we sang a few moments ago,
More joy in his service,
More purpose in prayer.
Now, if I understand the scriptures at all, we have to serve others if we desire an inheritance in the celestial kingdom. Service is that fundamental. In the fourth chapter of Mosiah we read:
“And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you—that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God—I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visit-ing the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants” (Mosiah 4:26; emphasis added).
And then it continues with this interesting instruction:
“And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order” (Mosiah 4:27).
All things must be done in order. That is why, I think, the Lord in His mercy allowed the Relief Society to be raised up—so that the sisters in an organized way could render compassionate service to the Church, the same as the priesthood quorums for the brethren, and the welfare services program, and everything that helps us to do it in the Lord’s own way (see D&C 104:14–18).
I bear you my own witness that these things are true. Service is essential to our salvation. May we be involved not only in rendering compassionate service but also in living close enough to the Spirit so that when those who need our help pray for such help we may recognize the promptings and go and serve. And if we do, miracles like the ones we’ve mentioned in these stories will happen in our lives. May such be the case, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
There is a line in the hymn we just sang that I want to use as my theme this morning:
More joy in his service,
More purpose in prayer.
One hundred and thirty-six years ago this Friday the Prophet Joseph Smith founded the Relief Society organization. One of its stated purposes—both then and now—was to render compassionate service. “This is a charitable society,” taught the Prophet, “and according to your natures; it is natural for females to have feelings of charity and benevolence. You are now placed in a situation in which you can act according to those sympathies which God has planted in your bosoms” (Teachings, 226).
I want to talk a minute this morning about compassionate service by first relating two stories—both of them true—and then reading a scripture, and then making a few comments.
The first story comes from the history of my great-grandparents, Charles and Eliza Batt. As a young couple in England they heard the gospel, were baptized, and within a month left to come to America. This was in the 1880s. They had been married just a few years and had one small child when they came.
As soon as they arrived in Utah, they went to the Cache Valley, and after only three days my great-grandfather left his wife and baby alone in a strange new land without any friends and went away for the rest of the summer to help put railroad tracks and telephone lines into the Cache Valley. He was gone all summer, and the record states that “by the time he had paid for his board and room, he had only five dollars to take home to his family.”
Well, Charles tried farming and wasn’t very successful at it. In England he had been a gardener, a landscaper, and had been employed on the estate of the poet Shelley, evidently one of the most beautiful estates in all of England at that time. But he wasn’t a very good farmer—as I wouldn’t be if I were a farmer—and the family got poorer and poorer. They also kept having babies, which didn’t seem to help matters.
I mention all of this just to set the scene for the incident I want to read from their history; let me quote from a few places here:
“Charles wasn’t a good farmer, and the land was sandy and rough. . . . Charles and Eliza worked hard, but the crops didn’t do well. Eliza helped pick up potatoes to help Charles. She also did washing for a lady in Lewiston in order to get a tub, a washboard, and soap so she could do her own wash.
“Another baby was on the way. The family was so poor that they finally had to ask for help. Sister Kemp went with Eliza to the president of the Relief Society to ask for clothes for the new baby.”
One year, according to the record, the potatoes were so small that they couldn’t peel them, and evidently that was one of the main things they had to eat. Then comes this classic statement:
“The longer Charles tried to farm the poorer they got. Farming in Utah was so different from the farming in England.”
After a time, Charles went into Logan to see if he could find more suitable work there. Through a series of experiences and acquaintances, he finally obtained a job at the then Utah Agricultural College—now Utah State University—which was just then being built in Logan. He was hired initially as a handyman, a sort of jack-of-all-trades I guess, and then later as a gardener. And now I’m to the incident I wanted to relate:
“Sickness struck shortly after their move to Logan. All three children became desperately ill. The baby Ernest wasn’t quite 15 months old when he passed away October 21, 1890. Doll and Bill were still very sick children at the time their little brother died. Charles and Eliza were saddened and had a great decision to make. Where were they going to get the money to bury their little son? Charles had not received his first paycheck from the college, and they didn’t know anyone who could loan them the money. Charles decided to go see the undertaker and see what could be arranged. Eliza got on her knees and offered a humble prayer that things would work out.
“Charles went to the Lindquist Mortuary and told Mr. Lindquist of his troubles. He said he would sign a bank note or anything Mr. Lindquist thought best. After hearing Charles’s story of joining the Church in England and coming to America for the gospel, Mr. Lindquist told Charles he would not have to sign a note or anything else. He would take Charles at his word and knew he would pay him when he could. Mr. Lindquist had been a convert himself and had come to America too and knew how Charles felt.
“While Charles was in Mr. Lindquist’s office, a Mr. H. G. Hayball came in. Mr. Lindquist introduced them, telling Mr. Hayball that Charles was one of his countrymen and also a convert to the Church. Mr. Hayball and his brother owned a grocery store in Logan. Mr. Lindquist told Mr. Hayball that the Batt family needed some food. Mr. Hayball invited Charles to come with him and take home some groceries. Charles could pay him anytime.
“Charles was so overcome by the kindness of these two men that he couldn’t talk. Mr. Hayball asked Charles what part of town he lived in. When he found out, he told Charles to go see Mrs. Ross Neil-son and to tell her that H. G. Hayball said to let him have some fresh milk for the sick children and that he’d make it good to her.
“Charles took the groceries and went home. He found Doll feeling a little better, but Bill [he was my grandfather] was still burning with fever and was a very sick little boy.
“Charles took a small bucket and went in search of Mrs. Neilson. He told her who had sent him and why he wanted the milk. After hearing his story, Sister Neilson put a shawl over her, took a larger bucket, and got some milk. She also got some eggs and went home with him. Sister Neilson was not a woman of many words, nor very easy to get acquainted with, but she was a good Latter-day Saint who reached out her helping hand. After she talked to Eliza . . . and gave [her] some words of faith and comfort, she left. A short while later, she returned with her daughter and some material to make the burial clothes for [the baby].”
I’m always moved by this story, perhaps because it happened to my people, but also I think because it is a good example of a need and a heartfelt prayer and Christian service in response.
The second story was told by President Harold B. Lee in a Relief Society conference in the Tabernacle:
“Another matter of importance we call compassionate service. My Aunt Jeanette McMurrin told me this interesting story. She was widowed and living with her daughter. One morning her daughter came to her and said, ‘Mother, we don’t have anything to eat in the house. My husband, as you know, has been out of work. I am sorry, Mother.’
“Aunt Jeanette said that she dressed and worked around the house, then closed the door, knelt down, and said, ‘Heavenly Father, I have tried all my life to keep the commandments; I have paid my tithing; I have given service in the Church. We have no food in our house today. Father, touch the heart of somebody so we won’t have to go hungry.’ She said she went about with a feeling of gladness, thinking all would be right.
“There came a knock at the door in a few hours, and there was a little neighbor girl with food in her arms. Choking back the tears, the widow brought the child into the kitchen and said, ‘Set them here, and tell your mother that this came today as an answer to our prayers. We didn’t have any food in our house.’
“Needless to say, the little girl went back and carried that message, and in a little while she returned with still a larger armload. As she brought the bags to the kitchen table, she asked, ‘Did I come this time as an answer to your prayers?’
“My Aunt Jeanette replied, ‘No, my darling, this time you came as a fulfillment of a promise. Fifty years ago when your grandmother was expecting a little child, she didn’t have anything to eat and she was lacking in strength and nourishment. I was the little girl who carried food into her house so that she would have the strength to bring her little baby—your mother—into the world.’ Then she said, ‘The Lord said, “Cast your bread upon the waters, and after many days it shall return again.” This time you have been carrying back to me the foodstuff that I carried into the home of your grandmother so you mother could be born into the world.’ Compassionate service” (Ensign, Feb. 1972, 55–56).
Notice the common threads running through these two stories: a need, earnest prayer, and compassionate service. As we sang a few moments ago,
More joy in his service,
More purpose in prayer.
Now, if I understand the scriptures at all, we have to serve others if we desire an inheritance in the celestial kingdom. Service is that fundamental. In the fourth chapter of Mosiah we read:
“And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you—that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God—I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visit-ing the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants” (Mosiah 4:26; emphasis added).
And then it continues with this interesting instruction:
“And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order” (Mosiah 4:27).
All things must be done in order. That is why, I think, the Lord in His mercy allowed the Relief Society to be raised up—so that the sisters in an organized way could render compassionate service to the Church, the same as the priesthood quorums for the brethren, and the welfare services program, and everything that helps us to do it in the Lord’s own way (see D&C 104:14–18).
I bear you my own witness that these things are true. Service is essential to our salvation. May we be involved not only in rendering compassionate service but also in living close enough to the Spirit so that when those who need our help pray for such help we may recognize the promptings and go and serve. And if we do, miracles like the ones we’ve mentioned in these stories will happen in our lives. May such be the case, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
35. Seek the Spirit
An account from my missionary journal of a talk I gave in a zone conference in the Jardim Botânico chapel in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Tuesday, July 29, 1969, while I was serving in the mission office as mission historian–recorder. Elder Monte Stewart, my companion, also spoke. I wrote in my journal, “Elder Stewart gave a fine talk on the subject of challenging and testifying. He is certainly a great elder, and each day my appreciation grows for having him as a companion.”
“Seek the Spirit” was the theme of a brief talk I was assigned to give. I tried to follow such advice both in the preparation and delivery of the discourse. Briefly I touched on three divisions of the subject, as follows:
What is the Spirit? The Holy Ghost is a revelator by whose power men gain testimonies of the truth, His mission being to bear record of the Father and the Son and to sanctify and cleanse the souls of the righteous.
The light of Christ is (1) sent to strive with all men, giving guidance into all truth; (2) in accordance with ancient prophecy (Joel 2:28–29), is being poured out upon all flesh in the last days and not to be confused with the Holy Ghost, which the world never had (John 14:7); and (3) “the agency or power used by the Holy Ghost in administering his affairs and in sending forth his gifts” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 753).
Why seek the Spirit? The Lord has commanded us to do so (see D&C 50:13–24 and 42:14).
The Savior said, “My sheep know my voice” (John 10:2–5). Hence, it is the only way to know the things of God (Alma 5:45–46; Matthew 16:13–19; D&C 50:21–23).
Bishop Robert L. Simpson explains: “The great gift of personal revelation is unmistakable; it is direct. It is a more sure communication than the audible spoken word; for that which we hear through mortal ears is sometimes distorted, so often misunderstood. This precious gift of spirit speaking to spirit is infallible and direct” (Improvement Era, Dec. 1965, 1136).
In sublime allegory in one of the most beautiful chapters of Holy Writ, the Savior declares, “I am the vine, ye are the branches . . . without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). The entire chapter continues in this profound and instructive vein of thought.
How to seek the Spirit? Personal worthiness is a requisite: “Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord” (D&C 38:42). “My spirit shall not always strive with man” (D&C 1:33). “The Spirit of the Lord doth not dwell in unholy temples” (Helaman 4:24). “Cease to be unclean” (D&C 88:124).
All actions need to be from a pure heart; otherwise we are fooling ourselves. Purity of heart, not brilliance of action, is the key.
“It is not,” says Hugh B. Brown, “merely a matter of conformity to rituals, climbing sacred stairs, bathing in sacred pools, or making pilgrimages to sacred shrines” (BYU speech, May 13, 1969).
Godliness is the only thing that will make one a God. As missionaries, these questions must be answered: (1) Are our thoughts clean? (2) Do we love the people? (3) Do we love our companion? (4) Do we follow direction and counsel of those above us? (5) Do we follow a well worked out daily schedule? (6) Do we live by every word proceeding from the mouth of God, hungering and thirsting after righteousness?
And finally, do we pray always? (see D&C 19:38–41 and 121:45–46). The promise follows that the Holy Ghost will be our constant companion, exactly that which we are seeking.
“Seek the Spirit” was the theme of a brief talk I was assigned to give. I tried to follow such advice both in the preparation and delivery of the discourse. Briefly I touched on three divisions of the subject, as follows:
What is the Spirit? The Holy Ghost is a revelator by whose power men gain testimonies of the truth, His mission being to bear record of the Father and the Son and to sanctify and cleanse the souls of the righteous.
The light of Christ is (1) sent to strive with all men, giving guidance into all truth; (2) in accordance with ancient prophecy (Joel 2:28–29), is being poured out upon all flesh in the last days and not to be confused with the Holy Ghost, which the world never had (John 14:7); and (3) “the agency or power used by the Holy Ghost in administering his affairs and in sending forth his gifts” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 753).
Why seek the Spirit? The Lord has commanded us to do so (see D&C 50:13–24 and 42:14).
The Savior said, “My sheep know my voice” (John 10:2–5). Hence, it is the only way to know the things of God (Alma 5:45–46; Matthew 16:13–19; D&C 50:21–23).
Bishop Robert L. Simpson explains: “The great gift of personal revelation is unmistakable; it is direct. It is a more sure communication than the audible spoken word; for that which we hear through mortal ears is sometimes distorted, so often misunderstood. This precious gift of spirit speaking to spirit is infallible and direct” (Improvement Era, Dec. 1965, 1136).
In sublime allegory in one of the most beautiful chapters of Holy Writ, the Savior declares, “I am the vine, ye are the branches . . . without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). The entire chapter continues in this profound and instructive vein of thought.
How to seek the Spirit? Personal worthiness is a requisite: “Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord” (D&C 38:42). “My spirit shall not always strive with man” (D&C 1:33). “The Spirit of the Lord doth not dwell in unholy temples” (Helaman 4:24). “Cease to be unclean” (D&C 88:124).
All actions need to be from a pure heart; otherwise we are fooling ourselves. Purity of heart, not brilliance of action, is the key.
“It is not,” says Hugh B. Brown, “merely a matter of conformity to rituals, climbing sacred stairs, bathing in sacred pools, or making pilgrimages to sacred shrines” (BYU speech, May 13, 1969).
Godliness is the only thing that will make one a God. As missionaries, these questions must be answered: (1) Are our thoughts clean? (2) Do we love the people? (3) Do we love our companion? (4) Do we follow direction and counsel of those above us? (5) Do we follow a well worked out daily schedule? (6) Do we live by every word proceeding from the mouth of God, hungering and thirsting after righteousness?
And finally, do we pray always? (see D&C 19:38–41 and 121:45–46). The promise follows that the Holy Ghost will be our constant companion, exactly that which we are seeking.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
11. Angels and Ministers of Grace
A bishopric message written on Monday, January 29, 1996, the day after I was sustained as the eighth bishop of the Bountiful Twentieth Ward in the Bountiful Utah South Stake. The message was published in the February 1996 issue of the Newsette, the monthly newsletter of the Bountiful 20th Ward. Larry Young and Kevin Thueson were my counselors in the bishopric.
In one of Shakespeare’s immortal plays, Hamlet wisely implores, “Angels and ministers of grace defend us!” (Hamlet, act 1, scene 4, line 39). Angels and ministers of grace! All of us need and in fact receive far more help than we realize in our daily lives from the angels and ministers of grace who surround us—on both sides of the veil.
This last Sunday we released a beloved bishopric. Bishop [Gail] Anger and his counselors were just such angels and ministers of grace in the lives of many ward members. We may never know the countless, quiet ways they went about blessing lives and ministering to the needs of people in our ward, but virtually all of us can think back with gratitude on instances of their love and attention in our own lives and in the lives of our families.
The greatest thanks we can give them, the ultimate tribute we can pay them is the way we continue to live our lives in quiet devotion to the cause of the Master whom they loved and followed while serving as our bishopric.
And now you have a new bishopric. We are grateful for the inspiration that lead to our calls and the sustaining vote of confidence we received from the membership of the ward. Your faith and prayers will mean a lot to us as we move forward with the next chapter in the history of the Bountiful Twentieth Ward.
God lives. His beloved Son lives. This is Their work in which we are engaged. They send angels and ministers of grace into our lives to bless us everlastingly. May we, like all who have gone before us, be as the Book of Mormon writer described, “instruments in the hands of God in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, to the knowledge of their Redeemer. And how blessed are they! For they did publish peace; they did publish good tidings of good” (Mosiah 27:36–37).
May each of us go and do likewise.
In one of Shakespeare’s immortal plays, Hamlet wisely implores, “Angels and ministers of grace defend us!” (Hamlet, act 1, scene 4, line 39). Angels and ministers of grace! All of us need and in fact receive far more help than we realize in our daily lives from the angels and ministers of grace who surround us—on both sides of the veil.
This last Sunday we released a beloved bishopric. Bishop [Gail] Anger and his counselors were just such angels and ministers of grace in the lives of many ward members. We may never know the countless, quiet ways they went about blessing lives and ministering to the needs of people in our ward, but virtually all of us can think back with gratitude on instances of their love and attention in our own lives and in the lives of our families.
The greatest thanks we can give them, the ultimate tribute we can pay them is the way we continue to live our lives in quiet devotion to the cause of the Master whom they loved and followed while serving as our bishopric.
And now you have a new bishopric. We are grateful for the inspiration that lead to our calls and the sustaining vote of confidence we received from the membership of the ward. Your faith and prayers will mean a lot to us as we move forward with the next chapter in the history of the Bountiful Twentieth Ward.
God lives. His beloved Son lives. This is Their work in which we are engaged. They send angels and ministers of grace into our lives to bless us everlastingly. May we, like all who have gone before us, be as the Book of Mormon writer described, “instruments in the hands of God in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, to the knowledge of their Redeemer. And how blessed are they! For they did publish peace; they did publish good tidings of good” (Mosiah 27:36–37).
May each of us go and do likewise.
7. Exercising Our Faith and Prayers
A bishopric message written on Tuesday afternoon, April 29, 1986, and published in the May 1986 issue of the Bountiful Twentieth Ward Newsette.
A few weeks ago we finished another glorious general conference. What a thrill it was to see the mantle fall on our new Prophet and to feel the spirit and power of his sacred calling. What a privilege it was to sustain President Benson and his two counselors as our new First Presidency.
President Benson’s comments in the opening moments of the conference set a mood and a theme for all that followed: “I earnestly seek an interest in your faith and prayers that what I say may bless and edify our souls. I realize my dependence upon the Lord, and I also know that Jesus Christ is the head of this church and that through Him we can do all things that are needful” (Ensign, May 1986, 4).
The Brethren do need our faith and prayers, and they—along with each of us—need to depend upon the Lord in all things.
Today is our normal fast Sunday, a day of fasting and prayer. In addition, President Ronald Reagan has proclaimed it a national day of prayer. In support of this proclamation, the First Presidency has said:
“In keeping with the annual tradition dating back to 1775, the President of the United States has again this year proclaimed a National Day of Prayer. The date of the observance will be Sunday, May 4, 1986. We endorse that proclamation and encourage our individual members and our congregations throughout the nation to join with the President that day in a prayerful petition to our Heavenly Father, giving thanks for all that He does for us, seeking His guidance and inspiration in the conduct of our lives, and asking for the blessing of peace in a troubled world.
“Also, while we enthusiastically support the proclamation, let us not limit our supplications to a designated observance. We commend the practice of daily prayer to people everywhere. May we all . . . express daily gratitude to the Father of us all. And, to paraphrase a familiar hymn, when sore trials come upon us, when our souls are full of sorrow, when our hearts are filled with anger, let us think to pray and, in so doing, seek guidance and comfort and forgiveness from Him who have us life” (Church News, Apr. 20, 1986, 3).
In addition, our county commissioners—along with commissioners from five other nearby counties—issued this joint statement on praying to avoid potential lake flooding:
“We are requesting that people of all faiths and religious persuasions begin immediately to exercise their faith and prayers and then unitedly join in a day of fasting and prayer on May 4 in a supplication to the Creator for the weather patterns to return to normal that the potential disaster might be averted” (Church News, Apr. 27, 1986, 3).
This is surely an appropriate subject for our prayers, as the Book of Mormon teaches us (see, for example, Amulek’s excellent instruction on prayer in Alma 34:17–28 and Alma’s counsel to his son Helaman in Alma 37:36–37).
As a bishopric, we commend this counsel to you and invite you to exercise your faith and prayers. Pray in your families. Pray as husbands and wives. Pray individually. And may the Lord reward your heartfelt, righteous prayers with blessings upon your heads.
A few weeks ago we finished another glorious general conference. What a thrill it was to see the mantle fall on our new Prophet and to feel the spirit and power of his sacred calling. What a privilege it was to sustain President Benson and his two counselors as our new First Presidency.
President Benson’s comments in the opening moments of the conference set a mood and a theme for all that followed: “I earnestly seek an interest in your faith and prayers that what I say may bless and edify our souls. I realize my dependence upon the Lord, and I also know that Jesus Christ is the head of this church and that through Him we can do all things that are needful” (Ensign, May 1986, 4).
The Brethren do need our faith and prayers, and they—along with each of us—need to depend upon the Lord in all things.
Today is our normal fast Sunday, a day of fasting and prayer. In addition, President Ronald Reagan has proclaimed it a national day of prayer. In support of this proclamation, the First Presidency has said:
“In keeping with the annual tradition dating back to 1775, the President of the United States has again this year proclaimed a National Day of Prayer. The date of the observance will be Sunday, May 4, 1986. We endorse that proclamation and encourage our individual members and our congregations throughout the nation to join with the President that day in a prayerful petition to our Heavenly Father, giving thanks for all that He does for us, seeking His guidance and inspiration in the conduct of our lives, and asking for the blessing of peace in a troubled world.
“Also, while we enthusiastically support the proclamation, let us not limit our supplications to a designated observance. We commend the practice of daily prayer to people everywhere. May we all . . . express daily gratitude to the Father of us all. And, to paraphrase a familiar hymn, when sore trials come upon us, when our souls are full of sorrow, when our hearts are filled with anger, let us think to pray and, in so doing, seek guidance and comfort and forgiveness from Him who have us life” (Church News, Apr. 20, 1986, 3).
In addition, our county commissioners—along with commissioners from five other nearby counties—issued this joint statement on praying to avoid potential lake flooding:
“We are requesting that people of all faiths and religious persuasions begin immediately to exercise their faith and prayers and then unitedly join in a day of fasting and prayer on May 4 in a supplication to the Creator for the weather patterns to return to normal that the potential disaster might be averted” (Church News, Apr. 27, 1986, 3).
This is surely an appropriate subject for our prayers, as the Book of Mormon teaches us (see, for example, Amulek’s excellent instruction on prayer in Alma 34:17–28 and Alma’s counsel to his son Helaman in Alma 37:36–37).
As a bishopric, we commend this counsel to you and invite you to exercise your faith and prayers. Pray in your families. Pray as husbands and wives. Pray individually. And may the Lord reward your heartfelt, righteous prayers with blessings upon your heads.
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