Remarks for Young Women in Excellence -- November 2007

I have done a lot of speaking in my day. I have lectured in graduate school courses, addressed conferences of hundreds, spoken at conventions and before groups of policy-makers and civic leaders in my professional life, but for some reason it is always an assignment to speak to the youth of the church that overwhelms me the most. I have been pondering why this is over the last week. I think, in part, it is that unlike these other forums, I feel that the standard for be interesting or amusing may be higher with young people – educators at a conference will listen to me drone on about legislative process very politely for quite awhile, teenagers do not always have that same reputation! But even more so, I think it is because I sense the importance of the responsibility of speaking to you.

I know that you face tough circumstances. I know that you are young and trying to find yourselves, making important decisions, and formulating your testimonies, and I feel immensely the need to actually say something that may be helpful to you that may touch your hearts. As I have thought and prayed about what to share with you tonight, I have been overwhelmed with a deep and abiding sense of the love that our Father in Heaven has for each of you, his daughters. I have felt impressed that nothing else I can say would be of more value than to let you know that in every possible way you truly are “daughters of a Heavenly Father who loves you.” I hope that you feel the reality of those words, no matter how often you may hear them.

I have done a lot of construction in my life. I know, my big muscles and strong physique would naturally lead you to assume that I spent my professional life in construction! Actually, I am far from professional. However, five years ago my husband and I bought a 70 year old home in need of some significant remodeling and restoration. We did not have a lot of money. But, we decided that two capable, college-educated people could figure out how to do basic home improvement projects on their own. I have come to believe whole-heartedly in the Home Depot slogan: “You Can Do It; We Can Help.” Despite Jeffrey not being a natural handy-man (he really isn’t), and my physical state at this time being 7 and 8 and 9 months pregnant, we managed to do demolition, move walls, lay tile, frame, sheetrock, tape and texture our basement, do basic plumbing, and paint and paint and paint. Through these experiences I have learned several lessons about construction that I think are equally valuable to building a life.

First, in life as in construction: “You Can Do It; We Can Help” or to be more accurate “You Will Do It; We Will Help.” From a broad perspective, as an active and committed member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you are part of the greatest construction project of all time: building the kingdom of God on Earth. You have been born at a time when there are great forces of evil, but when there is also great opportunity and blessings being poured out. Sometimes, I fear you hear too much about the wickedness of the world in which you live. Parents and leaders want so much to warn and protect you, that it would be possible at times to feel discouraged, even impotent in the face of the world in which you live. Maybe you have even wondered if it is worth trying, whether in the final winding up days of the earth it is worthwhile for you to plan and prepare for your own futures, as individuals, wives and mothers in Zion.

I love the response to similar concerns given by Elder Jeffrey Holland shortly after terrorist attacks in 2001. He quotes from three different modern prophets regarding the way that previous prophets looked forward to and rejoiced in our day and then summarizes as follows:

“They faced terribly difficult times and, for the most part, did not succeed in their dispensations…apostasy and destruction of one kind or another was the ultimate fate of every general dispensation we have ever had down through time. But…those great men and women, the leaders in those ages past, were able to keep going, to keep testifying, to keep trying to do their best, not because they knew that they would succeed but because they knew that you would. I believe they took courage and hope not so much from their own circumstances as from yours—a magnificent congregation of young [people] like you tonight gathered by the hundreds of thousands around the world in a determined effort to see the gospel prevail and triumph….Ours, not theirs, was the day that gave them “heavenly and joyful anticipations” and caused them to sing and prophesy of victory….In a very real way, their chance to consider themselves fully successful depends on our faithfulness and our victory.”
I love this concept. It creates a great sense of duty, but it also means that if we live up to our duty, if we fully embrace our responsibility as members of the Lord’s church, as Latter-day Saints in the truest sense of the word, we will not fail. We are part of something that we know in the end will be successful. No one else has ever had that sure knowledge, but we do. No matter how bad it gets around us, no matter how challenging our lives may become, our efforts to share and live the gospel will result in the eventual triumph of the Lord, not a falling away and great darkness. In short, You Can and Will Do It.
It would be really nice if my construction projects carried this same certainty of success, because there always seems to be a point about half-way through when I wonder what in the world I have done. Things always get messier and look worse halfway through than they did when you started. A room with a wall torn down, only partially rebuilt or a half-painted wall, or the exposed ceiling required to replace the electrical or plumbing system, always looks worse than what you started with.
There is a new show on the Home and Garden Channel (for which I am a real sucker – Jeffrey goes out of town, and my solace is non-stop HGTV in the evenings, somehow I feel less lonely when contemplating a home improvement project!) in any case, the show is called Carter Can! and the premise is that an expert, Carter, comes in to bail people out of the messes they have created by starting projects that they simply cannot finish. People on this show have ripped out their whole ceilings or taken off their whole roof and for 6 months, a year, two years later still cannot figure out how to get it back together. The interesting thing is that, without fail, their downfall is always that they have not thought through the project well enough in the beginning, they dove into it without an adequate plan for what they were trying to do.
Hence, my second lesson from construction is: have a plan.
This encompasses two of the other areas of competency that I found in studying the personal progress manual: developing an ability to set and achieve goals and focusing on the future. It is absolutely essential in life that you have clear vision of what you are trying to accomplish and goals to get you there.
Elder Holland has given you a big picture vision, but you need to figure out what that means your personal goals should be. There are several already emphasized in your personal progress and young women’s theme: being worthy to enter the temple, preparing the skills and personal attributes that will strengthen your future and present homes and families, and preparing for exaltation. Your personal commitment to these goals, the extent to which you make them your own personal goals, put them in your own words and tailor them to your own life and circumstances, is critical because they can give purpose to your daily, regular decisions.
In addition, you need to set personal, more short-term goals. These may be very measurable things like doing well in your school work, preparing to attend college, mastering a specific skill, or reaching out more to others. Often, the more important personal goals have to do with the development of who you are, and involve things like being more patient and loving in family interactions or being absolutely honest in your scholastic endeavors.
One of my most instructive personal experiences related to the power of goal setting occurred several years ago. It was early spring and for reasons still rather unknown to me, I decided to try to run a marathon. Now, to some of you this may not seem like that big of a deal. But, to me it was huge. Early in my life I had developed beliefs about my own aptitudes and strengths and any athletic ability was far at the bottom of the list. You need to understand that I was always the smart, ballet dancer girl who HATED gym class. I had a fear of balls and other objects being hurled at me in any sport; I got a side-ache when I ran, and I accounted myself of very little capability when it came to such activities. As I contemplated the prospect of running a marathon, I was more scarred than I have ever been about my potential to fail, because running seemed like something that I just could not do. Yet, that was part of the appeal. I had always set previous goals well within my comfort area. I was proud of my academic and creative accomplishments, but when I was completely honest with myself, I had only done what came easily to me. This did not feel easy.
In addition, to the prospect of actually running the over 26 miles on marathon day, I also had to successfully carry out the 16 week training program, and I was worried as a mother of a one year old, who worked part time, and had a multitude of responsibilities about whether I could really commit myself to training four or five days a week, often for several hours. Despite all this, I signed up and got into, and completed the St. George marathon. And, in the process I discovered that I loved running. That was the greatest thing of all. I not only met my goal, but I discovered that I could do something that I had always thought was beyond the realm of possibility for me, and even more, I discovered something that I really love.
In the process of working towards this goal, I learned several important lessons related to goal setting. First, having the big vision is not enough if you don’t break it down into a specific plan. Without my very prescribed training program, in which I trusted that if I completed it I could finish the race, I would have been at a loss as to how to prepare to do something so big and overwhelming. My training plan made it a possibility, but I had to abide by the daily goals, and often focus more on them than on the approaching “big race.”
Second, in the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not that the task itself has become easier, but that our ability to perform it has improved.” Nothing was more true than this in my training experience. My first five mile run was hard; I thought I would not finish at about mile four. Then, over time, as I continued to train, I found that a five miler was easy, in fact, I developed a belief that the perfect run is actually a ten miler. Who would have thought that I would enjoy and find a ten mile run easy! The distance and the complexity never changed, but I had.
Finally, attitude and thoughts make a big difference in getting to your goal. Positive thinking may seem trite, but nothing goes more slowly than a run in which you focus on how hot, and thirsty, and tired you are. I learned this best during the actual marathon. I had come up with this strategy that starting about half-way through the race I would dedicate each mile afterwards to someone important in my life and run that mile for them. This strategy made the miles fly. I ran a mile for my daughter. I thought about how much I loved her. I thought about the fact that one of the things I wanted her to gain from my experience was a knowledge that she could also do hard things. I focused on the lessons that could be taken away and the people I really cared about, and by holding in my mind the vision of what I was trying to do, the actual physical exertion required to do it seemed easy.
In constructing your life, set goals. Set big goals, set the goals you are afraid to set, because with effort, and vision, and consistent small accomplishments, you will reach them. In addition, remember that we are here on earth to become something, not to accomplish something. While you may DO a lot of worthwhile things in your life, in the end the races you run or the accomplishments you attain will matter little in comparison to the degree to which you have become a devoted disciple who has fully integrated the attributes of Christ into your very being. So, remember, that in the end what you are building is you. The only thing that you will take with you into the next life is what you have become and the relationships you have nurtured, so focus your goals on self-development. Your biggest success may be becoming a patient, loving, generous person. And, these goals require the same vision, consistent work, and ability to make easier that which now may seem impossible through regular, focused practice.
My third, and final, lesson from construction is: Don’t give up. As I mentioned before, in every construction project there is a point where I have wondered what I have gotten myself into. The small bathroom re-tiling project, often reveals rotting walls and plumbing leaks that also need to be replaced. Things get bigger or harder than they seemed when I commenced, and I can begin to question whether it was wise to undertake the project to begin with. Someone once told me, and I have found it to be true, that when you are doing a remodeling project you should decide how long it will take and how much it will cost, and then double it.
Similarly, in life, often when you have set a course, and are striving to a worthy goal, opposition will arise, challenges will come, and at times you may even question whether the goal was worthwhile to begin with, whether you are on the right path. My advice to you in such circumstances comes from the title of another talk by Elder Holland and the writings of the apostle Paul: Cast not therefore away your confidence.
In Hebrews 10:35-39, we read this counsel: “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise…we are not of them who draw back into perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”
Even when you have set good and righteous goals, even when you are living the gospel worthily in your life, hard times will come, unexpected events will unfold. You may righteously desire the blessings of marriage and family, and yet find that you remain single or without children for many years. You may long for opportunities to serve and develop yourself, and yet find that the doors you expected to open for you remain closed. You may long for your family members or friends to embrace and support your efforts to live and love the gospel, and yet you may continue to experience ridicule or rejection. In ways I am certain I cannot know or fully appreciate, you will find times when your goals seem out of reach. At such times, “cast not therefore away your confidence.” Remember, that it is after you have done the will of God that the promise will come.
In his talk by this title, Elder Holland relates the account of the Children of Israel who, after having been miraculously led out of Israel, find themselves on the borders of the Red Sea with nothing but water before them and the armies of Pharaoh pressing in behind them. We read in Exodus: “And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them, and they were sore afraid.” And they turned to Moses and said: “Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?...It had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.”
Elder Holland then says: “‘What about that which has already happened? What about the miracles that got you here? What about the frogs and the lice? What about the rod and the serpent, the river and the blood? What about the hail, the locusts, the fire, and the firstborn sons?’ How soon we forget. It would not have been better to stay and serve the Egyptians, and it is not better to remain outside the Church nor to reject a mission call nor to put off marriage and so on and so on forever. Of course our faith will be tested as we fight through these self-doubts and second thoughts. Some days we will be miraculously led out of Egypt – seemingly on our way – only to come to yet another confrontation, like all that water lying before us. At those times we must resist the temptation to panic and give up. At those times fear will be the strongest of the adversary’s weapons against us. ‘And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord…The Lord shall fight for you.’”
And so it is in our lives, the Lord will fight for us. One of the great lessons for overcoming challenges and opposition is to remember, as the Children of Israel failed to do, what we have known and experienced in the past. I was impressed that one of the competencies that you are encouraged to develop through the personal progress program is this very skill. You are to learn to reflect on your personal experiences and record your spiritual insights and blessings. The journal you keep will provide the text from which you will learn to recognize and trust the Lord’s hand in your life.

On a related note, remember that blessings and answers do not always come in the form you may expect. I love to think of Nephi. I have a suspicion that when he said so boldly to Lehi that he would “Go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded” that he may have expected things to go a little more smoothly when he encountered Laban. I expect that he thought that he would walk in, ask for the plates, and the Laban, under the influence of the Lord, would turn them over. He must have thought similarly, when he came up with the idea of buying the plates with his family’s wealth that now he had hit upon the answer. I doubt he expected to be chased by guards, his life threatened, and in the end to have to gain the plates through the sword. Moses expresses a sentiment that I think Nephi may have shared. After having gone to Pharoah asking him to let the children of Israel go, Pharaoh responds by increasing their burdens requiring them to now both collect the necessary straw and make the bricks that they were making before, and the children of Israel return to criticize Moses for only making matters worse. Moses then cries out to the Lord, “Why is it that thou hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.” (Exodus 5:22-23)

You may at times wonder with Moses “why?” Often this occurs when the promised blessings are longer in coming than we expect, remember all the miracles and experiences it took for Pharaoh to actually let the Children of Israel go or how many times Nephi tried and failed to get the plates from Laban before they were secured. Often blessings also come in a manner different than we would have predicted.

I learned this lesson, in part, at the birth of my oldest daughter, Mia. All of my life I had had a burning desire to further my education. I felt that it was important and essential in my life for me to gain as much skill and capability as I could. After years of study and preparation, of prayer and seeking, I thought I had settled on the right course for me. I had just been accepted into several of the top law schools in the country with joint programs in social work. My husband Jeffrey and I had visited Boston to look for housing, put down a deposit to secure my spot, and thought we were on the cusp of having our dreams of ivy league education and the opportunities it would open for both of us become a reality, when I discovered I was pregnant. At first, I thought I could still make it work, I called the school and had them arranging a field placement for me that would be front-loaded and complete before my November due date. I knew I could work it out. And, then, we thought about what we really wanted. When I called to turn down a scholarship and forfeit my deposit and Jeffrey told Harvard Law School to take him off their list, it was not easy. But, our willingness to sacrifice has literally led to every blessing we have in our lives today.

I can now see the wisdom and mercy of a Heavenly Father who knew, better than I did, what would make me happy. I rejoice in the options available to me, and a Heavenly Father that taught me that while I may be able to “have it all” in life, I don’t need to have it all at the same time.

Like Nephi and Moses, you too will be delivered. You will obtain the promised blessings. Your prayers will be heard and they will be answered. Perhaps not exactly when you think they will or in the manner you expect, but they will come. So, don’t give up.

I promise you that as you fully commit to living the gospel, set and strive for worthy goals, and persist throughout the obstacles and set-backs of life, that if you are observant, you will see the hand of the Lord manifest daily on your behalf. You will see your capacity to do good things for the right reasons increased beyond what you may now believe is possible. You will see miracles occur as the waters part before you, and you will realize your deepest, and most righteous desires in ways that you cannot fully comprehend now.

Remember, the Lord loves you. You are his daughter, and he has sent you forth at this time in life to succeed in becoming like he is, and in so doing building up the Kingdom of God on Earth. If you remember this and you integrate the lessons you are truly learning through this program, you cannot and will not fail.

Gaining a Personal Testimony -- given October 2007

In the April 2007 General Conference, Elder Glenn L. Pace of the Seventy gave a talk entitled: Do You Know? He opened with a story about a girl who was the only member of the church in her high school. He asked what the hardest thing about it was for her, and she responded, “believing something is true when everyone else believes it is false, and believing something is wrong when everyone else believes it is all right.” He then asked her in relation to the truth of the restored gospel the same question that he posed to all of us in his talk: Do you know?

This is the question that I want to explore in more detail today: Do you know? Do I know? Do each of us know for ourselves the truthfulness of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ?

The importance of knowing for one’s self, of gaining a personal witness or testimony of the truth, cannot be overstated. In our most recent General Conference, Elder Callister put it this way: “In the genius of the gospel plan, there ultimately only has to be one witness, but that witness must be you. The testimony of others may initiate and nourish the desire for faith and testimony, but eventually every individual must find out for himself… If you want to know that you know, a price must be paid. And you alone must pay that price. There are proxies for ordinances, but none for the acquisition of a testimony.”

President Hinckley has counseled us: “Every Latter-day Saint has the responsibility to know for himself or herself with a certainty beyond doubt that Jesus is the resurrected, living Son of God.”

Similarly, Elder Heber C. Kimball taught: “The time will come when no man nor woman will be able to endure on borrowed light. Each will have to be guided by the light within himself. If you do not have it, how can you stand?”

This principle is precisely what the Savior was teaching us in the parable of the 10 virgins: we cannot make it on borrowed light. At the end of the day, when our lives are over, when our testimonies are put to the test, and ultimately when the Savior returns – and the bridegroom cometh – there will be one test of whether we will be invited in, ready and able to attend the Lord’s feast, do we have our own light? Or, in Elder Pace’s words: Do we know?

Hence, the question “Do you know?” becomes a question of greatest eternal significance and worth our highest consideration.

To begin considering whether we know, I would ask you to ponder personally with me a series questions posed by Elder Richard G. Scott. He says, quote: “Honestly evaluate your personal life. How strong is your testimony? Is it truly a sustaining power in your life, or is it more a hope that what you have learned is true? Is it more than a vague belief that worthwhile concepts and patterns of life seem to be reasonable and logical? Such mental assent will not help you face the serious challenges that will inevitably come to you. Does your testimony guide you to correct decisions? To do so, fundamental truths must become part of the very fiber of your character. They must be an essential part of your being, more treasured than life itself.”

We each may find our testimony at various places throughout our lives. When you listened to Elder Scott’s words, did you wonder how strong your testimony really is? Did you recognize that there is more you need to do? Did you feel that your testimony is firm, but worry about keeping it that way into the future? Did you even wonder if you even have a testimony at all? Wherever your personal, honest assessment places you along this continuum, the eternal importance of obtaining or strengthening your testimony applies to you.

Having studied this topic, I have found that the pattern for gaining and the pattern for maintaining a testimony are the same. Testimonies are very personal, so the life experiences and personal revelation that are part of an individual’s process of gaining a testimony will differ, but the steps that must be gone through to acquire and strengthen a testimony are universal.

These steps are most eloquently set forth in the seminal address on this topic given by Alma. In Alma Chapter 32, Alma compares the word of God, or the truth, to a seed.

First Alma says one must desire to know.

“If ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.”

Desire is a critical element because, as Alma says, it helps to provide a place in which a testimony can grow. Alma’s agricultural metaphor is very instructive. It is easy to understand why ground that is completely overrun with other plants and weeds and has no available room would not be a conducive place to plant a fragile, tiny seed. Similarly, the hardened, closed, or even distracted person who does not have enough of a desire to know the truth to make room for it within, will never be able to effectively nourish a testimony.

Second, once a sincere desire is present, the next step is to “exercise faith.”

Faith is the first principle of the gospel and the first principle of testimony because it helps us move from the condition of not knowing to knowing. As Alma states: “faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore, if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.” So it is with each of us, in the beginning there is always something we do not know, some matter upon which our knowledge is not perfect, but with faith we engage in the necessary actions required to test whether it is true. As Alma says, this exercise of faith is like planting a seed. We may not be certain that a seed will actually grow into a plant, particularly if we have never planted one before, or we may not be certain of what type of plant may be produced from the seed we have. Other people may be able to tell us that they have seen seeds grow into plants, but initially we must hope that the seed will actually grow and believe in it enough to decide to try planting it. Similarly, with gospel truth, we can listen to the witnesses of others and we can trust in them some, but in the end we have to exercise sufficient faith in the truthfulness of their words to try them out for ourselves if we are ever going to gain a testimony.

Once we are ready to, as Alma says, “plant the seed,” or test the word of God in our lives, we must understand the full meaning of what Alma means when he instructs us to “plant the seed.”

Just as a seed could not grow if we placed it in dirt and then hid it in the basement for two weeks, but must receive water and sunlight and nourishment to begin to sprout, so it is with our testimonies. Interestingly, Christ himself taught us in metaphor that he is both “the light of the world” and “living water.” The two life-sustaining, absolutely essential elements to life and growth of a testimony are literally the light and water referenced by the Savior.

How do we access the life-sustaining and enlightening power of Christ? The two primary methods are prayer and scripture study. After this discourse of Alma’s that we are presently discussing was delivered, many of the people present did not fully understand how they were to go about this process of planting the word in their lives. Alma then gave more specific instructions on how this was to be accomplished, admonishing the people to: pray in all circumstances, read and understand the scriptures, and believe in the Son of God (Alma 33).

Through prayer, we, like a plant, turn towards the source of light, draw near unto it, and are promised that He will then “draw near unto us.” We seek guidance and inspiration through this method of direct communication with Deity in the name of the Son, and enlightenment is promised. Our prayers to know must be sincere; they must be intent; they cannot be formulaic or rote. Like Enos, we must “wrestle” before the Lord, denoting a deep, soul-wrenching intensity. Elder Eyring has also taught that prayer that leads to a knowledge of truth must include a humble intention to obey the direction that comes.

We drink deeply and thoroughly of living waters and feast on the nutrient rich word of God through scripture study. It is here that we can gain substance and nutrients necessary for strength.

If we want to know, if the gospel is true, if the Book of Mormon is the word of God, if Joseph Smith was a prophet, if Christ is truly our redeemer, the one and only source of this information, the essential element is a study of the scriptures themselves which witness to each of these points.

Elder Eyring has promised: “The Spirit will testify the truth to [your] hearts every time [you read] in the scriptures which came to us through the Prophet Joseph Smith. And the Spirit will confirm again that God spoke through His prophet…ponder the scriptures every day, with faith that [you] will be taught by the Spirit….You…will receive the word of God by obeying it.”

Third, once the seed is fully planted and receiving the necessary nourishment, then the next step is to observe.

Alma says: “the [good] seed swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow.” We are taught in scripture that we can recognize that which is good by looking at the fruit it brings forth and that that which inviteth and enticeth to do good is of Christ. Similarly, we must be observant to the result of prayerful study and searching of the gospel in our lives. What are the feelings that come? What sort of changes do we begin to see in our lives, are they good? Do we feel enlarged? Alma says we may say that the principle or truth we have made room for in our hearts, “beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it enlighteneth my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.” Through these signs we can recognize truth.”

As we work to develop our testimonies, it is important to be clear about how we can expect to gain the answers we are seeking. Sometimes we can question our testimonies or fail to recognize them because we expect to get answers in ways they are unlikely to come. We may try to reason everything out in our minds or wait for a new and dramatic witness. However, the witness of truth, particularly as related to God the Father and Jesus Christ, is always the Holy Ghost. It is through the whisperings of the spirit that we will come to know truth. Therefore, we can expect to know through both quiet and poignant feelings of peace, comfort, enlightenment, and joy.

In a 1988 address entitled The Soil and Roots of Testimony Elder John Carmack, taught: “Testimony isn’t achieved by logic and study….I don’t believe it was ever intended that the gospel be proven true by physical or documentary evidence acceptable to all. In this life, the believer must come to his witness by faith, not by logic and proof alone.”

Shortly after Jeffrey was baptized, I had a time when I questioned the strength of my testimony. I had watched his testimony grow. I had seen it change his life, but for me I had not had any similar, defining single moment in my own life when my testimony was obtained. I began to wonder whether I really knew for myself, or whether I simply had been taught something all my life and believed it because my parents believed it. It seemed like many people could point to one time, a defining moment as a missionary, convert, or in personal study, when they knew that they knew. As I searched for answers to the question of whether I really knew, part of the answer I needed came from the teachings of the prophet David O. McKay. President McKay relates the following about his own experience discovering his testimony:

“Somehow in my youth I got the idea that we could not get a testimony unless we had some manifestation. I read of the first vision of the Prophet Joseph Smith…I heard my father’s testimony of a voice that had come to him, and somehow I received the impression that that was the source of all testimony. I hungered for it; I felt that if I could gain a testimony, all else would indeed seem insignificant….I remember riding over the hills of Huntsville one afternoon, thinking of these things and concluding that there in the silence of the hills was the best place to get that testimony. I stopped my horse, threw the reins over his head, withdrew just a few steps, and knelt by the side of a tree…. I knelt down and with all the fervor of my heart poured out my soul to God and asked him for a testimony of this gospel. I had in mind that there would be some manifestation; that I should receive some transformation that would leave me absolutely without doubt. I got up, mounted my horse, and as he started over the trail, I remember rather introspectively searching myself and involuntarily shaking my head, saying to myself, ‘No, sir, there is no change; I am just the same boy I was before I knelt down.’ The anticipated manifestation had not come….” President McKay then goes on to say the sure, undisputable testimony he sought as a boy did come, but it came over time and as the result of years of living the gospel and doing his duty.

Reading President McKay’s account at that time filled me with a reassurance. If a prophet of God’s testimony was gained over time, not in a single miraculous moment, mine could and would be too. Knowing that the Lord will speak to us consistently in small whisperings that over time will accumulate into an unyielding knowledge of the truth is important in recognizing the growth and power of our own testimonies.

Elder Pace explains some of a similar principle in this manner:
“When seeking a testimony, those of you born into the Church may be looking for some spectacular spiritual feeling different than anything you have ever felt before. You may have heard converts testify of their conversion and wonder if you’re missing something. One reason it seems so spectacular to them is that it is new. You have had the same feeling your whole life during family home evenings, youth testimony meetings, seminary classes, scripture reading, and on many other occasions…. Spiritual witnesses come at a young age to those who are exposed to spiritual experiences…Once you recognize those feelings for what they are, your faith in them will increase. Soon you will find that you have developed a spiritual sixth sense which cannot be misled.”

Knowing what the Spirit feels like and recognizing it in our personal lives will help us to know when the Lord is testifying to us of truth. Once we have observed in our own lives the goodness of the gospel, then we are ready for Alma’s final step.

Fourth, we must nourish with great care.

Alma instructs: “And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us.”

I love the imagery of nourishing WITH GREAT CARE. This involves lovingly, tenderly doing all that is required to keep our testimonies alive. It is this aspect of on-going growth that is so essential to really knowing. Of course, the two first and most important aspects of this ongoing nourishment are those that we already discussed: prayer and scripture study.

An excellent example of the continual need for prayer and scripture study comes from the prophet Joseph Smith. He did not stop at one manifestation. He did not think it adequate to know for a surety only about the nature of God and Jesus Christ or to get an answer to his first question. It was continual prayer and study and pondering that brought about every other revelation and blessing of this dispensation, from the Book of Mormon to the restoration of the Priesthood, to temples and the sealing power. If God did not just give information to the prophet Joseph without his effort, if personal searching and contemplative beseeching was required for him, if truths were not all unfolded at once, but one at a time, as he was prepared, why should we believe that it would be any different with us?

President McKay’s experience also demonstrates that it is actually living the gospel, testing the principles over time, that allows our testimonies to flourish. The Savior taught “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” (John 7:17) It is impossible to gain a testimony of a doctrine that you are not living. It is through continued, sustained righteous living, that an immovable testimony of the gospel is gained.

Alma emphasizes this continual process of growth by reminding us to exercise “great diligence” and “patience.” Ongoing, concerted effort is critical to having a vibrant testimony of the gospel. Elder Scott explained: “Your testimony may begin from an acknowledgement that the teachings of the Lord seem reasonable. But it must grow from practicing those laws. Then your own experience will attest to their validity and yield the results promised. That confirmation will not all come at once. A strong testimony comes line upon line, precept upon precept. It requires faith, time, consistent obedience, and a willingness to sacrifice.”

It is our cumulative personal experience that creates a personal testimony. We come to see over time the consistency with which the Lord answers our prayers and grow in our knowledge that He lives, loves us, and will answer prayers. We notice all of the times we feel a deep spiritual stirring while studying the scriptures or worshiping in church. When we observe, and as we have often been counseled record and remember, what we have known and how we have felt throughout our lives, we can build a foundation for spiritual strength.

In this process of truly coming to know, Alma gives us several another valuable piece counsel. He teaches: “if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scourcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away…Now, this is not because the seed was not good, neither is it because the fruit thereof would not be desirable; but it is because your ground is barren, and ye will not nourish the tree.”

It is possible for a testimony to die due to neglect. It is also possible for it to be over-taken if weeds and rocks and thorns are allowed rampant in its soil. We must be careful that we both nourish and stand guard against that which can destroy. Because the Holy Ghost is the conveyor of testimony, being clean and worthy of His companionship is essential. Anything that would cause the Holy Ghost to withdraw from us would also weaken and neglect our testimonies.


In the end, a testimony is built over a lifetime. If we want to truly know for ourselves, it will require a lifetime of care. Then, “because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it…by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.”

Patriotism and Christianity -- given July 2007

I have always struggled a bit with church talks on patriotism, so of course, I was asked to give one. It is just that too often patriotism seems to border a bit on pride or self-righteousness. I cannot espouse a brand of patriotism contains an implicit arrogance, when I know with all my heart that God is truly “no respecter of persons.” (D&C 1:35) Similarly, I baulk at even a hint that either of the temporal and self-serving organizations we know as political parties could be more sanctioned by the Lord. Yet, so often it seems that our discussions related to loyalty and gratitude for political freedoms teeter on the path of espousing the idea that as Americans we are more justified, more loved, and more moral than all other nations.

Some of this quandary is captured well, but in much more eloquent prose than mine, in Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address. Lincoln reflected in relation to the North and South during the Civil War: “Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God’s assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men’s faces, but let us judge not that we be not judged.”

It is with a recognition that people throughout all nations invoke and deserve the blessings of God and that individuals of all political persuasions can feel equally motivated in their cause, that I have determined to speak today about an aspect of patriotism in which there is broader application: specifically, the relationship between citizenship and discipleship.

To put it in a different context, given that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints live in widely diverse nations and communities throughout the world, yet share a common belief expressed in the 12th Article of Faith regarding being subject to their respective governments and participating in their various communities, how is it that our knowledge and testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ should affect our interactions and behaviors in relation to our communities, geo-political divisions, and nation-states?

I want to share five lessons that I have drawn from the scriptures related to the concept of being good citizens.

Lesson 1 - We must know where our higher allegiance lies.
In the book of Matthew a group of Pharisees trying to trap the Savior question whether it is lawful to pay tribute unto Caesar. In response, the Savior asks to see their tribute money, and inquires of them:
“’Whose is this image and superscription?’ They say unto him, ‘Caesar’s.’ Then saith he unto them, ‘Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.’ (Matt. 22:20-21)”

While the Savior’s response is noteworthy because it reinforces the principle of being good citizens, obeying the law, and respecting governmental authority, it is also important to note what is to be rendered to “Caesar” -- or the authority figure of the day -- namely, “the things which are Caesar’s.” So while we are to give our government its due, particularly it seems in relation to temporal matters, there are things which the Savior seems to be saying are not “Caesar’s,” but rather “God’s.”

What things are God’s in our lives? If we use the same standard employed by Christ in determining to whom tribute should be given, we would look to see what it is that God’s image is engraven upon. The scriptures counsel us that the “image of God [should be] engraven upon [our] countenances” ( Alma 5:19) and that God’s law should be written on our hearts (Isaiah 50:7). If we are fully God’s, then our highest allegiance should be reserved for God.

This test can be useful in navigating many sticky situations regarding civil obedience, such as those encountered by Daniel or Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. Similarly, it is a valuable tool in examining where our greatest commitment lies and ensuring that we always render ourselves God’s first, not letting any other affiliation or loyalty supersede the standard of behavior required by discipleship.

The next three lessons about citizenship and discipleship are taken from the section of the Book of Mormon containing the greatest degree of political intrigue.

The latter part of the Book of Alma describes the situation: Amalickiah, a dissenter from the Nephites, has led away a group of Nephites, joined himself with the Lamanties, beginning to incite the Lamanites to anger against the Nephites. Captain Moroni is chosen to lead the Nephite armies against the Lamanite attacks; he erects the Title of Liberty, fortifies cities, and helps quell an internal land dispute. During this time, the chief judge, Nephihah, dies and his son, Pahoran, is appointed in his place. Another series of internal disputes ensues in which Pahoran barely maintains the judgment seat against the threats of the King-men. Meanwhile, there are more Lamanite attacks, leading to a series of battles, including that fought by Helaman and the 2000 stripling warriors. Moroni learns of Helaman’s victory and solicits the government for more troops to strengthen Helaman and his young men. While waiting for a response, another attack occurs and, due to a lack of man-power, the city of Nephihah is lost to the Lamanites.

At this point Moroni is quite frustrated over the seeming indifference of Pahoran to his pleas for additional help, and fires off a strongly worded epistle stating his displeasure which includes such gems as,
“Can you think to sit upon your thrones in a state of thoughtless stupor?” (Alma 60:7)
“Ye have neglected them insomuch that the blood of thousands shall come upon your heads for vengeance.” (Alma 60:10)
“We know not but ye are also traitors to your country.” (Alma 60:18)
and culminates in a threat that “except ye do administer unto our relief, behold, I come unto you, even in the land of Zarahemla, and smite you with the sword.” (Alma 60:30)

In the following chapter of Alma, Pahoran responds. He informs Moroni that rebellion has driven him from the judgment seat, but that he has been building support for the cause and many are joining him. And then, despite the political and personal turmoil that Pahoran has been experiencing at this time he says to Moroni,
“In your epistle you have censured me, but it mattereth not; I am not angry, but do rejoice in the greatness of your heart.” (Alma 61:9)

While there is no specific account of Moroni’s response to this, we do know that he quickly reinforces his other captains and goes directly to Pahoran’s aid, bringing the military resources necessary to strengthen and defend him.

While there are many lessons within this larger story, the first for today about citizenship and discipleship comes from Captain Moroni.

Lesson 2- Look before you leap.
Captain Moroni is a man of great faith, devotion, and valor and the recipient of nearly the greatest compliment for personal strength given in the Book of Mormon. But, in this case, he provides an example of how hasty behavior can too often be ill-informed and regretted in light of better information. It is a case of how not to behave in challenging, demanding, and trying times.

Quick, thoughtless, and offensive speech is too often the norm in our modern discourse. It is so easy to jump to conclusions or see only our own perspective, but it is critical in merging our citizenship with our discipleship to often take a more measured and slower approach.

In the April 2006 General Conference Elder Robert S. Wood counseled:
“Have we who have taken upon us the name of Christ slipped unknowingly into patterns of slander, evil speaking, and bitter stereotyping? Have personal or partisan or business or religious differences been translated into a kind of demonizing of those with different views?... We should avoid caricaturing the positions of others, constructing ‘straw men,’ if you will, and casting unwarranted aspersions on their motivations and character.”

We would be wise to follow the counsel of President George Albert Smith who said, “Whenever your politics cause you to speak unkindly of your brethren, know this, that you are upon dangerous ground.”

We would also do well to ask ourselves, as disciples of Jesus Christ, whether we are “suffering long, being kind, envying not, not being puffed up, behaving not unseemly, seeking not our own, not being easily provoked, not thinking evil, rejoicing in the truth, and bearing all things” before we speak or act. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

Lesson 3 - Seek reconciliation, even in cases of great offense or difference of opinion.
The scriptures record the words of many great men, but few compare in my mind to the humble response of Pahoran, which so fully demonstrates the stature of his character: “But it mattereth not; I am not angry, but do rejoice in the greatness of your heart.”

What would similar words do for many of our interactions and discourses? I cannot help but think of how often my response falls so short of Pahoran’s example. As did the Savior in the face of great injustice, inaccuracy, and accusation, he unhesitatingly forgave and he looked for the good in another’s heart and intentions.

So often we seem to live in a world that creates and fosters divisiveness and contention, but the scriptures clearly state that these are tools of the devil, not the Spirit of Christ. In addition, by seeking reconciliation, by searching for common ground, so much more was accomplished in this situation, and could be accomplished in so many of the similarly vexing political and social challenges we confront.

Lesson 4 - We have a responsibility as citizens to be engaged.
The underlying truth in Captain Moroni’s reprimand of Pahroan and the implicit understanding in Pahoran’s response is that each of us is responsible for far more than just our own welfare. We have a duty and obligation to others. We are not able to withdraw from the turmoil around us or pretend that it does not exist, but we are accountable for the degree to which we stand up and participate in furthering the causes we espouse and promoting the welfare of others.

Elder Wood, in different address entitled On the Responsible Self printed in the March 2002 Ensign, states:
“We bear responsibility not only for our own acts but also for those conditions in society that we can reasonably influence…. For too many, responsibility seems to end with hand-wringing and exclamations of dismay. Yet talk without action accomplishes little. We need to be vigorously engaged in the world. If our schools are inadequate…we must work with fellow members of the community to bring about change. If our neighborhoods are unsafe or unhealthy, we must join with the civic-minded to devise solutions. If our cities and towns are polluted, not only with noxious gases, but soul-destroying addictions and smut, we must labor to find legitimate ways to eliminate such filth while respecting freedom of conscience.”

This leads to the related and final lesson for today, which is drawn again from the teachings of the Master.

Lesson 5 – The scope of our responsibility as citizens is broad and not limited by common divisions.
This final point comes from the familiar story of the Good Samaritan told by the Savior. While often used as an example of charity and service, it is also very instructive on how to blend our citizenship and discipleship. It is a noteworthy response to the question of “Who is my neighbor?” or “What is my responsibility?” because it specifically sets no bounds. Indeed, the Savior seems to be stating that our responsibility to others does not know any political, racial, ethnic, religious, or other constraints. In reality, all of God’s children are equally deserving of our concern and love. Similarly, he is instructing us that our responsibility to care for others is not limited by our profession, training, or expertise. In our roles as citizens of communities, states, nations, and the world, we are to think of and love all others as ourselves.

This is a standard that is far too lacking in the world in which we live. Too often it seems that the choices pursued by the various social and political organizations to which we belong are devoid of a desire to treat others as ourselves, to see in each a son or daughter of God. Yet, this is the pattern that was set by the Savior and the way in which our Father in Heaven deals with us. We read in First Nephi: “And he gathereth his children from the four quarters of the earth; and he numbereth his sheep, and they know him; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd; and he shall feed his sheep, and in him they shall find pasture.” (1 Nephi 22:25)

It seems clear that our discipleship requires a higher standard of citizenship from us. It requires us to be engaged, informed, and capable participants in our communities and nation, but it also requires us to do so in a constantly Christ-like manner, with a sincere love for all of God’s children and an ability to esteem all, despite their differences in opinion or persuasion, as ourselves.

To conclude where I began, I think this very thought is expressed beautifully in the conclusion to Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address: “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on… to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have bourne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”

Joseph Smith's Contributions to Understanding God -- given December 2006

It seems hard after a year of such celebration regarding the 200th birthday of the prophet Joseph Smith to add much that will be particularly insightful or meaningful. Yet, as I considered what I could say today, I settled on one particular contribution of the Prophet. I hope that you will forgive me for speaking so narrowly, there is so much regarding the prophet and his life that I will not address, but I feel that the area I have chosen is of particular significance, at least to me personally.

I want to discuss specifically the contributions of the Prophet Joseph Smith to our understanding of the nature and attributes of God, our Heavenly Father, and Jesus Christ, our Savior.

The importance of this particular contribution of the prophet was expressed by him, himself, when he taught:

“It is necessary for us to have an understanding of God himself…There are but a very few beings in the world who understand rightly the character of God…they do not know neither to they understand the nature of [their relationship to God]…If men do not comprehend the character of God, they do not comprehend themselves…I want you all to know him, and to be familiar with him; and if I am bringing you to a knowledge of him…you will then know that I am his servant.”

Similarly, President Hinckley has reminded us of the importance of the contributions of the Prophet Joseph Smith in this regard. He stated:

“How great indeed is our debt to [Joseph Smith]…It was he who brought us a true knowledge of God, the Eternal Father, and His Risen Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. During the short time of his great vision he learned more concerning the nature of Deity than all of those who through centuries had argued the matter in learned councils and scholarly forums. He brought us the Book of Mormon as another witness of the living reality of the Son of God.”

Since I do not want to keep you all here for hours, I want to mention only three of the specific ways that Joseph Smith has enriched understanding of God and Jesus Christ.

1-The Nature of the Godhead

Joseph Smith’s testimony of the first vision was in stark contrast to the teachings of his day, and even Christianity in our day, concerning the nature of the Godhead. Previously, the accepted wisdom regarding this doctrine was well summarized in the “Creed of Athanasius” created in AD 325 which stated:

“We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity…And yet they are not three eternals: but one eternal. As also there are not three incomprehensibles nor three uncreated: but one uncreated, and one incomprehensible.”

Joseph Smith’s first vision countered all three of the claims herein: it established that the nature of the Godhead was that of three separate beings, God and Jesus Christ possessing bodies in the form of man’s, and as such was quite comprehensible. As James E. Talmage summarized in Jesus the Christ:

“The boy Joseph knew that both the Eternal Father and His glorified Son, Jesus Christ, were in form and stature, perfect Men; and that in Their physical likeness mankind had been created in the flesh. He knew further that the Father and the Son were individual Personages, each distinct from the other…He realized that the unity of the Godhead was a oneness of perfection in purpose, plan, and action, as the scriptures declare it to be, and not an impossible union of personalities…this effectively dissipated the delusion that direct revelation from the heavens had forever ceased; and affirmatively proved the actuality of personal communication between God and mortals.”

Not only did the first vision clarify the nature of God and Christ in relation to their forms and distinctness, but the understanding that flows from this knowledge helps us to understand more fully our relationship to them. It is much simpler to comprehend that God is our Father when we know that he has a body of flesh that is in form and substance like unto ours. The status that we will one day have a resurrected beings is clearer when we have the Prophet’s additional testimony that the resurrected Christ has a body like ours and not subsumed by but separate from our Heavenly Father’s.

We also gain from Joseph Smith an understanding of the nature of God as our Father. We know through his teachings:

“God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man…It is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the Character of God…and to know that he was once a man like us…and you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves.”

Thus, our duty in this life to prepare to become like God is and the reality that we can do so is directly a result of the Prophet’s teachings. We truly can feel our closeness to God and the reality of our relationship to him as His children through these teachings.

2-Jesus Christ Truly Lives as a Resurrected Being

The Book of Mormon provides a unique additional witness of the reality of the risen Lord. It culminates in the personal ministry of the resurrected Savior on this continent and in so doing corroborates the New Testament accounts of Christ’s post-mortal appearances. One who accepts the Third Nephi account of Christ’s appearance in the America’s is left without a doubt as to the reality of his resurrection and the universality of his atonement and gospel.

Yet, in addition to bringing to light this ancient account of the living Christ, Joseph Smith offers an incomparable testimony of his own that Christ continues to live. From the first vision, we gain this account:

“I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me...When the light rested upon me I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other – This is My Beloved Son, Hear Him!”

This modern testimony from the First Vision that Christ lives in our time and continues to guide and direct his Church was not the only one borne by Joseph Smith. To this, he added the vision contained in the 76th Section of the Doctrine and Covenants:

“And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father – That by him, and through him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.”

3-God and Christ Know and Love Us

One of the great blessings of the above knowledge of God’s nature and the living reality of Christ is that it enriches our understanding that God and Christ know and love us.

From the Book of Mormon we gain a beautiful and continuous view of God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ’s concern for the welfare of man. As Jeffrey R. Holland taught in October 2003:

“One of the remarkable contributions of the Book of Mormon is its seamless, perfectly consistent view of divinity…Here there is no Malachi-to-Matthew gap, no pause while we shift theological gears, no misreading the God who is urgently, lovingly, faithfully at work on every page of that record…we have in the Book of Mormon a uniform view of God in all His glory and goodness, all His richness and complexity.”

The Book of Mormon allows us to hear from many prophets who knew the Lord personally and felt his goodness in their lives. We learn how a kind father prepared a means for several peoples to flee destruction and be given a promised land. We know that many were given visions and witnesses of the Savior long before his birth, and immediately proceeding it. And that these peoples were not neglected in the Savior’s earthly ministry. We learn that he knew the name of Nephi, Alma, Nephi again, the Brother of Jared, and Moroni. It is much easier to believe that the God who knew and loved and comforted and saved these people, the Savior who visited them personally and healed their sick and blessed their children and taught them the gospel has a similar desire and capability in our lives.

Likewise, we know again, that this concern was not limited to ancient times because in our day and age the very Prophet who brought us this singular account, was also known by name to God.

Sister Sydney S. Reynolds of the Primary General Presidency taught:

“Joseph Smith at age 14 had to be one of the least conspicuous human beings on the earth, and yet the God of heaven knew him and called him by name in the Sacred Grove. I believe the Lord knows my name and your name as well.”

Clearly, Joseph himself felt this loving connection to God when he said:

“I will try to be contented with my lot, knowing that God is my friend. In him I shall find comfort…I desire to be with Christ.”


I am grateful for the Prophet Joseph Smith’s remarkable contributions to my understanding of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. This is one of the most pivotal blessings in all my life. Understanding them helps me to understand myself.

As I mentioned before, Joseph Smith taught that “if I am bringing you to a knowledge of him…you will then know that I am his servant” – he truly has brought me to that knowledge and it is critical to my testimony that he truly was a Prophet of God.

Joseph Smith further taught:

“Our Heavenly Father is more liberal in His views, and boundless in His mercies and blessings, than we are ready to believe or receive…the nearer we get to our Heavenly Father, the more we are disposed to look with compassion on perishing souls; we feel that we want to take them upon our shoulders, and cast their sins behind our backs.”

During this season as we celebrate not only the birth of Joseph Smith, but the birth of our Savior, the greatest manifestation of God’s love for us, I am hopeful that I can use the blessings of understanding provided by the Prophet to draw nearer to God and become more like He is…..