The Rank and File of the Church

My gospel study has led me in a round about way to a talk by President Boyd K. Packer entitled "A Tribute To The Rank and File of the Church".

Here is a quote from this talk:

Who would dare to say that angels do not now attend the rank and file of the Church who—

answer the calls to the mission fields,

teach the classes,

pay their tithes and offerings,

seek for the records of their forebears,

work in the temples,

raise their children in faith,

and have brought this work through 150 years?

Here is a link to the complete address.

Pres. Monson in Oct. 2011

1. As We Meet Again:
*suggestion- If you are able, contribute to the General Temple Patron Assistance Fund.


2. Dare to Stand Alone: (Priesthood session):
*We must conduct our lives so that we are ever worthy of the priesthood we bear.

*Please, before you put yourself and your priesthood in jeopardy by venturing into places or participating in activities which are not worthy of you or of that priesthood, pause to consider the consequences.

* Quoting Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley- “You cannot afford to do anything that would place a curtain between you and the ministering of angels in your behalf.

“You cannot be immoral in any sense. You cannot be dishonest. You cannot cheat or lie. You cannot take the name of God in vain or use filthy language and still have the right to the ministering of angels.”

*we must have our own testimony. Whether you are 12 or 112—or anywhere in between—you can know for yourself that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true. Read the Book of Mormon. Ponder its teachings. Ask Heavenly Father if it is true.

*Once we have a testimony, it is incumbent upon us to share that testimony with others.

*With all my heart and soul, I pray that every man who holds the priesthood will honor that priesthood and be true to the trust which was conveyed when it was conferred. May each of us who holds the priesthood of God know what he believes. May we ever be courageous and prepared to stand for what we believe, and if we must stand alone in the process, may we do so courageously, strengthened by the knowledge that in reality we are never alone when we stand with our Father in Heaven.


3. Stand in Holy Places:
*Our code of conduct is definitive; it is not negotiable. It is found not only in the Ten Commandments but also in the Sermon on the Mount, given to us by the Savior when He walked upon the earth.

*there is nothing which can bring more joy into our lives or more peace to our souls than the Spirit which can come to us as we follow the Savior and keep the commandments.

*We must be vigilant in a world which has moved so far from that which is spiritual. It is essential that we reject anything that does not conform to our standards, refusing in the process to surrender that which we desire most: eternal life in the kingdom of God.

*The storms will still beat at our doors from time to time, for they are an inescapable part of our existence in mortality. We, however, will be far better equipped to deal with them, to learn from them, and to overcome them if we have the gospel at our core and the love of the Savior in our hearts.

*it is necessary that we communicate with our Heavenly Father through prayer.

*Not a day has gone by that I have not communicated with my Father in Heaven through prayer. It is a relationship I cherish—one I would literally be lost without. If you do not now have such a relationship with your Father in Heaven, I urge you to work toward that goal.

*That remarkable experience (announcing Peter Mourik to speak at the temple dedication when he wasn't there.) has provided an undeniable witness to me of the importance of being worthy to receive such inspiration and then trusting it—and following it—when it comes.

*communication with our Father in Heaven—including our prayers to Him and His inspiration to us—is necessary in order for us to weather the storms and trials of life.

*may we remember the Lord’s precious promise to those who trust in Him: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

4. Until We Meet Again:

*I would ask once again that you would remember me and all the General Authorities in your prayers.

"I leave with you my witness and my testimony that God our Eternal Father lives and loves us. He is indeed our Father, and He is personal and real. May we realize and understand how close to us He is willing to come, how far He is willing to go to help us, how much He loves us, and how much He does and is willing to do for us."

As a Hen Gathereth her Chicks

I am reading in 3 Nephi right now. I am at the part where after many of the cities have been burned, buried, etc. there is a vaporous darkness. The people are howling and lamenting their dead. Then out of the darkness, Jesus speaks to them. Here is part of what He says:

3 Nephi 10:4
O ye people of these great cities which have fallen, who are descendants of Jacob, yea, who are of the house of Israel, how oft have I gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and have nourished you.

There are a few scriptures that the word "nourished" refers you to. This is one of them.

1 Nephi 17:3

And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them;

The reason these scriptures stand out to me so much is that it makes me think of the quote from Pres. Monson, from last general conference, that I just read again.

That quote and these scriptures all testify of God's great love for each of us and His willingness to help us. Even when we don't do what's right, if we repent and keep trying, He will keep coming back to help us.

Prayer Cycle

A few years back, a member of the Stake High Council, Br. Mayfield, spoke to our ward about prayer.

He talked about the cycle of getting answers to prayer that he said goes like this:
1- We have a need
2- We pray about that need
3- God answers that prayer
4- We thank Him
5- The cycle starts again


As I was reading in 3 Nephi, I realized that what the people were experiencing was a perfect example of this prayer cycle. There is one important aspect of prayer that needs to be added. That is that after we pray, we need to do all in our power first. Heavenly Father won't usually do something for us that we can do for ourselves.

There is a saying:
“Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.”
~St. Augustine
So here is the Answers to Prayer Cycle with the new addition:
1- We have a need
2- We pray about that need
3- We do our part to help bring about the answer and God answers that prayer
4- We thank Him
5- The cycle starts again

In this example from the scriptures, the people pray for deliverance from their enemies, then they work hard to prepare themselves, then God helps them to win their battles, and then they thank Him with all their hearts for His help.

3 Nephi 3:12,14 and 3 Nephi 4: 32 and 33

12 Now behold, this Lachoneus, the governor, was a just man, and could not be frightened by the demands and the threatenings of a robber; therefore he did not hearken to the epistle of Giddianhi, the governor of the robbers, but he did cause that his people should cry unto the Lord for strength against the time that the robbers should come down against them.

14 And he caused that fortifications should be built round about them, and the strength thereof should be exceedingly great. And he caused that armies, both of the Nephites and of the Lamanites, or of all them who were numbered among the Nephites, should be placed as guards round about to watch them, and to guard them from the robbers day and night.

31 And it came to pass that they did break forth, all as one, in singing, and praising their God for the great thing which he had done for them, in preserving them from falling into the hands of their enemies.

32 Yea, they did cry: Hosanna to the Most High God. And they did cry: Blessed be the name of the Lord God Almighty, the Most High God.

33 And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; and they knew it was because of their repentance and their humility that they had been delivered from an everlasting destruction.

Latest message from the prophet

I have a previous post that I started after the October 2011 conference was over that I just published. I wanted to call attention to something that Pres. Monson said in his parting message at General Conference. This is powerful.

I leave with you my witness and my testimony that God our Eternal Father lives and loves us. He is indeed our Father, and He is personal and real. May we realize and understand how close to us He is willing to come, how far He is willing to go to help us, how much He loves us, and how much He does and is willing to do for us.

October 2011