Come Listen To a Prophet's Voice

Twice a year, in April and October, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gather together for a two-day General Conference. This is when the leaders of the Church speak from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City and give instruction to Latter-day Saints across the world, thanks to the internet and satellite transmission. This weekend it happened for the 179^th time. Talks were given by many leaders and songs were sung by various choirs, including The Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The purpose of these conferences is to help church members worldwide remember their commitment to living according to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Topics of the talks included prayer, faith, Temple worship and scripture study. It was a great opportunity to be renewed and uplifted spiritually. Conference also provides a good time to get together with friends.

On the way back from the Conference Center on Saturday night after the Priesthood Session of conference, we decided to stop at Five Guys for a bite to eat. Little did we know that everyone else had the same idea. The place was packed of men in white shirts and ties. It is somewhat of a tradition to always go out to eat on Saturday of conference weekend. It was amazing to me to see how much of a social as well as a spiritual thing conference is here in Utah. Families get together for a big meal in between sessions. Women go out for a night on the town, while the men attend Priesthood Session. The men on the other hand go out afterwards. It is amazing to see so many people come together for one weekend of enrichment.

Eternal Love

Excellent news from Apartment #67 at the Riviera today. G. Michael Eddington asked his girlfriend Debra to marry him and she said yes. They make such a lovely couple. I was so excited when I found out on Facebook this morning that I just had to dedicate space to them on my blog. Hope you enjoy the pic (This is an idea for the wedding announcement!!) Congratulations again Mike. You two will be so happy together!!

"That's Against the Honor Code"

Being a student at Brigham Young Univerisity is a unique experience. There are opportunities here that can not be found at many other higher education institutions. The blending of intellect and faith. Amazing choral performance groups. Professors who actually care about the students. These are all great things that can not be found at many universities today, but they are not the most important opportunities to be found here at BYU. The greatest opportunity students at BYU have is to live by “the honor code.” The honor code is an all encompassing commitment to living a higher moral standard than the rest of the world. It includes dressing modestly, abstaining from drugs and alcohol, living a chaste life, refraining from profane language and being honest in our academic endeavors.

The honor code in part stems from a quote by Karl G. Maeser, the founder of the original Brigham Young Academy. He stated:

“I have been asked what I mean by “word of honor.” I will tell you. Place me behind prison walls—walls of stone ever so high, ever so thick, reaching ever so far into the ground—there is a possibility that in some way or another I might be able to escape; but stand me on the floor and draw a chalk line around me and have me give my word of honor never to cross it. Can I get out of that circle? No, never! I’d die first.”

The honor code gives us a chance to prove our trustworthiness to the world at large. During the past week, however, I was disappointed a little in the students here at BYU who have decided to step outside of the circle so to speak. I had a roommate who had a girl in our apartment past midnight (“That’s against the honor code!”) this week and he didn’t even think anything of it. So many people on campus are not clean shaven or are dressed immodestly. For so long I respected my fellow students because of what we were trying to become here at BYU: People in whom the world can rely on for moral courage. But this week I was disappointed by their behavior. I know it isn’t always easy and I am far from perfect, but it is always worth it. I hope that we all can take a look at our "honor code keeping" and see in what areas we can improve in. Why it may just seem like a stupid list of dos and don’ts, it is the thing that separates us from the rest of the world. It is up to us to be the “city upon a hill” as the Savior commanded when He was on the earth (see Matthew 5:14).

Faith to Move Mountains

One time after the apostles had not been able to heal a person as Jesus had they wondered why this had occurred. Jesus responded by saying that it was “because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Matthew 17:20). In this verse Jesus teaches us the importance of faith. With faith we can do everything and we can receive everything in return from our use of faith. Joseph Smith taught that “If men were duly to consider themselves, and turn their thoughts and reflections to the operations of their own minds, they would readily discover that it is faith, and faith only, which is the moving cause of all action in them; that without it both mind and body would be in a state of inactivity, and all their exertions would cease, both physical and mental” (Lectures on Faith).

I have often wandered if it really is capable to move mountains with faith. Then, in church today someone said that the mountain isn’t literal, but figurative. We all have mountains in our life, whether they are spiritual, emotional or financial mountains that we all have to move so we can continue on the path of life. It is our job to have the faith in God so he can remove those mountains for us. It is only through faith in Him that we can do this. If we have just a tiny amount of faith, then the mountain will be moved from our path. With faith in Him “nothing shall be impossible unto” us.

He Went About Doing Good

This week I had the opportunity to take part in a service project helping someone move into a new apartment. Beside the fact that there was way more stuff than there was room in the apartment, it was a really fun time. I was surrounded by friends helping someone out who was in need of our help. I would have to say that it was one of those only at BYU moments. Where else would students spend their Friday night helping someone move? It is amazing how pure service can help a person feel better about themselves. It is an opportunity to forget about our own worries and get lost in helping someone with a greater need. When we give service we are also following the example of the Savior, who came to serve us.

If a person were to describe Jesus Christ in one word it would be service. While He was here on the earth He did nothing but serve the people that He surrounded Himself with. He “went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him” (see Acts 10:38). He healed the sick and injured. He gave confidence and help to those who were burdened with the effects of sin. Jesus gave us the perfect example of how we are to serve those around us with a right attitude about it. We must do as he did. We can do so much for others with just a little bit of effort. After we finished helping this person move she was extremely grateful. The look of relief in her eyes was worth all of the effort. The fact that she was touched by our service was good to know, but what was more important was knowing that God was happy with our service, because after all “when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God” (see Mosiah 2:17).

Holiness to the Lord, The House of the Lord

This week I found myself attending the open house for the Draper Temple. It reminded me of a story from High School. During my senior year we studied British literature. Included in this category was the King James Version of the Bible. We read the story in John where Jesus cast out the people who were selling things within the walls of the Temple. John records that Jesus “found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;” (John 2:14-15). One girl thought this was strange because doves were a representation of peace. I thought this was strange that people would miss the bigger point that this story is trying to make.

The problem wasn’t that the people were selling “doves,” it was that they had taken a holy thing and desecrated it by making it a “den of thieves” (see Matthew 21:13). By changing the focus from the sacred ordinances to making money, the Temple had lost its holiness. Jesus was righteously indignant about His house being turned into a common exchange market. We too need to remember that the house of the Lord is a holy place and it should be treated as such. As I walked through the Draper Temple, it reminded me of just how blessed we are to have these holy sanctuaries on the earth today where we can feel the presence of the Lord in His house, away from all the noise and bustle that the world has created. I hope that we will always remember that the Temple is a holy place and treat it with the respect and reverence that it deserves as the house of the Lord.

The Restored Church

This week I had the opportunity of teaching Sunday School in my ward. This gave the opportunity to focus on the restoration of the Priesthood through the prophet Joseph Smith. This happened when John the Baptist appeared to Joseph and Oliver Cowdery on May 15^th, 1829 in Harmony, Pennsylvania. This was important because after the death of the Apostles, the Church fell into apostasy. The leaders became wicked and the Priesthood power and authority was lost from the earth. The essential, saving, ordinances which are necessary for salvation were changed and distorted over time. One of the most important ordinances which was changed from its proper form was baptism.

John the Baptist was sent before the Savior to teach the preparatory Gospel of the Aaronic Priesthood. The Bible records John saying “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire” (Matthew 3:11). As Latter-day Saints we believe that baptism is properly performed when a person having authority, such as John the Baptist, baptizes someone by immersion (going completely under the water) who is of an accountable age (8 years old). We can see how this has been changed by many religions. Most people are baptized today when they are infants. We believe that children are not accountable for their sins because they are not able to commit sin (see Mosiah 3:16). Baptism nowadays in large part is performed by “sprinkling,” and not by immersion. It was a rather interesting thing during my time in Europe to go into a Catholic and see a picture of the Savior standing in the Jordan River with John sprinkling water on Him. I just can not see that happening. I’m glad that the Priesthood authority has been restored and that the ordinances necessary for salvation have been returned to their proper state.