A Survival Guide for General Conference: Sunday Morning Session (Oct 2021)
This series will be a cheat sheet guide for people who would prefer not to watch all of General Conference. Now you can have some points to discuss with your TBM family or friends where necessary and gives you the option to choose which talks you want to listen to (if any).
Sunday Morning Session
Session conducted by: Dallin H. Oaks - First Counselor, First Presidency
Session Choir: The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square
Invocation (opening prayer): David F. Evans
Benediction (closing prayer): Jean B. Bingham
Songs sung:
Come, Rejoice
Sing Praise to Him
Where Love Is
How Firm a Foundation
Let the Mountains Shout for Joy
Opening speech: Dallin H. Oaks - First Counselor, First Presidency
Key Points:
reiterated points from the morning session about General Conference taking place back in the Conference Centre (although numbers are more limited due to continued constraints of COVID-19) and that safe medical practices were put in place for the choir members who were all vaccinated and recently tested to make sure the were not infected
First Speaker: Dieter F. Uchtdorf - Quorum of the Twelve Apostles - ‘Daily Restoration’ (Skip to 12:00)
Topics: personal progress, importance of a relationship with God, the importance of goal setting and making changes to become more like Jesus Christ
Key Points:
We welcome all to come to attend church and thank non-members for joining with members to worship the Saviour and learn about Him
We’re striving to become better friends, neighbours, and human beings, and we seek to do this by following our Exemplar, Jesus Christ.
We consider it an honour to walk with you in the Master’s straight and narrow path of discipleship
Uchtdorf speaks of a study that demonstrated the theory that those who are lost walk in circles. He says that there are different theories as to why this is, but whatever the cause it is human nature to drift off course without reliable landmarks. When undertaking certain tasks there are constant minor course corrections needed to safely navigate the journey (Uchtdorf speaks of his experience as a pilot and landing planes). This same logic applies to us spiritually
Most of the changes in our spiritual lives, both positive and negative, happen gradually a step at a time. If we do not take care then we can find ourselves drifting off course and away from the church. But there are “landmarks” that will help us on our way, these include:
Daily prayer
Pondering the scriptures
Using inspired tools like “Come, Follow Me”
Each day we can approach the throne of God in humility and honesty. We can ponder our actions and review the moments of our day, considering our will and desires in light of His. if we have drifted we can ask God to restore us and commit to doing better.
When we assess our progress and align ourselves with the spiritual landmarks God has provided for His children. Just as minor deviations can draw us out of the Saviour’s way, so can small and simple acts of realignment lead us back.
The Restoration of the gospel and the Church is not something that happened once and it is over. It is an ongoing process, one day at a time, one heart at a time.
Quotes:
“Jesus Christ lives. He is real. He is the Son of the living God, and He directs prophets on the earth in our day today as he has our dear prophet and president, Russell M. Nelson”.
“Each day we can approach the throne of God in humility and honesty. We can ponder our actions and review the moments of our day, considering our will and desires in light of His”
“Do you want to change the shape of your life? Change the shape of your day. Do you want to change your day, change this hour? Change what you think, feel, and do at the very moment…minutes and hours well spent are the building blocks of a life well-lived.”
Personal Synopsis:
I feel like in part some of the reason that Mormonism works so well is that many leaders are gifted in the art of making a connection between the logical and the illogical. They take a very logical principle like how small changes can make a big difference in a larger picture, and then put this under the lens of the LDS theology. This can make their claims seem true and logical even if there is no evidence for them. In this case, Uchtdorf talks about how we can course-correct when we find ourselves off track, and while this practice can be applied to other areas in life (e.g. setting small easy goals to achieve a long-term one) I do not agree that it can or should be used in the way that Uchtdorf promotes.
Firstly it oversimplifies the issues that people have when they are struggling with faith and their religious beliefs. People can have legitimate concerns about its truth, and about if/how they have been misled by its leaders. Answers to these questions are not going to be found in prayer or scripture study, they can only be found by looking at sources found outside of the religious belief. some leaders would have you believe that looking outside of the Church for answers is dangerous because ex-Mormons or anti-Mormons only want to spread lies or misinformation, and while that might be true in some cases it is not true for the vast majority that I have seen. In addition to this, it is also not true that people leave the church just because they want to sin, there are many complex reasons why people leave and this can include finding out that there are certain truths that have been kept from them - learning these made them realise that they no longer believe the churches truth claims. so ultimately Uchtdorf’s suggestion will not work in the case because the reasons for leaving are not down to a lack of wanting to believe or having a “lazy learner” attitude, but in fact, it is down to complex feelings/beliefs that have changed. Contrary to the teachings of the church a person can not simply “choose” to believe, you either believe something to be true or you don’t. Anything else is just lying to yourself. I personally believe that truth is too important to just blindly turn away from the fact.
The second thing that is disturbing about the idea is that people should police their actions and take steps to bring themselves back in line with what the church thinks is appropriate behaviour. It is not that people will even be committing illegal or immoral acts, but rather doing something as small as forgetting to say a prayer or read their scriptures. By telling members to police their thoughts and actions to comply with the rules and expectations they have created adds to the control that the church holds over people - they don’t need to be there watching to force people to comply with the rules, instead, they use this type of method to indoctrinate people into compliance. Similar methods of control are described as part of the BITE model when describing cult tactics for brainwashing.
Second Speaker: Camille N. Johnson - Primary General President - ‘Invite Christ to Author Your Story’ (Skip to 25:39)
Topics: follow God, allow Him to write your story, user promptings of the Holy Spirit
Key Points:
Johnson testifies that the Savior is “the author and finisher of our faith. He knows the beginning from the end. He was the Creator of heaven and earth. He wants us to return home to Him and our Heavenly Father. He has everything invested in us and wants us to succeed.
We can ask questions of our loving Heavenly Father, in the name of our merciful Savior, and the witness who answers our questions is the Holy Ghost, who always testifies of truth. Because the Holy Ghost works in perfect unity with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, we know that the manifestations of the Holy Ghost are reliable.
We are sometimes resistant to asking for this kind of heavenly help, truth manifest to us by the Holy Ghost? Why do we put off asking a question to which we do not know the answer when the witness not only is friendly but will always tell the truth? Perhaps it is because we don’t have the faith to accept the answer we might receive. Perhaps it is because the natural man or woman in us is resistant to turning things completely over to the Lord and trusting Him entirely.
Maybe that is why we choose to stick with the narrative we have written for ourselves, a comfortable version of our story unedited by the Master Author. We don’t want to ask a question and get an answer that doesn’t fit neatly into the story we are writing for ourselves.
Johnson talks of David/Goliath and Esther/Haman as biblical examples where people allowed themselves to be guided by God despite mortal danger.
It is our commandment and covenant keeping that will open the line of communication for us to receive revelation through the Holy Ghost. And it is through the manifestations of the Spirit that we will feel the Master’s hand writing our stories with us
Few of us would probably write into our stories the trials that refine us. But “don’t we love the glorious culmination of a story we read when the protagonist overcomes the struggle? Trials are the elements of the plot that make our favorite stories compelling, timeless, faith promoting, and worthy of telling. The beautiful struggles written into our stories are what draw us closer to the Savior and refine us, making us more like Him”.
In April 2021, our prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, asked us to consider what we could do if we had more faith in Jesus Christ. If we had more faith, we would ask the question and then be willing to accept the answer we receive, even if it doesn’t fit our comfortable narrative. And the promised blessing that will come from acting in faith in Jesus Christ is an increase in faith in Him as our author and finisher. President Nelson declared that we “receive more faith by doing something that requires more faith”
In Revelation we learn that we will stand before God and be judged out of the books of life, according to our works. We will be judged by our book of life. We can choose to write a comfortable narrative for ourselves. Or we can allow the Master Author and Finisher to write our story with us, letting the role He needs us to play take precedence over other ambitions. Let Christ be the author and finisher of your story!
Quotes:
“…letting God prevail, letting Him be the author and finisher of our stories, does require us to keep His commandments and the covenants we have made. It is our commandment and covenant keeping that will open the line of communication for us to receive revelation through the Holy Ghost. And it is through the manifestations of the Spirit that we will feel the Master’s hand writing our stories with us”.
“ [God] knows our potential perfectly, He will take us to places we never imagined ourselves. He may make us a David or an Esther. He will stretch us and refine us to be more like Him. The things we will achieve as we act with more faith will increase our faith in Jesus Christ”
Personal Synopsis:
This talk made me scream internally. Mostly becase I have watched and read a whole bunch of LDS broadcasts/literature over the years and I 100% know that leaders have admitted that the “promptings” of the Holy Ghost are not always correctly interpreted (arguably becase they are actually feelings and thoughts of the individual and not some supernatural being). So Johnson standing there claiming that we can get some kind of answer’s from a divine being who will guide us is just disingenuous, even by their own standards you can get what you think is a prompting from the Holy Ghost and be wrong. Really you may as well ask your questions to a magic 8 ball and using its answers to guide you.
I have mentioned this on social media before, but I really do not understand the quote that that we “receive more faith by doing something that requires more faith”. When I first hear this quote I imagined someone covering their eyes with their hand and walking blindly across a busy street thinking that God will save them if that is His will. It also reminded me of the very gross narrative that I heard as a child around the Columbine school shooting and how we should all be prepared to state our belief in God no matter what the consequences may be. In reality what I really think Nelson is inadvertently talking about is confirmation bias; the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms or supports one's prior beliefs or values.
I no longer feel the the need to leave things in the hands of a supernatural being, since leaving behind my LDS beliefs I have made my way just fine. I have had to work hard to leave behind some of the guilt and oppression that had worked its way into my subconscious. It is a long journey that I am still traveling now, but I can say that I would never want to go back to how things were before. I am much happier now outside of the church than I ever was in it. Recognising the LDS chuch for the high control group that it is was the best thing that could have happened to me.
Third Speaker: Elder Dale G. Renlund - Quorum of the Twelve Apostles - ‘The Peace of Christ Abolishes Enmity’ (Skip to 35:37)
Topics: COVID-19 has been a challenge, avoiding contention, forgiving enemies and putting God first
Key Points: compassion, acceptance,
An exercise stress test can reveal underlying disease that is not otherwise apparent. Any issues identified can then be treated before they cause serious problems in daily life.
The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly been a global stress test both physically and spiritually
The test has shown mixed results. Safe and effective vaccines have been developed. Medical professionals, teachers, caregivers, and others have sacrificed heroically—and continue to do so. Many people have displayed generosity and kindness—and continue to do so. Yet, underlying disadvantages have been manifest. Vulnerable individuals have suffered—and continue to do so.
Covid-19 has also been a spiritual stress test for the Savior’s Church and its members. The results are likewise mixed. Our lives have been blessed by ministering in a “higher and holier way,” the Come, Follow Me curriculum, and home-centred, Church-supported gospel learning. Many have provided compassionate help and comfort during these difficult times and continue to do so. Yet, in some instances, the spiritual stress test has shown tendencies toward contention and divisiveness. This suggests that we have work to do to change our hearts and to become unified as the Savior’s true disciples.
Renlund speaks of 3 Nephi 11:28–29 “He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.”
He continues by saying “when we contend with each other in anger, Satan laughs and the God of heaven weeps” (Moses 7:26, 28, 33). Renlud believes that Satan laughs and God weeps for at least two reasons.
First, contention weakens our collective witness to the world of Jesus Christ and the redemption that comes through His “merits, … mercy, and grace” (2 Nephi 2:8). His latter-day work is compromised when contention or enmity exists among His disciples.
Second, the contention is spiritually unhealthy for us as individuals. We are robbed of peace, joy, and rest, and our ability to feel the Spirit is compromised.
If we are quick to take offence or respond to differences of opinion by becoming angry or judgmental then we fail the spiritual stress test. This failed test does not mean that we are hopeless but it points to the need for change.
Redlund states that “after the Savior’s visit to the Americas, the people were unified; there was no contention in all the land” (4 Nephi 1:18). He says that he believes the reason people were unified was not that there were “all the same, or because they had no differences of opinion”, but that “contention and enmity disappeared because they placed their discipleship of the Savior above all else”.
Unity requires effort and it develops when we cultivate the love of God in our hearts and we focus on our eternal destiny. If we are unable to place our discipleship to Jesus Christ above personal interests and viewpoints, we should reexamine our priorities and change
When the love of Christ envelops our lives, we approach disagreements with meekness, patience, and kindness….We do not engage in doubtful disputations, judge those with whom we disagree, or try to cause them to stumble. Instead, we assume that those with whom we disagree are doing the best they can with the life experiences they have.
Redlund says that “former enemies can become united in their discipleship of the Savior”. As an example, he recalls a memory he has of Helsinki Finland Temple saying that historically there was a lot of contention and mistrust between Finland and Russia and that among other countries this temple district would encompass Finland and Russia. A year before the dedication of the Helsinki Finland Temple, the temple committee, consisting exclusively of Finnish members, met and at this meeting they agreed that Russians could be the first members to perform temple ordinances in the temple. When Redlund reported this news to his father (who himself had always spoken disparagingly of Russians) his father wept and from that time until his death three years later, he never expressed another negative sentiment about Russia.
The Finns were no less Finnish; the Russians were no less Russian; neither group abandoned their culture, history, or experiences to banish enmity. They did not need to. Instead, they chose to make their discipleship of Jesus Christ their primary consideration. If they can do it, so can we.
Quotes:
“When love of Christ envelops our lives, we approach disagreements with meekness, patience, and kindness….We do not engage in doubtful disputations, judge those with whom we disagree, or try to cause them to stumble. Instead, we assume that those with whom we disagree are doing the best they can with the life experiences they have”
“Unity requires effort. It develops when we cultivate the love of God in our hearts and we focus on our eternal destiny. We are united by our common, primary identity as children of God and our commitment to the truths of the restored gospel.”
“I testify that as we shun contention and become like-minded with the Lord in love and united with Him in faith, His peace will be ours”
Personal Synopsis:
I got quite a way through this talk before an issue was raised for me, not in the overall message (I have no problem with people being encouraged to be more tolerant), but every time LDS leaders give the example of the books of Nephi an example of happy people living together for God it makes me laugh. If you read the chapters leading up to this period of “happiness” you will know that according to the Book of Mormon God killed countless people who would not repent and follow him. Chapter 9 of 3 Nephi is pretty much God bragging about how many cities he destroyed and all the people he killed “because of their wickedness and their abominations”. The people he spared he only did so because they were “more righteous than they”, God then told these survivors that he would be merciful to those who would receive him and “offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit”. So in reality the people in the book of Nephi had a choice to either be united and worship God or be destroyed.
I can’t help but think that this talk is in part aimed and the “faithful members” who were vehemently against the Prophet discussing getting vaccinated against Covid-19 (read the comment section on his Facebook post here). This was not the only post of its kind over the last 2 years, in fact, some of the Instagram posts on the official LDS account had the comment section turned off after members began posting comments that bordered on being abusive or apostate statements.
The other focus the LDS church has had over the last 2 years is to try and get its members to be more welcoming to minority groups. The church has a long sordid history of racism and homophobia that has been carried through generations of church members and leaders. They have made some small attempts to tell members to welcome people who are different, but then they go and act in a way that is opposite to this rhetoric (e.g. Hollands talk at BYU). They have tried to erase their history by claiming ignorance and covering up things that were taught by church leaders for a significant amount of time, unfortunately until the church leadership begins leading by example I have little hope of an attitude change in its members.
Fourth Speaker: Elder Vaiangina Sikahema - Of the Seventy - A House of Sequential Order (Skip to 51:59)
Topics: things come in time according to what the Lord wants for us
Key Points:
Sikahema speaks of how his home teacher Ned Brimley first taught him that “many aspects and blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ are given to us in sequential order”. For example, Brimley described the order in which the earth was created and advised that this “gives us a glimpse not only of what is most important to God but also why and for whom He created the earth”.
Brimley stated to Sikahema that “[God] expects you to live your life with order. In proper sequence. He wants you to serve a mission before you get married….God wants you to get married before you have children. And He wants you to continually develop your talents as you earn an education.” Sikahema was advised that if he choose to live his life out of this specific sequence that life would be more difficult and chaotic.
Sequential order is a simple, natural, and effective way for the Lord to teach us, as His children, important principles. We’ve come to earth to learn and gain experience we would not otherwise have. Our growth is unique to each of us individually and a vital component of Heavenly Father’s plan. Our physical and spiritual growth begins in stages and develops slowly as we gain experience sequentially.
Our growth is dependent on our willingness, natural curiosity, level of faith, and understanding…we learn “line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little” is again sequential.
Sikahemagives a lot of different examples of things he believes are sequential, e.g. “Repentance is sequential. It begins with faith in Jesus Christ, even if just a particle. Faith requires humility, which is an essential element of having a ‘broken heart and a contrite spirit’”. He asks that we live our lives with order and seek to follow the sequence the Lord has outlined for us.
Quotes:
“One observation I’ve made is that “sequential order” is a simple, natural, and effective way for the Lord to teach us, as His children, important principles”
“The Lord teaches us individually according to our capacity to learn and how we learn. Our growth is dependent on our willingness, natural curiosity, level of faith, and understanding”
“May we live our lives with order and seek to follow the sequence the Lord has outlined for us. We will be blessed as we look for and follow the patterns and the sequence in which the Lord teaches what’s most important to Him”
Personal Synopsis:
I feel like this whole talk could have been summed up by just one scripture “I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able” (1 Corinthians 3:2). In my experience, all missionaries and church leaders love this scripture because they can use it as an excuse when members or ex-members question church history that had been buried/hidden from them. It is another way they can excuse “lying for the Lord”, something that some church leaders have been very open about. While addressing religious educators at BYU, Elder Boyd K. Packer went as far as to say that “some things that are true are not very useful. Teaching some things that are true, prematurely or at the wrong time, can invite sorrow and heartbreak instead of the joy intended to accompany learning…The scriptures teach emphatically that we must give milk before meat. The Lord made it very clear that some things are to be taught selectively, and some things are to be given only to those who are worthy.”
Packer went on to tell these educators that they should be willing to sacrifice their scholarly reputation upon the altar of service and that those who choose to “follow the tenets of his profession, regardless of how they may injure the Church or destroy the faith of those not ready for “advanced history,” is himself in spiritual jeopardy. If that one is a member of the Church, he has broken his covenants and will be accountable. After all of the tomorrows of mortality have been finished, he will not stand where he might have stood”.
In essence, truth does not matter.
Fifth Speaker: Elder Quentin L. Cook - Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles - ‘Personal Peace in Challenging Times’ (Skip to 01:01:41)
Topics: adversity is not evidence of the Lord’s disfavour, peace on earth is not promised until the Second Coming,
Key Points:
Cook discusses a time he paid a visit to Liberty Jail in Missouri. He says that as he viewed the jail he began to contemplate the events that made it “such a significant part of Church history”.
Cook claims that “the lives of the Saints were threatened as the result of an extermination order issued by the governor of Missouri. In addition, the Prophet Joseph and a few choice associates had been unjustly imprisoned in Liberty Jail. One of the reasons for the violent opposition to our members was most of them were opposed to slavery”*.
This intense persecution of Joseph Smith and his followers constitutes an extreme example of the unrighteous exercise of agency that can impact righteous people. Joseph’s time in Liberty Jail demonstrates that adversity is not evidence of the Lord’s disfavor nor a withdrawal of His blessings.
One of the most cherished titles of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is Prince of Peace. Ultimately, his Kingdom will be established, including peace and love. We look forward to the millennial reign of the Messiah. Notwithstanding this vision of the millennial reign, we know that world peace and harmony are not present in our day.
In my lifetime I have never seen a greater lack of civility. We are bombarded with angry, contentious language and provocative, devastating actions that destroy peace and tranquillity. Peace is not promised or assured until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ
Personal peace can be achieved and it has never been more important to seek it. While universal peace is elusive, personal peace can be achieved. All of Jesus Christ’s teachings point to finding peace. Here are several:
Love God, live His commandments and forgive everyone: In October 1945, following World War II, President George Albert Smith reminded the Saints of the invitation to love their neighbours and forgive enemies.
Seek the fruits of the Spirit: “We should be willing to compromise and eliminate strife with respect to matters that do not involve righteousness to have peaceful relationships.”
Exercise agency to choose righteousness: “Let go of pride and control to choose the Savior to have His light and His peace”.
Build Zion in our hearts and homes: “The institution of the family is the foundation for both happiness and peace…The institution of family is the foundation for both happiness and peace…the home-centred, church-supported religious observance can unleash the power of families to transform our homes into a sanctuary of faith. We are aware that many of you do not have the blessings of righteous homes and contend regularly with those who choose unrighteousness. The Saviour can provide protection and peace to guide you to safety.
Follow the current admonitions of the Prophet: President Russell M. Nelson has taught “we can feel enduring peace and joy even during these turbulent times” as we strive to be more like our Saviour Jesus Christ. Nelson counsels us to repent daily to receive the Lord’s cleansing, healing, and strengthening power.
Quotes:
“This intense persecution of Joseph Smith and his followers constitutes an extreme example of the unrighteous exercise of agency that can impact righteous people”
“It is clear that opposition can refine us for an eternal, celestial destiny.”
“We are aware that many of you do not have the blessings of righteous homes and contend regularly with those who choose unrighteousness. The Saviour can provide protection and peace to guide you to safety”
Personal Synopsis:
*This is the first time in the whole of general conference that I felt the need to Asterix a point in the talk. Joseph Smith literally said that slavery was condoned in the Bible, and saying that the LDS were opposed because they were against slavery is just a lie. Did Joseph Smith waver in his beliefs on slavery? Yes. Did he and other leaders of the church oppose it firmly? No!
This talk is problematic on so many levels. I grew up hearing about how these were the “latter days”, and that civilisation had never been in a worse state. They pointed to any bad even they could whether that was a natural disaster, a new virus or disease, or a tragic killing and they said that these were signs of things to come. For me, these messages made it feel like there was an urgency to be true to the gospel, and to help get those I cared about back on track with their own testimony. It also created a fear of the outside world, it made the world outside of the organisation seem dangerous to my moral, spiritual, and physical self. Even after leaving I really struggled to trust people because I believed that without God and religion that people were not moral or kind, that they acted to service themselves in all instances.
It took me years to get away from this line of thinking and to realise that just as there are good and bad people everywhere, and being in a religion can’t protect you from the actions of others. We don’t need God or religion to have personal peace, and we don’t have to spend every day “repenting” for supposed sins. I believe that to achieve personal peace that we need to focus on the well-being of ourselves and others. We don’t need to fear the world, we don’t need to be protected from the “unrighteous” people among us by some mystical being - we just need to act in accordance with what is best for the good of society. There is no absolute right or wrong (despite what the church tries to convey), things are much more complicated than that and all we can do is try our best to achieve peace and happiness by doing our best to maintain wellbeing.
Sixth Speaker: President Russell M. Nelson - President - The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation’ (Skip to 01:20:01)
Topics: these are the latter-days, go to the temple, the temple will make a difference to your life
Key Points:
Nelson speaks of the renovations that have been going on in the Salt Lake City temple.
Like the Church is working to strengthen the foundations of the Temple, we should all work to strengthen our personal spiritual foundations.
These are the latter days and if we are to withstand the forthcoming perils and pressures it is imperative that we each have a firm spiritual foundation built upon the rock of our Redeemer.
The Saviour and his doctrine are the very heart of the temple - everything taught there through instruction and through the Spirit will increase our understanding of Jesus Christ.
“As we keep our covenants He endows us with His healing, strengthening power. And oh how we will need this power in the days ahead”
The Lord has declared that despite today’s unprecedented challenges, those who build their foundations upon Jesus Christ and have learned how to draw upon His power, need not succumb to the unique anxieties of this era
Temple ordinances and covenants are ancient…Everything we believe and every promise God has made to His covenant people come together in the temple. Temples have been part of this dispensation from its earliest days. Until his martyrdom, Joseph Smith continued to receive revelations that furthered the restoration of the endowment and sealing ordinances. He recognized, however, that further refinement was needed. After administering the endowment to Brigham Young in May 1842, Joseph told Brigham, “This is not arranged right, but we have done the best we could under the circumstances in which we are placed, and I wish you to take this matter in hand and organize and systematise all these ceremonies.”
From that time forward, temple ordinances were gradually refined. President Harold B. Lee explained why procedures, policies, and even the administration of temple ordinances continue to change within the Savior’s restored Church. President Lee said: “The principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ are divine. Nobody changes the principles and [doctrine] of the Church except the Lord by revelation. But methods change as the inspired direction comes to those who preside at a given time.”14
Consider how administering the sacrament has changed over the years. In earlier days, the water of the sacrament was offered to the congregation in one large vessel. Everyone drank from it. Now we use individual disposable cups. The procedure changed, but the covenants remain the same.
Ponder these three truths:
The Restoration is a process, not an event, and will continue until the Lord comes again.
The ultimate objective of the gathering of Israel15 is to bring the blessings of the temple to God’s faithful children.
As we seek how to accomplish that objective more effectively, the Lord reveals more insights. The ongoing Restoration needs ongoing revelation.
We seek guidance regularly on how to ensure worldwide accuracy and consistency of temple instruction, covenants, and ordinances despite differences in language and culture. Current adjustments in temple procedures, and others that will follow, are continuing evidence that the Lord is actively directing His Church.
Nelson ends his talk by urging everyone to go to the temple, even if they do not love attending. He says that it will make a difference to the lives of those who attend and partake of ordinances, he claims that “spiritual doors will open. You will learn how to part the veil between heaven and earth, how to ask for God’s angels to attend you, and how better to receive direction from heaven. Your diligent efforts to do so will reinforce and strengthen your spiritual foundation”.
Quotes:
“The temple lies at the centre of strengthening our faith and spiritual fortitude because the Saviour and his doctrine are the very heart of the temple”.
“We have been promised that if we are prepared, we shall not fear". This assurance has profound implications today”.
“As we keep our covenants, He endows us with His healing, strengthening power. And oh, how we will need His power in the days ahead.”
“Please believe me when I say that when your spiritual foundation is built solidly upon Jesus Christ, you have no need to fear.”
Personal Synopsis:
This summary would be very similar to the talk given by Quentin L. Cook because it contains a lot of the same messages. The President of the Church is telling his people that we are in the “latter-days” the time which is supposed to lead up to the end of time as we know it, the time where (according to LDS theology) Jesus Christ will return to Earth.
People may find some sort of peace by going to the temple, but that doesn’t mean it is true. Telling people that their lives will be made better by attending the temple and that they will find “spiritual doors will open” and they will learn “how to ask for God’s angels to attend you, and how better to receive direction from heaven” means that for those who do not find this the case they can be lead to believe that this is their own fault. I fell into this trap myself where no matter how hard I prayed, and how much I read my scriptures I never felt good enough. I never felt “forgiven” for my perceived sins. This just made me feel worse about myself, and I know that I am not alone in these feelings.
The LDS church seems to be fighting hard to stop people from leaving the church by telling them they need to do more to strengthen their faith, that if people leave it is because they have not taken proper actions to protect themselves. Fortunately, more people are realising that the LDS church is not true and that many of its claims can be disproven. They realise that faith is not the path to truth and that extraordinary claims require evidence before they should be believed.
