Belonging

 

The Doctrine of Belonging

By Elder D. Todd Christofferson

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

A sense of belonging is important to our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Yet it is quite possible that at times each of us might feel that we don’t fit in. In discouraging moments, we may feel that we will never measure up to the Lord’s high standards or the expectations of others.⁶ We may unwittingly impose expectations on others—or even ourselves—that are not the Lord’s expectations. We may communicate in subtle ways that the worth of a soul is based on certain achievements or callings, but these are not the measure of our standing in the Lord’s eyes. “The Lord looketh on the heart.”⁷ He cares about our desires and longings and what we are becoming....

Let us leave judgment in the Lord’s hands and those He has commissioned and be content to love and treat each other the best we can....

A second facet of the doctrine of belonging has to do with our own contributions. Although we rarely think about it, much of our belonging comes from our service and the sacrifices we make for others and for the Lord. Excessive focus on our personal needs or our own comfort can frustrate that sense of belonging....

Belonging comes not as we wait for it but as we reach out to help one another....

“… University of Notre Dame sociologist of religion Christian Smith found in his study of adults [ages] 18 to 23 that most of them believe society is nothing more than ‘a collection of autonomous individuals out to enjoy life.’”¹³

By this philosophy, anything that one finds difficult “is a form of oppression.”¹⁴

By contrast, our pioneer forebears derived a deep sense of belonging, unity, and hope in Christ by the sacrifices they made to serve missions, build temples, abandon comfortable homes under duress and begin again, and in a multitude of other ways consecrate themselves and their means to the cause of Zion. They were willing to sacrifice even their lives if necessary. And we are all the beneficiaries of their endurance. The same is true for many today who may lose family and friends, forfeit employment opportunities, or otherwise suffer discrimination or intolerance as a consequence of being baptized. Their reward, however, is a powerful sense of belonging among the covenant people. Any sacrifice we make in the Lord’s cause helps to confirm our place with Him who gave His life a ransom for many.

Covenants Don't Take a Day off - Garments

 

Covenants and Responsibilities

By President Dallin H. Oaks

First Counselor in the First Presidency

The endowment ceremonies in the Nauvoo Temple were administered just before our early pioneers were expelled to begin their historic trek to the mountains in the West. We have the testimonies of many pioneers that the power they received from being bound to Christ in their endowments in the Nauvoo Temple gave them the strength to make their epic journey and establish themselves in the West.

Persons who have been endowed in a temple are responsible to wear a temple garment, an article of clothing not visible because it is worn beneath outer clothing. It reminds endowed members of the sacred covenants they have made and the blessings they have been promised in the holy temple. To achieve those holy purposes, we are instructed to wear temple garments continuously, with the only exceptions being those obviously necessary. Because covenants do not “take a day off,” to remove one’s garments can be understood as a disclaimer of the covenant responsibilities and blessings to which they relate. In contrast, persons who wear their garments faithfully and keep their temple covenants continually affirm their role as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

True to Their Faith

True to Their Faith

(click to view larger)

Photo illustration by Donna Kay Billmire

President Monson tells a story about one pioneer family and then quotes President George Albert Smith: “Will you live true to the faith of your ancestors? … Strive to be worthy of all the sacrifices [they] have made for you.” Whether you have a pioneer ancestry or are a first-generation member of the Church, do you look to examples of faith for guidance and strength? Here’s a good way you can get started:

1. Make a list of people you admire. They can be members of your own family (past or present), friends, Church leaders, or people in the scriptures.

2. Write down the qualities they have that you like. Is your mom really patient? Maybe your friend is kind to others. Perhaps you love Captain Moroni’s courage.

3. Pick one quality from your list and ask yourself, “How can I gain this quality? What do I need to do to develop this in my life?”

4. Write down your plans for developing this quality and put it somewhere you’ll see it often, to remind you of your goal. Pray for Heavenly Father’s help and check your progress regularly. Once you feel you have sufficiently developed this quality, you can pick a new quality to work on.

Remember that as we develop great qualities in ourselves, we not only honor the faith of our ancestors and the sacrifices they made, but we can also be an influence for good to those around us.

Remember the Pioneers

• JULY 2015
• PIONEERS: AN ANCHOR FOR TODAY

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Pioneers: An Anchor for Today

By Elder Marcus B. Nash

Of the Seventy

Remember the pioneers, their stories, and the sustaining, saving, delivering power of God that came as a result of their faith and hope. Our pioneer fathers and mothers help us know who we are as a covenant people and confirm that our God—with whom we have covenanted and who “changeth not” (Mormon 9:19)—will bless us in times of difficulty and trial, just as He did our pioneer fathers and mothers.

Praise for Pioneers

Our praise for the pioneers is empty if it does not cause inner reflection on our part.

By President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

• JULY 2015
• ALL IS WELL

Temples are the Reason

The temple is the reason for everything we do in the Church. ³The temple was the reason our pioneer ancestors left their established homes and came west. It was the reason they suffered privation and even death. Temple covenants were the reason that, although babies were buried along the way, those pioneers could sing:

Come, come, ye Saints,

No toil nor labor fear;

But with joy wend your way. ⁴

Some lost everything but came into the valley with everything, really—temple ordinances, sacred covenants, and the promise of eternal life together as families.

Elaine S. Dalton, Oct 2008

Living Water of Christ

 “Like the pioneers of 1847 who ventured west along a trail that kept them relatively close to life-sustaining fresh water from rivers . . . we need to follow and partake of the Living Water of Christ to refresh our faith and sustain our efforts as we travel the road through mortality.”

M. Russell Ballard

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

Our Pioneer Ancestors

“We each can learn much from our early pioneer ancestors, whose struggles and heartaches were met with resolute courage and an abiding faith in a living God. … Youth and children were among the thousands who pulled and pushed handcarts. . . I think that there is not a member of this Church today who has not been touched by the accounts of the early pioneers. Those who did so much for the good of all surely had as their objective to inspire faith. They met the goal in a magnificent manner.”

President Thomas S. Monson, “Our Honored Pioneer Heritage,” New Era, July 2011. 

Reach With a Rescuing Hand

“All of us need to be reminded of the past. It is from history that we gain knowledge which can save us from repeating mistakes and on which we can build for the future….

I take you back to the general conference of October 1856. On Saturday of that conference Franklin D. Richards and a handful of associates arrived in the [Salt Lake Valley]. They had traveled from Winter Quarters with strong teams and light wagons and had been able to make good time. Brother Richards immediately sought out President Young. He reported that there were hundreds of men, women, and children scattered over the long trail from Scottsbluff to this valley. Most of them were pulling handcarts. They were accompanied by two wagon trains which had been assigned to assist them. They had reached the area of the last crossing of the North Platte River. Ahead of them lay a trail that was uphill all the way to the Continental Divide with many, many miles beyond that. . . .

The next morning [President Young] came to the old Tabernacle which stood on [Temple Square]. He said to the people”

“. . . Many of our brethren and sisters are on the plains with handcarts, and probably many are now seven hundred miles from this place, and they must be brought here, we must send assistance to them. . . .

“That is my religion; that is the dictation of the Holy Ghost that I poosess. It is to save the people.

“I shall call upon the Bishops this day. I shall not wait until tomorrow, nor until the next day, for 60 good mule teams and 12 or 15 wagons. I do not want to send oxen. I want good horses and mules. They are in this Territory, and we must have them. Also 12 tons of flour and 40 good teamsters, besides those that drive the teams.

“I will tell you all that your faith, religion, and profession of religion, will never save one soul of your in the Celestial Kingdom of our God, unless you carry out just such principles as I am now teaching you. Go and bring in those people now on the plains.”

That afternoon, food, bedding and clothing in great quantities were assembled by the women. The next morning, horses were shod and wagons were repaired and loaded.

The following morning, Tuesday, 16 mule teams pulled out and headed eastward. By the end of October, there were 250 teams on the road to give relief.

Wonderful sermons have been preached from this pulpit, my brethren and sisters. But none has been more eloquent than that spoken by President Young in those circumstances.

. . . We have some of our own who cry out in pain and suffering and loneliness and hear. Ours is a great and solemn duty to reach out and help them, to lift them, to feed them if they are hungry, to nurture their spirits if they thirst for truth and righteousness.

There are so many young people who wander aimlessly and walk the tragic trail of drugs, gangs, immorality, and the whole brood of ills that accompany these things. There are widows who long for friendly voices and that spirit of anxious concern which speaks of love. There are those who were once warm in the faith but whose faith has grown cold. Many of them wish to come back but do not know quite how to do it. They need friendly hands reaching out to them. With a little effort, many of them can be brought back to feast again at the table of the Lord.

My brethren and sisters, I would hope, I would pray, that each of us . . . would resolve to seek those who need help, who are in desperate and difficult circumstances, and lift them in the spirit of love into the embrace of the Church where strong hands and loving hearts will warm them, comfort them, sustain them, and put them on the way of happy and productive lives.

I leave with you my beloved friends, my co-workers in this wonderful cause, my testimony of the truth of this work, the work of the Almighty, the work of the Redeemer of mankind.”

President Gordon B. Hinckley, General Conference Address October 6, 1996.