The Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd

Friday, August 12, 2016



As another summer draws to an end and many will begin new adventures—I invite you to remember how important it is to surround yourself with greatness. Do the people you surround yourself with make it easier to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Are you the type of friend that will do whatever it takes to help the people you care about get to the Savior? Are you a goose or a crab? The link below is to a recent Youth Conference talk recording. It is so important to flood the world with positive messages about Jesus Christ and His Gospel. Please feel free to download and share with the people you call friends! Love you all!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-yB-bTre6NSWlpCQ0lMdHdyT2s/view?usp=sharing

Thursday, July 28, 2016


Friends, Earlier this summer I recorded several talks for an organization that aims at helping more youth acquire inspirational material for MP3 download and listening. It is so important to "flood" the internet, thus the world, with powerful messages about Jesus Christ and His Gospel. I have attached a link to one of these talks below (others will follow). Please feel free to download and share.  

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-yB-bTre6NSOTNhNG9SU09RV3c/view?usp=sharing

Saturday, July 23, 2016

CHEER-fully Living


“What do we hear in the gospel which we have received?” the Prophet Joseph asked. And then he answered it: “[We hear] a voice of gladness! ... glad tidings of good things... Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad.” –Doctrine and Covenants 128:19, 22

In the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. . . .But continue thou in the things which thou has learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them. . . .That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. [1]

We move into perilous, troublesome times, and there is unrest everywhere. “It would be easy to become discouraged and cynical about the future—or even fearful of what might come—if we allowed ourselves to dwell only on that which is wrong in the world and in our lives. Today, however, I’d like us to turn our thoughts and our attitudes away from the troubles around us and to focus instead on our blessings as members of the Church. The Apostle Paul declared, ‘God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.’ None of us makes it through this life without problems and challenges—and sometimes tragedies and misfortunes. After all, in large part we are here to learn and grow from such events in our lives. We know that there are times when we will suffer, when we will grieve, and when we will be saddened. However, we are told, ‘Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy’…How might we have joy in our lives, despite all that we may face? Again from the scriptures: ‘Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you.’ I testify to you that our promised blessings are beyond measure. Though the storm clouds may gather, though the rains may pour down upon us, our knowledge of the gospel and our love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments. There will be nothing in this world that can defeat us. My beloved brothers and sisters, fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith.”[ii]

Somebody has to stand, face the storm, declare the truth, and let the winds blow, and be serene and composed and steady in the doing of it. Fear and faith are antagonistic to one another, and it is our obligation to promote faith, not fear; so stand steady. Is it any wonder than that the Lord, amidst the inevitable vision of our day, would so often speak the message to be of good cheer?  In fact, the phrase be of good cheer, fear not appears in at least 17 verses of holy writ. 866 total verses of the scriptures relay the importance of cheer, joy, happiness or derivative of this idea. Here are the totals: Joy/ Joyfully - 321 Verses; Be of good cheer - 17 Verses; Cheerfully - 3 Verses; Happy- 33 Verses; Happiness- 28 Verses; Pleasure- 81 Verses; Glad- 128 Verses; Merry- 34 Verses; Pleased- 91 Verses; Gladness- 60 Verses; Delight- 68 Verses; Bliss, Felicity- 2 Verses; for a grand total of 866 Verses.

The Lord Himself instructed that we exist with the objective of seeking and obtaining eternal joy. “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.”[iii] God is a Being of joy; pure and divine. He desires that we too experience divine, pure and lasting joy—here in mortality and in the eternal realms of exaltation. So great was this desire for our eternal happiness that he presented the eternal Plan of Happiness. A vital element of this Plan of Happiness is our mortal experience in a fallen world while utilizing the enabling gift of the Atonement. This world provides opposition and opportunity to become agents of choice. It is through our ability to become agents of choice; acting for ourselves in righteousness, not being acted upon, that we find joy. It is through the vision and perspective of this plan that we develop an ability to look up to God and step up to godliness.
“We must look up and step up. And as we do, I know we will cheer up, for God wants us to be happy.”[iv] 

Several years ago my oldest son Hyrum taught me a valuable lesson about our relationship with the Father. We are Heavenly Father’s children. He wants to be a part of our lives, to bless us, and to help us. He will heal our wounds, dry our tears, and help us along our path to return to His presence. As we look to Him, He will lead us. Hyrum, from birth, has always had an incredible amount of energy. He loves trying new things (adventures…as he calls them) that are physically challenging. When he wakes up he is 0 to 90 in 3 seconds—climbing on, jumping over and running around anything he can find. When Hyrum was just 2 years old he went through a phase were he watched the Disney animated Tarzan over and over again. Naturally, everything in our home became a tree to climb and a vine to swing from. We had in our front room two very large floor-to-ceiling curtains. These curtains became his “vines” of choice.

He would get his 2 year old body running full speed…grab hold of those curtains and then swing high off the ground. This would scare my wife half to death and I knew, that if he continued, eventually he was going to hurt himself. Regardless of our many pleas and teaching moments he ignored our out reach of love and a desire to protect.

One afternoon, in the middle of my last seminary class of the day, I received a message that I needed to return home as soon as possible because my son Hyrum had seriously injured himself while swinging on one of those curtains. He had let go at just the wrong moment and his forehead collided with the corner of a windowsill a couple of feet away. This cut open his forehead and he was in need of a trip to the ER. I hurried home.

The entire way home I kept playing over in my mind the many times I had told him that he would get hurt if he didn’t listen to me. I kept thinking about how I could use this as a teaching moment—a “I told you so”—moment. I was frustrated and a little annoyed at his ignoring my pleas of protection and I determined to use this as an opportunity to “set him right”.

I walked in the front door and there he was sitting on the floor. One hand holding a blood stained towel, and the other outstretched to me. “Daddy” was his cry as tears rolled down his cheeks. Instantly all annoyance and frustration disappeared as I lifted him into my arms. He nestled in and tears rolled off his cheeks and onto my shirt. We left for the ER.

The doctor informed me that he would have to clean, sterilize and then use a glue paste to seal the wound. In order for him to be able to perform this I would have to hold my son down on the table. He instructed me to place my forearms on Hyrum’s chest and then to hold his flailing arms with my hands. This put me in a position looking directly into my son’s eyes. Tears flowed down his face and his cries were that of confusion and pain. His eyes seemed to show the pangs of betrayal as I pinned him down. In his little mind here I was holding him down, letting some stranger hurt his head, and he had no idea why all this was happening. Amidst the cries of pain he looked directly into my eyes and cried “Daddy, why?”. This struck a heartstring and pulled at every instinct to protect him. But this needed to be done. I could not stop the doctor because I knew that this was the only way my son could be healed.

It was in that moment that a still voice of understanding came into my mind. “Now you know. Now you know how I, so often, feel about you and about all of my children.” So often we ignore a loving Father’s pleas of protection—pleas of vision and perspective. He knows us and he knows what is key to our eternal happiness, progression and protection. We are Heavenly Father’s children. He wants to be a part of our lives, to bless us, and to help us. He will heal our wounds, dry our tears, and help us along our path to return to His presence. Too often we ignore his guidance and “swing” on the spiritual curtains of life, “cut-open” our spiritual foreheads and need a trip to the spiritual ER. How easy it would be for Him to always say, “See, I told you this would happen; I knew you would end up getting hurt; why don’t you just listen?” He stands ready to lift us up and to heal us. It is not always an easy process of healing. The trials and tribulations of our mortal sojourn often cause us to cry out “Father, why? Why must I go through this? Am I not your child? Do you not love me? Why am I facing so much hardship?” We may feel pinned down to the table of mortality under the weight of our adversity. But He knows that this mortal experience, full of opposition and sorrow, is key to our eternal happiness.

We must pass through sorrow so that we might know joy—pure and divine. This world provides opposition and opportunity to become agents of choice. It is through our ability to become agents of choice; acting for ourselves in righteousness, not being acted upon, that we find joy. It is through the vision and perspective of this plan that we develop an ability to look up to God and step up to godliness. “Oh, it is wonderful to know that 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 [might] see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever.”[v] “Experience has taught me that if we exercise our faith and look to God for help, we will not be overwhelmed with the burdens of life. We will not feel incapable of doing what we are called to do or need to do. We will be strengthened, and our lives will be filled with peace and joy. We will come to realize that most of what we worry about is not of eternal significance—and if it is, the Lord will help us. But we must have the faith to look up and the courage to follow His direction.”[vi] “Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.”[vii] “Seek the Lord… and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.”[viii]

This is the time when the God of heaven has moved in fulfillment of His ancient promise that He would usher in the fulness of the gospel in the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times. . . . “You’re not just here by chance. You are here under the design of God. Let us not be afraid. Jesus is our leader, our strength, and our king. This is an age of pessimism. Ours is a mission of faith. To my brethren and sisters everywhere, I call upon you to reaffirm your faith, to move this work forward across the world. You can make it stronger by the manner in which you live. Let the gospel be your sword and your shield. Each of us is a part of the greatest cause on earth. ‘What do we hear in the gospel which we have received?’ the Prophet Joseph asked. And then he answered it: ‘[We hear] a voice of gladness! … glad tidings of good things… Let your hearts rejoice,’ he said, ‘and be exceedingly glad.’”[ix]

Our day is a day wherein men's hearts are failing them. Hopelessness, grief, depression and despair are rampant. Our message to the world is one of hope, peace and joy. It is one of our Father’s love and our Savior’s Sacrifice. It is only in and through the gospel, and Atonement, of Jesus Christ that we can find peace and assurance in our mortal sojourn.

Perspective is Power

“Where there is no vision, the people perish”—Proverbs 29:18


Eternal perspective has a short shelf life. It must continually be nourished by study and by faith. Our mortal experience has a way of diminishing our eternal perspective and the vision to see ourselves in terms of forever. The quick-sands of day to day routine have the potential to cloud our eternal vision and bog us down in the mundane. We must strive to become optimistic beings of potential and avoid going through the motions.

It becomes vital for a disciple of Christ to diligently seek eternal perspective. After obtaining such perspective it becomes an imperative duty to help others see through clearer eyes. The enemy of truth and perspective would that we lose sight of who we are and who we are becoming. One of the great teachings of the Man of Galilee, the Lord Jesus Christ, was that you and I carry within us immense possibilities. In urging us to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect, Jesus was not taunting us or teasing us. He was telling us a powerful truth about our possibilities and about our potential. It is a truth almost too stunning to contemplate. Jesus, who could not lie, sought to beckon us to move further along the pathway to perfection…Each of us has more opportunities to do good and to be good than we ever use. These opportunities lie all around us.[x]

A person of perspective inspires all to rise above the limits they have set for themselves and to seek true unlimited divine potential. They realize that God can make more out of His children than they alone. His is a way full of promise, potential and perspective. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin so perfectly stated “We see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever. Although we might settle for less, Heavenly Father won’t, for He sees us as the glorious beings we are capable of becoming. 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”.[xi]

“Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting: But trailing clouds of glory do we come from God, who is our home.”[xii] It is in the gaining of perspective that the vision of our pre-mortal self becomes clear. And it is in this perspective that we re-enlist in proving our divine potential.  “Everything in our life happens as though we entered upon it with a load of obligations contracted in a previous existence … obligations whose sanction is not of this present life, [which] seem to belong to a different world, founded on kindness, scruples, sacrifice, a world entirely different from this one, a world whence we emerge to be born on this earth, before returning thither.”[xiii] In the Apocryphon of James, Jesus reportedly told an afflicted Peter and James, “If you consider how long the world existed before you, and how long it will exist after you, you will find that your life is one single day and your sufferings one single hour”[xiv]

Elder Orson Hyde said, “We have forgotten! … But our forgetfulness cannot alter the facts.”[xv] Yet, on occasions, there are inklings. President Joseph F. Smith observed how “we often catch a spark from the awakened memories of the immortal soul, which lights up our whole being as with the glory of our former home.”[xvi]


The Fall and Mortality

“Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.” —2 Nephi 2:25

Without moral righteousness, there is no happiness; without significant moral freedom, there is no moral righteousness; without an opposition (opposing possibilities to choose between), there is no significant moral freedom. Thus, happiness and opposition are essentially related.
President Brigham Young reflectively observed: “Sometimes I think it quite strange that the children of men are so constituted as to need to be taught one lesson all the time, and again it is not so marvelous to me, when I reflect upon . . . the designed effect . . . of this state of probation. Men are organized to be independent in their sphere, . . . yet they have, as soldiers term it, to run the gauntlet all the time. They are organized to be just as independent as any being in eternity, but that independency . . . must be proved and tried while in this state of existence, must be operated upon by the good and the evil”.[xvii]

Adam and Eve were the first of God’s children to come to the earth. God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were created in God’s image, with bodies of flesh and bones. While Adam and Eve were in the garden, they were still in God’s presence and could have lived forever. They lived in innocence, and God provided for their needs.

In the Garden of Eden, God gave Adam and Eve their agency. He commanded them not to eat the forbidden fruit, or the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Obeying this commandment meant that they could remain in the garden, but they could not progress by experiencing opposition in mortality. They could not know joy because they could not experience sorrow and pain. Satan tempted Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, and they chose to do so. This was part of God’s plan. Because of this choice, they were cast from the garden and out of God’s physical presence. This event is called the Fall. Separation from God’s presence is spiritual death. Adam and Eve became mortal—subject to physical death, or separation of the body and spirit. They could now experience disease and all types of suffering. They had moral agency or the ability to choose between good and evil. This made it possible for them to learn and progress. It also made it possible for them to make wrong choices and to sin. In addition, they could now have children, so the rest of God’s spirit children could come to earth, obtain physical bodies, and be tested. Only in this way could God’s children progress and become like Him.[xviii]

Life on earth is an opportunity and a blessing. Our purpose in this life is to have joy and prepare to return to God’s presence. In mortality we live in a condition where we are subject to both physical and spiritual death. God has a perfect, glorified, immortal body of flesh and bones. To become like God and return to His presence, we too must have a perfect, immortal body of flesh and bones. However, because of the Fall of Adam and Eve, every person on earth has an imperfect, mortal body and will eventually die. If not for the Savior Jesus Christ, death would end all hope for a future existence with Heavenly Father.

Along with physical death, sin is a major obstacle that keeps us from becoming like our Father in Heaven and returning to His presence. In our mortal condition we often yield to temptation, break God’s commandments, and sin. During our life on earth each of us makes mistakes. Although it sometimes appears otherwise, sin always leads to unhappiness. Sin causes feelings of guilt and shame. Because of our sins, we are unable to return to live with Heavenly Father unless we are first forgiven and cleansed. While we are in mortality, we have experiences that bring us happiness. We also have experiences that bring us pain and sorrow, some of which is caused by the sinful acts of others.[xix] All sorrow and suffering can be a great teacher if we as students are humble enough in our adversity to learn. Annie Swetchine said, “Those who have suffered much are like those who know many languages; they have learned to understand and be understood by all”[xx] “I do not believe that sheer suffering teaches. If suffering alone taught, all the world would be wise, since everyone suffers. To suffering must be added mourning, understanding, patience, love, openness, and the willingness to remain vulnerable”[xxi]

These experiences provide us opportunities to learn and to grow, to distinguish good from evil, and to make choices. God influences us to do good; Satan tempts us to commit sin. As with physical death, we cannot overcome the effects of sin by ourselves. We are helpless without the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Edith Hamilton observed: “When love meets no return the result is suffering, and the greater the love the greater the suffering. There can be no greater suffering than to love purely and perfectly one who is bent upon evil and self‑destruction. That was what God endured at the hands of men”[xxii]

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement

“The more we know of Jesus’ atonement, the more we will humbly and gladly glorify Him, His atonement, and His character. We will never tire of paying tribute to His goodness and loving kindness. How long will we so speak of our gratitude for His atonement? The scriptures advise “forever and ever”! (D&C 133:52).”—Neal A. Maxwell[xxiii]

Our purpose, in Seminaries and Institutes, is to help youth and young adults understand and rely on the teachings and Atonement of Jesus Christ, qualify for the blessings of the temple, and prepare themselves, their families, and others for eternal life with their Father in Heaven. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is central to the plan of salvation. It is the fundamental truth upon which gospel doctrines and principles are established and should be at the heart of all gospel teaching and learning. Elder Boyd K. Packer testified that the Atonement “is the very root of Christian doctrine. You may know much about the gospel as it branches out from there, but if you only know the branches and those branches do not touch that root, if they have been cut free from that truth, there will be no life nor substance nor redemption in them”[xxiv]

“The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”[xxv] “Now, the atonement of Christ is the most basic and fundamental doctrine of the gospel, and it is the least understood of all our revealed truths. Many of us have a superficial knowledge and rely upon the Lord and his goodness to see us through the trials and perils of life. But if we are to have faith like Enoch and Elijah we must believe what they believed, know what they knew, and live as they lived…We must cast aside the philosophies of men and the wisdom of the wise and hearken to that Spirit which is given to us to guide us into all truth. We must search the scriptures, accepting them as the mind and will and voice of the Lord and the very power of God unto salvation.”[xxvi]

You and I must look to and come unto Christ, who is “the fountain of living waters”[xxvii], by reading studying, searching and feasting upon the words of Christ as contained in the holy scriptures. By so doing, we can receive spiritual direction, protection and peace during our mortal journey. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a sacred stewardship to preserve the written revelations in purity and in safety this precious reservoir of living water. “…As water is necessary to sustain physical life, so the Savior and His doctrines, principles, and ordinances are essential for eternal life. You and I need His living water daily and in ample supply to sustain our ongoing spiritual growth and development.”[xxviii]

“There is no greater expression of love than the heroic Atonement performed by the Son of God. There in the quiet isolation of the Garden of Gethsemane, He knelt among the gnarled olive trees, and in some incredible way that none of us can fully comprehend, the Savior took upon Himself the sins of the world. Even though His life was pure and free of sin, He paid the ultimate penalty for sin—yours, mine, and everyone who has ever lived. His mental, emotional, and spiritual anguish were so great they caused Him to bleed from every pore (see Luke 22:44D&C 19:18).”[xxix]

He gave it as a ransom for us all. As the Son of God, He had the power to alter the situation. Yet the scriptures clearly state that He yielded Himself to scourging, humiliation, suffering, and finally crucifixion because of His great love towards the children of men (see 1 Ne. 19:9–10). The Atonement of Jesus Christ was an indispensable part of our Heavenly Father’s plan for His Son’s earthly mission and for our salvation. How grateful we should be that our Heavenly Father did not intercede but rather withheld His fatherly instinct to rescue His Beloved Son. Because of His eternal love for you and for me, He allowed Jesus to complete His foreordained mission to become our Redeemer. The gift of resurrection and immortality is given freely through the loving grace of Jesus Christ to all people of all ages, regardless of their good or evil acts. And to those who choose to love the Lord and who show their love and faith in Him by keeping His commandments and qualifying for the full blessings of the Atonement, He offers the additional promise of exaltation and eternal life, which is the blessing of living in the presence of God and His Beloved Son forever.[xxx]

I believe that if we could truly understand the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, we would realize how precious is one son or daughter of God. I believe our Heavenly Father’s everlasting purpose for His children is generally achieved by the small and simple things we do for one another. At the heart of the English word atonement is the word one. If all mankind understood this, there would never be anyone with whom we would not be concerned, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, or social or economic standing. We would strive to emulate the Savior and would never be unkind, indifferent, disrespectful, or insensitive to others. If we truly understood the Atonement and the eternal value of each soul, we would seek out the wayward boy and girl and every other wayward child of God. We would help them to know of the love Christ has for them. We would do all that we can to help prepare them to receive the saving ordinances of the gospel.

Jesus Christ is the light and the life of the world. As we fix our gaze on His teachings, we will be guided to the harbor of spiritual safety. The third article of faith states, “We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. President Joseph F. Smith taught: “Men cannot forgive their own sins; they cannot cleanse themselves from the consequences of their sins. Men can stop sinning and can do right in the future, and so far [as] their acts are acceptable before the Lord [become] worthy of consideration. But who shall repair the wrongs they have done to themselves and to others, which it seems impossible for them to repair themselves? By the atonement of Jesus Christ the sins of the repentant shall be washed away; though they be crimson they shall be made white as wool (see Isaiah 1:18). This is the promise given to you.”[xxxi]

If we truly comprehend the magnitude of, and the importance for studying, the atonement we will realize the importance of consistent analysis of our understanding and reliance on this the most important act of the plan. “The Atonement of Jesus Christ outweighs, surpasses, and transcends every other mortal event, every new discovery, and every acquisition of knowledge, for without the Atonement all else in life is meaningless.”[xxxii].

We will come to realize that most of what we worry about is not of eternal significance—and if it is, the Lord will help us. As we remember Him and trust in His power, we receive strength through His Atonement. It is the means whereby we can be relieved of our anxieties, our burdens, and our suffering. It is the means whereby we can be forgiven and healed from the pain of our sins. Alma and his people, under the bondage inflicted upon them by Amulon, teach that the Atonement is the means whereby we can receive the faith and strength to endure all things. “And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.”[xxxiii]

Alma would teach these truths, about the Atonement, to his son Alma (the younger) who in turn would experience the power whereby we can be relieved of our anxieties, our burdens, and our suffering; the means whereby we can be forgiven and healed from the pain of our sins. He would later teach his son about the enabling and saving power of the Atonement. “And now, O my son Helaman, behold, thou art in thy youth, and therefore, I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me; for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.”[xxxiv]

“And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world. Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death. And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more. And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain! Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.”[xxxv]

If we exercise our faith and look to God for help, we will not be overwhelmed with the burdens of life. We will not feel incapable of doing what we are called to do or need to do. We will be strengthened, and our lives will be filled with peace and joy. It is only in and through the gospel of Jesus Christ that we can find peace and assurance. Our message to the world is a message of hope, peace and joy.

Finding Hope, Peace and Joy in the Savior and His Gospel

“There are a few among us who believe in God but do not want to let Him be God; they would limit Him in terms of character and attributes. Reassuringly, in two adjoining verses, the Lord said tersely, “I am able to do mine own work”! (2 Nephi 27:20–21). Brothers and sisters, that is about as nice a way as God could say to us that He can handle it!" --Neal A. Maxwell[xxxvi]

“With uncompromised confidence in God, I ask you to summon full confidence in yourselves and build full confidence in your students by teaching with conviction and optimism that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the most certain, the most secure, the most reliable, and the most rewarding truth on earth and in heaven, in time and in eternity. I ask you to teach that nothing—not anything, not anyone, not any influence—will keep this Church from fulfilling its mission and realizing its destiny set from before the foundation of the world. Ours is that fail-safe, inexorable, indestructible dispensation of the fulness of the gospel. Our youth have no need to be afraid or tentative about themselves or about their future. What they do need to do is believe and to rise up to make the most of the remarkable day in which we live.”[xxxvii]

No wonder the Prophet Joseph taught that every prophet, priest, and king in every age “looked forward with joyful anticipation to the day in which we live; and fired with heavenly and joyful anticipations they have sung and written and prophesied of this our day; ... we are the favored people that God has made choice of to bring about the Latter-day glory.”[xxxviii]

“We know for certain that if and when everything else in the latter days is down or dying; if governments, economies, industries, and institutions crumble; if societies and cultures become a quagmire of chaos and insecurity, nevertheless, through it all the gospel of Jesus Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints that bears that gospel to the world will stand triumphant. It will stand undefiled in God’s hand until the very Son of God Himself comes to rule and reign as Lord of lords and King of kings. Nothing is more certain in this world. Nothing is more sure. Nothing could be more of an antidote to anxiety. As the Prophet Joseph declared, and as a generation of missionaries quote with fervor: The truth of God will sweep every country and sound in every ear. No unhallowed hand can stop it from progressing. (History of the Church, 4:540) …worry and fear and pessimism and fretting can destroy anyone’s good cheer—yours and that of the people around you. So put a smile on your face, and cherish every day of your life!”[xxxix]

 “Let us not be afraid. Jesus is our leader, our strength, and our king. This is an age of pessimism. Ours is a mission of faith. To my brethren and sisters everywhere, I call upon you to reaffirm your faith, to move this work forward across the world. You can make it stronger by the manner in which you live. Let the gospel be your sword and your shield. Each of us is a part of the greatest cause on earth.”[xl] “God is at the helm. Never doubt it. When we are confronted with opposition, He will open the way when there appears to be no way…Let not any voices of discontent disturb you. Let not the critics worry you. As Alma declared long ago: ‘Trust no one to be your teacher nor your minister, except he be a man of God, walking in his ways and keeping his commandments’ (Mosiah 23:14). The truth is in this Church. ... As the Psalmist declared: ‘Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep’ (Ps. 121:4). He who is our Savior slumbers not nor sleeps as He watches over this His kingdom.”[xli]

There may not be a clearer message of peace and hope than these holy words spoken by the Savior Himself, “[Behold,] ye are little children, and ye have not ... yet understood how great blessings the Father hath ... prepared for you.”[xlii] “Fear not, ... for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me.”[xliii] “Ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.”[xliv] “Wherefore, I am in your midst, ... I am the good shepherd, and the stone of Israel. He that buildeth upon this rock shall never fall. And the day cometh that you shall hear my voice and see me, and know that I am.”[xlv] “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”[xlvi]

“Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life.”[xlvii] “Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come.”[xlviii] “And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.”[xlix]

Do All Things Cheerfully that Lie in Your Power

“Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” –2 Corinthians 9:7

One of the most trying times in the history of the Church, both in terms of its impact on the Church generally and in the life of the Prophet Joseph Smith personally, occurred during the winter of 1838–39. The Prophet, who bore the brunt of the persecution in that period, had been imprisoned in the ironically named Liberty Jail. Until his martyrdom five and a half years later, there was no more burdensome time in Joseph’s life than this cruel, illegal, and unjustified incarceration. Liberty Jail, one of the more forbidding structures in that region, was considered escape proof, and it probably was. Surrounded by stone walls four feet thick, the floor-to-ceiling height in the dungeon was barely six feet. Inasmuch as some of the men, including the Prophet Joseph, were over six feet tall, this meant that when standing they were constantly in a stooped position. When they lay down, it was mostly upon the rough, bare stones of the prison floor covered here and there by a bit of loose, dirty straw or an occasional dirty straw mat.[l]

The food given to the prisoners was coarse and sometimes contaminated, so filthy that one of them said they “could not eat it until [they] were driven to it by hunger.”[li] On as many as four occasions poison was administered to them in their food, making them so violently ill that for days they alternated between vomiting and a kind of delirium, not really caring whether they lived or died. In the Prophet Joseph’s letters, he spoke of the jail being a “hell, surrounded with demons … where we are compelled to hear nothing but blasphemous oaths, and witness a scene of blasphemy, and drunkenness and hypocrisy, and debaucheries of every description.”[lii] “We have … not blankets sufficient to keep us warm; and when we have a fire, we are obliged to have almost a constant smoke,” he said.[liii] “Our souls have been bowed down”[liv] and “my nerve trembles from long confinement,” Joseph wrote.[lv] “Pen, or tongue, or angels,” could not adequately describe “the malice of hell” that he suffered there.[lvi] All of this occurred during what, by some accounts, was considered the coldest winter on record in the state of Missouri.

The truths Joseph received while in Liberty Jail reveal that God was not only teaching Joseph Smith in that prison circumstance, but He was also teaching all of us, for generations yet to come. How empty our lives as Latter-day Saints would be if we did not have sections 121, 122, and 123 of the Doctrine and Covenants! They are contained in a mere six pages of text, but those six pages touch our hearts with their beauty and their power. And they remind us that God often “moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform.”[lvii] He certainly turned adversity into blessing in giving us those sacred writings and reflections—so pure, noble, and Christian in both tone and content, yet produced in such an impure, ignoble, and unchristian setting.[lviii]

The Prophet Joseph's final written words from the Liberty Jail experience declare; “Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.”[lix] What incredible words from a man in the depths of “the malice of hell”! In the worst of circumstances we can and have to be fully dedicated to cheerfully give all we have to the cause of God. And, after all we can do we must stand sure and steadfast in our faith that God will do His part. He can, and will, work miracles in the lives of those who cheerfully go about their duties trusting Him. This type of faith is contagious and we must pass this on to those we teach. I call this type of energetic approach to cheerfully spreading the message of the gospel the good disease. To the youth in our classes I would eco the words of Solomon in the Book of Ecclesiastes “Rejoice… in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh.”[lx]

President Boyd K. Packer’s words have become my own words; “You are participants—more than witnesses—in the trying and important events in the history of the world and the history of the Church in our day. Thank God that you are born in this era. Be grateful that you are alive and have the happy opportunity, the priceless opportunity, of teaching in this momentous, adventuresome time. I do not doubt that we are sailing into troubled waters. There are storms to ride out; there are reefs and shoals to negotiate ere we reach port; but we have been through them before and have found safe passage.”[lxi]

Consider this verse of scripture: “The heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth; and the heavens shall shake, and also the earth; and great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve”.[lxii]

“Steady as she goes. Our craft has weathered the storm before. It is seaworthy. What a glorious time to be alive; what a marvelous age in which to live! Thank the Lord for the privilege of living in an adventuresome day of challenge. And now to you who teach, there is a celestial radar—revelation from God guiding us and guiding you. There is an inspired captain—a prophet of God. I bear witness to you that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is just what you teach it to be—the only true and living Church upon the face of the whole earth. I bear witness that Jesus is the Christ, and that the Church was formulated for strength in difficult times. Steady as she goes. Now I leave for your contemplation these words about another storm at another time: ‘And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.. . . And they awake him, and say unto him [as many say in our day], Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm’ (Mark 4:37–39; emphasis added).”[lxiii]

We move into perilous, troublesome times, and there is unrest everywhere. “It would be easy to become discouraged and cynical about the future—or even fearful of what might come—if we allowed ourselves to dwell only on that which is wrong in the world and in our lives. None of us makes it through this life without problems and challenges—and sometimes tragedies and misfortunes. After all, in large part we are here to learn and grow from such events in our lives.
Somebody has to stand, face the storm, declare the truth, and let the winds blow, and be serene and composed and steady in the doing of it. Is it any wonder than that the Lord, amidst the inevitable vision of our day, would so often speak the message to be of good cheer?  We must look up and step up. And as we do, we will cheer up. We must pass through sorrow so that we might know joy—pure and divine. This world provides opposition and opportunity to become agents of choice. It is through our ability to become agents of choice; acting for ourselves in righteousness, not being acted upon, that we find joy. It is through the vision and perspective of this plan that we develop an ability to look up to God and step up to godliness.

It becomes vital for a disciple of Christ to diligently seek eternal perspective. After obtaining such perspective it becomes an imperative duty to help others see through clearer eyes. The enemy of truth and perspective would that we lose sight of who we are and who we are becoming. If we exercise our faith and look to God for help, we will not be overwhelmed with the burdens of life. We will not feel incapable of doing what we are called to do or need to do. We will be strengthened, and our lives will be filled with peace and joy. It is only in and through the gospel of Jesus Christ that we can find peace and assurance. Our message to the world is a message of hope, peace and joy. “Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life.”[lxiv]



[i] 2 Timothy 3:1–8, 14, 17
[ii] Thomas S. Monson, Be of Good Cheer, April 2009
[iii] 2 Nephi 2:25
[iv] 2011–O:33, Carl B. Cook, It Is Better to Look Up
[v] Elder Joseph B. Worthlin, “The Great Commandment,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2007, 29
[vi] It is better to look up, Elder Carl b. Cook
[vii] Mosiah 4:9
[viii] Acts 17:27-28
[ix] Gordon B. Hinckley, “Stay the Course—Keep the Faith,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 72.
[x] Spencer W. Kimball, August Ensign Jesus the Perfect Leader. Salt Lake City: The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1979.
[xi] Joseph B. Wirthin, Ensign: Conference Edition April 1988 “Without Guile”. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1988.
[xii] William Wordsworth, “Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood,” lines 58, 64–65.
[xiii] Marcel Proust, in Gabriel Marcel, Homo Viator, New York: Harper and Row, 1963, p. 8
[xiv] “The Apocryphon of James,” in The Nag Hammadi Library in English, ed. James M. Robinson, San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1978, p. 31
[xv] Journal of Discourses, 7:315
[xvi] Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed., Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1939, p. 14
[xvii] Journal of Discourses, 3:316
[xviii] Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service, (2004), 47-59
[xix] Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service, (2004), 47-59
[xx] in Neal A. Maxwell, We Will Prove Them Herewith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1982], p. 123.
[xxi] in Brigham Young University Law Review, vol. 1991, no. 1
[xxii] Spokesman for God [New York: W. W. Norton, 1936], p. 112
[xxiii] “O How Great the Plan of Our God!” (2 Nephi 9:13), Address to CES Religious Educators, 3 February 1995, Temple Square Assembly Hall
[xxiv] Elder Boyd K. Packer, “The Mediator,” Ensign, May 1977, 56.
[xxv] Joseph Smith, May 8, 1838, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p121
[xxvi] Elder Bruce R. McConkie, May Ensign, 1985
[xxvii] 1 Nephi 11:25; compare Ether 8:26, 12:28
[xxviii] David A. Bednar, A Reservoir of Living Water. (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Intellectual Reserve, 2007.)
[xxix] M. Russell Ballard, The Atonement and the Value of One Soul. (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Intellectual Reserve, 2004.)
[xxx] M. Russell Ballard, The Atonement and the Value of One Soul. (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Intellectual Reserve, 2004.)
[xxxi] Boyd K. Packer, The Reason for Our Hope. (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Intellectual Reserve, 2014.)
[xxxii] Tad R. Callister, The Infinite Atonement
[xxxiii] Mosiah 24:15
[xxxiv] Alma 36:3
[xxxv]Alma 37:17-21
[xxxvi] “O How Great the Plan of Our God!” (2 Nephi 9:13), Address to CES Religious Educators, 3 February 1995, Temple Square Assembly Hall
[xxxvii] Be Not Afraid, Only Believe Elder Jeffrey R. Holland — Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Address to CES Religious Educators • February 6, 2015 • Salt Lake Tabernacle
[xxxviii] Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 186
[xxxix] Be Not Afraid, Only Believe Elder Jeffrey R. Holland — Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Address to CES Religious Educators • February 6, 2015 • Salt Lake Tabernacle
[xl] Gordon B. Hinkley, “Stay the Course—Keep the Faith,” Ensign, November 1995, 72
[xli] Gordon B. Hinckley, “God Is at the Helm, Ensign, May 1994, 59–60
[xlii] Doctrine and Covenants 78:17
[xliii] Doctrine 50:41
[xliv] Doctrine and Covenants 78:18
[xlv] Doctrine and Covenants 50:44-45
[xlvi] John 16:33
[xlvii] 2 Nephi 10:23
[xlviii] Doctrine and Covenants 68:6
[xlix] Doctrine and Covenants 78:18
[l] Except from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. “Lessons from Liberty Jail”, From a CES Fireside given on September 7, 2008, at Brigham Young University.
[li] Alexander McRae, in B. H. Roberts, in A Comprehensive History of the Church, 1:521
[lii] Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 3:290.
[liii] Letter to Isaac Galland, Mar. 22, 1839, in Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, comp. Dean C. Jessee (2002), 456.
[liv] Letter to the Church in Caldwell County, Dec. 16, 1838; “Communications,” Times and Seasons, Apr. 1840, 85
[lv] Letter to Emma Smith, Mar. 21, 1839, in Personal Writings, 449.
[lvi] Letter to Emma Smith, Apr. 4, 1839, in Personal Writings, 463, 464; spelling and capitalization standardized
[lvii] “God Moves in a Mysterious Way,” Hymns, no. 285
[lviii] Except from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. “Lessons from Liberty Jail”, From a CES Fireside given on September 7, 2008, at Brigham Young University.
[lix] D&C 123:17
[lx] Ecclesiastes 11: 9-10
[lxi] Boyd K Packer. “To Those Who Teach in Troubled Times”, Address to religious educators, Summer 1970.
[lxii] Moses 7:61
[lxiii] Boyd K Packer. “To Those Who Teach in Troubled Times”, Address to religious educators, Summer 1970.
[lxiv] 2 Nephi 10:23