The Greatest Sacrifice (5/29/2009)

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him." (1 John 4:9)

Think for a moment about your most prized possession. It might be your car, house, an heirloom, a piece of jewelry, a musical instrument. Think of the ways this item serves you and enriches your life when you see it or use it. Now, imagine for a moment that you have a neighbor who has a debt that must be repaid or they will be thrown in jail. How willing would you be to exchange that object which you value so highly to help your neighbor? What if you knew that your neighbor would not fully appreciate what you had given up on their behalf? Would you still be willing to do it? I think that for most of us it would be difficult to make such a decision.

Our Father in Heaven did exactly this thing for us. He allowed the Son that He loves most to come here to Earth, to be tempted, ridiculed, and suffer in ways that most of us will never be able to imagine in order to make it possible for us to live with Him again one day. He did this, knowing that there would be those who would treat this sacrifice as though it were nothing. It was so important to Him to save us from the traps laid for us by the adversary, however, that He made this sacrifice willingly. I hope that we will work to show our gratitude for this gift by always striving to be obedient to His commandments.

The Link (5/28/2009)

This morning, I would like to share an anecdote related by President Hinckley:

"In the summer we lived on a farm. We had a little old tractor. There was a dead tree I wished to pull. I fastened one end of a chain to the tractor and the other end to the tree. As the tractor began to move, the tree shook a little, and then the chain broke. I looked at that broken link and wondered how it could have given way. I went to the hardware store and bought a repair link. I put it together again, but it was an awkward and ugly connection. The chain was never, never the same.

"As I sat in the celestial room of the temple pondering these things, I said to myself, 'Never permit yourself to become a weak link in the chain of your generations.'"

We live in a world where so many individuals live in the moment. Decisions are often made instantaneously with little or no regard to the potential long-term consequences that those choices might carry. As we make decisions on a daily basis - especially those choices that could impact our relationship with our Father in Heaven - I hope that we will take the time to consider how our choices will not just influence our lives, but the lives of those who come after us.

Agency (5/26/2009)

"I know that good and evil have come before all men; he that knoweth not good from evil is blameless; but he that knoweth good and evil, to him it is given according to his desires, whether he desireth good or evil, life or death, joy or remorse of conscience." (Alma 29:5)

One of the greatest gifts that has been given to us is our ability to choose for ourselves what we will make of our lives. Obviously our Father would love nothing more than for us to return to live with Him, but rather than forcing His will on us, He has instead given us the tools we need to learn how to return to Him. As we become acquainted with those tools, whether they be His words through the prophets in the scriptures or those who lead Christ's church today, we then choose whether we will follow Him or not.

Of course, our choices are not without consequence. As we choose to do those things that the Father asks of us, we will be blessed. Choosing to not follow, however, will lead to the remorse of which Alma speaks, and eventually to that spiritual death that will prevent us from returning to His presence. I hope that we will use this gift of agency wisely so that we can one day inherit all that the Father has promised us.

Sharing Happiness (5/22/2009)

The problem these days is there are too many of us trying to consume happiness rather than generate it... One wise man has said, 'Happiness adds and multiplies as we divide it with others.' (A. Nielen)" - President James E. Faust

I liked this quote that I recently heard from President Faust. It reminded me that the things I sow are the things I will harvest. If I plant peas, I can't very well expect to harvest corn this fall. Likewise, if I fail to share happiness with others, I can expect to receive little or no happiness in return. I hope that as we go through our lives daily, we will share the happiness that the Gospel brings into our lives with others. As we do, we will not only bless the lives of those around us, but we will see an increase of blessings in our lives as well.

Change (5/21/2009)

I am sure most of you are familiar with the adage that you can't ever go home. This was driven home to me last night as I took my son to a soccer game in the city where I grew up. He has been asking me questions about my youth lately, so I thought this would be a good chance to show him where I had grown up. Except for the fact that the church I attended has been torn down and a chapel following the design of most chapels in North America today has been put up in its place. And even though the mail box mounted on the wagon wheel is still there, the home where I spent my formative years is gone, replaced by a larger and newer home. And the fields I used to cut across to visit friends have been replaced by subdivisions. And the well with the water fountain that the nice people on the corner set up for kids to get a drink on their way to school has been capped. And to top it off, the marquee on the business where I held my first job announced that the mentary school is being razed and the children of North Ogden will attend a new school instead.

I guess the saying about not being able to go home can be explained by the adage that the only constant is change. Everything on this Earth will, at one point or another, be altered to meet the needs of the people living in that time and place. Perhaps that is why the Savior counseled us to "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven..." (Matthew 6:19-20) So perhaps the adage should be that change should be expected in this life, but the only true constants are our Father in Heaven and our Savior.