Frances Monson passing

Frances Monson, wife of LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson, passed away this morning, May 17 2013.  She was 85.

Deseret News article
Mormon Newsroom article

April 2013 General Conference: We Believe in Being Chaste

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles delivered the definitive address on the Lord's law governing chastity.

He asserts that this is a spiritual law, and that the eternal significance can only be understood within the context of Heavenly Father's Plan of Happiness for His children.  Human beings, male and female, are created in the image of God.  We each have a divine nature and destiny.  (The Family: A Proclamation to the World)

Our mortal life is to provide experience.  A physical body is part of that provision.  (1 Nephi 19:6; Alma 7:12–13).

Man and woman are intended to complement each other.  The unique spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional capacities of both males and females is necessary to fulfil Heavenly Father's plan.  “Neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 11:11).
 
God's commandment to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force today. Thus, marriage between a man and a woman is the authorized channel through which premortal spirits enter mortality.  Complete sexual abstinence before marriage and total fidelity within marriage protect the sanctity of this sacred covenant.

Rules that are part of God's plan are spiritual in nature, and are intended to guard from misuse of the procreative power that is entrusted to us by God the Father and Jesus Christ.

Quoting from Elder Dallin H. Oaks -

The power to create mortal life is the most exalted power God has given his children. Its use was mandated in the first commandment, but another important commandment was given to forbid its misuse. The emphasis we place on the law of chastity is explained by our understanding of the purpose of our procreative powers in the accomplishment of God’s plan. …

Outside the bonds of marriage, all uses of the procreative power are to one degree or another a sinful degrading and perversion of the most divine attribute of men and women. (“The Great Plan of Happiness").

The Church follows one uniform rule guarding this procreative power.  For every individual, man or woman, the standard for sexual morality dictates that sexual intimacy is proper only within legitimate marriage as provided in God's plan.

Such relations are not merely a curiosity to be explored, an appetite to be satisfied, or a type of recreation or entertainment to be pursued selfishly. They are not a conquest to be achieved or simply an act to be performed. Rather, they are in mortality one of the ultimate expressions of our divine nature and potential and a way of strengthening emotional and spiritual bonds between husband and wife.

To some extent, the 'natural man" characterized in the Book of Mormon is a part of each of us.  As President Spencer W. Kimball described, "...The ‘natural man’ is the ‘earthy man’ who has allowed rude animal passions to overshadow his spiritual inclinations".

As children of our Heavenly Father, we inherit divine capacities.  But we must also govern our natural passions and appetites in favor of our inclination toward selfless benevolence and temperance.

We live in a fallen world, and the very elements from which we came are corruptible, and leave us subject to sin and death.  That is the test. Every appetite, desire, propensity, and impulse of the natural man may be overcome by and through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We are here on the earth to develop godlike qualities, and to bridle all of the passions of the flesh.

The devil, Lucifer, desires to frustrate God's "Plan of Happiness" and to make the sons and daughters of God confused and unhappy, to interfere with their eternal progression.  This constitutes rebellion and defiance against the plan of God.  Lucifer seeks to limit our progression by tempting us to use our bodies improperly.

Disciplining the natural man in each of us makes possible a richer, a deeper, and a more enduring love of God and of His children. Love increases through righteous restraint and decreases through impulsive indulgence.

Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God (D&C 121:45).

Sin is as a "spiritual wound" that some need to repent of.   From the Atonement of the Savior arises the comforting power that can heal our spiritual wounds and remove guilt. However, this can only be applied through the principles of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, and consistent obedience.

The bishop holds the key to repentance to assuage our guilt.   The extent and intensity of your repentance must be equivalent to the severity of your sins. Serious spiritual wounds require sustained treatment and time to heal completely and fully.

April 2013 General Conference: Followers of Christ

Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles prefaced his conference address by reciting the words from the hymn,

“Come, follow me,” the Savior said.

Then let us in his footsteps tread,

For thus alone can we be one

With God’s own loved, begotten Son.

Oaks taught that members of the Church study the life of the Savior from the account of the Scriptures in an effort to follow His perfect example.  He iterated some of the specifics followers of Christ would be expected to do.

We follow the example of Jesus in baptism.  One of His acts during His mortal ministry was to be baptised, and his disciples also followed this example.  Members of the Church today do likewise.

The earliest message of the Savior's ministry was the call to repentance.  This is a consistent theme, still preached.

Jesus' ministry was characterized by commandments.  He taught, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." He taught that followers would be required to abjure "...that which is highly esteemed among men", and the "tradition of men".  He gave warning to the disciples:

If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you (John 15:19).

The apostle Peter later made the characterization of Christ's disciples, "Ye....are a peculiar people."


Some of the more difficult to follow counsel from the Savior includes the injunction to be not "of the world".   Jesus was critical of some of his followers because “...they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God."  Among the common shortcomings of Church members today, Oaks mentions "...worldly practices like political correctness and extremes in dress and grooming to deviations from basic values like the eternal nature and function of the family."


We also learn from the Scriptures that the teachings of Jesus are practical and pragmatic counsel, intended to give direction to the disciples lives. Jesus taught, "...Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man."


As Jesus taught, His followers that love Him would be obedient to the commandments.  Following Christ is a commitment that applies at all times and in all places.  We partake of the sacrament each week in reminder of the promise to always remember Him and keep His commandments.


Jesus taught that "...men ought always to pray."  Church members pray together when they meet, and are counselled to pray individually and as families.


Jesus called twelve apostles to minister for Him, and the restored Church continues in this example.


Jesus taught, "...No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."  Many Church members follow this challenge today in voluntary missionary service.


Jesus taught that God created male and female and that a man should leave his parents and cleave to his wife (see Mark 10:6–8). Our commitment to this teaching is well known.


We follow the injunction of Jesus to go out of our way to seek after any of the flock who have strayed (see Matthew 18:11–14; Luke 15:3–7).


The Savior's teachings about love are characterized in this passage,

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another (John 13:34–35).

The instruction to be forgiving is another difficult commandment that we strive to follow.  Jesus counselled to love even our enemies (see Luke 6:27–28).


Church members follow the teaching of Jesus in giving to care for the poor and needy (see Matthew 25:31–46; Mark 14:7).  They succeed, in great measure, through support of the Church policy for offerings and donations, both monetary and service oriented.  In addition, the Church participates in global humanitarian causes with the support of Church members striving to follow Christ.


Jesus admonished followers to pursue spreading the gospel, and Church members support this work today with many missionary efforts.


Followers of Christ today teach as the apostle Paul, that we are children of God, and joint heirs with Christ.  Jesus taught, "...No man cometh unto the Father, but by me".


Elder Oaks closes with the final verses of the hymn, "Come, Follow Me",

Is it enough alone to know

That we must follow him below,

While trav’ling thru this vale of tears?

No, this extends to holier spheres. ...

For thrones, dominions, kingdoms, pow’rs,

And glory great and bliss are ours,

If we, throughout eternity,

Obey his words, “Come, follow me.

Elder Oaks testifies that the Savior invites us to follow His bidding, all of us who are heavy laden, to come unto Him, to learn of Him, to follow Him, and thus to find rest to our souls (see Matthew 4:19; 11:28).

April 2013 General Conference: "Lord, I Believe"

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles delivered a conference message that addressed those who desire to believe, yet still entertain doubts.  I think this generally characterizes all of us.  We need admonitions such as this from Church leaders to bolster our faith.

Elder Holland quoted from the New Testament the story of the man whose son had been afflicted with some nervous disorder that caused him and his family great anguish.  The man implored of Jesus, "Lord, I believe.  Help thou mine unbelief."  The Savior, having compassion for the man and his son, healed the afflicted boy immediately.

The first point he draws from this passage is that the man importuning Jesus for help first asserts the strength of his belief, then confesses that he needs help.  Elder Holland counsels us that in moments of fear or doubt or troubling times, we must hold fast to the ground we have already won.  He asserts,

"...When those moments come and issues surface, the resolution of which is not immediately forthcoming, hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes.

 The second point of his counsel:  When we encounter troubling times, do not begin the quest for faith by expressing how much you do not have.  He says, "...That would be like trying to stuff a turkey through the beak!"

To be explicit, he counsels:

 "...I am not asking you to pretend to faith you do not have. I am asking you to be true to the faith you do have. Sometimes we act as if an honest declaration of doubt is a higher manifestation of moral courage than is an honest declaration of faith. It is not!

 He points out that all of us have more faith than we are inclined to think.  Quoting from the Book of Mormon, he cites a passage that refers to "...the greatness of the evidences.”  that we have.   He admonishes,

...Please don’t hyperventilate if from time to time issues arise that need to be examined, understood, and resolved. They do and they will. In this Church, what we know will always trump what we do not know. And remember, in this world, everyone is to walk by faith.

 Elder Holland counsels us to be patient and tolerant of each others imperfection, because,

...Except in the case of His only perfect Begotten Son, imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to Him, but He deals with it. So should we. And when you see imperfection, remember that the limitation is not in the divinity of the work.

As his last point, Elder Holland asserts, all of us need to ask for help at times.

...When doubt or difficulty come, do not be afraid to ask for help. If we want it as humbly and honestly as this father did, we can get it. The scriptures phrase such earnest desire as being of “real intent,” pursued “with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God.”  I testify that in response to that kind of importuning, God will send help from both sides of the veil to strengthen our belief.

 He concludes by testifying,

...What was once a tiny seed of belief for me has grown into the tree of life, so if your faith is a little tested in this or any season, I invite you to lean on mine. I know this work is God’s very truth, and I know that only at our peril would we allow doubt or devils to sway us from its path. Hope on. Journey on. Honestly acknowledge your questions and your concerns, but first and forever fan the flame of your faith, because all things are possible to them that believe.

October 2009 General Conference: Attempting the Impossible

Elder Jorge F. Zeballos of the Seventy counsels us that attempting the impossible, in the case of striving to become perfect, is worth the effort. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are models we should be following.

We are not alone in our struggle. Our Father in Heaven watches over us and helps us because He wants us to be with Him for all eternity.

Through the Atonement of the Savior, we can achieve our greatest potential. God does not expect more than we are able. But He expects no less than that.

October 2009 General Conference: Seeking to Know God, Our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ

Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke to the saints about seeking to know God, and Jesus Christ.
Deepening secularism in the world arond us makes it ever more important to understand why the Savior's admonition,
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent".
To know God:
He Lives!
We were created in the physical image of Heavenly Father.
The Father and Son have a physical presence.
They speak with a voice. They have faces. The Son stands on the right of the Father.
Cultivate a desire to learn, and humility to be instructed. Eternal truth will be taught to you.

October 2009 General Conference: Love and Law

Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke concerning the connection between love and God's commanments.
Confusing between love and law.
Why does God love us so much, and why do we desire that love?

God’s choicest blessings depend upon our obedience to God’s laws and commandments.

In teaching and reacting to their children, parents have many opportunities to apply these laws and commandments.

October 2009 General Conference: The Love of God

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf Second Counselor in the First Presidency instructs regarding the nature and attributes of Heavenly Father and His disciples.
He examines these points:

• How Do We Become True Disciples of Jesus Christ?
• Why Should We Love God?
• Why Does Heavenly Father Love Us?
• How Can We Increase Our Love of God?
• Why Is Love the Great Commandment?
• What attribute should define us as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

October 2009 General Conference: More Diligent and Concerned at Home

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles takes his theme from a passage of Doctrine and Covenants that admonishes the brethren to be "more diligent and concerned at home", and challenges the saints to follow that advice.

First, we should express love for our families -- and show it by our actions. Jesus taught about the link between words and deeds: "If ye love me, keep my commandments".

Second, bear testimony, and live it.

Third, be consistent.

October 2009 General Conference: That Your Burdens May Be Light

Elder L. Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy counsels that our burdens can provide opportunities to practice virtues that contribute to eventual perfection.

Our burdens result from three sources in general:

- The nature of the world we live in
- The misconduct of others
- Our own mistakes.

Our burdens can provide opportunities that help us to progress.

Our burdens teach us humility.

We may gain by experiencing through empathy the burdens of others.

The Savior offers to deliver us from bondage.

October 2009 General Conference: Helping Others Recognize the Whisperings of the Spirit

Vicki F. Matsumori, Second Counselor in the Primary General Presidency, gave counsel with regard to helping others recognize spiritual insight, particularly our children. Starting from a quotation of a passage from the Doctrine and Covenants, she went on to explain how we can help others benefit from the communications of the Spirit they might otherwise miss. We teach them to understand the doctrine.

First, we teach them to recognize how they feel under the influence of the Spirit.

The scriptures and the prophets teach what this constant companionship feels like. The Lord tells us, “I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.” Enos stated, “While I was . . . struggling in the spirit, behold, the voice of the Lord came into my mind.” Joseph Smith said, “When you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas.” President Henry B. Eyring described the influence of the Holy Ghost as “peace, hope, and joy.” He added, “Almost always I have also felt a sensation of light.”
My favorite description, though, comes from an eight-year-old boy who had just received the Holy Ghost. He said, “It felt like sunshine.”

Second, we do this by bearing our testimony. Sharing testimony helps others feel the influence of the Spirit.

Third, we provide an environment where the Spirit can be felt. This means taking the time and making the effort to invite spiritual feelings.

October 2009 General Conference: To Acquire Spiritual Guidance

Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles offers counsel and advice on obtaining the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Elder Scott asserts that we may not have altogether similar circumstances as earlier stories we have learned of, because the world is changing at such a rapid pace, thus we may want to come to understand the correct principles that govern inspiration, that we may be ready to take advantage of that information as it comes to us.

Elder Scott counsels that inspiration is not subject to a simple formula or technique that would immediately allow us to master the ability to be guided by the voice of the Spirit. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ expect us to exercise faith -- else inspiration would make us dependent and weak.

October 2009 General Conference: Welcome to Conference

President Thomas S. Monson opened the conference with the announcement of five new temples to be built: Brigham City, Utah; Concepción, Chile; Fortaleza, Brazil; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Sapporo, Japan. He quoted words of President Joseph F. Smith as he spoke of temple service and of the spirit world beyond mortality. Said he, “Through our efforts in their behalf their chains of bondage will fall from them, and the darkness surrounding them will clear away, that light may shine upon them and they shall hear in the spirit world of the work that has been done for them by their [people] here, and will rejoice with you in your performance of these duties.

He urged us to pray for those who live in places where the truth is not allowed, and prayed for us all, looking forward to the addresses of the speakers of the conference following.

October 2009 General Conference notes

Another conference has come, and with it cause to meditate and consider counsel from church leaders.

Text of this conference is online here. If you like, follow me as I review the talks online.

I will do my best to be concise.

April 2009 General Conference: Unselfish Service

Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles admonished the saints to render unselfish service.

Each year tens of thousands of Latter-day Saints submit their papers for full-time missionary service.

Latter-day Saints are also renowned for their ability to unite in cooperative efforts.

Unfortunately, some Latter-day Saints seem to forego unselfish service to others, choosing instead to fix their priorities on the standards and values of the world.

We live in a time when sacrifice is definitely out of fashion, when the outside forces that taught our ancestors the need for unselfish cooperative service have diminished.

All of this illustrates the eternal principle that we are happier and more fulfilled when we act and serve for what we give, not for what we get.
Our Savior teaches us to follow Him by making the sacrifices necessary to lose ourselves in unselfish service to others. If we do, He promises us eternal life, “the greatest of all the gifts of God” (D&C 14:7), the glory and joy of living in the presence of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

April 2009 General Conference: None Were with Him

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles delivered what was for me, the defining address of the conference.

His special dedication set the tone:

...it is directed in a special way to those who are alone or feel alone or, worse yet, feel abandoned. These might include those longing to be married, those who have lost a spouse, and those who have lost—or have never been blessed with—children. Our empathy embraces wives forsaken by their husbands, husbands whose wives have walked away, and children bereft of one or the other of their parents—or both. This group can find within its broad circumference a soldier far from home, a missionary in those first weeks of homesickness, or a father out of work, afraid the fear in his eyes will be visible to his family. In short it can include all of us at various times in our lives.
To all such, I speak of the loneliest journey ever made and the unending blessings it brought to all in the human family. I speak of the Savior’s solitary task of shouldering alone the burden of our salvation. Rightly He would say: “I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me. . . . I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold [me].”

If this opening strikes particularly to your heart, as it did mine, then we are on the same page.

Read it yourself, and see...

April 2009 General Conference: Come unto Him

Elder Neil L. Andersen, newest member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, took the occasion as a newly called member of the quorum to bear witness of Jesus Christ, and share the roots of his testimony.

Elder Anderson testified that these are days long foretold by prophets. Regardless of the difficult challenges we face...

...Yet we must not shrink from what is uniquely and singularly found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Only here is the priesthood of God, restored to earth by heavenly messengers. Only here does the Book of Mormon stand with the Bible in revealing and declaring the full divinity and gospel of Christ. Only here are there prophets of God, bringing guidance from heaven and holding the keys that bind in heaven what is bound on earth.

Elder Anderson shared the promise of the Savior's witness:

“I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
“And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die” (John 11:25–26).

April 2009 General Conference: The Way of the Disciple

In his Sunday morning conference address, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf; Second Counselor in the First Presidency, describes the way of disciples of Jesus Christ.

Christ brought to us the pathway of discipleship -- the gospel. As we walk in that way, we can experience confidence and joy—even during times of peril, sorrow, and uncertainty.

Many in the world hunger for meaning and purpose to life. We struggle for a livelihood. The world offers all kinds of answers to life's problems, but few of them satisfy. The gospel is the divine formula for joy and happiness.

We become disciples by faith in the gospel. As we extend faith, we repent and receive the saving ordinances, and are accepted as members of the Lord's kingdom here on earth. We continue to gain in faith and testimony as the gift of the Holy Spirit whispers truths to our soul, and we are inspired to greater things. These are the first steps along the true way of life and fulfillment. This is the peaceable way of the follower of Jesus Christ.

This is a pathway of patience, requiring long application to win success.

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

We start here, take that first step. There is no requirement to be educated, eloquent, or intellectual. We do not have to be perfect or well-spoken or even well-mannered.
You and I can walk in the path of discipleship today. Let us be humble; let us pray to our Father in Heaven with all our heart and express our desire to draw close to Him and learn of Him.
Have faith.
Seek, and you will find.
Knock, and the door will be opened.

Serve the Lord by serving others.
Become an active participant in your ward or branch.
Strengthen your family by committing to live the principles of the gospel.
Be of one heart and of one mind in your marriage and in your family.
Have a temple recommend and use it.
Now is the time to have meaningful family home evenings.
Read the word of God.
Speak to our Heavenly Father in earnest prayer.
Express gratitude for the Restoration of His Church.
For living prophets, the Book of Mormon, and the priesthood power.
Embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, become His disciples, and walk in His way.
There are some who believe that because they have made mistakes, they can no longer fully partake of the blessings of the gospel. How little they understand the purposes of the Lord. One of the great blessings of living the gospel is that it refines us and helps us learn from our mistakes. We “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,” yet the Atonement of Jesus Christ has the power to make us whole when we repent.
Our Heavenly Father loves us—even with all our flaws! His love is such that even should we give up on ourselves, He never will.
“We see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever. . . .
“The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of transformation. It takes us as men and women of the earth and refines us into men and women for the eternities.”
To those who have left the path of discipleship for whatever reason, I invite you to start where you are and come to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Walk again in the way of the Lord. I testify that the Lord will bless your life, endow you with knowledge and joy beyond comprehension, and distill upon you the supernal gifts of the Spirit. It is always the right time to walk in His way. It is never too late.
To those who feel inadequate because they have not been members of the Church all their lives, to those who feel that they can never make up for the time they have lost, I testify that the Lord needs your specific abilities, talents, and skills. The Church needs you; we need you. It is always the right time to walk in His way. It is never too late.

April 2009 General Conference: Be Your Best Self

President Thomas S. Monson counseled in his General Priesthood address about striving to put forward our best.

He cited several sources indicating that we face grave difficulties in this task, and offered his advise on how to be successful. The Lord is on our side -- we cannot fail. It is not a time to fear, but to go forth with courage.

The three key elements for success he enumerates are:

1. Study diligently.
2. Pray fervently.
3. Live righteously.

President Monson suggests that if we study the scriptures daily we will have power to resist any temptation that is put before us. The Holy Spirit will guide us as we study.

Fervent prayer will be answered, as with God, all things are possible. Prayer is the provider of spiritual strength.

Holders of the priesthood may not necessarily be eloquent in their speech. They may not hold advanced degrees in difficult fields of study. They may very well be men of humble means. But God is no respecter of persons, and He will sustain His servants in righteousness as they avoid the evils of our day and live lives of virtue and purity

April 2009 General Conference: "Man Down!"

President Henry B. Eyring First Counselor in the First Presidency advised in his priesthood address that feeling of responsibility for others is at the heart of faithful priesthood service.
President Eyring asserts,

You will need bravery and you will need boldness because you are enlisted in the Lord’s army in the last dispensation. This is not a time of peace. That has been so since Satan arrayed his forces against our Heavenly Father’s plan in the premortal existence. We don’t know the details of the combat then. But we know one result. Satan and his followers were cast down into the earth. And since the creation of Adam and Eve, the conflict has continued. We have seen it intensify. And the scriptures suggest that the war will become more violent and the spiritual casualties on the Lord’s side will mount.

Almost all of us have seen a battlefield portrayed in a film or read the description in a story. Over the din of explosions and the shouts of soldiers, there comes a cry, “Man down!”

The metaphor is extended -- soldiers rush to the aid of a fallen comrade.

Such a feeling of responsibility for others is at the heart of faithful priesthood service. Our comrades are being wounded in the spiritual conflict around us. So are the people we are called to serve and protect from harm. Spiritual wounds are not easily visible, except with inspired eyes. But bishops, branch presidents, and mission presidents sitting before fellow disciples of the Savior can see the wounded and the wounds.

The wounds of sin are often not perceived as such by the one injured. Satan uses some soporific to deaden the spiritual pain while wounding. Unless there is intervention to begin repentance, the wound can worsen and widen.

You may think, “Maybe the trouble I thought I saw is just my imagination. What right do I have to judge another? It’s not my responsibility. I’ll leave it alone until he asks for help.”

You are responsible to be brave enough and bold enough not to turn away.
you are under covenant, as has been made clear to you, that when you accepted the trust from God to receive the priesthood, you accepted a responsibility for whatever you might do or fail to do for the salvation of others however difficult and dangerous that might appear to be for you.

Jacob in the Book of Mormon described his sacred trust when he moved in difficult circumstances to give aid: “Now, my beloved brethren, I, Jacob, according to the responsibility which I am under to God, to magnify mine office with soberness, and that I might rid my garments of your sins, I come up into the temple this day that I might declare unto you the word of God.”

Now, you might object that Jacob was a prophet and you are not. But your office, whatever it is in the priesthood, brings with it an obligation to “lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees”³ of those around you. You are the Lord’s servant covenanted to do for others, as best you can, what He would do.
Jacob believed the woe of any fallen man or woman he could have helped and did not would become his own sorrow. Your happiness and that of those you are called to serve as a priesthood holder are bound together.

Now, we come to the question of how best to help those you are called to serve and rescue. That will depend on your capacities and on the nature of your priesthood relationship to the person who is in spiritual peril. Let me give three cases which may be your opportunity at times in your priesthood service.

Let’s start when you are an inexperienced junior companion, a teacher in the Aaronic Priesthood assigned with a seasoned companion to visit a young family. Before preparing for the visit you will pray for strength and inspiration to see their needs and know what help you could give. If you can, you will have that prayer with your companion, naming those you will visit. As you pray your heart will be drawn out to them personally and to God. You and your companion will agree on what you hope to accomplish. You will work out a plan for what you will do.

Whatever the plan, you will watch and listen with great intensity and humility during the visit. You are young and inexperienced. But the Lord knows their spiritual state and their needs perfectly. He loves them. And because you know He sends you to act for Him, you can have faith that you can sense their needs and what you can do to meet your charge to help. It will come as you visit face-to-face in their home. That is why you have this priesthood charge in the Doctrine and Covenants: “Visit the house of each member, and exhort them to pray vocally and in secret and attend to all family duties.”

And then you have an added charge which takes even greater discernment:

“The teacher’s duty is to watch over the church always, and be with and strengthen them;
“And see that there is no iniquity in the church, neither hardness with each other, neither lying, backbiting, nor evil speaking;
“And see that the church meet together often, and also see that all the members do their duty.”

You and your companion will rarely receive inspiration to know the details of the degree to which they are meeting that standard. But I can promise you from experience that you will be given the gift to know what is well with them. And from that you will be able to encourage them. There is another promise I can make: you and your companion will be inspired to know what changes they could make to begin the spiritual healing they need. The words of what you are charged to have happen in their lives will almost certainly contain some of the most important changes the Lord would have them make.

If your companion feels an impression to urge change, watch what he does. You will likely be surprised at the way the Spirit guides him to speak. There will be the sound of love in his voice. He will find a way to tie the needed change with a blessing that will follow. If it is the father or mother who needs to make a change, he may show how it would lead to happiness for the children. He will describe the change as a move away from unhappiness to a better and safer place.

Your contribution during the visit may seem to you small, but it can be more powerful than you may think possible. You will show by your face and manner that you care for the people. They will see that your love for them and the Lord makes you unafraid. And you will be bold enough to bear your testimony to truth. Your humble, simple, and perhaps brief testimony may touch the heart of a person more easily than that of your more experienced companion. I have seen it happen.
Whatever part you play in that priesthood visit, your desire to go to the people for the Lord to help them will bring at least two blessings. First, you will feel the love of God for the people you visit. And, second, you will feel the Savior’s gratitude for your desire to give the help the Savior knew they needed.

He sent you to them because He trusted that you would go feeling responsible to urge them toward Him and toward happiness.

As you grow a little older, there is another opportunity which will come to you in priesthood service. You will come to know your fellow quorum members well. You may have played basketball or football or shared some youth activities and service projects. With some you will have become close friends.

You will recognize when they are happy and when they are sad. Neither of you may be in a position of authority in the quorum. But you will feel responsible for your fellow member in the priesthood. He may confide in you that he is beginning to break a commandment which you know will do him spiritual harm. He may ask for advice because he trusts you.

If you succeed in influencing one away from a dangerous path, you will never forget the joy which came from being his true friend. If you do not succeed, I promise that when his grief and sadness come, as they will, you will feel his pain as if it were your own. Yet if you tried to help, you will still be his friend. And, in fact, for years he may talk with you about what good things there might have been and how grateful he is that you cared enough to try. You will comfort him then and invite him again, as you did in your youth, to come back to the happiness which the Atonement still makes possible for him.