Faithful Consistency Brings Miracles

Ministering

By Elder Gerrit W. Gong

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

 Elder Perry also offered practical advice. He said, “Give companionships a reasonable number of assignments, prayerfully chosen, clustered geographically where appropriate so travel time is used well.” He would counsel, “Start with those who most need visits. Build from those most likely to welcome and respond well to visits.” He concluded, “Faithful consistency brings miracles.”

Prayers in Your Family

“Our Father Which Art in Heaven”

Elder L. Tom Perry

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Our prophets have admonished us repeatedly to make family prayer a regular part of our daily worship. President John Taylor asked the Saints:

“Do you have prayers in your family? …

“And when you do, do you go through the operation like the guiding of a piece of machinery, or do you bow in meekness and with a sincere desire to seek the blessing of God upon you and your household? That is the way that we ought to do, and cultivate a spirit of devotion and trust in God, dedicating ourselves to him, and seeking his blessings.” (Journal of Discourses, 21:118.)

Read it Again

"President Hinckley has encouraged us to read the Book of Mormon to lift us above the things of the world, to enjoy the things of the Lord. The said, 'without reservation I promise you that if each of you will observe this simple program, regardless of how many times you previously may have read the Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives and your homes an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the son of God.' These blessings are far more valuable than material possessions."

L. Tom Perry

Don't Wait for An Assignment to Invite

Elder Perry reminded members of the Church: “It is time for us to understand that we—the neighbors, friends, and family of less-active members and nonmembers—are ideally situated to offer an invitation with the proper love and consideration that the one we invite deserves. … We do not need, nor should we wait for, an assignment to invite our nonmember family, friends, and neighbors to attend church, read the Book of Mormon, or meet with the full-time missionaries.”

L. Tom Perry, “Missionary Work in the Digital Age.”

The Aaronic Priesthood Until the Time of the Savior

• APRIL 2016
• THE PRIESTHOOD: A SURE ANCHOR

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The Priesthood: A Sure Anchor

By Elder L. Tom Perry (1922–2015)

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

This article was prepared by Elder L. Tom Perry on May 28, 2015, two days before his passing, to be shared with young priesthood holders.

The priesthood has always existed. Before Adam came to earth, he had the priesthood. As Adam’s posterity scattered with the priesthood, it became necessary to organize how the priesthood was administered. The Lord did that by calling Abraham to preside over his family of priesthood holders. This organization continued under Isaac and Jacob, whose name was later changed to Israel.

Centuries later, the children of Israel found themselves in captivity. The Lord sent Moses to deliver them, but when he did, they proved themselves not ready as a people for the Melchizedek Priesthood. So they were left with the Aaronic Priesthood until the time of the Savior.

I find it very interesting what the Savior did first as He began His ministry. He organized the Melchizedek Priesthood. He called twelve Apostles and taught them the laws and order of the priesthood. He called Peter to be the chief Apostle, establishing a line of authority in His Church. In that day and this, it is Jesus Christ who selects His chief Apostle to preside over the Church, and it is the Savior who directs him in his priesthood duties.

Warnings from the Book of Mormon

Warnings from the Book of Mormon

“Among the lessons we learn from the Book of Mormon are the cause and effect of war and under what conditions it is justified. It tells of evils and dangers of secret combinations, which are built up to get power and gain over the people. It tells of the reality of Satan and gives an indication of some of the methods he uses. It advises us on the proper use of wealth. It tells us of the plain and precious truths of the gospel and the reality and divinity of Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice for all mankind. It informs us of the gathering of the house of Israel in the last days. It tells us of the purpose and principles of missionary work. It warns us against pride, indifference, procrastination, the dangers of false traditions, hypocrisy, and unchastity.

“Now it is up to us to study the Book of Mormon and learn of its principles and apply them in our lives.”

Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Blessings Resulting from Reading the Book of Mormon,” Liahona and Ensign,Nov. 2005, 8.

Warnings from the Book of Mormon

Warnings from the Book of Mormon

“Among the lessons we learn from the Book of Mormon are the cause and effect of war and under what conditions it is justified. It tells of evils and dangers of secret combinations, which are built up to get power and gain over the people. It tells of the reality of Satan and gives an indication of some of the methods he uses. It advises us on the proper use of wealth. It tells us of the plain and precious truths of the gospel and the reality and divinity of Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice for all mankind. It informs us of the gathering of the house of Israel in the last days. It tells us of the purpose and principles of missionary work. It warns us against pride, indifference, procrastination, the dangers of false traditions, hypocrisy, and unchastity.

“Now it is up to us to study the Book of Mormon and learn of its principles and apply them in our lives.”

Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Blessings Resulting from Reading the Book of Mormon,” Liahona and Ensign,Nov. 2005, 8.

No Place for Mediocrity

"I hope that you do not plan to be just common but that you plan to excel. There is no place in this world for mediocrity; we need to strive for perfection. You can obtain perfection in so many areas as you seek and work toward the goals you have established."

Elder L. Tom Perry, "The Great Plan of Our God," Ensign, Feb 2009, 66.

Failing to Plan

"In failing to plan, we lose sight of our eternal destiny."

Elder L. Tom Perry, "The Great Plan of Our God," Ensign, Feb 2009, 62.

Full Potential

"Reach your full potential spiritually and temporally by:

• Taking responsibility for you are and what you want to become. 
• Staying focuses and using your time wisely. 
• Having the courage to be different from those in the world around you.
• Losing yourself in service. "

Elder Donald L. Staheli, "Achieving Your Full Potential," Ensign, Feb 2009, 61.

"Our Sacraments"

"We acknowledge that all of us make mistakes. Each of us has a need to confess and forsake our sins and errors to our Heavenly Father and to others we may have offended. The Sabbath provides us with a precious opportunity to offer up these--our sacraments--to the Lord."

Elder L. Tom Perry, "The Sabbath and the Sacrament," Ensign, May 2011, 8.

Honest Labor

 “Teaching children the joy of honest labor is one of the greatest of all gifts you can bestow upon them. I am convinced that one of the reasons for the breakup of so many couples today is the failure of parents to teach and train sons in their responsibility to provide and care for their families and to enjoy the challenge this responsibility brings. Many of us also have fallen short in instilling within our daughters the desire of bringing beauty and order into their homes through homemaking. . . .”

Elder L. Tom Perry, “The Joy of Honest Labor,” Ensign, Nov. 1986, 62. 

Creating Family Cultures

Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught five things parents can do to create stronger family cultures. He said: “These suggestions for creating stronger family cultures work in tandem with the culture of the Church. Our strengthened family cultures will be a protection for our children.”

1.       “Parents can pray in earnest, asking our Eternal Father to help them.”

2.       “They can hold family prayer, scripture study, and family home evenings and eat together as often as possible.”

3.       “Parents can fully avail themselves of the Church’s support network.”

4.       “Parents can share their testimonies often with their children.”

5.       “We can organize our families based on clear, simple family rules and expectations, wholesome family traditions and rituals, and ‘family economics.’”

From “Becoming Goodly Parents,” Ensign, Nov. 2012, 28. 

Urgent Need for Capable Leaders

“As time and conditions change and become more complex, there seem to be fewer and fewer individuals capable of shouldering the responsibilities of leading positive change. I issue a challenge to you who are leaders and future leaders to recognize that the world is changing rapidly. There is an urgent need for leaders capable and bold enough to take on the immense challenges that face us today.”

Elder L. Tom Perry, “The Tradition of Light and Testimony,” Ensign, Dec 2012, 33. 

Church Scaffolding

  “Eternal principles are the scaffolding the Church provides. These eternal principles are embedded in the doctrines of the kingdom of God and are reflected in His eternal plan of happiness. We meet as members of the Church to teach and learn from each other the principles of righteousness and to receive saving ordinances so the scaffolding is steady and stable as we build our eternal families.

“Notice that the Church is not meant to do the work of parents; rather, it guides the work of parents. The Church offers an eternal form. As builders of eternal families, we are reassured by promises that is we build according to this eternal form, our efforts can provide the safety and protection we seek for those we love most.

Elder L. Tom Perry, “The Tradition of Light and Testimony,” Ensign, Dec. 2012, 31. 

Pioneers

“There is something about reviewing the lessons of the past to prepare us to face the challenges of the future. What a glorious legacy of faith, courage, and ingenuity those noble early Mormon pioneers have left for us to build upon. . . Embracing the gospel resulted in a complete change of life for them.”

L. Tom Perry, "The Past Way of Facing the Future," October 2009 General Conference

The Royal Generation

“I am certain that the Lord is pleased with the youth of the Church today. You have been saved to come forth to the earth at this important time. He is counting on you to build his kingdom here. He has educated you, trained you, and equipped you better than any other generation. Now surely, he expects you to perform. . . .

“May the Lord continue to strengthen and to bless you with faith and the desire to serve him as he would command you.  Do it with all the enthusiasm your souls can muster, and I promise you great joy which comes only as a result of service in our Father in heaven’s kingdom.”

L. Tom Perry, in Conference Report, Buenos Aires Area Conference 1975, p. 39. 

The Adversary Succeeds

“Brothers and sisters, in the latter days the adversary succeeds when we relax our commitment to the Savior, ignore His teachings in the New Testament and other scripture, and cease to follow Him. Parents, now is the time to teach our children to be examples of the believers by attending sacrament meeting. When Sunday morning arrives, help them to be well rested, properly dressed, and spiritually prepared to partake of the emblems of the sacrament and receive the enlightening, edifying, ennobling power of the Holy Ghost.”

Elder L. Tom Perry, “The Sabbath and the Sacrament,” Ensign, May 2011, 6-9.

Resting From Our Labors

“Sometimes we think of resting from our labors as merely letting the hay baler stand idle in the field or putting a Closed sign on the business door. Yet in today’s world, labor includes the everyday work of our lives. This mean business activities we may accomplish from home, athletic competitions, and other pursuits that take us away from Sabbath day worship and the opportunity to minister to others.”

Elder L. Tom Perry, “The Sabbath and the Sacrament,” Ensign, May 2011, 6-9.

Offer Up Our Sacraments

“What does it mean to offer up our sacraments to the Lord? We acknowledge that all of us make mistakes. Each of us has a need to confess and forsake our sins and errors to our Heavenly Father and to others we may have offended.”

Elder L. Tom Perry, “The Sabbath and the Sacrament,” Ensign, May 2011, 6-9.