Short Thoughts On Leading In Church

    A couple of months ago, I had the opportunity to attend a meeting with some general church leaders that had a question and answer session. Actually, other than a very short message at the outset, it was a question and answer meeting. At the beginning, the presiding authority reminded us that we should ask questions that are likely to be of interest to everyone, and not focus on topics of strictly personal interest. Since the meeting I've reflected on this statement in addition to the various questions and answers, and I recognize a short, but powerful message: being asked to serve in the church isn't about me or the person being asked to serve; instead, it's about the people we are serving.

Difficulty In Recognizing and Receiving Answers To Prayers

    I've been thinking lately about the biggest impediments I've experienced and observed in receiving answers to prayers. They include: looking for one specific answer, not being open to the answer that God has for us, and not being ready or needing to change something to accept God's answer. Of course, there are plenty of other potential reasons, but I wanted to share my thoughts on overcoming these three common challenges. Two weeks ago, the Come, Follow Me reading included D&C 112:10, which I believe gives us counsel that can help with all three of these scenarios:

Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answers to thy prayers.

Looking For a Specific Answer

    I can remember a time in my life where I was praying for something, when I felt certain I knew exactly what God's answer was and prayed - full of faith - that He would grant it to me. Over time, I began to feel frustrated that I wasn't receiving an answer. I hadn't gotten the specific thing I was certain God would give me, and I took that to mean that He was ignoring me. Eventually, I realized that God had indeed answered my prayers, and His blessing was wonderful, but I ignored it because I was so focused on my own idea of what should happen. If I'd been humble instead of assuming I knew the Lord's will for me, then I would have recognized the blessings I´d been receiving.

Not Being Open To God's Answer

It is not easy to accept it when God wants us to do something that we really don't want to do, or when He forbids us from doing something that we really want to do. If we have our minds made up already about what we will or won't do, then it may cause God to not answer us, or it may cause us to refuse to acknowledge the answer that He sends. In either outcome, the only solution is for us to become more humble and willing to listen and accept His will. This scripture offers hope as actually becoming more humble can be a difficult task: He will lead us by the hand in order to give us answers. I know that He has been patient with me while helping me develop the humility needed to accept His will, and that continuing to live the Gospel while waiting for answers helps us develop the needed humility to be willing to receive His answer.

Not Being Ready / Needing to Change in Order to Accept God's Answer

When something difficult happens in life, it can be seemingly impossible to understand why God would let this happen to us or to someone we care about. Sometimes when we pray for relief in such a situation, it can feel like the Heavens are closed. This may be because we aren't yet ready to accept the truth of the matter, have pridefully decided we know how it ought to work, or we may just need more growth and maturity to comprehend the answer. Just as in the previous example, God works with us according to His time-table to help us grow, repent, or humble ourselves sufficiently to receive the truth on a given topic. 

I testify that God wants to speak to us; He is willing to forgive us when we resent Him, when we refuse to listen, or even when we arrogantly think we know better. Somehow, He doesn't take any of it personally, and only attempts to help us understand better. Even if you don't experience any of these difficulties I have, I believe that humility can strengthen all of us to better recognize the answers to our prayers.

Establishing Zion

    In Church history, the Saints were called to establish Zion in Missouri, and as we know, they were unable to do so. In recent weeks, we were studying as a church several of the sections that are revelations about the Saints' struggles in Missouri, which ultimately culminated in Governor Boggs signing an extermination order, assigning a state militia leader to murder members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who wouldn't leave the state. 

    Whenever this is discussed in Church - or in seminary when I was younger - the Saints' failure to establish Missouri is usually explained by the fact that the Saints were too prideful and didn't do enough to ingratiate themselves to the people that lived in the surrounding areas, including assuaging their fears that the Saints - a sizeable and growing population - would vote as a block. (The Saints were generally abolitionists, and that played a central role in the Missourians feeling a major need to act against them becoming a political force in the state.) As far as I understand, these are all accurate reasons, but as we've been studying I've realized something that is often missing or under-emphasized in these discussions: establishing Zion is an incredibly demanding task, and it requires a large population to have a very high degree of personal righteousness.

    I want to share some of the counsel the Lord taught them this principle about establishing Zion: "Zion cannot be built up unless it is by the principles of the law of the celestial kingdom; otherwise I cannot receive her unto myself." That statement gives us some idea of the difficulty, and some of the counsel the Lord offered the Saints during their many trials highlight just how difficult it will be:

• In the face of violent mob attacks, the Lord said: "And whoso layeth down his life in my cause, for my name’s sake, shall find it again, even life eternal. Therefore, be not afraid of your enemies..."
• Additionally, and in response to the same event, the Lord requires: "if men will smite you, or your families, once, and ye bear it patiently and revile not against them, neither seek revenge, ye shall be ^erewarded; But if ye bear it not patiently, it shall be accounted unto you as being meted out as a just measure unto you." 
• Explaining the need for trials: He taught: "they must needs be chastened and tried, even as Abraham, who was commanded to offer up his only son. For all those who will not endure chastening, but deny me, cannot be sanctified."
• Finally, I'll note that the Lord simply describes Zion as "the pure in heart."
  

Re-reading these sections of scripture recently, I've been impressed by how far we all have to go to prepare for the Lord's Second Coming, and really to be ready to be true disciples of Christ. This is a more recent time example of Peter's teaching: "For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps." If we are to truly follow Christ, we must regularly work to rely on Him and become like Him.

Why Do I Write So Much About Hearing Him?

    For the past several months, I've made it a point to think and write a lot about Hearing Him, or about receiving personal revelation. I've quoted President Nelson's conference talk where he invited each of us to work on this, and I've tried to explain many thoughts and goals on different parts of it. The simple answer for why I write so much about it would be that I have faith in the words God speaks to us through His prophets. I would like to share something that has helped me lay a strong foundation for that faith.

 

When I was a young man, President Gordon B. Hinckley was the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; In October 1998, he shared these words in a conference talk:

...the time has come to get our houses in order. So many of our people are living on the very edge of their incomes. In fact, some are living on borrowings.

Later, after discussing the need to avoid borrowing, especially staying out of credit card and other consumer debt:

I recognize that it may be necessary to borrow to get a home, of course. But let us buy a home that we can afford and thus ease the payments which will constantly hang over our heads without mercy or respite for as long as 30 years.

I was 14 when he gave that talk; along with that talk, I remember the many similar teachings he shared in subsequent general conferences, articles in the Ensign, church pamphlets, and so on that discussed the same principles. By the time I was in a position to buy a home, my wife and I had heard these principles hundreds of times, and to this day if I hear the words "modest home" my mind immediately jumps to President Hinckley. Of course, as a young adult I saw the housing market collapse, and many people around me - both inside and outside the church - struggled. Like everyone else at this time, I personally know people who lost their homes, and a lot more who lost the equity in their homes because they were forced to sell at a time when the house was devalued. 

I do not wish to judge anyone, and I know that people suffered despite making sound financial decisions, but anyone looking at the financial reality of what is often called the Great Recession has to admit that if the principles God taught through President Hinckley had been generally followed, then the suffering would have been at minimum greatly reduced, and perhaps even entirely avoided. I feel very grateful to have heard this counsel throughout my life, and I know that it helped my wife and I avoid what could have been a major financial disaster early in our marriage. In other words, I saw the financial mishaps of that time and know that there, but for the grace of God - through the teachings of His Prophet - went I.

I sometimes think about the way the Lord warned us all about this tragedy: He didn't tell President Hinckley to warn us that there would be a collapse of the housing market. Instead, the message was to get finances in order, minimize debt, and purchase affordable homes. We don't always get to know the reasons from beforehand, but the message is made clear. I am grateful for this and the other guidance the Lord gives us through prophets and other of His servants, and I have faith that working to "increase [our] spiritual capacity to receive revelation" will bless all of us for years to come.

More Motivation to Hear Him

In his first conference talk as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Nelson emphasized the importance of personal revelation by saying:

... in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.

Recently, I began to wonder what scriptures teach a similar principle, of needing revelation in order to survive. I thought about the Savior's words:

24 For there shall arise ^afalse ^bChrists, and ^cfalse prophets, and shall shew great ^dsigns and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall ^edeceive the very ^felect.

Certainly, there is a lot of noise in the world today. There are many different ways to spend your time and attention; and there's a constant pressure to watch this video, read that article, and so on. It can be hard to make time to listen for the impressions of the Holy Ghost, but we must do so in order to stay close to the Lord.

Just as this verse warns, the world is filled with false Christs and false prophets. Many take forms that are not what one might expect: many false prophets and false Christs don't even address salvation. Many simply preach worldly success, fame, or popularity, while others preach fitness and personal fulfillment. While some of these ideas are important and worth some of our time, none of them will ultimately save us. This is why many of these false Christs forgo religion entirely: dedicating our lives to any of these other things can stop us from hearing God's word and sever or diminish our connection to Him. Some of these surrogate prophets attempt to create a false dichotomy between attempting to live the Gospel and sufficiently loving and serving your neighbor, adequately caring for yourself, or other values which do not truly compete with being a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. No matter the method, the effort is to undermine or remove completely our ability to commune with the Father.

One who seeks and follows personal revelation will not be deceived by false prophets, even the most persuasive and apparently virtuous of them; such a person will not be lead away by logical fallacies. There is no anchor so secure as faith to go to our Father in prayer and then follow the answers He gives. There are a million reasons that it can be hard to receive revelation, but I testify that the Lord will speak to us in a way we can understand, and that He will guide us as we attempt to follow Him. I am so grateful for the many people around me who have been examples of righteously seeking the Lord's will, and for a loving Father in Heaven that wants to speak to all of us, including me.

Recognizing the Lord's Voice: Hearing Him Part 5

Part of getting answers to our prayers, inspiration throughout life, and otherwise hearing the Lord is being able to recognize when he's speaking to us. Moroni 7:15-17 contains an overarching principle that helps me know that I am hearing Him:

15 For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to ^ajudge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night.

16 For behold, the ^aSpirit of Christ is given to every ^bman, that he may ^cknow good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.

17 But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do ^aevil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him.

If we examine what we are feeling, or what we perceive to be communication from the Almighty, and it brings us closer to Christ, then it is "sent forth by the power and gift of Christ." If not, then it is not. Sometimes we have experiences where we aren't 100% sure whether it is from the Lord or not, but this is a bright and clear standard we can use to rule some things out. If an experience is not uplifting, or if it causes us to distance ourselves from the Gospel, our covenants, or Christ Himself, then it is not from God.

The feelings of the Spirit are often emotional, so if we are already emotional it can cloud our judgment about a matter and make it more difficult to know that we've received direction from on high. It is helpful to step back and examine things from this guideline: is it bringing us closer to Christ? Some more specific ways of asking ourselves this question might be: is this bringing out my inner virtue? Am I truly willing to give this up if its the Lord's will? Do I feel selfish and prideful when I consider this question? Does this bring me closer to my family and loved ones? Will this help me keep my covenants? Is this in agreement with things I know are true according to the testimony I have received? Does this help me feel the Lord's love?

I know that God speaks to us; He wants us all to hear Him and listen to His voice. I know that efforts we spend towards doing so will bring us closer to Him and help us feel His peace in spite of the world.

Standing in Holy Places: Hearing Him Part 4

One of the things that can be frustrating about receiving revelation is that we don't control when it comes. (I often feel like I'd like to control everything, even though I know this would be a bad idea.) There have been many times I've received answers to prayers in ways I did not expect, and at times that were unexpected. None of these wonderful surprises happened when I was somewhere I shouldn't have been.

Doctrine and Covenants 87 is the revelation that the United States Civil War would soon start, beginning from South Carolina. At the end of the section the Lord counsels the Saints:

8 Wherefore, ^astand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh ^bquickly, saith the Lord. Amen.

When the Lord gave the Saints this message, there were no temples on the earth. The Kirtland Temple would not be dedicated until a little more than 3 years later in 1836. Certainly each of our temples are holy places, but I think the Lord was telling the Saints to be where He commanded them to be, and to make the places around them holy. At that time, the church gathered together physically to the largest degree possible; now, we are gathered in stakes throughout the world and do not move. Today, just as then, we need to make our own homes places where we can commune with God. I do not see any way someone can make their homes and the places around them holy if discipleship is a part-time pursuit.

The Lord was telling the Saints that they would receive more protection from the calamities and challenges of the world by being in holy places. Most of the time, we need spiritual protection more than physical protection, and inner peace is harder to come by than the absence of war. The Lord can help us cultivate our spirituality and recognize His words better if we seek to constantly be in His presence and in places that put us in a mindset to receive His words.

Personally, when I've needed answers to the more difficult doubts, or needed healing from the more difficult pains of life, the answers have often not come in the moment I was praying because I was not yet ready to fully understand the answer. Usually, the answer has come unexpectedly while I was somewhere I was supposed to be, doing something I was supposed to be doing. I have learned that I am almost always the limiting factor in how much the Lord can teach me, and that in spending time in holy places I become less of a limiting factor. I know that the Lord wants to teach and lead us, and that as we constantly seek to stand in holy places we will better understand Him.