The Following Blog Description Explains Why My Blog is named: "Four Books of Scripture Testify of Jesus Christ!
Jesus the Christ -by Del Parson
 |
| Jesus the Christ -by Del Parson |
WELCOME, NEW AND REGULAR
VIEWERS OF THIS BLOG: In this
and in every additional post of this blog
you will be led on a carefully and
prayerfully planned exciting and inspiring
journey as you prepare by means of a
guided study of the four sacred books of
scripture I am shown holding above.
Devoted Study of them will assist you in
becoming more righteously happy now
and more fully prepared for eventual
After-Mortality Eternal Endeavors on
your part, along with your loved ones and
countless other mortals who are seeking
to qualify as our Heavenly Father's worthy
children.
Those enabling Books of Scripture were brought about through the love and
wisdom of the Heavenly Father of our
Immortal Spirits which now inhabit our mortal bodies; and were a key part
of the Restoration of the Gospel,
and of the establishment of The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
through the Prophet Joseph Smith early
in the Nineteenth Century.
Leading out in all of this, was of course,
Our Heavenly Father's Only Begotten
who is our Lord, Savior, and Redeemer,
Jesus Christ (who initially was our
eldest spirit brother and is the only one
of us our Heavenly Father will have ever sired into mortality).
Jesus accomplished His Infinite Atonement, the Ultimate Mortal
Sacrifice, along with His infallibly
witnessed Resurrection. He is our
Redeemer and Savior who opened
the way for each of us to learn with
certainty through those four books
of scripture, and through the
inspired teachings of His prophets, seers and revelators of our day
and those authorized by them;
that some time after our mortal
deaths, because of His Atonement
and Resurrection, and depending
on the level of individual
righteousness to which we each
attain, through His grace, we can
eventually experience Eternal Life
in our own Resurrected Bodies,
which in the case of those who fully
heeded all of His scriptural guidance
and the guidance of His authorized
living servants, there will be full
possession of Godly capabilities!
J. Neil Birch
WELCOME, NEW AND REGULAR
VIEWERS OF THIS BLOG: In this
and in every additional post of this blog
you will be led on a carefully and
prayerfully planned exciting and inspiring
journey as you prepare by means of a
guided study of the four sacred books of
scripture I am shown holding above.
Devoted Study of them will assist you in
becoming more righteously happy now
and more fully prepared for eventual
After-Mortality Eternal Endeavors on
your part, along with your loved ones and
countless other mortals who are seeking
to qualify as our Heavenly Father's worthy
becoming more righteously happy now
and more fully prepared for eventual
After-Mortality Eternal Endeavors on
your part, along with your loved ones and
countless other mortals who are seeking
to qualify as our Heavenly Father's worthy
children.
wisdom of the Heavenly Father of our
Immortal Spirits which now inhabit our mortal bodies; and were a key part
of the Restoration of the Gospel,
and of the establishment of The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
through the Prophet Joseph Smith early
in the Nineteenth Century.
Leading out in all of this, was of course,
Our Heavenly Father's Only Begotten
who is our Lord, Savior, and Redeemer,
Jesus Christ (who initially was our
eldest spirit brother and is the only one
of us our Heavenly Father will have ever sired into mortality).
Sacrifice, along with His infallibly
witnessed Resurrection. He is our
Redeemer and Savior who opened
the way for each of us to learn with
certainty through those four books
of scripture, and through the
inspired teachings of His prophets, seers and revelators of our day
and those authorized by them;
that some time after our mortal
deaths, because of His Atonement
and Resurrection, and depending
on the level of individual
righteousness to which we each
attain, through His grace, we can
eventually experience Eternal Life
in our own Resurrected Bodies,
which in the case of those who fully
heeded all of His scriptural guidance
and the guidance of His authorized
living servants, there will be full
possession of Godly capabilities!
J. Neil Birch
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****
TODAY'S THEME:
I, J. Neil Birch, Author of this Blog Post as you have
been informed in my Introduction, have chosen this
week to feature an October 2013 General Conference
talk given by President Henry B. Eyring, First Counse-
lor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints in Which He Speaks on the Subject of:
"Bind Up Their Wounds."
First, I desire that you learn about President
Eyring's background: http://www.lds.org/church/
leader/henry-b-eyring
Now I invite you to listen to the recording of President
Eyring's Talk:
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/bind-up-their-wounds?lang=eng
You are next invited to thoughtfully and prayerfully read through
the printed version of Elder Holland's talk in which you will come
across, each of the three reference notes he has inserted through
which he, (with some additional assistance from this blogger
through the means of the Internet which facilitates this and all blogs,
along with a very special LDS video) and gives us inspired guidance:
****
TODAY'S THEME:
I, J. Neil Birch, Author of this Blog Post as you have
been informed in my Introduction, have chosen this
week to feature an October 2013 General Conference
talk given by President Henry B. Eyring, First Counse-
lor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints in Which He Speaks on the Subject of:
"Bind Up Their Wounds."
First, I desire that you learn about President
Eyring's background: http://www.lds.org/church/
leader/henry-b-eyring
Now I invite you to listen to the recording of President
Eyring's Talk:
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/bind-up-their-wounds?lang=eng
You are next invited to thoughtfully and prayerfully read through
the printed version of Elder Holland's talk in which you will come
across, each of the three reference notes he has inserted through
which he, (with some additional assistance from this blogger
through the means of the Internet which facilitates this and all blogs,
along with a very special LDS video) and gives us inspired guidance:
been informed in my Introduction, have chosen this
week to feature an October 2013 General Conference
talk given by President Henry B. Eyring, First Counse-
lor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints in Which He Speaks on the Subject of:
"Bind Up Their Wounds."
First, I desire that you learn about President
Eyring's background: http://www.lds.org/church/
leader/henry-b-eyring
Now I invite you to listen to the recording of President
Eyring's Talk:
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/bind-up-their-wounds?lang=eng
You are next invited to thoughtfully and prayerfully read through
the printed version of Elder Holland's talk in which you will come
across, each of the three reference notes he has inserted through
which he, (with some additional assistance from this blogger
through the means of the Internet which facilitates this and all blogs,
along with a very special LDS video) and gives us inspired guidance:
Bind Up Their
Wounds
First Counselor in the First Presidency
I pray that we may prepare
ourselves to give whatever
priesthood service the Lord
may set before us on our
mortal journey.
All of us are blessed with responsibility for others.
To hold the priesthood of God is to be held responsible
by God for the eternal lives of His children. That is real,
that is wonderful, and at times that can feel
overwhelming.
There are elders quorum presidents listening tonight
who know what I mean. Here is what happened to one
of you. It has likely happened to many of you—and
more than once. The details may vary, but the
situation is the same.
An elder you do not know well asked for your help.
He had just found out that he had to move his wife
and young baby boy today from the apartment
where they have been living to another one nearby.
He and his wife had already asked a friend if they
could borrow a truck for the day to move their
household and personal belongings.
The friend loaned them the truck.The young father
began to load all they owned into the truck, but in the
first few minutes, he hurt his back. The friend who
loaned the truck was too busy to help. The young
father felt desperate. He thought of you, his elders
quorum president.
By the time he asked for help, it was early afternoon.
It was the day of an evening Church meeting. You had
already promised to help your wife with household
projects that day. Your children had asked you to do
something with them, but you hadn't gotten to it yet.
You also knew that the members of your quorum,
particularly the most faithful, the ones you usually
called on to help, were likely to be in the same time
bind that you were in. The Lord knew you would
have such days when He called you to this position,
so He gave you a story to encourage you. It is a
parable for overloaded priesthood holders.
We sometimes call it the story of the good Samaritan.
But it is really the story for a great priesthood bearer
in these busy, difficult last days.
The story is a perfect fit for the overtaxed priesthood
servant. Just remember that you are the Samaritan
and not the priest or the Levite who passed by the
wounded man.
You may not have thought of that story when you
faced such challenges. But I pray you will when such
days come again, as they surely will.
We are not told in the scriptures why the Samaritan
was traveling on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho.
It is not likely that he was taking a stroll alone since
he must have known that robbers waited for the
unwary. He was on a serious journey, and as was
customary, he had with him a beast of burden as well
as oil and wine.
In the Lord’s words the Samaritan, when he saw the
wounded man, stopped because “he had compassion.”
More than only feeling compassion, he acted. Always
remember the specifics of the account: 1
The Good Samaritan -by Walter Rane
1 Luke 10:33-35 “And [he] went to him, and bound
up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him
on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took
care of him.
“And on the morrow when he departed, he took out
two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto
him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest
more, when I come again, I will repay thee.”
Now, I Neil Birch, the blogger, insert at this
point in this engaging and inspiring talk an LDS
video (from a series of videos entitled: "Life of Jesus
Christ Bible Videos" depicting this scriptural event:
(In this video version of this event no one was
accompanying the Samaritan although there could
have been in actuality as Elder Eyring seemed to
indicate was a possibility, in his General Conference talk!)
http://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/parable-of-the
-good-samaritan?lang=eng
Now we return to Elder Eyring's talk:
You and the priesthood bearers you are called to lead
can have at least three assurances. First, the Lord will
give you, if you ask, the feelings of compassion He feels
for those in need. Second, He will provide others, like
the innkeeper, to join with you in your service. And
third, the Lord, like the good Samaritan, will more than
recompense all who join in giving help to those in need.
You quorum presidents likely have acted on those
assurances more than once. You asked others of the
Lord’s priesthood to help, with confidence that they
would respond with compassion. You were not afraid
to ask those who have responded most often in the past
because you knew that they feel compassion easily.
You asked them, knowing that in the past they have felt
the Lord’s generosity when they chose to help. You
asked some already heavily burdened, knowing that
the greater the sacrifice, the greater the compensation
they will receive from the Lord. Those who have helped
in the past have felt the overflowing gratitude of the
Savior.
You may well have been inspired not to ask someone to
help load and then unload that truck. As a leader you
know your quorum members and their families well.
The Lord knows them perfectly.
He knows whose wife was near the breaking point
because her husband was unable to find time to do what
she needed done to care for her needs. He knows which
children would be blessed by seeing their father go one
more time to help others or if the children needed the
feeling that they matter to their father enough for him
to spend time with them that day. But He also knows
who needs the invitation to serve but might not appear
to be a likely or willing candidate.
You cannot know all your quorum members perfectly
well, but God does. So, as you have done so many times,
you prayed to know whom to ask to help serve others.
The Lord knows who will be blessed by being asked to
help and whose family will be blessed by not being asked.
That is the revelation you can expect to come to you as
you lead in the priesthood.
I saw that happen when I was a young man. I was
the first assistant in a priests quorum. The bishop
called me one day at my home. He said that he
wanted me to go with him to visit a widow in great
need. He said he needed me.
As I waited for him to pick me up at my home, I was
troubled. I knew the bishop had strong and wise
counselors. One was a famous judge. The other ran a
large company and would later become a General
Authority. The bishop himself would someday serve
as a General Authority. Why was the bishop saying
to an inexperienced priest, “I need your help”?
Well, I know better now what he might have said to
me: “The Lord needs to bless you.” At the home of the
widow, I saw him, to my amazement, tell the woman
that she could get no help from the Church until she
filled out the budget form he had left with her earlier.
On the way home, as he saw how shocked I was, he
chuckled at my surprise and said, “Hal, when she gets
control of her spending, she will be able to help others.”
On another occasion my bishop took me with him to
the home of alcoholic parents who sent two frightened
little girls to meet us at the door. After he visited with
the two little girls, we turned away and he said to me,
“We can’t change the tragedy in their lives yet, but they
can feel that the Lord loves them.”
On another evening he took me to the home of a man who
had'n’t come to church in years. The bishop told him how
much he loved him and how much the ward needed him.
It did'n’t seem to have much effect on the man. But that
time, and every time the bishop took me with him, it had
a great effect on me.
There is no way that I can find out whether the bishop
prayed to know which priest would be blessed by going
with him on those visits. He may well have taken other
priests with him many times. But the Lord knew I would
someday be a bishop inviting those whose faith had grown
cold to come back to the warmth of the gospel. The Lord
knew I would someday be charged with the priesthood
responsibility for hundreds and even thousands of
Heavenly Father’s children who were in desperate
temporal need.
You young men cannot know what acts of priesthood
service the Lord is preparing you to give. But the
greater challenge for every priesthood holder is to give
spiritual help. All of us have that charge. It comes with
being a member of a quorum. It comes with being a
member of a family. If the faith of anyone in your quorum
or your family is attacked by Satan, you will feel
compassion. Much like the service and mercy given by
the Samaritan, you will also minister to them with healing
balm for their wounds in their time of need.
In your service as a full-time missionary, you will go to
thousands of people in great spiritual need. Many, until
you teach them, will not even know that they have spiritual
wounds that, left untreated, will bring endless misery.
You will go on the Lord’s errand to rescue them. Only the
Lord can bind up their spiritual wounds as they accept the
ordinances that lead to eternal life.
As a quorum member, as a home teacher, and as a
missionary, you cannot help people repair spiritual damage
unless your own faith is vibrant. That means far more than
reading the scriptures regularly and praying over them.
The prayer in the moment and quick glances in the scriptures
are not preparation enough. The reassurance of what you will
need comes with this counsel from the 84th section of the
2
Doctrine and Covenants: 84: 85 Neither take ye thought
beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds
continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the
very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man.
That promise can be claimed only if we “treasure up” the
words of life and do it continually. The treasuring part of
that scripture has meant for me a matter of feeling
something about the words. For instance, when I have
gone to try to help someone wavering in his or her faith
about the Prophet Joseph Smith’s divine calling, feelings
come back to me.
That promise can be claimed only if we "treasure up"
the words It is not only the words from the Book of
Mormon. It is a feeling of assurance of truth that comes
whenever I read even a few lines from the Book of
Mormon. I cannot promise that it will come to every
person infected with doubt about the Prophet Joseph
or the Book of Mormon. But I know Joseph Smith is
the Prophet of the Restoration. I know that the Book
of Mormon is the word of God because I have
treasured it.
I know from experience that you can get the assurance
of truth from the Spirit because it has come to me. You
and I must have that assurance before the Lord puts us
in the way of a traveler we love who has been wounded
by the enemies of truth.
There is another preparation we must make. It is a
human characteristic to become hardened to the
pains of others. That is one of the reasons why the
Savior went to such lengths to tell of His Atonement
and of His taking upon Himself the pains and sorrows
of all of our Heavenly Father’s children that He might
know how to succor them.
Even the best of Heavenly Father’s mortal priesthood
holders do not rise to that standard of compassion
easily. Our human tendency is to be impatient with
the person who cannot see the truth that is so plain
to us. We must be careful that our impatience is not
interpreted as condemnation or rejection.
As we prepare to give succor for the Lord as His
priesthood servants, there is a scripture to guide us.
It contains a gift we will need for our journey,
wherever the Lord will send us. The good Samaritan
had that gift. We will need it, and the Lord has told us
how we can find it:
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not
charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth.
Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest
of all, for all things must fail—“But charity is the pure
love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is
found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well
with him.
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the
Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may
be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed
upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus
Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that
when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we
shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope;
that we may be purified even as he is pure.”3
3
Moroni 7:46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if
ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never
faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the
greatest of all, for all things must fail—
47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it
endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed
of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.
48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto
the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may
be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed
upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus
Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that
when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we
shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope;
that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.
I pray that we may prepare ourselves to give
whatever priesthood service the Lord may set
before us on our mortal journey. In the sacred
name of Jesus Christ, amen.
NOTES
I pray that we may prepare
ourselves to give whatever
priesthood service the Lord
may set before us on our
mortal journey.
All of us are blessed with responsibility for others.
To hold the priesthood of God is to be held responsible
by God for the eternal lives of His children. That is real,
that is wonderful, and at times that can feel
overwhelming.
To hold the priesthood of God is to be held responsible
by God for the eternal lives of His children. That is real,
that is wonderful, and at times that can feel
overwhelming.
There are elders quorum presidents listening tonight
who know what I mean. Here is what happened to one
of you. It has likely happened to many of you—and
more than once. The details may vary, but the
situation is the same.
who know what I mean. Here is what happened to one
of you. It has likely happened to many of you—and
more than once. The details may vary, but the
situation is the same.
An elder you do not know well asked for your help.
He had just found out that he had to move his wife
and young baby boy today from the apartment
where they have been living to another one nearby.
He and his wife had already asked a friend if they
could borrow a truck for the day to move their
household and personal belongings.
The friend loaned them the truck.The young father
began to load all they owned into the truck, but in the
first few minutes, he hurt his back. The friend who
loaned the truck was too busy to help. The young
father felt desperate. He thought of you, his elders
quorum president.
He had just found out that he had to move his wife
and young baby boy today from the apartment
where they have been living to another one nearby.
He and his wife had already asked a friend if they
could borrow a truck for the day to move their
household and personal belongings.
The friend loaned them the truck.The young father
began to load all they owned into the truck, but in the
first few minutes, he hurt his back. The friend who
loaned the truck was too busy to help. The young
father felt desperate. He thought of you, his elders
quorum president.
By the time he asked for help, it was early afternoon.
It was the day of an evening Church meeting. You had
already promised to help your wife with household
projects that day. Your children had asked you to do
something with them, but you hadn't gotten to it yet.
It was the day of an evening Church meeting. You had
already promised to help your wife with household
projects that day. Your children had asked you to do
something with them, but you hadn't gotten to it yet.
You also knew that the members of your quorum,
particularly the most faithful, the ones you usually
called on to help, were likely to be in the same time
bind that you were in. The Lord knew you would
have such days when He called you to this position,
so He gave you a story to encourage you. It is a
parable for overloaded priesthood holders.
We sometimes call it the story of the good Samaritan.
But it is really the story for a great priesthood bearer
in these busy, difficult last days.
particularly the most faithful, the ones you usually
called on to help, were likely to be in the same time
bind that you were in. The Lord knew you would
have such days when He called you to this position,
so He gave you a story to encourage you. It is a
parable for overloaded priesthood holders.
We sometimes call it the story of the good Samaritan.
But it is really the story for a great priesthood bearer
in these busy, difficult last days.
The story is a perfect fit for the overtaxed priesthood
servant. Just remember that you are the Samaritan
and not the priest or the Levite who passed by the
wounded man.
servant. Just remember that you are the Samaritan
and not the priest or the Levite who passed by the
wounded man.
You may not have thought of that story when you
faced such challenges. But I pray you will when such
days come again, as they surely will.
faced such challenges. But I pray you will when such
days come again, as they surely will.
We are not told in the scriptures why the Samaritan
was traveling on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho.
It is not likely that he was taking a stroll alone since
he must have known that robbers waited for the
unwary. He was on a serious journey, and as was
customary, he had with him a beast of burden as well
as oil and wine.
In the Lord’s words the Samaritan, when he saw the
wounded man, stopped because “he had compassion.”
More than only feeling compassion, he acted. Always
remember the specifics of the account: 1
was traveling on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho.
It is not likely that he was taking a stroll alone since
he must have known that robbers waited for the
unwary. He was on a serious journey, and as was
customary, he had with him a beast of burden as well
as oil and wine.
In the Lord’s words the Samaritan, when he saw the
wounded man, stopped because “he had compassion.”
More than only feeling compassion, he acted. Always
remember the specifics of the account: 1
|
| The Good Samaritan -by Walter Rane |
1 Luke 10:33-35 “And [he] went to him, and bound
up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him
on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took
care of him.
“And on the morrow when he departed, he took out
two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto
him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest
more, when I come again, I will repay thee.”
Now, I Neil Birch, the blogger, insert at this
point in this engaging and inspiring talk an LDS
video (from a series of videos entitled: "Life of Jesus
Christ Bible Videos" depicting this scriptural event:
(In this video version of this event no one was
accompanying the Samaritan although there could
have been in actuality as Elder Eyring seemed to
indicate was a possibility, in his General Conference talk!)
point in this engaging and inspiring talk an LDS
video (from a series of videos entitled: "Life of Jesus
Christ Bible Videos" depicting this scriptural event:
(In this video version of this event no one was
accompanying the Samaritan although there could
have been in actuality as Elder Eyring seemed to
indicate was a possibility, in his General Conference talk!)
http://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/parable-of-the
-good-samaritan?lang=eng
Now we return to Elder Eyring's talk:
You and the priesthood bearers you are called to lead
can have at least three assurances. First, the Lord will
give you, if you ask, the feelings of compassion He feels
for those in need. Second, He will provide others, like
the innkeeper, to join with you in your service. And
third, the Lord, like the good Samaritan, will more than
recompense all who join in giving help to those in need.
-good-samaritan?lang=eng
Now we return to Elder Eyring's talk:
You and the priesthood bearers you are called to lead
can have at least three assurances. First, the Lord will
give you, if you ask, the feelings of compassion He feels
for those in need. Second, He will provide others, like
the innkeeper, to join with you in your service. And
third, the Lord, like the good Samaritan, will more than
recompense all who join in giving help to those in need.
You quorum presidents likely have acted on those
assurances more than once. You asked others of the
Lord’s priesthood to help, with confidence that they
would respond with compassion. You were not afraid
to ask those who have responded most often in the past
because you knew that they feel compassion easily.
You asked them, knowing that in the past they have felt
the Lord’s generosity when they chose to help. You
asked some already heavily burdened, knowing that
the greater the sacrifice, the greater the compensation
they will receive from the Lord. Those who have helped
in the past have felt the overflowing gratitude of the
Savior.
You may well have been inspired not to ask someone to
help load and then unload that truck. As a leader you
know your quorum members and their families well.
The Lord knows them perfectly.
assurances more than once. You asked others of the
Lord’s priesthood to help, with confidence that they
would respond with compassion. You were not afraid
to ask those who have responded most often in the past
because you knew that they feel compassion easily.
You asked them, knowing that in the past they have felt
the Lord’s generosity when they chose to help. You
asked some already heavily burdened, knowing that
the greater the sacrifice, the greater the compensation
they will receive from the Lord. Those who have helped
in the past have felt the overflowing gratitude of the
Savior.
You may well have been inspired not to ask someone to
help load and then unload that truck. As a leader you
know your quorum members and their families well.
The Lord knows them perfectly.
He knows whose wife was near the breaking point
because her husband was unable to find time to do what
she needed done to care for her needs. He knows which
children would be blessed by seeing their father go one
more time to help others or if the children needed the
feeling that they matter to their father enough for him
to spend time with them that day. But He also knows
who needs the invitation to serve but might not appear
to be a likely or willing candidate.
because her husband was unable to find time to do what
she needed done to care for her needs. He knows which
children would be blessed by seeing their father go one
more time to help others or if the children needed the
feeling that they matter to their father enough for him
to spend time with them that day. But He also knows
who needs the invitation to serve but might not appear
to be a likely or willing candidate.
You cannot know all your quorum members perfectly
well, but God does. So, as you have done so many times,
you prayed to know whom to ask to help serve others.
The Lord knows who will be blessed by being asked to
help and whose family will be blessed by not being asked.
That is the revelation you can expect to come to you as
you lead in the priesthood.
well, but God does. So, as you have done so many times,
you prayed to know whom to ask to help serve others.
The Lord knows who will be blessed by being asked to
help and whose family will be blessed by not being asked.
That is the revelation you can expect to come to you as
you lead in the priesthood.
I saw that happen when I was a young man. I was
the first assistant in a priests quorum. The bishop
called me one day at my home. He said that he
wanted me to go with him to visit a widow in great
need. He said he needed me.
the first assistant in a priests quorum. The bishop
called me one day at my home. He said that he
wanted me to go with him to visit a widow in great
need. He said he needed me.
As I waited for him to pick me up at my home, I was
troubled. I knew the bishop had strong and wise
counselors. One was a famous judge. The other ran a
large company and would later become a General
Authority. The bishop himself would someday serve
as a General Authority. Why was the bishop saying
to an inexperienced priest, “I need your help”?
troubled. I knew the bishop had strong and wise
counselors. One was a famous judge. The other ran a
large company and would later become a General
Authority. The bishop himself would someday serve
as a General Authority. Why was the bishop saying
to an inexperienced priest, “I need your help”?
Well, I know better now what he might have said to
me: “The Lord needs to bless you.” At the home of the
widow, I saw him, to my amazement, tell the woman
that she could get no help from the Church until she
filled out the budget form he had left with her earlier.
On the way home, as he saw how shocked I was, he
chuckled at my surprise and said, “Hal, when she gets
control of her spending, she will be able to help others.”
me: “The Lord needs to bless you.” At the home of the
widow, I saw him, to my amazement, tell the woman
that she could get no help from the Church until she
filled out the budget form he had left with her earlier.
On the way home, as he saw how shocked I was, he
chuckled at my surprise and said, “Hal, when she gets
control of her spending, she will be able to help others.”
On another occasion my bishop took me with him to
the home of alcoholic parents who sent two frightened
little girls to meet us at the door. After he visited with
the two little girls, we turned away and he said to me,
“We can’t change the tragedy in their lives yet, but they
can feel that the Lord loves them.”
the home of alcoholic parents who sent two frightened
little girls to meet us at the door. After he visited with
the two little girls, we turned away and he said to me,
“We can’t change the tragedy in their lives yet, but they
can feel that the Lord loves them.”
On another evening he took me to the home of a man who
had'n’t come to church in years. The bishop told him how
much he loved him and how much the ward needed him.
It did'n’t seem to have much effect on the man. But that
time, and every time the bishop took me with him, it had
a great effect on me.
had'n’t come to church in years. The bishop told him how
much he loved him and how much the ward needed him.
It did'n’t seem to have much effect on the man. But that
time, and every time the bishop took me with him, it had
a great effect on me.
There is no way that I can find out whether the bishop
prayed to know which priest would be blessed by going
with him on those visits. He may well have taken other
priests with him many times. But the Lord knew I would
someday be a bishop inviting those whose faith had grown
cold to come back to the warmth of the gospel. The Lord
knew I would someday be charged with the priesthood
responsibility for hundreds and even thousands of
Heavenly Father’s children who were in desperate
temporal need.
prayed to know which priest would be blessed by going
with him on those visits. He may well have taken other
priests with him many times. But the Lord knew I would
someday be a bishop inviting those whose faith had grown
cold to come back to the warmth of the gospel. The Lord
knew I would someday be charged with the priesthood
responsibility for hundreds and even thousands of
Heavenly Father’s children who were in desperate
temporal need.
You young men cannot know what acts of priesthood
service the Lord is preparing you to give. But the
greater challenge for every priesthood holder is to give
spiritual help. All of us have that charge. It comes with
being a member of a quorum. It comes with being a
member of a family. If the faith of anyone in your quorum
or your family is attacked by Satan, you will feel
compassion. Much like the service and mercy given by
the Samaritan, you will also minister to them with healing
balm for their wounds in their time of need.
service the Lord is preparing you to give. But the
greater challenge for every priesthood holder is to give
spiritual help. All of us have that charge. It comes with
being a member of a quorum. It comes with being a
member of a family. If the faith of anyone in your quorum
or your family is attacked by Satan, you will feel
compassion. Much like the service and mercy given by
the Samaritan, you will also minister to them with healing
balm for their wounds in their time of need.
In your service as a full-time missionary, you will go to
thousands of people in great spiritual need. Many, until
you teach them, will not even know that they have spiritual
wounds that, left untreated, will bring endless misery.
You will go on the Lord’s errand to rescue them. Only the
Lord can bind up their spiritual wounds as they accept the
ordinances that lead to eternal life.
thousands of people in great spiritual need. Many, until
you teach them, will not even know that they have spiritual
wounds that, left untreated, will bring endless misery.
You will go on the Lord’s errand to rescue them. Only the
Lord can bind up their spiritual wounds as they accept the
ordinances that lead to eternal life.
As a quorum member, as a home teacher, and as a
missionary, you cannot help people repair spiritual damage
unless your own faith is vibrant. That means far more than
reading the scriptures regularly and praying over them.
The prayer in the moment and quick glances in the scriptures
are not preparation enough. The reassurance of what you will
need comes with this counsel from the 84th section of the
2
Doctrine and Covenants: 84: 85 Neither take ye thought
beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds
continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the
very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man.
That promise can be claimed only if we “treasure up” the
words of life and do it continually. The treasuring part of
that scripture has meant for me a matter of feeling
something about the words. For instance, when I have
gone to try to help someone wavering in his or her faith
about the Prophet Joseph Smith’s divine calling, feelings
come back to me.
that scripture has meant for me a matter of feeling
something about the words. For instance, when I have
gone to try to help someone wavering in his or her faith
about the Prophet Joseph Smith’s divine calling, feelings
come back to me.
That promise can be claimed only if we "treasure up"
the words It is not only the words from the Book of
Mormon. It is a feeling of assurance of truth that comes
whenever I read even a few lines from the Book of
Mormon. I cannot promise that it will come to every
person infected with doubt about the Prophet Joseph
or the Book of Mormon. But I know Joseph Smith is
the Prophet of the Restoration. I know that the Book
of Mormon is the word of God because I have
treasured it.
the words It is not only the words from the Book of
Mormon. It is a feeling of assurance of truth that comes
whenever I read even a few lines from the Book of
Mormon. I cannot promise that it will come to every
person infected with doubt about the Prophet Joseph
or the Book of Mormon. But I know Joseph Smith is
the Prophet of the Restoration. I know that the Book
of Mormon is the word of God because I have
treasured it.
I know from experience that you can get the assurance
of truth from the Spirit because it has come to me. You
and I must have that assurance before the Lord puts us
in the way of a traveler we love who has been wounded
by the enemies of truth.
of truth from the Spirit because it has come to me. You
and I must have that assurance before the Lord puts us
in the way of a traveler we love who has been wounded
by the enemies of truth.
There is another preparation we must make. It is a
human characteristic to become hardened to the
pains of others. That is one of the reasons why the
Savior went to such lengths to tell of His Atonement
and of His taking upon Himself the pains and sorrows
of all of our Heavenly Father’s children that He might
know how to succor them.
human characteristic to become hardened to the
pains of others. That is one of the reasons why the
Savior went to such lengths to tell of His Atonement
and of His taking upon Himself the pains and sorrows
of all of our Heavenly Father’s children that He might
know how to succor them.
Even the best of Heavenly Father’s mortal priesthood
holders do not rise to that standard of compassion
easily. Our human tendency is to be impatient with
the person who cannot see the truth that is so plain
to us. We must be careful that our impatience is not
interpreted as condemnation or rejection.
holders do not rise to that standard of compassion
easily. Our human tendency is to be impatient with
the person who cannot see the truth that is so plain
to us. We must be careful that our impatience is not
interpreted as condemnation or rejection.
As we prepare to give succor for the Lord as His
priesthood servants, there is a scripture to guide us.
It contains a gift we will need for our journey,
wherever the Lord will send us. The good Samaritan
had that gift. We will need it, and the Lord has told us
how we can find it:
priesthood servants, there is a scripture to guide us.
It contains a gift we will need for our journey,
wherever the Lord will send us. The good Samaritan
had that gift. We will need it, and the Lord has told us
how we can find it:
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not
charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth.
Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest
of all, for all things must fail—“But charity is the pure
love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is
found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well
with him.
charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth.
Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest
of all, for all things must fail—“But charity is the pure
love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is
found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well
with him.
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the
Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may
be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed
upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus
Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that
when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we
shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope;
that we may be purified even as he is pure.”3
Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may
be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed
upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus
Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that
when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we
shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope;
that we may be purified even as he is pure.”3
3
Moroni 7:46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if
ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never
faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the
greatest of all, for all things must fail—
47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it
endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed
of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.
endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed
of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.
48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto
the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may
be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed
upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus
Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that
when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we
shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope;
that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.
the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may
be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed
upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus
Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that
when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we
shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope;
that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.
I pray that we may prepare ourselves to give
whatever priesthood service the Lord may set
before us on our mortal journey. In the sacred
name of Jesus Christ, amen.
NOTES
- _______________________________
- As I most often do at the end of each blog
- post, I now suggest a hymn which I feel
- fits appropriately the subject of the post
- studied: "A Poor Wayfaring Man of
- Grief" Page 29 in the LDS Hymn Book
- http://www.lds.org/music/library/hymns/a-
- poor-wayfaring-man-of-grief?lang=eng
- Please consider inviting others who may be
- available to sing with you. Live Music is
- provided! All seven verses are recommended!
- ____________
-
DISCLAIMER This website is not owned by or affiliated with the Church
Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS
Church). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position
of the Church.
____________
TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX To Either Read
the Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or Any Item or
Blog Post You May Desire To Access): After Reading All of This Paragraph,
Please click on the Post Title Shown below:
When You See a Portrayal of Our Savior Jesus Christ Sitting
Next To a Little Boy please scroll down to the entry entitled;
Priesthood Service. It features a talk of Henry B. Eyring, First
Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints -Post 47y.
Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property and
creative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be given
in writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.
____________
I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found
very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this
blog post.
If you have any questions about what you have read or
viewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine,
or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, please
e-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is:
jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get back
to you just as soon as possible.
Neil Birch
-
-
- _______________________________
- As I most often do at the end of each blog
- post, I now suggest a hymn which I feel
- fits appropriately the subject of the post
- studied: "A Poor Wayfaring Man of
- Grief" Page 29 in the LDS Hymn Book
- http://www.lds.org/music/library/hymns/a-
- poor-wayfaring-man-of-grief?lang=eng
- Please consider inviting others who may be
- available to sing with you. Live Music is
- provided! All seven verses are recommended!
- ____________
- DISCLAIMER This website is not owned by or affiliated with the ChurchOf Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDSChurch). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the positionof the Church.____________
TO ACCESS NEIL BIRCH'S BLOG INDEX To Either Readthe Full Index Item Which Refers To This Blog Post, (Or Any Item orBlog Post You May Desire To Access): After Reading All of This Paragraph,Please click on the Post Title Shown below:When You See a Portrayal of Our Savior Jesus Christ SittingNext To a Little Boy please scroll down to the entry entitled;Priesthood Service. It features a talk of Henry B. Eyring, FirstCounselor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christof Latter-day Saints -Post 47y.Thank you for visiting. The author retains intellectual property andcreative licensing rights. Permission to use or reprint must be givenin writing. © Est.2008 Neil Birch Legal /Statement.
____________
I deeply appreciate your readership and hope you found
very beneficial, that which was presented to you in this
blog post.
If you have any questions about what you have read orviewed in this post or in any previous posts of mine,or if you even have a curiosity about the Church of JesusChrist of Latter-day Saints, and or its teachings, pleasee-mail me. I'm Neil and my e-mail address is:jneilmelva@gmail.com. If you contact me I'll get backto you just as soon as possible.
Neil Birch
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