Mormon Musings

Being a member of the Church and holding the Priesthood will not get us anywhere unless we are worthy. The Lord has said that every blessing that we desire is predicated upon obedience to His commandments (D&C 130:20-21). We may deceive our neighbors, and we may deceive ourselves with the idea that we are going through all right, but unless we keep the commandments of our Heavenly Father, unless we bear worthily this holy Priesthood that is so precious, we will not find our place in the celestial kingdom... George Albert Smith, General Conference, April 1943

I will offer a word to all, whether they are mechanics or common laborers.  No matter what calling you may follow in life, you have need, at this juncture of your existence, to observe and treasure up one thing carefully and faithfully in your minds, namely, if you live a proper life before the Lord, you know that you have the fellowship of His Spirit, so that you know your prayers are heard and answered, because you receive the things you ask for.  If you live so as to always have the witness of the good Spirit, you will be saved today and every day, and thus it will be well with you.  But if you are heedless of this day, and calculate on tomorrow, you have no assurance that you will realize your hopes tomorrow.  The only certain stepping stone is...that you be faithful to your covenants with God and secure thereby the fellowship of the Spirit, and walk in the counsels of it today; if you do this, you will have the good that is for you tomorrow. Franklin D. Richards, Journal of Dis

There is not a man or woman in this congregation, or on the face of the earth, that has the privilege of the holy Gospel, and lives strictly to it , whom all hell can make unhappy.  You cannot make the man, woman or child unhappy who possesses the Spirit of the living God; unhappiness is caused by some other spirit. Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 3:343

If we live our religion, walk in the light of the Lord's countenance, day by day, so as to have fellowship with our Father and His Son Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Ghost, and with every good being in heaven and on earth, let me tell you that hell may spew and bellow, and the devils may howl, and they cannot scathe you and me any more than a few crickets.  But, to enjoy the protection of the Almighty, we have got to live our religion--to live so that we have the mind of Christ within us. Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 4:358

During a very difficult time, the Lord gave the sternest warning that I know of in all scripture. It had to do with the building of the Nauvoo Temple. The Saints knew from experience that to proceed to build a temple would bring terrible persecution, so they delayed. The Lord extended the time and said, 'If you do not these things at the end of the appointment ye shall be rejected as a church, with your dead, saith the Lord your God' (D&C 124:32). Often overlooked in that revelation is a marvelous promise: 'If my people will hearken unto my voice, and unto the voice of my servants whom I have appointed to lead my people, behold, verily I say unto you, they shall not be moved out of their place' (D&C 124:45). Remember this promise; hold onto it. It should be a great comfort to those struggling to keep a family together in a society increasingly indifferent to, and even hostile toward, those standards which are essential to a happy family. The promise is a restat

Obedience opens the door to the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. And the spiritual gifts and abilities activated by the power of the Holy Ghost enable us to avoid deception—and to see, to feel, to know, to understand, and to remember things as they really are. David A. Bednar ,  "Things as They Really Are" Church Educational System fireside for young adults, May 3, 2009

"[The] test [of life] is part of the purpose God had for us in the Creation. "The Prophet Joseph Smith gave us the Lord's description of the test we face. Our Heavenly Father created the world with His Son, Jesus Christ. We have these words to tell us about the purpose of the Creation: 'We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell; And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them' (Abraham 3:24-25). "So, the great test of life is to see whether we will hearken to and obey God's commands in the midst of the storms of life. It is not to endure storms, but to choose the right while they rage. And the tragedy of life is to fail in that test and so fail to qualify to return in glory to our heavenly home." Henry B. Eyring ,  "Spiritual Preparedness: Start Early and Be Steady," Ensign, Nov. 2005, 3

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Micah 6:8 Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work.  And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.  Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and the willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days. D&C 64:33-34

By President Gordon B. Hinckley Gordon B. Hinckley, "“If Ye Be Willing and Obedient”",  Liahona , June 1995, 3 Some time ago I stood in Trafalgar Square in London and looked up at the statue of Lord Nelson. At the base of the column are his words uttered on the morning of the Battle of Trafalgar: “England expects every man to do his duty.” Lord Nelson was killed on that historic day in 1805, as were many others; but England was saved as a nation, and Britain became an empire. The image of duty and obedience has been seriously tarnished since that time. This condition is not exactly new; it is as old as human history. Isaiah declared to ancient Israel: “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: “But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it” ( Isa. 1:19–20 ). I recall sitting in the Salt Lake Tabernacle when I was 14 or 15—up in the balcony right behind the clock—and hearing President Heber J.

I shall speak with authority of the Priesthood in the name of the Lord God, which shall prove a savor of life unto life, or of death unto death. . . . If you wish to go where God is, you must be like God, or possess the principles which God possesses, for if we are not drawing towards God in principle, we are going from Him and drawing towards the devil. . . . Search your hearts, and see if you are like God. I have searched mine, and feel to repent of all my sins. Joseph Smith, History of the Church,  4:588; paragraph divisions altered.

No month ever found me more busily engaged than November [1834]; but as my life consisted of activity and unyielding exertions, I made this my rule:  When the Lord commands, do it. Joseph Smith, History of the Church,  2:170.

 When obedience becomes our goal, it is no longer an irritation; instead of a stumbling block, it becomes a building block. …Obedience leads to true freedom. The more we obey revealed truth, the more we become liberated. President James E. Faust, Ensign, May 1999, p. 47

Discipleship is a journey. We need the refining lessons of the journey to craft our character and purify our hearts. By patiently walking in the path of discipleship, we demonstrate to ourselves the measure of our faith and our willingness to accept God’s will rather than ours. It is not enough merely to speak of Jesus Christ or proclaim that we are His disciples. It is not enough to surround ourselves with symbols of our religion. Discipleship is not a spectator sport. We cannot expect to experience the blessings of faith by standing inactive on the sidelines any more than we can experience the benefits of health by sitting on a sofa watching sporting events on television and giving advice to the athletes. And yet for some, “spectator discipleship” is a preferred if not a primary way of worshipping. Ours is not a secondhand religion. We cannot receive the blessings of the gospel merely by observing the good that others do. We need to get off the sidelines and practice what we preach.

"If you are faithful, the day will come when those deserving pioneers, whom you rightly praise, for having overcome the adversities in their wilderness trek, will instead praise you , for having made your way successfully through a desert of despair, for having passed through a cultural wilderness, and having kept the faith, for having been true to the faith. And yes, you will rightly go on praising them for what they did in their days, but one day, including some of your ancestors, [they] will praise you for having come safely home, through that cultural wilderness and that desert of despair. God bless you, in these your days! As those of us who love you and view you with a sense of anticipation are settled in our hearts and minds: You really are the Vanguard of those whom God promised to send in these the last days , of which I testify, as I encourage you to make of these days, "days never to be forgotten" in the history of the Church. And I do so in love, and as y

"When a person is placed in circumstances that he cannot possibly obtain one particle of anything to sustain life, it would then be his privilege to exercise faith in God to feed him, who might cause a raven to pick up a piece of dried meat from some quarter where there was plenty, and drop it over the famishing man. When I cannot feed myself through the means God has placed in my power, it is then time enough for him to exercise his providence in an unusual manner to administer to my wants. But while we can help ourselves, it is our duty to do so." Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young , p. 155 "If the Latter-day Saints will walk up to their privileges, and exercise faith in the name of Jesus Christ, and live in enjoyment of the fullness of the Holy Ghost constantly day by day, there is nothing on the face of the earth that they could ask for, that would not be given to them. The Lord is waiting to be very gracious unto his people, and to pour out upon them rich

"A great many good people, who possess much of the Spirit of the Lord are naturally given to doubting, having so little self-reliance that they sometimes doubt whether they are Saints in truth or not. These often doubt when they should not. So long as they are walking humbly before God, keeping his commandments, and observing his ordinances, feeling willing to give all for Christ, and do everything that will promote his Kingdom, they need never doubt, for the Spirit will testify to them whether they are of God or not." Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young , p. 155

The man who so walks in the light and wisdom and power of God, will at the last, by the very force of association, make the light and wisdom and power of God his own—weaving those bright rays into a chain divine, linking himself forever to God and God to him. This [is] the sum of Messiah’s mystic words, “Thou, Father, in me, and I in thee”—beyond this human greatness cannot achieve. B. H. Roberts, “Brigham Young: A Character Sketch,”  Improvement Era,  June 1903, 574.

"...see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order...And finally, I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them. But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not." Mosiah 4:27, 29-30

"Now those men, or those women, who know no more about the power of God, and the influences of the Holy Spirit, than to be led entirely by another person, suspending their own understanding, and pinning their faith upon another's sleeve, will never be capable of entering into the celestial glory, to be crowned as they anticipate; they will never be capable of becoming Gods.  They cannot rule themselves, to say nothing of ruling others, but they must be dictated to in every trifle, like a child.  They cannot control themselves in the least, but James, Peter, or somebody else must control them.  They never can become Gods, nor be crowned as rulers with glory, immortality and eternal lives.  They never can hold scepters of glory, majesty, and power in the celestial kingdom.  Who will?  Those who are valiant and inspired with the true independence of heaven, who will go forth boldly in the service of God, leaving others to do as they please, determined to do right, though all mank

The Spirit itself beareth witness to our spirit, that we are the children of God:  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if it so be that we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified together.  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:16-18 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive of those things which are prepared for those who love and fear God 1 Corinthians 2:9 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, not perceived by ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. Isaiah 64:4 For by my Spirit will I enlighten them, and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets of my will--yeah, even those things which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the hea