Saturday LDS General Conference Reflections- April 2013

I was blessed to be able to attend the Saturday A.M. and Priesthood sessions live in Salt Lake City which was a really wonderful experience. I watched the P.M session in a chapel in the Joseph Smith Memorial building which was a pretty good place to watch it as well

I really enjoyed conference immensely. First of all, the big news story of the day is of course that Sister Jean Stevens gave the closing prayer at the end of the Morning Session. Her prayer was sweet and the crowd in the conference center did not really react in any discernible way to the fact that a sister was giving the prayer. I was glad that she gave the prayer because there is no doctrinal reason for women not to pray.

Overall, I love how the church deals with controversy. They are willing to compromise on anything that is not viewed as essential to the Gospel while holding firm to the things that really matter. Since there was no reason for women not to pray in conference, the Church was eager to change. I’ve seen the same deftness and willingness to accommodate in the reaction to the election, Book of Mormon Musical and all sorts of other controversies. The church chooses its fights with care.

On the other hand, the biggest message for me of conference today is that while the Church will compromise on unessential things, it is firm and steadfast on matters of doctrine essential for salvation.

Indeed, practically every speaker spoke about how the Church’s standards are not the worlds standards and will not chance in response to public pressure or what is popular. So much of what was said today seemed to come as a direct response to the push for Gay Rights, Ordain Women Movement and, attack on the family in general. If anyone was looking for a softened of the Church’s position on homosexuality, this conference should clarify that on matters of morality the church is not going anywhere. 

President Packer started out the first session with an invocation of moral agency to overcome whatever temptations the adversary puts in our way. Elder Ballard clearly explained that doctrinally men are the ones given the priesthood authority even though all have access to priesthood power.Elder Bednar hit it out of the park with a wonderful talk explaining the doctrine behind the Law of Chastity. He powerfully decried sexual sin of all sorts and affirmed that our standards will not change even as the world shifts.

The Church has a single, undeviating standard of sexual morality, Elder Bednar explained. “Intimate relations are proper only between a man and a woman in the marriage relationship prescribed in God’s plan. Such relations are not merely a curiosity to be explored, an appetite to be satisfied, or a type of recreation or entertainment to be pursued selfishly. They are not a conquest to be achieved or simply an act to be performed. Rather, they are in mortality one of the ultimate expressions of our divine nature and potential and a way of strengthening emotional and spiritual bonds between husband and wife. We are agents are blessed with moral agency and are defined by our divine heritage as children of God — and not by sexual behaviors, contemporary attitudes or secular philosophies.”

 

In the priesthood session, Elder Hales spoke about the need to put on the whole armor of God as the mores of the world continue to drift from those of the church. He warned faithful members that we will likely face hatred, discrimination and even persecution as we continue to hold firm to the teachings of the savior. He compared those who speak out for truth in our day to the prophets of old including Nephi, Samuel and Lamanite and the Savior himself.

As I entered the vortex of discussion over Same Sex Marriage at the Supreme Court a few weeks ago, I began to seriously wonder if it was worth it to keep speaking out on these issues. I know that I have offended some with my words. While want to maintain friendships, I now realize more fully that I will not and can not compromise on this key issue. True friends would be friends even if we disagreed on a political or social issue.

I am proud of the leaders of the Church for clearly speaking out on topics of such moral importance and for waving a clear and undeviating standard even as the world’s standards continue to collapse.

Intersections: Voting and Revelation

So I want to direct everyones attention to a new blog on which I am a collaborator entitled intersections. It should be a pretty interesting blog and I am eager to interact with the other posters.

Anyways this is my first post from that site!

 

his is an extension of a piece that I previously published on my own blog. In that post, I wrote about my process of receiving revelation on whom to vote for in the 2012 elections.

I want to delve a little deeper into why voting for a seemingly secular decision is so critical.

I just recently stumbled across an absolutely fantastic quote by President Heber J. Grant about the importance of making voting decisions prayerfully.

“The Presidency of the Church, so far as they are concerned, allow every man, woman, and child who is old enough to vote, to vote according to his or her own conviction. But we do appeal to all men and women, realizing the responsibility resting upon them, to seek God our Heavenly Father to guide them politically as well as religiously; and to stand for right.

President Grant really beautifully articulates the point that I am trying to express. It is all right to have our own personal convictions and to vote based on them. Each of us enters into the elections with certain predilections, positions and even simple habits. These viewpoints are based on years of experience and often painstaking or even agonizing deliberation. The lord wants us to reason things out in our mind and to truly do the leg work. He does not expect laziness on our part. To merely be apathetic about politics and then expect the lord to give us answers when we go to the voting booth is contrary to the basic patterns of revelation described in the gospel.

Indeed, if we do so, we are as guilty as was Oliver Cowdery in the early days of the church: (D&C 9)

7 Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me.

8 But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.

9 But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong;

Therefore, in the gospel we have a strong incentive to study out the issues. Additionally, we are urged to seek knowledge with both our head and heart…That is both rationally and emotionally. If we focus purely on facts, we are going to miss the essential human element, while if we focus on emotional instinct purely, we are likely to be manipulated by forces beyond our control. Both of these elements must be in proper balance.

D&C 8:2—Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.

On the other hand, we are positively commanded throughout the scriptures to seek the lord out and pray to him in all of our doings and certainly in something as significant as the exercise of our opportunity to influence the future of the country.

“Alma 37:36 Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.

37 Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.”

In a talked entitled Agency or Inspiration, which was recently republished in a church magazine, Bruce R. Mckonkie lays out the tension between our personal agency and the injunction to seek revelation beautifully

“When we dwelt in the presence of God our Heavenly Father, we were endowed with agency. This gave us the opportunity, the privilege, to choose what we would do—to make a free, untrammeled choice. When father Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden he was given this same power, and we now possess it. We’re expected to use the gifts and talents and abilities, the sense and judgment and agency with which we are endowed.

But on the other hand we’re commanded to seek the Lord, to desire his Spirit, to get the spirit of revelation and inspiration in our lives. We come into the Church and a legal administrator places his hands upon our head and says, “Receive the Holy Ghost.” This gives us the gift of the Holy Ghost, which is the right to the constant companionship of that member of the Godhead, based on faithfulness.

And so we’re faced with two propositions. One is that we ought to be guided by the spirit of inspiration, the spirit of revelation. The other is that we’re here under a direction to use our agency, to determine what we ought to do on our own; and we need to strike a fine balance between these two, if we’re going to pursue a course that will give us joy, satisfaction, and peace in this life and lead to eternal reward in our Father’s kingdom.”

Again, another quote that I find incredibly lucid and powerful, in illustrating this principle this one from Elder M. Russell Ballard

““The civic duty of any Latter-day Saint, regardless of where they live, or including any county they may live in, is to be actively involved in the political process — meaning that they study the issues, they determine what the needs are as they see it, that they then use their freedom and their agency to vote according to their own conscience. It’s very important that good people everywhere are involved in this process.”

Indeed, it is absolutely essential that people of faith prayerfully seek to elect good leaders and defend their values.Brigham Young remarked, “No matter how good a government is, unless it is administered by righteous men, an evil government will be made of it.” (Journal of Discourses, 10:177.)

The Book of Mormon, as usual, is a very useful guidebook to help us understand how revelation and civic government should co-exist. In the Book of Mormon, seemingly secular decisions such as how to go to war or how to punish criminals are subjects of prayer and personal revelation from the lord. At one moment of particular peril described at the start of The Book of Third Nephi, the Nephites stood at the precipice of destruction by the Gadianton Robbers. In this time of peril, their leader Gidgiddoni turned to the lord and helped to save his people

“18 Now the chiefest among all the chief captains and the great commander of all the armies of the Nephites was appointed, and his name was Gidgiddoni.

19 Now it was the custom among all the Nephites to appoint for their chief captains, (save it were in their times of wickedness) some one that had the spirit of revelation and also prophecy; therefore, this Gidgiddoni was a great prophet among them, as also was the chief judge.

20 Now the people said unto Gidgiddoni: Pray unto the Lord, and let us go up upon the mountains and into the wilderness, that we may fall upon the robbers and destroy them in their own lands.

21 But Gidgiddoni saith unto them: The Lord forbid; for if we should go up against them the Lord would deliver us into their hands; therefore we will prepare ourselves in the center of our lands, and we will gather all our armies together, and we will not go against them, but we will wait till they shall come against us; therefore as the Lord liveth, if we do this he will deliver them into our hands.”

In another example, the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi were stuck between a rock and hard place. Their former nation stood ready to slaughter them, but they were afraid to seek refuge among the Nephites for fear that hatred and bitterness would still fill their hearts. This nation faced an awful dilemma and sure destruction. Yet, fortunately, these people of great faith were ready to turn to the lord and to his prophet for guidance.

Alma 27: 7 And Ammon said: I will go and inquire of the Lord, and if he say unto us, go down unto our brethren, will ye go?

8 And the king said unto him: Yea, if the Lord saith unto us go, we will go down unto our brethren…

10 But the king said unto him: Inquire of the Lord, and if he saith unto us go, we will go; otherwise we will perish in the land.

Indeed, sometimes we must feel like the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi. We are jaded by both political parties and the process on the whole. We are unsure if either party can truly offer us a better life or better opportunities! Yet, their example is inspiring to me precisely because they turned to the lord and were willing to have faith. They had faith that whatever the Lord would tell them would be right.

Sometimes, we may not really understand the revelation we receive from the Lord fully. We may wonder if his priorities and direction for us really are that important. Sometimes, the revelation we receive may go against our best judgments even when we study out the issues with our heart and mind. Yet, we must always be ready to follow the lord, for he is the ultimate decision maker and the true chief executive

To summarize how I understand the process of determining who to vote for, I believe that we must first do the hard work of researching the issues and thinking, deliberating and debating. We must think about the issues with both our head and or heart even though sometimes we will be unable to reconcile them immediately. We must then be humble enough to seek the lord’s advice and be ready to follow it.

The lord really does care how we exercise our franchise.. I testify that the lord does answer prayers even in regard to whom to vote for. As a recipient of such revelation, I am thankful to the Lord and I urge each person of faith to truly turn to the lord to confirm your voting decisions for the 2012 elections and beyond!,

Book of Mormon study journal # 5- 1 Nephi 1

1 Nephi 1 Begins with the famous declaration of Nephi that he was born of goodly parents. Even more interesting to me is the next portion of this verse which speaks about how Nephi saw many afflictions over the course of his life and yet was still highly favored of the lord in all my days

I have a great affinity to Nephi. Here at the latter end of his life, he is looking back on a life filled with much complexity. Certainly he had suffered much pain and heartbreak and also triumph and joy. He had seen, at least once, even his righteous parents complain and doubt and had seen his brothers plot to take his life. What is so admirable here is that despite all of that, Nephi is able to look at the good in his life and to declare that he was

favored of the lord in all my days

.

Serving the Lord truly has that effect on you! I found on my mission that hundreds of rejections and days of sorrow and discouragement were literally swept away by the positive feelings that came when people responded to the spirit. Darkness was turned to day as the spirit whispered peace and comfort to my soul and gave me confidence.

I remember one particular point on my mission where my companion and I had faced weeks of grueling rejections and investigators that kept ignoring us or just wanting to argue. One day we had three meetings in a row cancel. We were feeling really down. Yet, we prayed and decided to go out on the street and give finding a good shot. On that day we found one really wonderful investigator And in the subsequent days and weeks we found 3 investors who made great progress ( two of whom were baptized). The dejection of those weeks was swelled up by the joy we felt as these incredible sons and daughters of God drew closer to the lord !

1 Ne 1: 5

I love the process of revelation described here. Lehi heard the prophecies of his contemporaries and therefore he turns unto the lord desiring to truly know for himself…moreover, Lehi is described as praying with all of his heart on behalf of his people.

David A. Bednar had some great insights on this passage

We learn a vital lesson from the example of Lehi in the Book of Mormon. Lehi responded in faith to prophetic instruction and warnings concerning the destruction of Jerusalem. He then prayed unto the Lord “with all his heart, in behalf of his people” ( 1 Nephi 1:5; emphasis added). In answer to this fervent prayer, Lehi was blessed with a glorious vision of God and His Son and of the impending destruction of Jerusalem (see 1 Nephi 1:6–9, 13, 18). Consequently, Lehi rejoiced, and his whole heart was filled because of the things which the Lord had shown him (see 1 Nephi 1:15). Please note that the vision came in response to a prayer for others and not as a result of a request for personal edification or guidance.

Similarly President Uchtdorf has observed

It has been my experience that some of the most powerful promptings we receive are not only for our own benefit but also for the benefit of others. If we are thinking only of ourselves, we may miss some of the most powerful spiritual experiences and profound revelations of our lives.

On my mission I really found these statements to be true. As I lost myself in the service of others I gained incredible revelation for those that I taught and served and also for myself. Some of the deepest changes in perspective, testimony and understanding came almost imperceptibly as a result of passionate seeking and prayer on behalf of others.

The result of the prayer of Lehi was the salvation of his family… Yet this came about as Lehi was turned outward and trying to serve his people.

Lehi is shown the destruction of his people and the sorrow that is to come, but his response is typical of a true man of God.

14And it came to pass that when my father had read and seen many great and marvelous things, he did exclaim many things unto the Lord; such as: Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish!
15And after this manner was the language of my father in the praising of his God; for his soul did rejoice, and his whole heart was filled, because of the things which he had seen, yea, which the Lord had shown unto him.

May we too also praise the goodness of the lord even when we do not get exactly what we want. May we also have our soul rejoice and our whole heard be filled! And may we like Lehi go out and testify of what we feel and hear without fear!

Book of Mormon study journal #2-introduction

The introduction of the book of Mormon is a favorite section of mine and one That I used so many times while on my
Mission. It is a powerful statement that clearly explains why the book demands reader attention.

The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains, as does the Bible, the fulness of the everlasting gospel.

As I wrote in my last post, right out of the bat this book makes a very bold claim. It is not merely a theological tract or philosophical essay, but is in very fact holy scripture comparable to the bible. Not only that, but it contains the fullness of the gospel along with the Bible.

I often wondered what it means that the book of Mormon and the bible contain the fullness of the gospel. Certainly, not all doctrines are clearly taught in these works and some were withheld until our days, so what exactly does this mean. I had a lot of insights on this while on my mission. First of all, I think christs definition of his gospel in 3 Nephi 27 is really key.

13 Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you-that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me.
14 And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil-
15 And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works.
16 And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world.
17 And he that endureth not unto the end, the same is he that is also hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence they can no more return, because of the justice of the Father.

The third paragraph of the introduction here is also very illustrative

The crowning event recorded in the Book of Mormon is the personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ among the Nephites soon after his resurrection. It puts forth the doctrines of the gospel, outlines the plan of salvation, and tells men what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come.

The gospel here is defined very clearly as the core teachings that Christ came to the earth, was crucified and rose on the third day and that thanks to him all men may have eternal life. The book of Mormon and the bible lay bare the fact that Jesus is the only source and provider of salvation. It can be said that the fullness of the gospel can be found when the doctrine is clearly expounded so as to give us confidence in his saving grace and turn us towards him. Christ is the living Christ and in that sense no text or doctrine can be full if it is limited. Instead, the purpose of the scripture must be to turn us towards the Christ!

9 Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life.

This theme of looking to Christ in order to live us so clearly stated throughout the book of Mormon as to become almost it’s credo.

The introduction continues to again state that the book of Mormon was written by prophecy and revelation and through prophets. Thus, this book truly
can he said to have a divine pedigree. The 5th paragraph again emphasizes this when declaring that Joseph Smith translated them by the gift and power of god. Clearly no other explanation for the origin of the book of Mormon can be defended by members of the church.

Joseph smiths statement about the book of Mormon is one of the more controversial things in the book of Mormon, but I have a testimony that this is true and that a person will draw closer to god through consistent study of the book of Mormon. I saw this on my mission as investigators that studied the book of Mormon grew so much closer to god in remarkable ways!

Concerning this record the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”

The last two paragraphs are of course along with Moroni 10:3-5 the most common things used when introducing the Book of Mormon to an investigator this is a powerful and bold invitation to all men everywhere to read the book and not merely flip through it but to truly ponder it and then turn to
God in sincere prayer. Sadly, I saw that even though the way to know of the books truth is so simple many reject it precisely for that reason hardening their hearts and lacking confidence in god and his power.

Those that do gain a witness of the book of Mormon will know a few very key things as already mentioned. They will know that Jesus is the Christ, that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that the true church of Christ is on the earth today. When someone has that witness and keeps it through continued reading, prayer and sacrament attendance, trials
can and will come, but they will not be able to shake the convictions firmly planted in the soul by the Holy Ghost.

Happy Veterans Day!

Even though I am generally critical of most of the wars that America has fought in recent years, I want to make sure that our troops get treated with respect as heroes that risk their lives for their country. We should never let our politics get in the way of honor and respect. Moreover, we need to make sure that our soldiers are treated as heroes when they return and given proper health care, benefits and treatment. It is so sad to see war veteran homeless on the streets. How can we allow those that would risk their lives for our nation to end up begging for scrap on the street.

As hard as it can be at times, we must also pray on this day for the soldiers and the veterans of the nations that we have warred against and even those fighting for terror groups such as Al Queida. I am inspired by the myriad of examples in the Book of Mormon of prophets praying for the well being of their enemies. They are someones father, husband or brother as well.  It is when we dehumanize the foe that we end up compromising our most precious moral values.

Principles to Guide our Efforts as Member Missionaries

I was asked to be a team leader at the LDS education conference in Boston, MA this upcoming weekend. There will be over 600 people at the event at which Apostle M. Russell Ballard, Clayton Christensen and Jet Blue founder David Neeleman will be speaking

As a group leader I was asked to look at the principles that are being presented by the speakers and to think of ways to generate discussion within a group of ten.

I want to post a quick initial thought about each of the principles being presented by Clayton Christensen because I think he has pretty powerful thoughts.

1. We cannot predict — nor should we judge from appearance, language, or lifestyle — who, of all the people we might meet, is prepared to learn of the gospel. Only the Lord knows this.

I have found this principles to be far too true even in the limited time that I’ve been in the church. I could have never anticipated some of the powerful spiritual conversations I’ve had with certain friends I never would have imagined having that kind of connection with. I think that one of the best ways to live according this principle is not be ashamed to mention the role that church plays in our life even to people we think might react negatively. Facebook status updates play a great equalizer in our society in this regard. By being able to convey information to everyone at once we are able to open ourselves to conversations from sources we would not have anticipated.

 

2. Transforming our relationships with others into deeper friendships as a means of “preparing” them to receive our invitation is not only unnecessary — it often is deceitful. We can invite friends, neighbors, work associates, classmates, store clerks, and fellow travelers to learn. As long as we do so in an open, straightforward way in which they can feel our love for them, they will not be offended.

Indeed, I think it might be harder at times to share the gospel with very close friends out of fear of offending. I’ve had difficulty with this principle in my life, with some friends feeling like I am just getting closer to them in order to have gospel sharing opportunities. Its important to become friends with people because we value what they give to us and how they impact our lives in positive ways.

3. Most people who live in prosperous circumstances have a deeper need to give service than to receive help. We rarely connect with their needs when we suggest that the gospel will help them become better, happier people. But when we ask them to join with us as we serve others in the kingdom of God, it often fulfills an important need in their lives. Just as we feel the Spirit when serving the Lord, they can too — and some of them will realize that something important has been missing in their lives

This principle is one that I think we need to work on at the ward and stake level. We need more service opportunities that are not internal such as home or visiting teaching. I am currently called as an assistant secretary for the Elder’s Quorum trying to find some service opportunities for the Quorum to do as a whole because I think that service is such a bonding experience internally and an opportunity to reach out to others. While people enjoy being invited to social events, there is a deeper appeal to involving others in something that helps others. Of course, I wonder how this applies to college students since MOST of our friends at least are doing some kind of service already and perhaps more service than I am if I discount church related service and callings.

 

4. People can’t exercise their free agency if we do not give them the opportunity to choose the gospel. We therefore succeed as member missionaries when we invite. Those who we invite succeed when they use their agency to accept the gospel.

 

I’ve been very good at inviting people to come to church activities, not so good at getting them to meet with the missionaries or truly find out more about the church. I am sure there must be a better way to bridge the two. I recognize that for me this requires more asking. I learned this principle in another area in my life. I have been debating for four years now. I used to never have the guts to ask people to debate with me at tournaments and so always got stuck with whomever else had not been asked. This in turn lowered my reputation and made it harder for me in the future. This semester I broke that cycle by becoming much more aggressive in asking people to debate with me and it has led to much improved tournaments.

5. Most people — even those with graduate degrees from the best universities — don’t know how to pray or how to find answers to their questions in the scriptures. If we teach them how to do these things through “homework” assignments, the Holy Ghost and the Book of Mormon will do the “heavy lifting” of conversion.

 

I actually just had an eye opening conversation with a good friend of mine. He is an orthodox Jew that has studied theology and knows an immense amount about God in theory. He approached me with a bit of a crisis of faith moment. We had a lengthy conversation about how to know what is God’s will and what is our own desire imposed on the image of God ( a fascinating topic deserving greater exploration). At the end of the conversation I told him that in my view ultimately it was God that had to tell us these answers through conversation with him. He was a bit shocked by this concept. He told me that he could not ever remember asking God for an answer. He is someone that prays three times a day and often asks God for very specific things, but the notion of turning to God for answers or direction was totally foreign. It was like he had never thought of the possibility.

6. Things get done when we have deadlines. If we commit to God that we will find someone to introduce to the missionaries by a specific date, and if we take the commitment so seriously that we become desperate to find someone, then God knows He can trust us to invite him or her — and He will put someone in our path who will accept our invitation.

This is a principle I can improve on considerably. I know that I’ve found that when we pray for opportunities God gives them to us in abundance. What I have not done as much as I should is pray more specifically to be able to have someone meet the missionaries or to bring someone to the church. My prayers in this regard tend to be overly general and I think this dilutes their effectiveness.

Casting not away therefore my confidence

Cast Not Therefore Your Confidence Away

Elder Holland’s talk entitled Cast Not Therefore Your Confidence Away is one of my all time favorite talks because it’s scripturally deep as well as spiritually inspired. This week, this talk was incredibly relevant in my life.

I am a senior at Brandeis University and have been debating whether or not to graduate early ( in December) for a while. I originally came up with the idea because of the threat that my father would no longer support me if I were baptized into the church. I needed a way to minimize cost in order to be able to continue to afford studying. When my father moved to approve my decision that was no longer necessary. I suggested to him that I’d considered graduating early, and he actually became an advocate for the idea. I decided that graduating early would help me to get some work and save up some money in order to be able to contemplate serving a mission. A semester would cost 12,000 dollars and while I would not myself be getting all of that savings, having my father saving all of that would be beneficial.  I was very doubtful about my decision and the paper work for December graduation was due this Thursday.

Wednesday night I went to the temple and prayed about it. I often go to the Boston Temple with my questions and invariably leave with much clearer answers than when I came. I don’t even have to go into the temple to do baptisms, just coming and praying outside the temple has that effect on me. This decision had been torturing me for weeks, and on Wed. I got a fairly clear feeling that it was the correct decision. I experienced a pretty great comfort that things would work themselves out well

I put in the papers on Thursday early in the afternoon, and almost immediately got struck by the most severe and intense doubts.  Most frighteningly, I have been trying to be guided by the spirit in this decision and strongly felt what seemed to be spiritual promptings that I’d made a mistake. I literally had to summon the words of Elder Holland’s talk to my mind in order to make sense of it.

“But Moses’ message to you today is, “Don’t let your guard down.” Don’t assume that a great revelation, some marvelous illuminating moment, or the opening of an inspired path is the end of it. Remember, it isn’t over until it’s over. What happened to Moses next, after his revelatory moment, would be ludicrous if it were not so dangerous and so absolutely true to form. In an effort to continue his opposition, in his unfailing effort to get his licks in later if not sooner, Lucifer appeared and shouted in equal portions of anger and petulance after God had revealed himself to the prophet, saying, “Moses, worship me.” But Moses was not having it. He had just seen the real thing, and by comparison this sort of performance was pretty dismal.”

I sat in my car overwhelmed with a sense of anguish. I still had two hours to go ask them to remove my graduation form I thought to myself…It was then that I thought back on what I had felt the night before at the temple. I knew that whatever I felt there would not be deceptive but would be the real thing.

“Like Moses in his vision, there may come after the fact some competing doubts and some confusion, but they will pale when you measure them against the real thing. Remember the real thing. Remember how urgently you have needed help in earlier times and that you got it. The Red Sea will open to the honest seeker of revelation. The adversary does have power to hedge up the way, to marshal Pharaoh’s forces and dog our escape right to the water’s edge, but he can’t produce the real thing. He cannot conquer if we will it otherwise. “Exerting all [our] powers to call upon God,” the light will again come, the darkness will again retreat, the safety will again be sure.

As I waited and prayed, telling the darkness to dissipate from my mind, I was able to recapture the sense of calmness that I’d felt before. I was able to go into my apartment and do other things until it was too late to reconsider and my decision was final. It required an enormous amount of spiritual energy and power to resist the clouds that were hanging over me. I realized that they were certainly inspired by the adversary to confuse and distort my desires.

Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.

For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
. . .

. . . If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. . . .

. . . We are not of them who draw back unto perdition. [Hebrews 10:35–36, 38–39;]

Elder Hales on Secularism Part two of two

This is the second part of a two part post about Elder Hales talk on secularism:  I am going to talk a little bit about the end of Elder Hales talk which I think has a lot of potential but can be improved by a better understanding of what ultimately can be effective.

Elder Hales is better at the end of his talk when he simply invites people listening to : “Cultivate a diligent desire to know that God lives. This desire leads us to ponder on the things of heaven—to let the evidence of God all around us touch our hearts. With softened hearts we are prepared to heed the Savior’s call to “search the scriptures” and to humbly learn from them.”

Ultimately, cultivating this desire to know that God lives is the task of Latter Day Saints and all believers. We must present a belief structure that is interesting, enticing and ultimately something that others wish to be true.

When I was an atheist I believed that my atheism had three pillars. The first was the notion that we can understand the universe without a belief in deity—This pillar still holds as I think that we ultimately have come to the point where arguments from design and natural forces are equally persuadable and that we have to make the choice based on other factors. The second was that the nature of evil in the world made it more likely that a loving god did not exist ( Theodicy). The third was that belief in God actually caused more ill than god in the world and so I would rather that God did not exist.

It is not the first pillar that we should be attacking. The problem with Christianity is that it has been too concerned with trying to prove itself on the basis of evidence for creation. Karen Armstrong illustrates this point beautifully in her book “The Case for God.” Instead, what led me to believe again and what I think ultimately is most effective in getting people to seek God with humble hearts is to show them that faith in God can and does make people ultimately better, and that this world is consistent with a loving a merciful deity. Ultimately, the examples of scripture show that what is most vital in the search for God is a true desire to know that he is and that he lives. Arguments from design can at best lead to agnosticism and more and more often lead to atheism altogether. The more we understand about the natural world the less effective such tactics are and the more God becomes a God of the gaps.

“Gaining this knowledge is ultimately the quest of all God’s children on the earth. If you cannot remember believing in God or if you have ceased to believe or if you believe but without real conviction, I invite you to seek a testimony of God now. Do not be afraid of ridicule. The strength and peace that come from knowing God and having the comforting companionship of His Spirit will make your efforts eternally worthwhile.”

I think that this is a promising bit on enticement to prayer sincerely. Yet, Elder Hales does not seem to understand that the chief problem of those that do not believe is not that they are afraid of ridicule. Indeed, living in America means that one is more likely to be ridiculed for a lack of faith than faith. Instead, it is an inability to see how such language can be anything other than subjective. I think that there is a real need to emphasize why we believe that such prayer works.

Ultimately, a loving deity would want to communicate with his children in a way that cuts across language barriers and knowledge barriers alike. One should not require a theology degree or a PHD in astrophysics in order to be able to commune with deity. Prayer is thus a simple language that we can all cultivate regardless of our language of birth or our standing. For me, prayer is a great equalizer of all men before God. That is why I seek spiritual insight and tend to believe what I receive with all of my heart and soul. It is precisely the way that a deity that is no respecter of persons would communicate with us.

Elder Hales talk is ultimately a bit misguided. He does not seem to understand what leads people to lose faith or how to reach out to people in language that is inviting rather than shunning or antagonistic. I hope that our general authorities or the rising generation in the church learn to become better equipped in ways to more effectively reach out to those in doubt.