Why charity never fails!

 A couple of months ago, I was asked to talk on charity. The following is what I wrote and felt the need to share it with everyone else. 

In preparation for this talk, I kept hearing the phrase “charity never faileth” over and over and almost instantly knew that my talk had to be about how charity never fails you and me and wondered why I had never truly pondered what it meant.

I realized the more I studied and pondered on the things of my study why charity never fails.  Charity, the pure love of Christ never faileth because Christ never failed. He never failed in his ministry and does not fail us even now. If you remember anything about my talk today let it be this: Charity does not fail because Christ served and  suffered it all, even death, so that you and I could be here in this life living a life worthy of  dying. 

To help you illustrate this, I would like for you to recall, if you will, a time in your life when you were in need of help, in need of relief, or in need of service and assistance or even in need of forgiveness. Now replace these with the memories of  when someone helped you through your pain, cried with you, said a kind word to you, smiled, or hugged you, or a time when you were forgiven.

Now think of  the feeling that you experienced when these people helped you, served you, cried with you, or even just said hi to you. The feelings of inclusion, relief,  kindness, and love, brothers and sisters, is attributed to only one being and that is Jesus Christ. Charity, also known as the pure love of Christ, is the cure for all of the pains, afflictions, agonies, and tribulations of life; and that  pure love of Christ you felt was the result of someone’s actions. 

This is the reason that “charity never faileth” because it is the pure love of Christ and  it fills us up and has the power to make us feel loved. It  also makes people serve lovingly and feel loved. The pure love of Christ makes us feel whole even when we are not. Therefore charity, the pure love of Christ, is, as Dallin H. Oaks stated in October 2000, not an act but a condition or state of being”. 

If charity is not one specific act but a  state of being, then what is this condition that drives us to help the needy, to feed the poor, to succor the weak, and even to extend grace to those that have not come to know the gospel in and outside of the church and those that err. 

This condition, this state of being that would lead us to be in the service of others continually, is something one becomes through “ a succession of acts that result in a conversion”.

This conversion that Dallin H. Oaks mentions is a change that puts in our hearts a desire to continually serve our fellow beings. While repentance is a conversion that leads us to do good continually,  repeatedly serving others is a conversion that leads us to continually help  and succor those that need it. This conversion is thus achieved not because we are doing what is right but because we are doing it for the right reason— to feel and to have the pure love of Christ; and most importantly because we know what the savior did for us and to express our own love for the savior and the pain he felt for us in  Gethsemane and for giving his life on the cross. 

Charity never faileth because it helped heal the sick, it helped feed the hungry, it helped some to leave their life of sin behind and become new people, and most importantly charity never faileth because it helps you and me not just feel the Savior’s encompassing love but to have it and by having it we become more like the savior always walking in righteousness and servitude. 

Is it a coincidence that the greatest commandments are to love God with all your heart, mind, and strength, and to love thy neighbor as thou lovest thyself? When we love God, we love others as He loves us and we in return are filled with that love and we slowly and surely are in a state of  becoming as Jesus Christ was: kind, merciful, and loving. This is charity.  

Charity is the state of becoming Christlike, but we cannot become like Christ if we are not being kind to the people around us, if we are not giving each other the benefit of the doubt, if we are not  accepting someone’s differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings, if we are not having patience with someone who has let us down; and if we are not resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn’t handle something the way we might have hoped.

 We cannot be charitable or become like Christ if we are not refusing to take advantage of another’s weakness and not being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us. And we are not being charitable if we are not expecting the best of each other”( Elder Marvin J. Ashton in Conference Report, Apr. 1992, 24; or Ensign, May 1992, 18–19).

One of the reasons that charity is so close to my heart is because I have witnessed in my own life what true charity is and because of the person I have become because of it. Never in my life have I ever wanted to serve people the way I am doing so at this point in my life. Never have I ever felt the need to minister, to be patient with others, to extend grace to those who offend me and the church, and more specifically to endure the hardships that come with life. 

The lord has not placed any one of us in this life to solely seek happiness but to enjoy the happy moments and find joy in the struggles and hardships of life. To quote one of my favorite books, Harry Potter,“ "Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times”, the quote goes on to say, “if one only remembers to turn on the light" but instead of turning on the light I would say if we remember to hold up Christ’s light. In 3 Nephi 18:24 Christ tells us, “Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do”. We  cannot hold up the light of Christ and do what he has done without  being charitable. We have to be charitable because he was charitable.

Another reason why this topic is so dear to me is because of the many people in my life that have  left the church. I know, without a doubt, that charity or the lack of true charity was the reason that they “kicked themselves out of the church”.

 Elder Joe J. Christensen put it simply in his talk “Greed, Selfishness and Overindulgence” when he stated, “Our prosperity brings some real challenges because many are getting rich, more of us are waxing fat, and as a result of greed, selfishness, and overindulgence, we could lose the Spirit and literally kick ourselves out of the Church”. 

Christensen is not condemning anyone, but he is stating that when prosperity comes our way, instead of sharing what we have, we become overindulgent, selfish, and full of greed. No human is immune to the power of riches .

It pains me that my loved ones left the gospel and that their leaving was caused by someone’s lack of charity, but it also pains me that they were not aware of their lack of the pure love of Christ because if they had been in that state of being, if they had charity themselves, they would have not offend easily for “Charity suffereth long, and is kind⁠;(1 Corinthians 13:4). 

So, the question is how? How do we come to a point where we are full of charity? How do we get to this state of being that is the pure love of Christ? 

 Brothers and sisters the answer is simple: love. Love Jesus Christ. Love the savior and let that be the reason that you do what you do. Do not do things because it is the right thing to do; do it because you love the savior. Here I am paraphrasing what   Elder Ricardo P. Giménez said in his talk, “ My love for the Savior is my why”. As you do, you will feel his love for you but also for  others and you will want to serve incessantly and continuously. 

Another way to be charitable is to “be generous in giving and sharing with others” Elder Christiansen states that “The more our hearts and minds are turned to assisting others less fortunate than we, the more we will avoid the spiritually cankering effects that result from greed, selfishness, and overindulgence”(Greed, Selfishness, and Overindulgence). He also quoted C.S. Lewis, “I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. … If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, … they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditure excludes them.”

If we are not doing it right now then we must start today. For those who are found without it in the coming days will surely disinherit His kingdom(see Moroni 10:21-22). 

How to give a spiritual thought

 

If you have ever been asked to give a special thought and were lost as to how to do so this is the article for you. Yes, it is true that giving a spiritual thought is nerve racking, but only when you do not have anything prepared and have no idea what to share. The trick with spiritual thoughts is to keep in mind that they are just as the name entails. It is a thought that penetrates the mind and the heart. It is a thought that makes people want to act on the short, quick, and sweet spiritual thought that you are testifying of. There are three simple things one must do to learn how to give a spiritual thought: pray, study, and share. 

First, you must pray. Praying before you study the scriptures sets the tone for your reading. It allows you to speak to Heavenly Father and gather your thoughts. Asking for the help to understand and learn that the scriptures are true, gives a purpose to your reading. It also helps you invite the Holy Ghost so that it may be with you as you study. Once invited, the spirit will guide and help you as you read. 

Second, you must highlight and mark important verses in your daily scripture study. As you read, you will find that a certain scripture or verse will almost jump out of the page for you. When you come upon a verse or verses that you just cannot seem to stop reading or that just tugs at your heart when you read, mark it!  This helps you build a testimony and knowledge of a variety of gospel principles that the prophets in the scriptures have witnessed. 

As you read the scriptures, you will be led and touched by the spirit to highlight certain verses. Then label the highlighted verses with the gospel principle that it testifies of or a phrase that it is about. For instance, when I was younger and was reading Ether 12:27, my chest burned with the assurance that God gives us weaknesses so that we may come to Him humbly for help. That feeling in my chest was the spirit testifying to me that what I was reading was true. As you read your scriptures daily with a desire to learn more of Christ and His teachings, I promise you that you too will experience a similar, if not an exact, witness from the Holy Ghost that what you read is true. 

Third, you share the scripture that you have marked and give a sweet and short testimony of the importance of the verse or how you know that it is true and why. Remember that a spiritual thought is a witness or testimony about what you have learned for yourself from reading it. Usually the spirit would lead you to share with others, so that they may in turn learn it for themselves once they hear it or will make them want to mark it later to read it and get the same witnesses that you’ve had from the spirit as well. Always remember that the less you say the more the spirit has time to witness your thoughts to those listening which means— keep your thoughts simple!

You are now prepared to put this into action! Yes, speaking in public is challenging, but once you have done the first two steps the third step will come easily, especially with God’s help. The spirit is with us when we have a desire to testify of gospel principles that we have learned for ourselves because that is the fruits of the spirit.

 

Materialism: A sure way to a path of spiritual death

For the longest while I was unsure what spiritual death meant. If thinking about it literally, it could mean that the spirit in our body is dead, yet how can that be if the body is alive and breathing. If that is the case, what then would keep the body alive and what kind of beings would we be without a spirit in our body?  Because our bodies are dependent upon that spirit that gives the body life, it is impossible for spiritual death to mean that we have no spirit in our bodies. So, what does it mean to be spiritually dead and how does materialism lead to it? 

What is spiritual death?

According to an AI overview which pulled information from three sources: Council Road Baptist Church, Blue Letter Bible, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, spiritual death refers to a state of being separated from God. This state keeps us from being in God's presence because of sin.  Spiritual death comes in two ways.  The first being the fall which is when Adam and Eve fell and the second is disobedience to God's laws. 

The fall of Adam and Eve, also known as the original sin, is the first spiritual death. Because Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, they were separated from God's presence. According to Stewart of Blue Letter Bible, Adam and Eve became different beings then the ones God had originally created; they also began to die physically. Because we are not in the presence of God, we are spiritually dead and instead are in a constant state of following the desires of flesh and senses (see Ephesians 2:1-3).

Disobedience to God's laws is the second spiritual death. Our sins make us unclean and unable to dwell in the presence of God(https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/search?facet=all&lang=eng&query=spiritual+death&type=web&page=1).  As we place our hearts and minds in other things rather than God's teachings and stop doing those things that draw us close to God, we separate ourselves from Him and therefore are spiritually dead. This spiritual death is dependent upon the things we choose to give importance to in this life and where our priorities lie. 

What is materialism?

Materialism can be defined as the tendency to value physical comfort and material possessions over spiritual things. It is also defined as a doctrine that the only or the highest values or objectives lie in material well-being and in the furtherance of material progress (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/materialism). The philosophy of materialism posts the theory that everything owes its existence to matter and because of that only the physical or the material is important. 

The essence of materialism is to put emphasis on the physical, the things that we can see, hear and touch. It replaces the idea of seeing no evil, hearing no evil, or speaking no evil because there is no such thing as evil. The emphasis on the things that are tangible gives way to the idea that evil does not exist.  It seeks to replace Christ's doctrine with ideas such as "you only live once" and that there is no life after death because anything spiritual is non-existent. 

Although there is a definite need for materials such as a home, car, and property-which are some things that no human cannot do without- the idea of materialism focuses on the need to not only have those things but to prioritize those things you own and to focus on these things alone and nothing else. The purpose of this philosophy is to make materialistic people who seek not to grow as people but to grow in things and are rich and feel rich because of the type of materials they own. 

How materialism causes spiritual death

The idea that nothing exists but the physical separates us from  the spiritual things that feed the soul. Once the people start believing in the physical and nothing else that is when we stop listening and seeking the things of God and all things pertaining to God. That is permanent spiritual death. Seeking only to gratify the senses and believing that there is nothing after death will eventually be our downfall and will only secure an eternal life outside the presence of God. 

Materialism replaces all the spiritual things with temporal things. Instead of doing something to lift the spirit, we will do things that is pleasing to the eye, the ear, and to the touch. Why? Because as earthly beings we are guided by those senses and if we adopt the idea that only the physical matters then we will start focusing on those material things that will give us pleasure but never truly feed the spirit and soul. 

Spiritual death is  inevitable living in this world. The things of this world, because they are physical and we can touch and see them, will in some form or fashion pull us away from the things of God. No one is exempt except Christ who was perfect, but us- the spirit children of God but natural beings of the Earth- will experience spiritual death at some point in our lives and materialism will be at the root of it.

How to avoid and come back from spiritual death

Due to Adam and Eve being cast out of God's presence and as their descendants who are now living on earth, we are in a fallen state which  separates us from being in the presence of God and are subject to physical death. We are natural beings and are born spiritually dead. Our evil nature is constantly  at odds with our spirits which are of God.  

Although we cannot undo the fall and cannot change our fallen state, we can choose and change our nature from evil to good. We are given the opportunity, in this life, to decide whether we want to go back to the presence of God. Every day we can either choose to do those things that keep us closer to God or do those things that separate us. We can choose to stay in this fallen state and stay spiritual dead, or we can choose to seek God. 

Avoiding spiritual death is challenging but it is possible if we keep God in our lives. If we choose to keep the commandments and go to church, we can keep from being spiritually dead. It is likely that we will all go through spiritual death at one point or the other because of our fallen state and because we cannot escape the things of the world. Materialism, in some form or fashion, will always have  a pull in our decisions unless one puts off the natural man instinct to put the things of the world first and disobey the God's laws. 

How can we, as fallen beings, put off the natural man? We must first accept Christ as our Lord and Savior and his atonement, his death as a price that he paid for our sins, and go to him in repentance of our past wrong actions. Once we do this, we will begin to feel the power of Christ healing us from those sins and we will want to do those things that are pleasing unto Him. As we " yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit", we will put off the natural man and become "submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father"( see Mosiah 3:19).

Once we have done this, we will begin a life where the things of the world will have little to no importance and will thus be engaged in the things of God which will maintain us away from spiritual death. Instead of living a spiritually death life, we will live a spiritually life in which we will know God and Christ. We will be guided by the spirit and we will see His hand in everything. We will be more than just spiritual children of God. We will be saints and living the life that God intended us to live and awaiting Christ's arrival and his reign. 

The Dreadful Talk: How Dave and I explained and taught our kids the importance of intimate relations

I distinctly remember when all three of my kids asked about marriage, but more specifically about the powers we have as sons and daughters of God to procreate. Yes, it was uncomfortable especially because they were all very young and very curious. Being the honest and open couple that we are, my husband and I decided that we needed to go ahead and tell the kids, who were in their tender years of ten, eight, and seven, all about the powers of procreation and how it ties into marriage. We felt that if we separated the two that they would, in their mind, believe that they could do the first without the second. 

Our ultimate goal was not to scare or coerce or even force our offspring, but to have them understand why these two go hand in hand. As parents, we needed to have them understand why they should not have any type of intimacy  without marriage and that marriage is made stronger because of the act that unifies us to those whom we have chosen as our spouse. In discussing this with our kids, we realized one thing. We realized that we had to explain the role they play in this vast universe and why that is so important to God's plans. Even though my kids were young when they came to us and listened as we explained the sacredness of these two, they were attentive and quickly understood the basic purpose of intimacy and marriage. 

The first thing we explained was that intimate relations gives us a wonderful and amazing physical feeling, but which should not be used for recreation, in other words, for personal gratification and entertainment. We made it clear that although the media and the world send mixed messages about intimate relations that God does not. We explained that God gave us that power so that we could use it wisely and not let it dictate our decisions; and that it was given to us to “multiply and replenish the earth”(The Family: A proclamation to the world. par. 1) and not for any other purpose that the world teaches.

The second thing we explained was that the purpose of intimate relations are explicit privileges for married people only. We explained that the powers of procreation were created to help unify married couples, so they could work together to “make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally”(The Family: A Proclamation to the World par. 1). We also explained that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained by God''(The Family: A Proclamation to the World. par. 1) and that because of it  we are blessed beyond measure when we wait to exercise those powers inside the bonds of marriage.  

The third thing we explained was that there is not one person for every person in the world, but that there are plenty of people with whom they are compatible with. This helped them understand that even though there may be two people that they like, they have the choice to choose from them. This also clarified the wrong idea the media has taught them to save themselves for the one. Instead, we taught them to save themselves for the person they choose to be with for the rest of their lives. 

The last thing we explained was that when we act on our desire for intimate relations it loses its value, that its purpose is of no use, and that the enjoyment that lasts only for a moment would  leave them in suffering and pain. We also explained that they, the people around them, and their possible offspring would hurt and suffer because of it. We  further explained that because God would still love them if they did so, the road to repentance would be hard but possible with the savior's help as they draw strength from him to overcome the hardships with it. 

Looking back, my husband and I realized that it was our forthrightness- honesty- that caught their attention and our earnest passion that held their interest. It was not a lesson that we studied and then taught. It was an earnest answer to their question that was based on facts and gospel truths that had been taught since before the proclamation of the world, and are now strengthened because of it. It was an important impromptu lesson that life taught us, and that we needed to teach them so that they could understand the sanctity of having intimate relations and why it is necessary to wait until marriage to do so. 

As parents we have learned that we have an obligation to our kids to teach them that chastity is a commandment that they must keep so when they are parents they must learn to be like our father in heaven, loving and omniscient, in order to understand him better and know his purpose for them in this life. There is no other way for them to comprehend the lord’s way than to be put in the position to do what the lord does: watch their sons and daughters make their own choices so they can learn from their mistakes; earnestly wait for them to come to them for help and guidance; love them unconditionally and be ready to forgive them anything as long as they come to us with a “broken heart and a contrite spirit”; and do all this with the knowledge that they will grow and progress and draw near to Christ during their trials and tribulations.

When my 17 year old senior came home speaking about how thankful she was to us for letting her know the importance about intimate relations and marriage because she finds and hears her friends talk about it as though there was nothing important about it, it warmed my heart and it gave me comfort and peace because I feel her testimony of the importance of abstaining and waiting until marriage. 

Teaching our kids that sexual relationships and marriage go hand in hand and to treat it with the reverence that it deserves has been a blessing to my oldest daughter and to us as she has navigated High School life throughout the years. So far, it has also blessed my other teenagers' lives as well and they look at dating as a way to find the person they want to choose for the rest of their life. 

 When my husband and I made the effort to talk to them and listen to them about these things, we made sure that we were earnest, forthright, and that they felt our love for them. We aimed to make them understand the purpose of dating, marriage, and the powers of procreation. We explained the reasons for each and why they all go hand in hand. We also taught them that the temptation is there and that it is sometimes too hard not to fall and that if they do fall, they will need to look to Christ for a remission of that sin so that they will not be weighed down by it. We also explained that we would love them either way and that the repentance process, although hard, it is possible through prayer and faith.

We have learned that instilling in them the true purpose of intimate relations inside the marriage and teaching them to obtain a testimony of the sanctity of marriage will strengthen them to live righteously, that it will help them know it  for themselves especially when they see and hear others not understand the true purpose of them, and that they will wait until marriage to have those important and intimate moments at the right time and for the right purpose. 

Masks, vaccines, and an official letter

  In response to a blog by Jeremy also known as Go-Go Goff titled “AN UNVACCINATED LATTER-DAY SAINTS’ RESPONSE TO THE FIRST PRESIDENCY URGING VACCINATIONS”, this blog will add testimony to the article’s point on temporal vs eternal, prayer, obedience, and consecration and sacrifice while expounding on the topics of following the prophet, prophetic counsel, personal revelation, apostasy, and the importance of agency in the plan of happiness. The purpose of this blog is neither to argue or to start contention but to shed some understanding on why certain members of the church have chosen to take a stand against the wearing of masks and vaccines, why they are not on the road to apostasy and how they are working to preserve everyone’s right to choose.  Ultimately, this blog, I hope, will inspire members to support and love one another through these perilous times that seem to have divided families and long-time friends that have nothing but the best intentions. All these differences of opinions should not drive us to contend with one another but to love each other now more than ever and exercise our agency to work together despite our different beliefs and respectfully and lovingly accept one another as Christ does. 

Temporal vs Eternal

It is clear that everywhere we look for peace and comfort there is nothing but fear-mongering propaganda whether it is to get or not get a vaccine. There are many strategies thrust upon us not just on a daily basis but on a minute-by-minute basis. I feel like I can’t get on the internet without hearing or reading about why I should not or should get the shot. Each person or person having good reasons for their arguments and each creating a sense of fear in some way or fashion. I do not feel that we should respond to such situations out of fear but rather use our common sense and our conscience— light of christ— and personal revelation when making such decisions. Knowing that my decisions and the way I decide to live my life transcends beyond this life helps me align my will to His and live accordingly, so that I may one day live with him again no matter what He wills me to do. I am at His beck and call, not the other way around, even if it means putting my own needs aside or my life on the line— whatever He wills— to help bring about His work. 

Praying with real intent

Just as Jeff says, “ real intent is praying with the intent to obey”( par. 4). It is important to recall that Joseph Smith prayed to God whether he should give the lost pages to Martin Harris with the intent to disobey even after God told him not several times, but persisted in asking until the Lord let Joseph have his way. It was not until after the disappearance of the translated pages that Joseph realized his folly and admitted that he had been wrong in asking the Lord for permission after being told no several times. The Lord rebukes him afterward and tells him that he shouldn’t have “…feared man more than God”(D&C 3:7). What can we learn from this? That at the end of the day he lets us choose so that we can learn for ourselves what we need to do. It also teaches us to lean not on our own understanding but in His. 

Yes, if we pray with the intent to obey then we will be assured or not. The key is to recognize how the Lord answers our prayers. We cannot expect to always hear a clear “no” or a clear “yes”. We can know when we are choosing the right when He speaks “peace to our minds”(D&C 6:23) and when He causes a “…burning feeling within you and feel that it is right” (D&C 9:8) about the choice we have taken. But when it is not right he will cause us to “have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong”(D&C 9:9). So, when we go to Him in prayer with the intention to obey we must also remember that no answer is not an answer. And if we are not getting an answer to our prayers then we must keep doing so until the Lord answers them in his own time.

Obedience

The very word obedience implies that we choose for ourselves to follow an authoritative figure. This means that when we do choose to obey it is because of our love of God and a commitment to his work. What we choose to do is ultimately our choice. The ways of the Lord are different than those of the world.  Forced obedience yields no blessings ( Scott, Richard. To Help a Loved One in Need. 1988). Why? Because he cannot bless us when we are unwilling to do something that we do not want to do. “ In order to claim certain blessings, obedience is certainly obligatory, but compliance is never mandatory—that is, forced.

Nothing is mandatory in this church. Free agency is a cardinal principle of obedience”(James E. Faust. The Abundant Life. 1985). Without free agency, obedience is nothing but force. And heavenly father does not want to force us. He wants us to come to him with contrite hearts to do what the spirit inspires us to do. He wants each individual to come to Him and seek guidance and not be peer pressured into doing something that we are unwilling to do. Patience is required from each member. Letting people come into their own knowledge of this new statement made by the presidency is vital. Obedience to get a vaccine or wear a mask is more than just going along with the prophet of this church or agreeing with others' preferences and views; it is a personal milestone. One which we cannot judge nor argue about because it is an individual and personal testimony.

Consecration and Sacrifice

Obedience must come from our desire to follow heavenly father wholeheartedly. I choose to follow the commandments and guidance that God and his mouthpiece have and continue to teach and which I have gained a testimony of my own.  When we chose to make covenants with the lord, we chose to consecrate and sacrifice to help with the work that He has planned and to help bring about the salvation of men. I do not wish to hurt someone’s testimony of God, His principles, nor his teachings because it is not my place nor is it the time to do so. These perilous times call for members all over the world to join together as one in love of the Lord and each other. These are the times when we really are needed to consecrate and sacrifice everything we have for the service of the Lord, especially to help one another to obtain and keep a strong testimony of the gospel so that we may stand stronger than ever against the evil around us; there is so much of it and the world does not need a church divided but a church full of love, compassion, and charity—true charity. 

Following the prophet

Yes, following the prophet does require that we put our faith in him. It requires us to submit our worries, fears, and reservations to the Lord. We do this when we seek personal guidance over the inspiration the president has received so that we may know it for ourselves as well. It is not a coincidence that Elder David Bednar has advised us to seek our own personal revelation about the statement made by the presidency. I am not disagreeing with the statement nor am I saying that the statement that the presidency has issued on the matter is wrong, but what I am saying is that as members we need to seek guidance from the holy ghost on this issue so that the Lord can witness unto each person the truth. It is not enough to just follow the prophet without making the effort to have personal revelation and guidance. 

Elder Waldo P. Call said, “Sometimes you may want proof of this doctrine or that saying of the prophet. Keep the commandments! Pray, walk-in righteousness, and through the Holy Spirit you can know by that sweet, calm feeling that it is true”(Follow the Prophets. Oct.1999). If we are doing this, then the Lord will surely witness unto you the truth. Because Moroni 10:5 tells us that “by the  power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” 

Prophetic Counsel

Prophetic counsel is the teaching of gospel principles such as the importance of family, studying the Book of Mormon, and living our lives. They “speak the words of God with plainness and boldness”(Robert D. Hales. April 1995). Prophetic counsel is “the prophet’s voice, while spoken kindly, will often be a voice asking us to change, to repent, and to return to the Lord. When correction is needed, let’s not delay”(Neil. L. Andersen. April 2018).

The counsel of a prophet will not always reflect our own ideas. On the contrary, it will challenge our own faith in him and the lord. It will definitely be the making of us if we will allow it. Of this very principle, we were alerted the very year that president Nelson was called to be our prophet. On the Saturday morning session of April 2018, Neil L. Andersen stated, “ these are moments of learning, of humility, when we go to our knees in prayer. We walk forward in faith, trusting in God, knowing that with time we will receive more spiritual clarity from our Heavenly Father.”

  One prophet described the incomparable gift of the Savior as “the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father. The surrender of our will to God’s will is, in fact, not surrender at all but the beginning of a glorious victory.” We cannot let the counsel of a prophet lead us away from the truths that have been testified to us by the spirit. Instead, we should ponder them in our hearts and minds; seek to learn the veracity of the prophet’s counsel and let their words strengthen us so that we may be able to lift and strengthen others”.

 We must remember that not all statements made by the prophet are prophetic counsel. Sometimes it is a formal request to all members, and sometimes it is just a public notice to let everyone else in the world know where the leaders of the church stand. Of course, they will never ask or tell the members what to do for they know that it is not their place. And they will tell you, as they have, to go learn these things for yourself. They will in fact enforce that we remain calm, peaceful, and law-abiding citizens so that we do not bring trouble to ourselves and to the church of Jesus Christ which is why they have chosen to make that statement about masks and vaccines. 

Apostasy and Agency

Yes, disobedience leads to apostasy. Disobedience to the commandments, the counsel of the prophet, and the disregarding of the whisperings of the Holy Ghost is a sure way of knowing that you are going down the road of apostasy like so many saints in Missouri did because they were negligent and did not do as the Lord commanded. And it is a sure sign of apostasy when people are talking against the prophet of the Lord. If you are instead always asking for guidance in what you do, and you are hard-nosed about listening not only with your ears but with your heart and are being guided by the spirit to not take the vaccine then you are not on the road to apostasy. You are simply different in the sense that you have a different path than others. BUT you must have the witness of the Holy Ghost otherwise you are being deceived, and it must be followed by a deep sense of gratitude and reverence of it and of the prophet, and not testify against the mouthpiece of God.  

It all comes down to agency and the things which God has called us as individuals to do. Not everyone has the same road plan. We know this because we all have different situations, perspectives, and because we were all given different talents. We are to use our agency not to just go and do whatever we like but to go and do what the Lord will have us do so that we may be in His service and in the service of our fellow beings. There are those who will use their agency to take care of the safety of others and there are those who will use their agency to make sure that people have a choice to do what they will with their bodies. None of these two people are WRONG. They are both standing for what is RIGHT. Agency is having the power to choose for oneself. God wants us to use it. He wants us to come to him and know how He wants us to help Him better serve the people around us. Agency is the most important part of the plan of salvation, for without it we would not have the ability to choose to serve God or how much. 

Using our agency to influence others to come to God with the help of the Holy Ghost is definitely a must, but using our agency to influence others to do as we do and think as we think is not. We must guide people and let them come to that knowledge for themselves. In that spirit, it is the same with the vaccines. People must come to that knowledge on their own. They must come to know where the Lord wants them to stand and what they are to do with their bodies. He will let them know which path to go not us because it must be our choice just as everything else in this life should be. Those who do not are not fighting against the ones that do or against the vaccine itself, but the forcing administration of them to everyone in the world. Knowing that the Lord would never force anyone to do anything and has given us our own agency to choose for ourselves should help people know that the Lord does not ever want governments to influence people’s decisions or force them to do anything they do not want to do. 

Conclusion: LOVE

The love we have for one another and God should lead our every action. We are in the latter days and we must act like the sons and daughters of God that we are. We must not bicker or even try to understand each other. We need to just love one another no matter where we stand because at the end of the day it is not each other we are fighting. We are fighting a war against Satan who has time in his favor. He has been battling for our souls with God since the inception of this world. He has the upper hand. Let us not give in to the little contentions here and there. Let’s instead plead unto God for more love, humility, and strength to overcome the evil around us. Let’s be united saints that stand in strong stakes and wards to call on the power of God to help us with all the monstrosities around us. At the end of the day, we are better together when we are one in purpose with God to bring the world His truth. That should be the focus of all of the saints’ lives.  Sorry if I sound preachy it is not my intention. :)

Check out the latest blog by Gogo Goff: Are You the Exception or Just Disobeying? 6 Ways to Know if You Are the Exception

References 

“ His Daily Guiding Light” by M. Joseph Brough,  April 2017

 “The Abundant Life” by James E. Faust, 1985

 Robert D. Hales.Hear the Prophet’s Voice and Obey