Our golden years and the secret of happiness.

(Talk to be given on Sunday 9/18/2013 at the Hollywood Hill ward, Bothell Stake)

When I was a boy my dad used to tell me "El secreto de la felicidad es el servicio" -- The secret of happiness is service.

I truly believe this. Throughout my life as I have met different people, I have noticed that those that feel empty or lack drive are usually people that are only thinking about themselves. That's the person that says "I wish I had friends". 

On the other hand, I have met people that are always happy. They are those that devote their lives to the service of others. They are focused on ways to make other people better. Their life is meaningful. They are happy when they work because they are contributing to the welfare of others. These are the people that say "I need to befriend my neighbor".

 After all, what are we here on Earth for?

Yesterday was a great and busy day for the members of the Bothell Stake as they celebrated the "Day of Service". I had the opportunity to see many of you serve in different ways. I truly saw a lot of happy people engaged in a good cause. I never saw anyone sad while they served. I did see a few tired people at the end of the day, but everyone was satisfied and happy with their efforts.

Now, I am not saying that serving is always easy. Sometimes it is challenging. I remember one story president Hinckley told us a few times (link):

As a new missionary serving in Preston, England, Elder Gordon B. Hinckley was facing a major trial in his life. He was sick when he arrived in the mission field, and he quickly became discouraged because of the opposition to the missionary work. At a time of deep frustration, Elder Hinckley wrote in a letter to his father that he felt he was wasting his time and his father’s money. A little while later, Elder Hinckley received a reply from his dad. It said, “Dear Gordon, I have your recent letter. I have only one suggestion: forget yourself and go to work.”

Earlier that morning during scripture study, Elder Hinckley had read in the Bible, “Whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it” (Mark 8:35).

“With my father’s letter in hand, I went into our bedroom in the house at 15 Wadham Road, where we lived, and got on my knees and made a pledge with the Lord. I covenanted that I would try to forget myself and lose myself in His service” (Ensign, July 1987, p. 7).

Today I want to talk about the "Full Time Senior Missionary" program. For those younger than forty years old.... please don't go to sleep. What I am about to share with you is very applicable to you as well. After all what better time to commit to serve a mission than now. Then you have more time to prepare yourself for it.

The way I see it, a senior mission is the Mormon version of retirement. ;-)  For those not familiar with it, it is a program whereby seniors (usually retired individuals) are called to serve a full time mission.

The missions can last 6, 12, 18 and 23 months.  For those married couples, they are both called to serve a mission together and are assigned as a companionship for the length of the mission.

To learn more about the program, I visited https://www.lds.org/callings/missionary/senior?lang=eng. I was planning to read a document quickly, but stuck around to watch the videos. I found them very inspiring and uplifting.

There are so many different types of missions all over the world, that it would not be fair to try to enumerate the different types of service here.  From serving as a health care professional in Denmark to serving in family history records preservation in Micronesia or serving at one of the many temples around the world. Looking at the list, I even found a mission for someone with background in petroleum reservoir engineering.  There are many missions, and I am sure there is one that matches your current talents or the talents you can develop. I think the only thing that is actually required to serve a mission is the desire to do so. In some situations, there are some missions that may not even require you to relocate.

Now, a bit of preparation is required. Note that the full time missionaries actually pay for their own expenses while they serve. It is truly a labor of love.  The cost ranges between about $1000 and $2500 for a couple leaving from the US. Coming to think of it, that is probably similar to the monthly expense for a senior couple living here in the US.

Brothers and sisters, I want you to consider a mission as one of the most important things you can do in your golden years.  Please realize that demands of senior missionaries are different from those of the young missionaries. Senior missionaries can keep in contact with their children and grandchildren through phone or Skype or any mode of communication they choose. Senior missionaries are not required to have the same schedule as the young missionaries either.

Let me give you an example close to home.

My in-laws live in Huntsville, Alabama.  My mother in law had spent the majority of her life taking care of her children and grandchildren. My father in law is a retired chemical engineer. They look like ordinary people, they are not wealthy but they enough for their needs. They were not in perfect health, but their health was good enough to serve -- my mother in law was struggling with diabetes at the time.

He and my mother decided to serve a mission. They were called to serve a full time mission in the Joseph Smith memorial building working in Temple Square -- they were going to serve a Family History mission, working as part of the indexing program. I was not there when they received their call, but my wife had the opportunity to be there and she remembers my father in law. She says that he looked like a 19 year old waiting to receive his call.

While they were on their mission we had an opportunity to drive to Salt Lake and spend a few days with them. I had never seen the version of my mother in law that I saw when we visited her at the time. I saw a woman who was 100% engaged in the service of her fellow beings. They lived in a tiny apartment close to temple square, but they loved their mission. They introduced us to many of their friends. We even had a chance to go to church with them on Sunday, where we had a chance to see so many senior missionaries. It was then that I realized that my in laws and all those other senior missionaries were no ordinary people, they were called to serve in the Lord's vineyard, They wore the name of Christ on their name tags, but also had the name of Christ written on their hearts. They were truly servants of the Lord.

Upon return from their mission, my mother in law has been struggling with cancer treatments. I truly believe that her health was prolonged so she could serve a mission. Also, they were a blessing not only to those on the other side of the veil and the people that they interacted with while on their mission, but to those of us who could see their service. They blessed their children and grandchildren. They set an example for their descendants.

Potential concerns related to serving a full time mission (link)

 (1) Finances: Any expenses over and beyond what would have been needed at home may be subsidized by children, friends, quorums, or by other members of the family.

(2) Fear: Mature missionaries need not fear tracting or learning a new language. Much can be contributed using talents already acquired. Missionaries can venture into another language situation knowing that they will learn what they need to know without demanding fluency of themselves. They will learn some of their mission language and find joy in using each new expression.

(3) Fitness: While a risk-free environment cannot be guaranteed either at home or in the mission field, appropriate provisions can be made for proper diet and exercise. Routine needs for physical care can generally be met in the mission field. In the event of an emergency, evacuation, if advisable, is possible.

(4) Families: Children and grandchildren of senior missionaries will be blessed because of their service. To a missionary the Lord provided this promise:

“Behold, you have had many afflictions because of your family; nevertheless, I will bless you and your family, yea, your little ones; and the day cometh that they will believe and know the truth and be one with you in my church” (D&C 31:2).

As those “little ones” pray for their missionary parents, they will be drawn toward the Lord as well as to parents or grandparents.

 From Doctrine and Covenants 4:

1 Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.

2 Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.

3 Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work; 

4 For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;

5 And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.

Let us take this invitation personally
Brothers and sisters, if you have a desire to serve ye are called to the work.

Brother and sisters, in the last few general conferences, there has been a pleading to hasten the work of salvation. We just heard about the change in minimum age for young missionaries to enter the mission fields. We have also heard many pleads for more senior missionaries.

I want you to consider this a personal call. Think: What can I do to hasten the work of salvation? If you are of age to serve a senior mission, I want you to consider serving a mission and have a good discussion with your Bishop. To your Bishop, I also ask him to invite you in person to serve a full time mission.
It may be possible or not for you to serve a full time mission, but we know for sure that it is possible to participate in some way in the hastening of the work and to support this work no matter the circumstances.

Actually, even if you don't have the desire to serve you are called to the work. Well, first you are called to get a desire to serve. :-) When I was a young man, a good stake president called me boldly to serve a mission. I still remember him. And I am grateful for his call. He truly understood the importance of serving. I am so grateful for his boldness and direction. He was unapologetic.

Let us all forget about ourselves, and commit now to serve a full time senior mission or to at least start preparing for it.

May the Lord bless you, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Home teaching and visiting teaching, ministering to the one.

(This talk will be given in the Bothell Ward on 8/18/2013.)

This is my first time talking in your ward. I recently became a member of the ward council, and during the last few months I have been able to see firsthand the love that the Stake Presidency has for each of you. They send their love to you, and they truly appreciate the your labor in the Lord's vineyard.

I have to admit that even though I was really excited to give a talk in your ward, when I heard that the topic of this Sunday was home-teaching / visiting-teaching, I had mixed feelings. I love the home teaching program, but that is one area where I always think I can improve. That said, I am grateful for the home-teaching and visiting-teaching program.

Even though I will refer to home teaching for most of this talk, as it is the program I am more familiar with, the same principles of love and service apply to visiting teachers.

For those of you reading this blog, who are not familiar with the concept of home teaching, in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the Bishop assigns home teachers to visit the members of the church every month. They go in pairs. Similarly, the visiting teachers is a Relief Society program where couples of sisters visit other sisters in the ward.

Home teaching is a blessing
Before I went on my mission, In the winter of 1997, I was a freshman at college in Minnesota. I was studying in my room, a bit worried about homework and tests I had in the next few days. I got a call. It was my home-teaching companion. He sounded pretty excited, he had set up some appointments for that evening and was checking if I could go home teaching with him. At first, I told him that I was really busy, that I had school work to attend to. "Ok"-- he said, "I may have to go by myself". "No, I will go with you" I told him, feeling a bit guilty -- I wasn't going to let him go by himself.

If I remember correctly, we visited two people. I don't remember what exactly we discussed with them. What I remember was the feeling I had while brother Johnson was driving me back to the college campus on that cold winter night in Minnesota. I felt that we were doing the right thing visiting those two individuals. Also, I remember thinking, that compared to my challenges, school work and all -- they were insignificant compared to the work we had just performed. The individuals we visited really needed the visit at the time.

When we home teach, we show our love for Heavenly Father
Later Day revelation describes some of the responsibilities of the priesthood:
" to teach, expound, exhort, baptize, and watch over the church; [...] And visit the house of each member, and exhort them to ^apray ^bvocally and in secret and attend to all ^cfamily duties. [...]The ^ateacher’s duty is to ^bwatch over the ^cchurch always, and be with and strengthen them;

And see that there is no iniquity in the church, neither ^ahardness with each other, neither lying, ^bbackbiting, nor ^cevil ^dspeaking; "
                                                            (D&C 20:42,47,53,54)

As you can see, home teaching is a direct application of this modern revelation. What I love about it, is that it is a way to minister to the individual, to put to practice the teachings of the Savior.

After his resurrection, the Lord appear to the disciples, and had this discussion with Peter:

15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, ^aFeed my sheep.

17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, ^aFeed my ^bsheep. 
                                                           (John 21: 15-17)

We express our love for Christ in the love and service we provide to our neighbor. The real quality home teacher is the one that becomes a friend to the family they are teaching. Home teaching is not a checkbox on our calendar, or an appointment. Home teaching is a relationship, it is friendship.

Great home teachers
As I was preparing this talk, I asked my wife whom she thought was the best home teacher we had had since we got married. She remembered one name in particular, and when I asked her why she thought this brother had been better than others, she said: "Because even after he was not our home teacher anymore, he always took the time to ask me how my family was and how I was doing".

That is the best home teacher, the friend that shows genuine love and cares about us.

Before the Bothell 3rd ward was divided, it was so large that it felt like someone was moving every weekend. I had the opportunity to see many committed home teachers go the extra mile to serve. There were times when those asking for help probably had not prepared as much as they should have before the day of the move. I remember two instances, one were the person moving had not really packed up as much as she should have. Another one were the person moving had not arranged the moving truck ahead of time and was several hours late. In such circumstances, it is easy to say "Well, I can only help for the next two or three hours, and then you are on your own". But in each of these situations I remember two home teachers being patient and loving to the person they were serving. They did not judge, they loved and served. I admire these two men who put others first, even though I am sure they had a lot of other obligations to worry about.

I know of many stories like this, and I myself have been the benefactor of friendship and service that home teachers can provide.  I moved myself about a year ago. And moving is something I don't want to do for the next 10 year or so. After all, if you have food storage, every time you move, you have to move all that food storage. Even though my family and I have been in the area for about 10 years, we are not from this area, and had little help in the terms of family help on the day of the move. I was a bit worried the day or two before the move. On the day of the move though, our home teachers and many other members of our ward family came to help. I remember brother Pope did not only come himself, but enlisted the help of many of the youth. I seldom ask for help, but I will be forever grateful for such manifestation of love.

But home teaching is more than coordinating a "moving crew". At times, home teachers bring the priesthood to many homes where it is not present. At other times, home teachers, help reinforce principles taught by parents. All the time, home teachers, invite the families to come to Christ.

Hastening the Work of Salvation
This year, we have seen a "hastening of the work". I am not a native English speaker, so I looked up "haste" in the dictionary.

Haste means "urgent need of quick action; a hurry or rush."

We have been reminded of the urgency to lengthen our stride in the work of the Lord. (link)

As part of this work, we need to share the gospel with our neighbors, open our mouths and share the gospel with everyone, be good examples. We need to work harder to nourish those new members, to make sure they have friends in our wards, to ensure that they are supported as they strive to live the commandments. We also need to minister to those that have fallen by the wayside. Home teaching plays an important role in each of these aspects, especially when home teaching less active or part member families.  Let us serve them and be patient.

Currently in the center of our dining table is a plant ("Marble Queen") that is growing happily there, and that looks like it is a bit too big for the size of the table. That was not always the case. You see, Amy, my wife, is a nurse by training. She also likes to garden. She is patient and likes to nurture to her plants. She is the person that goes to home depot and immediately goes to the clearance section where "half-dead" plants are sold at a discount. The "marble queen" on our dining room table, was one of those half dead plants.  Getting it to live required some water, a bit of nurturing (changing the pot, making sure it was not in direct sunlight, etc.), and quite a bit of patience. Most of all, it required a bit of faith and vision. What to me seemed like a "half dead" plant, to Amy was a beautiful plant that just requires some attention.

I think our Heavenly looks at us and sees many great souls that just require a bit of attention. He can see us for what we can become. He also knows that for us to grow, we need to learn to serve each other. Home teaching is a privilege, it is a blessing we have to be participants in the work of Salvation. I know that home teaching is an inspired program, and I say this in the name of Jesus the Christ, Amen.

---
Notes:

Other stories:
1. Even less actives members can help home teach.
2. Sister Madusca receive blessings of the temple thanks to home teachers.

The Sacred Nature of Parenthood and Priesthood

(I will be giving this talk in the North Creek Ward of the Bothell Stake on 6/16 -- Father's day)

In preparing for this talk I had the opportunity to watch two or three "Mormon messages" videos that the church has put out for people to see.

One caught my attention, is said that of "all titles of respect and honor, Deity has asked us to address him as Father". That is so overwhelming. By divine appointment, one day you finds yourself with a child (or many) on your arms. They are your responsibility. In great part, their future depends on you. They trust you, and expect you to just do your job and keep them safe and take care of. They grow, and even though they don't always understand why, you have to lead them on a safe path.

The catch is children are all different, and don't come with a  "User's manual". One of these days as I was coming home, I had a bit of an unusual situation. My children are generally good children. But this time one of them had a bit of a rough attitude. On the one hand I wanted to teach my child to be obedient -- on the other hand I did not want my child to suffer too much in the process of learning. Without giving too much detail, it suffices to say that this was a humbling experience that required me to find comfort in prayer.  I imagine there are many other fathers who have been in similar situations. I take some comfort in knowing that Heavenly Father has to deal with me, an imperfect child -- so He for sure knows how to help me out.

The first sentence in the Book of Mormon, where Nephi introduces himself says "I, Nephi, having been ^aborn of ^bgoodly ^cparents...". In the first few verses of the book of Mormon we learn about Lehi, who is struggling to:
1. Convince his wife and children that they have to leave their comfortable life in Jerusalem because he had a vision.
2. Physically move his family across the wilderness -- and he did not have a U-Haul. having had to move homes a little less than a year ago, let me tell you that  it is tough. At least I had help from other members, Lehi did not have such help.
3. Raise two stubborn children.
4. Having to comfort his wife who is concerned her children are lost, or that they will themselves perish in the wilderness.

Lehi is only one of those good parents that we learn about in the scriptures, but he was definitely a good man who was entrusted to lead his people to a safe place. And he is only one example of a great father in the scriptures. There are many more lessons on parenthood in the scriptures, to name a few:

1. The obedience of Abraham and the love he had for Isaac.
2. The love of Jacob for his children, especially Joseph.
3. The love Alma for his son, and the faith Alma had in his son.
4. We learn of Enos being influenced by the words of his father.
5. The love and mercy a father has for his children is shown in the parable of the prodigal son.
6. We learn of the love of Heavenly Father for His Son, and for each of us.

Today is father's day, and I find it a very humbling experience to talk about being a father, our roles and responsibilities -- because I am young and I still have a lot to learn.

Originally I thought I would provide fathers and future parents a list of responsibilities and go over each of them with perhaps a few scriptural references... but then I figured we would all get out of here realizing where we fall short and perhaps we would be a bit overwhelmed... and while that may be good for us, it is not kind thing to do to father's on Father's day.  :-)

Instead I figured I will be a bit more positive and give you the list of 5 things that I appreciate in my own earthly father or other fathers that I have seen. I, like Nephi was born with a good father. So, this talk is going to be a bit more personal than usual. I hope that's ok with you. My goal is not to boast, but those experiences are the closest ones to me.

So here we go, these are in no particular order.

1. A genuine desire in me and my interests.
When I was a teenager I liked to program computers. The task at time would be pretty technical and not too many people would understand it. While it would have been easy to dismiss my interest/talents as something too complicated to worry about it or not easily displayed (It is not a hobby like singing that is publicly displayed) -- my father always showed a genuine interest in what I was doing. He would find out what I was doing, and then he would ask additional questions so that he could have a general idea of the progress I was doing... and even if he did not understand every little detail, he would definitely try, and share my joys.

I recently saw this pattern when I was talking with my dad over Skype and Andres was building some Lego figures in front of the camera while I was talking with him. Andres left after a few minutes. When I was about to say "goodbye" to my dad -- he said "I noticed Andres built some thing, maybe he wanted to show it to me". I called my son and they had a good conversation on the different Lego spinjitzus...

My dad did not notice, but he re-taught me by example this very important lesson, to have a genuine desire in our children and their interests.

2. Time
One time for Christmas I got as a present a wooden tennis racket. Materially, it was not a very expensive gift, it was really the most basic racket -- That said, it has been one of the best presents I have ever received to date. The reason is that my dad then would take me to play Tennis on the weekends. The thing is neither of us knew how to play Tennis -- but we just kind of learned as we went a long. It was a great chance to spend time with my dad.

But time is not always just about recreational time.... my dad also took the time to check my homework every night. I know he was tired, and the process usually took between 30 minutes and an hour.

“Some of our most important choices concern family activities. Many breadwinners worry that their occupations leave too little time for their families. There is no easy formula for that contest of priorities. However, I have never known of a man who looked back on his working life and said, ‘I just didn’t spend enough time with my job’ ” (Dallin H. Oaks  “Good, Better, Best”).


3. An example of hard work and dedication.
My grandfather (my mom's dad) was a farmer. He would wake up some time around 4 o'clock in the morning to milk the cows. To be honest even though he invited me many times to join him, I never actually did wake up on time to take part of the experience. I regret that. I did, however, have the chance to join him in one of his tasks once. As part of the process of clearing some land, some of his workers had removed about a truckload of roots and bushes -- they looked mostly like roots to me and loaded a pick up truck with that. I thought it was all garbage that was to be disposed. That's not what my grandpa saw. He saw a business opportunity. We spent the next 3 hours or so finding a buyer for the wood. It turns out all that "garbage" could be used as fuel to make tortillas.

This is just an example... but I am grateful for the dedication of many parents, especially those that rise early so that they can work hard. For the youth, notice that I those extra sacrifices don't start once you join the labor force after your mission -- they start in your educational preparation today.

4. Love and respect for mom.
I never met paternal grandfather because he died before I was born. I do know that he used to call my grandma his princess. I know that because my father used to instruct us on the importance of showing love for your spouse. I am grateful for a father that treated his wife (my mother) with much love and respect.

In the proclamation to the world I says:
"Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed."

5. A servant of the Lord, both inside the walls of our home as well as outside.
My dad is a convert to the church, and from the moment he got baptized he served in many callings. He took them seriously, and worked hard at them. He did not just got to meetings, he served people. I know that because whenever he could, he would take me along. I had the chance to see him minister to the poor, to the afflicted both spiritually as well as temporally. He did not do it for the praise of man, because there was no one else there looking at his work.... my dad would constantly remind us that happiness was to be found in the service of others, a lesson he learned from his father.

Most important than what he said, was what he did. I lived with my father so I knew his challenges, his strengths and weaknesses. I also knew he was a worthy priesthood holder, and that was a great blessing for our home. In Guatemala, there is quite a bit of poverty, some of it would be impactful to some of you. The thing is, I noticed how my father treated everyone with the same level of dignity. He could talk to both the "uneducated" poor laborer who lived in a shack, as well as the wealthy individual. My father was raised in very humble circumstances, so maybe that had something to do with it. Either way, I was able to see the "priesthood" in action.

Earlier, I read that parents are to preside over their families in love and righteousness, what does this mean?
This is the area where I think some of us struggle a bit more. It is our responsibility to preside in the home. It is not our wive's responsibility to get family home evening going in our homes, or to get the family together for prayer.. it is our responsibility. Sometimes our dear sisters take on some of these responsibilities because we are not rising to the bar that has been set for us.
Note that we don't preside because we are the strongest, or oldest... but in love and righteousness... how do we do this?

From Doctrine and Covenants 121:

41 No ^apower or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the ^bpriesthood, only by ^cpersuasion, by ^dlong-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;

 42 By ^akindness, and pure ^bknowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the ^csoul without ^dhypocrisy, and without ^eguile—

 43 ^aReproving betimes with ^bsharpness, when ^cmoved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of ^dlove toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;

 44 That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of ^adeath.

...

 46 The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant ^acompanion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of ^brighteousness and truth; and thy ^cdominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.

 

 

I am grateful for having the privilege of being a father of two wonderful children and for the trust Heavenly Father has placed in me and my wife. I am also grateful for my dad, and his example. Ultimately I am grateful for the love Heavenly Father has for each of us individually. He knows us, loves us and has a genuine interest in our eternal progression. An while definitely overwhelming, what a privilege it is to share the title of Father with our God.

I say this in the name of Jesus-Christ, Amen.

Making good use of the gospel of good news

[April.21. 2013 -- Cottage Lake Ward, Bothell Stake - Washington]

So I recently got called to the high council in our Stake. That means that I will get the opportunity to give more talks. I figured I will write them down and post them to the blog. This will allow me to refer to them later on when I get older and who knows, maybe someone will benefit from the along the way.

I am deeply humbled to be speaking to you in this occasion.  This is a new experience for me. I just met with the high council for the first time a few weeks ago, and I am so new that I am barely learning the names of the members of the high council. I did notice though that there is a great deal of love and camaraderie between the members of the high council and the Stake presidency members. I am young, and I lack a lot of experience and wisdom. That said, I take comfort that the Lord will help me and fill the gaps needed for me to perform my duties.

I know many of the talks today have been about the great apostasy. A lot of the truths of the gospel were lost soon after Christ was crucified.  There was not prophet to lead Christ's Church, the priesthood was missing. There was no revelation of gospel truths.

I want you to think for a second what it would be like to live without the gospel?

These are a few things that I enumerated, and I want to point out that there are many around us who are still not reaping the benefits from the restoration.

1. No prophet receiving revelation at the head of the Church.
2. No revelation for the church.
3. No priesthood.

Paul explained to the Ephesians why we needed leaders called of God.

 11 And he ^agave some, ^bapostles; and some, ^cprophets; and some, ^devangelists; and some, ^epastors and ^fteachers;

 12 For the ^aperfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the ^bedifying of the body of Christ:

 13 Till we all come in the ^aunity of the faith, and of the ^bknowledge of the Son of God, unto a ^cperfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

 14 That we henceforth be no more ^achildren, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of ^bdoctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

 15 But speaking the ^atruth in love, may grow up into him in all things, ...

 

(http://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/eph/4.14-15?lang=eng)

We can see the world around us looking for happiness, but not finding it. We see men being carried about with every wind of doctrine. Some looking for happiness in wealth alone, some others looking for happiness in entertainment, some others looking for happiness in addictive substances, some others in immorality.... and the problem is that there is no lasting happiness to be found in any of these.

I generally think people have good desires. I think most people want to be happy. Who wouldn't want to be happy? The problem is that sometimes we either don't know where to find happiness (being carried by every wind of doctrine) - or - we just forget were to find happiness.

The restoration bring us the blessings of the gospel

When I was a missionary we used to recite the standard of truth:

“The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.” (History of the Church 4:540)

I loved reciting this, because it promised that nothing could stop the work of the Lord! It is our job to make sure the truth of God has sounded in every ear. It is also our job to heed to the truth of God.

We are very blessed with beautiful buildings and programs that make it easy for us to practice our beliefs. Most of us can just get in our cars and be in the church building in less than 30 minutes, or visit the Seattle Washington Temple in less than an hour drive. We even have parks were our youth can practice scouting and that serve as recreational activities, world-class welfare and humanitarian programs. We have a magnificent Seminary and Institute programs, and a very well developed family history program with comparison to none in the world. We even have a University!

I wonder what that would be like if you had been a pioneer crossing the plains, and had a vision of the growth of the Church in the latter days.

“The Prophet called on all who held the Priesthood to gather into the little log school house they had there. It was a small house, perhaps 14 feet square. But it held the whole of the Priesthood of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who were then in the town of Kirtland. … When we got together the Prophet called upon the Elders of Israel with him to bear testimony of this work. … When they got through the Prophet said, ‘Brethren, I have been very much edified and instructed in your testimonies here tonight, but I want to say to you before the Lord, that you know no more concerning the destinies of this Church and kingdom than a babe upon its mother’s lap. You don’t comprehend it.’ I was rather surprised. He said, ‘It is only a little handful of Priesthood you see here tonight, but this Church will fill North and South America—it will fill the world.’”⁵
(Wilford Woodruff, in Conference Report, Apr. 1898, p. 57;)

It is interesting, that few people really understood what the restoration of the gospel would really mean. We are surely blessed in our day!

Are we taking the gospel for granted?

Have you ever been on a long hike just to get to a point where you can finally drink some water? I tell you that water never tastes better.

We should always be thirsty for the blessings of the gospel. In my ward, there is a principles of the gospel class that is attended by those investigating the church and by new members. I love being there! The main reason is that I see the real desire of those new members and investigators to learn! The new members have just been through a lot of trials of their faith. Some of them have had to make huge changes in their lives, and their testimony has been growing tremendously. They are the best missionaries... not because they know all the doctrine, but because they have this fire within them! They have seen their lives transformed, and want to share the good news with their neighbors.

We should really learn from our new members. Sometimes, it is easy for us to get into the routine, and just take things for granted.

When I was 16 I had the opportunity to study in a new school in Norway. This school was located in a beautiful location in the middle of the Norwegian Fjords. The only problem is that the school was in the middle of the Norwegian Fjords. That meant that the closest church building was about 3 or 4 hours away one way by bus in Bergen; the trip was too expensive for me to make the trip to Church. Even though I had permission to bless my own sacrament, I still missed going to Church and being strengthened by other's testimonies.

For winter I had the chance to go to Oslo, and I made plans to visit the church building there. Since I was not very familiar with the area and wanted to make sure I did not get lost on Sunday, I made the trip to look for the church building the Thursday before. I still remember looking for the building and finally finding it. I was so excited! I remember the snow outside the building, and I got to the door just to find out it was closed. It did not matter, I knew I was standing on a sacred house. I remember looking inside the door, and seeing some family history announcements. I was so happy to know the work of the Lord was moving forward. :-) That was a simple, but very special experience for me. Not that the building itself was that different from any other building in the city, but it represented something that was hard to find in that area of the world.

A lot of sacrifice has gone for us to benefit from the blessings of the gospel
That period of time taught me to appreciate the blessings of the gospel. I am a convert to the Church so I don't have any stories about my great-great grandparents who crossed the plains. because they did not. :-)

My wife and I had a chance to visit some historic church sites right after we got married. She was living in Alabama, so we had to drive to BYU right after getting married. That was our short honey-moon. We got to stop in Nauvoo. Nauvoo, the beautiful, is indeed a beautiful place. I can imagine that the industrious saints were just getting comfortable there. They had just drained the swamps so that they could build and work the land, and had been building the gorgeous Nauvoo temple, when they persecution made them start their trek to the Rocky Mountains. This must have been hard for them. Even harder was the trek that was waiting for them.

Many died in the exodus to the Rockies. Many, including Joseph Smith, died before that, sealing with their blood their testimony of the divinity of this work.

The church today stands thanks to the selfless work of many generation of Latter Day Saints.

Living witnesses of the gospel.

Many, also have lived and live for the gospel. I am myself the beneficiary of many acts of charity. 
I am originally from Guatemala City. When I was a boy, my family listened to countless missionaries (we were active in the church for about 3yrs.) before we were baptized and confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. When I was a boy, our ward spanned some pretty poor areas of the city, that said members were loyal and willing. I often thought of the many missionaries that probably came from wealthy families in this country and had come to my country to walk among the Lamanites, and eat black beans. I was always grateful to the Elders and Sisters that taught us. Most of them never got to see the fruits of their labors, so they served selflessly to share the gospel with us.

There are many who give of themselves everyday, as living witnesses of the gospel. I am forever grateful for our bishops and their councilors. In Guatemala, when I was seminary age, our branch was not that large geographically or in the number of people in it. That meant that a few members had to serve in several capacities. Our branch president's wife was the seminary teacher. It was not very safe for the youth to be walking around the city around 5 o'clock in the morning so our young bishop would drive around picking up every one of the young men and young women that attended seminary. He was a humble servant of the Lord. I will forever be grateful to Presidente Alvarez for his humble service. He was already pretty busy with his calling, work, and raising a few children. Yet, he served us.

The gospel of good news is only good news if we do something about it
So we see the blessings of the gospel thanks to old generations, and the members of the church today.
But just like a good book, that is only good if we open it and read it -- we cannot make good use of the blessings of the gospel unless we do our part.

The words of our prophet and leaders can take a much higher level of meaning, if we prepare to listen to them. (Story about Elder Miller inviting me to listen to general conference messages)

The temple building is a beautiful monument, but it can be much more than a monument if we prepare to enter it's doors and then visit it regularly.

This church building is a comfortable building, but it can also be a place for us to learn, to share our testimonies and to strengthen Zion. It can be a place where we organize our service, it can be a place where we have spiritual experiences with our neighbors.

The scriptures when they are closed are a beautifully bound book. But when they are open, and when the pages get worn from study -- they become a channel for divine revelation and bring salvation unto our souls.

As it says in the introduction of the Book of Mormon:
"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."

 Brothers and Sisters, this is the Church of Jesus-Christ. He leads it. We have a living prophet today. The priesthood has been restored and is at hand to serve us and others around us. I know this is true. I also know that we will only benefit from these blessings in direct relationship to how seriously we take our relationship with Heavenly Father. It is my prayer that we will be thirsty to know His Will, and follow it. It is then that we will be told how we can contribute to build up the kingdom of God on Earth, and bring light into our souls, and into those of our neighbors.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Stand in Holy Places

 

Doctrine and Covenants 87 is a short section where there is a revelation of war and destruction, 7 verses are used to describe the horrible afflictions that would come to the Earth in the years to come, and then in the last verse there is a commandment:

“stand … in holy places, and be not moved.”^B

 

What does it mean to stand in holy places? Here is a list of holy places we should consider

1. The sacrament

“To worthily partake of the sacrament, we remember that we are renewing the covenant we made at baptism. For the sacrament to be a spiritually cleansing experience each week, we need to prepare ourselves before coming to sacrament meeting. We do this by deliberately leaving behind our daily work and recreation and letting go of worldly thoughts and concerns. As we do, we make room in our minds and hearts for the Holy Ghost.

Then we are prepared to ponder on the Atonement. More than just thinking about the facts of the Savior’s suffering and death, our pondering helps us to recognize that through the Savior’s sacrifice, we have the hope, opportunity, and strength to make real, heartfelt changes in our lives.

As we sing the sacrament hymn, participate in the sacrament prayers, and partake of the emblems of His flesh and blood, we prayerfully seek forgiveness for our sins and shortcomings. We think about the promises we made and kept during the previous week and make specific personal commitments to follow the Savior during the coming week.”¹

Our church meetings are a blessing to us.

Once I had the opportunity to spend a day with Carlos L. Astorga, who was then a mission president to the Guatemalan Quetzaltenango mission. As part of the daily duties we had a mission conference. The mission president brought boxes with books of Mormon copies which the missionaries distributed among themselves before heading back to each of their areas. As we were in the car to return to the mission home, the mission president wife noticed a missionary as he happily place the box in his back to start heading home. The missionaries in Guatemala usually are walking missionaries, they don’t use bikes or cars. Marlen, Carlos’ wife said a comment “that’s how you know the good missionaries”, and started to describe some of the sacrifices that the missionaries would make without complain. That reminded me of the sacrifice many indigenous people make to get to church in the Guatemalan highlands. A lot of the time they have to walk an hour or more to get to Church.

Let me tell you of a story when I was young man and was not able to attend church meetings while in Norway. The closest meeting house was 8 hours away from where we lived, and I did not have the money to make the 8 hours trip. So Sundays I would try to dress up a bit without having to attract too much attention, I would read my scriptures, at times I would go to the music room in the school and try to play a hymn or two (I was never very good in the piano). I also got permission to bless the sacrament, and partake of it – which I did in the only quiet place in the school where I could not be interrupted.

One time I had the chance to go to Oslo for Christmas, I made plans to go to church there. I did not want to miss the meeting, so I went a few days before Sunday to make sure I could find the building. I still remember my feelings when I saw the building, it was winter so the church ground were covered in snow. It was like a dream come true. The building was locked so I could not go in, yet I knew I was standing in a holy place. I prayed with gratitude for being there, even though at that time I could not go inside the building.

How do we show reverence at church? <Discussion, make sure to discuss reverence at sacrament and also during our class discussion>

2. The temple

“Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?
“He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart.” ⁸

“Worthiness to hold a temple recommend gives us the strength to keep our temple covenants. How do we personally gain that strength? We strive to obtain a testimony of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, the reality of the Atonement, and the truthfulness of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Restoration. We sustain our leaders, treat our families with kindness, stand as a witness of the Lord’s true Church, attend our Church meetings, honor our covenants, fulfill parental obligations, and live a virtuous life. You may say that sounds like just being a faithful Latter-day Saint! You are right. The standard for temple recommend holders is not too high for us to achieve. It is simply to faithfully live the gospel and follow the prophets.

Then, as endowed temple recommend holders, we establish patterns of Christlike living. These include obedience, making sacrifices to keep the commandments, loving one another, being chaste in thought and action, and giving of ourselves to build the kingdom of God. Through the Savior’s Atonement and by following these basic patterns of faithfulness, we receive “power from on high”⁹ to face the challenges of life. We need this divine power today more than ever. It is power we receive only through temple ordinances. I testify that the sacrifices we make to receive temple ordinances are worth every effort we can make.” (1)

3. Our homes: Reverence in our daily lives

Reverence is more than just being serious, it is about being serious about searching for and listening to the will of our father.

“Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me.” ^A

The Lord has promised to us:
“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.”^C

 

Experiences

Looking for a Church in Norway.

 

Talks

1. Coming to Ourselves: The Sacrament, the Temple, and Sacrifice in Service

References

A. Doctrine and Covenants 88:63.

B. Doctrine and Covenants 87:8.

C. Isaiah 41:10

A Word on Testimony

I just lost two hours of work due to my daughter messing with the computer… (Windows Live Writer should backup like MS Word does!). I am trying to be patient, it is hard… anyway, this reminds me of a story my dad told me when I was a kid. A man had been writing a book in the day when you did that with an ink pen. The man had a dog. When he finished writing the book, the man was really excited and told the dog. The dog got really excited and jumped on the table where the ink bottle was, the ink fell on top of the freshly written manuscript. The man looked at the table, cleaned it, threw the ruined pages away, got a set of new blank pages, and started writing again.

The bishop asked us to instruct our quorums on testimony. This lesson is based on a few talks.

Pure Testimony (M. Russell Ballard)
Testimony (Gordon B. Hinckley)
The Power of a Strong Testimony (Richard G. Scott)

What is testimony?

Bruce R. McConkie says that “A testimony of the gospel is the sure knowledge received by revelation from the Holy Ghost, of the divinity of the great latter-day work. […] Logic and reason lead truth seekers along the pat to a testimony, and they are aids in strengthening the revealed assurances of which a testimony is composed. But the actual sure knowledge which constitutes the testimony of Jesus  must come by the spirit of prophecy”

Since testimony is received by revelation, we usually feel something to be true. The promptings of the Holy Ghost are usually a “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:11-12) and not a bombastic event.

As Gordon B. Hinckley said:
“This thing which we call testimony is the great strength of the Church. It is the wellspring of faith and activity. It is difficult to explain. It is difficult to quantify. It is an elusive and mysterious thing, and yet it is as real and powerful as any force on the earth. The Lord described it when He spoke to Nicodemus and said, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). This thing which we call testimony is difficult to define, but its fruits are plainly evident. It is the Holy Spirit testifying through us.”

How do we gain a testimony?

President Hinckley said “We grow in faith and knowledge as we serve, as we study, as we pray.”

Moroni taught, “Faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.” (Ether 12:6)

Sometimes we have to have faith before we receive personal revelation. Sometimes we don’t receive a witness until we are committed. One example that I like to share is when I was a young man, trying to decide if I should go on a two year mission.  I had a full scholarship at well respected college here in the United States, I had a group of friends, and I was really enjoying my education. I was also pretty sure that if I continued my studies there I would end up landing a good job. During that first year of college, I felt that I had to “leave everything behind” and go on a mission. I struggled making this decision – and I was not fully convinced that was what I wanted to do – life was good.

Sometimes I would ask if I should go on my mission, and I would not receive a clear answer. It was not until I decided that I was really willing to put everything upon the altar that I received an answer to my prayer. You see I had to be willing to leave everything behind and then I received a testimony of what was the right thing to do. It does not mean that I necessarily wanted to leave everything, actually it was hard to leave the school  -- did I mention I got food for free at the college? :-) . Even though it was still a bit hard, I knew Heavenly Father’s will, and I knew that I was committed to follow His will.

Over time, it turned out that I enjoyed my mission, and that in the grand scheme of things, I gained a lot more than what I left. Let’s just say that the Lord works in mysterious ways.

Elder Richard G. Scott said:

Your testimony will be fortified as you exercise faith in Jesus Christ, in His teachings, and in His limitless power to accomplish what He has promised.² The key words are “exercise faith.” True faith has enormous power, but there are principles that must be followed to unleash that power. Moroni taught, “Faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.”³ That means you must practice the truth or principle you have faith in. As you live it consistently, there will come a witness of its truthfulness through the power of the Holy Ghost. It is often a feeling of peace. It could be a stirring within you. It might be evidenced by opening doors to other truths. As you patiently look for a confirmation, it will come. Recognize that the Lord will give you the capacity to understand and prove through personal experience the truthfulness of His teachings. He will confirm the certainty that His laws will produce the promised results when obeyed willingly and consistently.

A powerful testimony distills from quiet moments of prayer and pondering as you recognize the impressions that will accompany such effort. Humble, trusting prayer brings consolation, solace, comfort, direction, and peace the unworthy can never know.

Some truths regarding prayer may help you. The Lord will hear your prayers in time of need. He will invariably answer them. However, His answers will generally not come while you are on your knees praying, even when you may plead for an immediate response. There is a pattern that must be followed. You are asked to look for an answer to your prayers, then confirm that it is correct.⁴ Obey His counsel to “study it out in your mind.”⁵ Often you will think of a solution. Then seek confirmation that your answer is right. This help can come from prayer and from pondering the scriptures, at times by the intervention of others,⁶ or from your own capacity, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

At times the Lord will want you to proceed with trust before you receive a confirming answer. His answer generally comes as packets of help. As each piece is followed in faith, it will unite with others to give you the whole answer. This pattern requires the exercise of faith. While sometimes very hard, it results in significant personal growth. At times the Lord will give you an answer before you ask. This occurs when you are unaware of a danger or may be doing the wrong thing, trusting that it is correct.

 

What should we have a testimony of?

I think there are a few fundamental principles that we should seek a testimony of:

1. The nature of God as our Heavenly Father and our divine potential as His children.
2. The role of Jesus Christ as our Savior and Redeemer.
3. Heavenly Father’s plan for us. (Sometimes we refer to it as The plan of Happiness)
4. The first principles and ordinances of the gospel: Faith, Repentance, Baptism and the Gift of the Holy Ghost.
5. The Restoration of the Gospel in our day and the importance of Prophets to lead the Church. This includes a testimony of the Book of Mormon, and the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ through the prophet Joseph Smith.
6. We can receive a testimony of the importance of the commandments Heavenly Father gives us. 

In my personal opinion, these are the most important concepts we should seek a testimony for – simply because other things will fall in place once we have a testimony of these.

Sometimes people, in their desire to find common ground and amiability, prefer to not be very bold about their beliefs – and say that everyone is right in their beliefs. While we should be tolerant and respectful of other’s beliefs, our beliefs should be clear and our testimony well founded. For instance Christ is either the Savior of the world or He is not. The Book of Mormon is either a true book of revelation or it is not. We are either children of our Heavenly Father or we are not. We should seek for truth.

I am of the idea that we should not impose our beliefs on anyone, including our children. Instead it is our responsibility to guide them to search for truth, almost to struggle in finding truth – because it is then that they will gain their own testimony. But once it is gained, that sure knowledge cannot be easily removed from ones heart.

Sharing our Testimony

The first Sunday of the month we usually we have a “Fast and Testimony” meeting, meaning that we have a chance to share our testimony with the congregation. There are a few thing we must note.

Sharing our testimony is not simply stating what we are thankful for. There are many times when we take the opportunity to thanks others in the congregation for their support and/or even to describe the blessings we receive from our Heavenly Father. While those are nice heart warming stories, they do not constitute a testimony.

We should keep our testimonies brief during sacrament meeting. Our ward has over 900 people in record, and over 300 active. If we take 20 minutes to share our testimony, we may be taking the opportunity from others to share their testimony.

Also, our testimonies don’t need to be very elaborate. They can be simple. At the heart of it, you should ask yourself questions like: How do I know that I am child of my Heavenly Father? How do I know that Christ is my Savior? Do I really believe it? Why do I believe the Book of Mormon to be true? It is understandable that each us arrived at the answers to those questions in different ways. For some it may be a short experience, for some it may be a life long quest. If the time is not sufficient to share your experience – or if the experience is very personal – just state what you believe in, that is enough.

The most important sharing of our testimony usually should not happen at Church. In my experience, the most significant experiences when I have shared or listened to a testimony has happened at home, while I was talking to a friend or relative, or while sharing my beliefs with someone that wants to learn more about it.

We should look for opportunities to share our testimony with our children – but most importantly we should remember that our testimony is what drives our actions. And actions speak louder than words.

I give you my testimony that we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father. I know that this life is but a tiny spot in a long eternal plan that our Father has for us. He wants us to learn, He wants us to be happy. We are not perfect, we will fall short at times. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to help us. I know that Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. As I shared with you in the last few paragraphs, He has provided a way for us to receive personal revelation, and become witnesses and part of His labor of love. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

I am’ Luis and I am a Mormon

By Small and Simple Things are Great Things Brought to Pass (Alma 37:6-7)

We had the missionaries for dinner, and I was thinking about what to teach on tomorrow. After listening to them talk, I felt inspired to teach on the blessings and advantages of living a simple life.

Our high priest group is a great group of men, ranging from young parents like me, all the way to grandfathers, and great-grandfathers. I think most of us try to do our best to lead our lives in a way where we can do our best. That said, our lives are full of obligations and roles. We take care of our children and teach the young and old. When one of them is not following the right path, we suffer their encounter with the consequences of their action. We are husbands who want to provide our wives a good friend, time and a the means to support our homes. We are employees, and want to provide our employers fair labor in exchange for our salary. Those are just some of the ways we spend our time, then there are hundreds of other items in our TO DO lists, including callings and responsibilities at church, service in the community, sports and recreational activities, education and training,  physical maintenance of our homes, etcetera.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, who was an airplane pilot, compares our navigation through modern life to a flight (“Of things that matter most”, Oct. 2010). Sometimes in life we go through turbulence,  and it is bit disconcerting as our plane all of a sudden doesn’t feel so stable. Elder Uchtdorf explains that an experienced pilot know that there is an optimal speed at which you must enter turbulence. A lot of the time, that means reducing our speed. In life, we often need to do the same.

That may need to be counterintuitive, as what we usually do is push down the accelerator. If you are analytical like me, you are very tempted to write a long list with all items you need to do, prioritize them based on urgency, make them fit in the calendar and then start running.

But maybe we can be a bit wiser.

Here are 4 things that we can do to simplify our lives, or as Leonardo Da Vinci said “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”

Learn from nature.
My grandfather was a farmer. I was a city boy. He woke up at 4 or 5 AM every morning to milk his cows (earlier than I actually woke up when I went to visit him), worked hard during the day, and went early to bed. His example taught me the value of work. At the same time, he had a positive cool attitude to life. One time when I was in the fields helping him one evening, I remember a warm day, a sunset, and a breeze of moist air as it was about to rain. There was just something special about being out there that I did not experience in my city life.

I think that was a lesson, Christ himself shared explicitly with us (Matthew 6:28-34)

And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

I think Christ is not telling us not to worry at all about our work, or to be foolish and not plan for our future. I think he is telling us to take it easy, to work hard but, with a positive, faithful attitude – to put God first in our lives,

Focus on what matters most.
Elder Uchtdorf breaks these into: Our relationship with God, our relationship with our family, our relationship with our fellowman and our relationship with ourselves.

Are we in harmony with God? Do we have quality time with our family members?

How do you ensure you focus on what matters most? How can you get to have a quality conversation with your children? My kids are still young, so I don’t find it that complicated to get their attention as they generally don’t mind spending time with you. I imagine that as they age, and have more activities and “stuff going on” it becomes more challenging. For now, I enjoy putting them to sleep and talking with them for a few minutes before they go to bed. Also, I am trying to have a bit more 1:1 time with them as opposed to just spending time with both of them at the same time. That makes it easier to focus on them, and teach them at their level of comprehension.

Our wives need 1 on 1 time as well. That one is more challenging when you have small children, as that requires finding a baby-sitter. Going to the temple and going to the movies are some things we do as a couple when we get a baby sitter. That said, in retrospect, maybe doing something that allows more interaction may be better (i.e a dinner), or just going for a walk. Even grocery shopping can take a completely different perspective when there are no kids around. Either way, 1:1 time with your eternal companion is crucial.

Family home evening is a great time to spend with all the members of the family, share our testimonies, play together, and enjoy a more structured time when we can teach the members of the family. One thing I noticed is that in family home evening, children learn a lot because they get to participate in the teaching process.

Work? Work takes a significant amount of time. That’s how we provide for our families, that’s mostly how we contribute to the society we live in. We create services and products that benefit the human race. And we need to be honest in our dealing with our employer. Ever since the pioneers, hard work has permeated our religion. I was talking to the missionaries today, and remembered our schedule as missionaries. Complete focus work for 16 hours+ every day for 2 years, with no vacation. We are definitely taught to work hard, and we should! That said, we should do it with the right spirit – we should do it with love for our customers, we should do it because we serve others that way. Also, we should not forget our families and Heavenly Father. Sometimes we may need to choose between family and work advancement. Although, I think those should not be common positions to be in, if we work smart – they definitely come. Those decisions should be made with prayerful consideration, discussing with those involved (usually our wife and our children) and  with an understanding of our goal, and the time of the commitment.

When we work, we should treat our fellow beings (coworkers) with respect, and appreciation. They are our brothers and sisters, even if they don’t agree with us or the principles we live by. The principles of compassion, charity, love, humility and kindness can be shared with anyone, and sometimes we don’t have to utter a word to put those principles to practice.

The gospel is simple
When I served in Houston, I had the chance to teach many with little formal education. That doesn’t mean that they were not educated. They definitely understood the principles of the gospel deep in their heart. I have heard prayers with deep humility with very simple words. I have seen very simple acts of kindness that touch others. Some of my friends in Houston live simple lives where they just do what is right, even if some of them hardly know how to read.

Sometimes we complicate things a bit. But we are asked to master the basic principles: Faith and Repentance. We are told to develop a relationship with our Heavenly Father, and His Son. We can learn all we want about History of the Church (and we will surely learn a lot there), or get into polemic debates to which we don’t have a full understanding – but that is not what will save us. The two basic principles are Faith and Repentance. They will lead us to the saving ordinance that we need.

And behold, he that is faithful shall be made ruler over many things.

And again, I will give unto you a pattern in all things, that ye may not be deceived; for Satan is abroad in the land, and he goeth forth deceiving the nations—

Wherefore he that prayeth, whose spirit is contrite, the same is accepted of me if he obey mine ordinances.

(D&C 52: 13-15)

Let us follow the simple patterns of the Lord. Let’s be like the drip irrigation. That simple, they just drop a constant drop, but they are constant, and they are the source of water to beautiful fields. (http://lds.org/church/news/elder-david-a-bednar-teaches-about-the-spiritual-pattern-of-small-and-simple-things?lang=eng)