Oaks felt the Lord was preparing him for some special service

 

President Dallin H. Oaks: A Life of Hard Work, Optimism, and Faith

By Richard E. Turley Jr.

As Dallin and June pondered their future, they decided to accept an offer from the dean of the University of Chicago Law School for Dallin to serve on its faculty. He didn’t want to teach forever but “felt … this whole thing was just being prepared for me … to equip me for some future job I must do.”...

By summer 1970, Dallin began having premonitions that he would replace Ernest L. Wilkinson, long-time president of Brigham Young University—feelings he resisted. For years after graduation from law school, Dallin remarked to June that he felt the Lord was preparing him “for some special service.” If the Lord was giving him so much, “he would surely expect a return,” Dallin said, “and I hoped I would have the wisdom to recognize the opportunity when the call came, and the courage to accept it.”...

By 1984, Dallin still felt a new opportunity to serve was coming in his life. Yet he did not know what it was. On April 6 of that year, the answer came when President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) called him to serve as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

“My life,” Dallin replied, “is in the hands of the Lord, and my career is in the hands of His servants.”

Dallin now knew what the Lord wanted him to do, but it was not at all what he had expected. “Throughout the remainder of your life,” he asked himself, “will you be a judge and lawyer who has been called to be an Apostle, or will you be an Apostle who used to be a lawyer and a judge?”

“The most important parts of my calling”—in fact, “the only parts that are really unique in the service of the Lord,” he recognized—“were those parts that I knew nothing about—those parts where I would have to start all over at the beginning. I knew that if I concentrated my time on the things that came naturally and the things that I felt qualified to do, I would never be an Apostle. I would always be a former lawyer and judge. I made up my mind that was not for me. I decided that I would focus my efforts on what I had been called to do, not on what I was qualified to do. I determined that instead of trying to shape my calling to my credentials, I would try to shape myself to my calling.”

Thirteenth Article of Faith and Charity

 

All Who Have Endured Valiantly

(Doctrine and Covenants 121:29)

By Elder David A. Bednar

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Please consider how these two overarching dimensions of charity are described in the thirteenth article of faith. The first half of the statement emphasizes charitable and gracious acts: “We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men.”

The second half of the statement emphasizes the ongoing nature of our spiritual transformation: “We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.”

This concluding article of faith is an admonition for us to do good, to be good, and to endure to the end in coming unto and following the Savior and receiving the heavenly gift to love as He loves.

Enduring Through the End Through Charity

 

All Who Have Endured Valiantly

(Doctrine and Covenants 121:29)

By Elder David A. Bednar

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

The Savior’s restored gospel invites us to be spiritually transformed—not merely to improve our behavior. As we align our character, desires, actions, and what we truly love more closely with God’s will, the Savior can bring about a comprehensive and complete change in us....

The very name “spiritual gifts” teaches a vital lesson. All such gifts are given by God according to His will and timing; they are not results we earn solely through focused effort and personal discipline....

Mormon testified that “charity is the pure love of Christ” and “the greatest of all” spiritual gifts. Significantly, the word endure is used in the scriptures to define and describe charity.

For example, “charity … endureth forever,” “suffereth long, … seeketh not her own, … beareth all things, … endureth all things.” And, as you sisters know well, “charity never faileth.”

Mormon also taught that “whoso is found possessed of [the spiritual gift of charity] at the last day, it shall be well with him.” Note the double meaning of the word of in this verse. We can possess charity, but ultimately charity should possess us....

For disciples of the Savior, charity encompasses both what we do and what we can become as this spiritual gift ultimately possesses us. At a fundamental level, charity certainly includes acts of compassion, kindness, and generosity directed toward others. But at a higher and even holier level, charity is the very essence of the “end” toward which we are enduring—becoming new creatures in Christ....

As we live as He invites us to live and with His help, our nature and character over time increasingly become more like His.

As we follow, love, and serve the Savior, we gradually focus less on our own desires and interests and more on understanding and addressing the needs of others. We do not merely perform benevolent deeds; rather, our state of being is changed and becomes increasingly Christlike. Charity, then, ultimately possesses us....

I am now going to read three scriptures that contain the phrase “endure to the end.” I will insert the phrase “is possessed of the pure love of Christ” in each verse so we can learn a vital and eternal lesson.

1. The Savior taught His ancient Apostles: “He that endureth to the end [or is possessed of the pure love of Christ] shall be saved.”

2. Nephi testified: “I heard a voice from the Father, saying: Yea, the words of my Beloved are true and faithful. He that endureth to the end [or is possessed of the pure love of Christ], the same shall be saved.”

3. Alma declared: “He that findeth mercy and endureth to the end [or is possessed of the pure love of Christ] the same shall be saved.”

Enduring to the end is linked inextricably to the spiritual gift of charity. Enduring to the end is not merely a relentless determination to grit our teeth, hold on to the limits of our physical strength and mental capacity, and push through the challenges and adversities of mortal life; it is so much more than that.

Ministering Invites the Savior's Healing Into Our Lives

 

Ministering—“That Ye Love One Another; as I Have Loved You”

By Sister Kristin M. Yee

Second Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency

Ministering by the Spirit invites the Savior’s healing into our lives and the lives of those we minister to. I often find peace, clarity, healing, and purpose when I minister. I find the Savior when I minister. This is by divine design.

Ministering is truly loving and caring for others as the Savior would. It is a way of being; it is the way of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is not a program or a checklist; ministering is the essence of who God is and who we can become as we follow Him.

We are not called to or released from ministering. It is part of fulfilling the covenants we made at baptism and in the temple. We covenanted to take upon us the Savior’s name—becoming as He is as we sacrifice and consecrate our lives to Him. When we minister as He would, we begin to think, feel, and love as He would....

Choosing to minister isn’t always convenient or comfortable. It requires sacrifice, faith, vulnerability, and trusting things will work out as we let God prevail. When we pause and choose to care for someone over something, His Spirit and love can enter in and we can receive the peace and perspective that we really need....

As we minister in faith, we do not go alone. The Lord will be with us. He will “provide [the] means whereby [we] can accomplish the thing which he has commanded”—including the blessing of God’s priesthood power as we keep our covenants and His priesthood authority to represent Him through our assignment. The Lord knows the hearts of those we minister to. He loves them and He loves you. He will help you to bless them in the ways they need....

If you want to feel grounded, gain a sense of divine belonging, and make a real difference in the world, I invite you to follow the Savior and minister in His name. Never was the need greater than now for souls to be lifted, strengthened, and healed through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. “So many of us desperately need to feel of His love.” As His disciples, you and I have the covenant blessing and responsibility to bring the Savior’s love and relief to all of God’s children. When we offer His love and belonging to others, we will find it ourselves. The Savior promised, “Whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”

The Savior did not limit His ministering to His family and close associations. He ministered to all and invites us to do the same. We receive ministering assignments to grow our capacity to love others and to ensure no one is forgotten. We pray for them, care for their needs, and strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ.

Callings are God's Business

 

About His Business

By Elder Patrick Kearon

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

With those raised hands and encouraging smiles, we were participating in common consent, where we can choose to sustain, by the raising of the right hand, those called to serve. Common consent is not a mere formality but a beautiful mix of our agency, unity, and faith. It is a voluntary, personal commitment to support, uphold, and help the Lord’s called servants in their responsibility, whether bishopric member, Young Women adviser, Sunday School teacher, or stake Primary president. We sustain each other with our prayers, our love, our patience, and our faith. Will we always agree with those we are invited to sustain? Will we always think they are doing a good job and serving as the Saviour would? Perhaps not, and we might be right, but as we pray for them and they for us, important bridges of unity are built....

Some callings are highly stretching, while others may leave us wondering, “Isn’t there more I could be asked to do?” You might serve in a very visible role for a time, only later to be called to quiet, unseen service—or to support those with less experience. When callings change in ways that deeply impact you or your family, it can require great faith and trust in the Lord while you adjust....

Our service is a choice, an offering to God, and a blessing. We all know that prayer, study of scripture, and worship at church and in the temple are critical to the development of our faith. Have we also come to see our callings as having a foundational role in the expansion of our faith? Callings from the Lord are tailor-made for our growth, as we humble ourselves, look outward, and learn that, indeed, when we are in the service of our fellow beings, we are in fact in the service of our God. It really isn’t where we serve but how that matters to the Lord....

When 12-year-old Jesus was found by His parents teaching in the temple, He told them that He had been “about [His] Father’s business.” And we can be too. Every calling, whatever it may be, is “His business” when embraced with a humble and willing heart and a desire to lift and comfort His children and share His good news. We are not merely filling an assignment when we respond to an inspired call but joining the Saviour of the world in His infinite, redeeming work. He needs you, and He needs me. Life is better—everything is better—when we are about His business. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

The Scriptures are in Complete Harmony with Modern Medical Guidelines

 

Devotionals

Education-- A Religious Responsibility

Elder Russell M. Nelson

Member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

January 26, 2010

Beware of Unbalance

 While you search for education and wisdom, I need to offer a serious word of caution.  Choose carefully what you will learn, whose teachings you will follow, and whose purposes you will serve.  And don't place all of your intellectual eggs in the solitary basket of secular learning.  Remember this warning from the Book of Mormon:

"O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men!  When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not.  And they shall perish. "But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God" (2 Nephi 9:28-29).

That scriptural counsel was not heeded by a rich friend of mine who once proudly boasted that his climb toward wealth had come from tireless work and lessons learned in the "school of hard knocks."  But his financial fortune had come at the expense of his spiritual development.  Only when it was too late did he discover, to his regret, that his ladder of success had been leaning against the wrong wall.  He had never heeded the following instruction from his Maker: 

"Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich.  Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich" (D&C 6:7; see also 11:7). 

In retrospect, I can now see that mankind's general and pervasive lack of knowledge of the scriptures has handicapped great numbers of people for long periods of time.  The suffering that has resulted from such ignorance is truly tragic.  I will illustrate that point with excerpts from history that pertain to the spread of infection from one person to another.^[5] 

Back in the 19^th century, very little was known about the transmission of infectious disease.  Health officials and others ascribed infection simply to "air pollution."  They were not concerned about pollution of the air by the visible, smoggy, hydrocarbons of today, but by what they called an invisible miasma.  That miasma was blamed for almost every infection.  In 1867, for example, the famous surgeon, Lord Joseph Lister, indicted bad air as the chief cause of infection.  Because of that notion, in 1869, Dr. J. Y. Simpson of Edinburgh urged a policy that hospitals be taken down and rebuilt every few years.^[6]  Such a costly practice was also advocated by other experts.^[7] 

Even Florence Nightingale, a living legend following her heroic efforts in the Crimean War, was unaware of the transmission of infection from one patient to another--this despite her careful notations that wound infection accounted for 40 percent of postoperative mortality.^[8]  Many others missed the connection, too.  For centuries, innumerable mothers and babies died from "childbirth fever"--serious infections unknowingly transmitted among innocent people by the unwashed hands of attendants.^[9] 

It was only in the latter part of the 19^th Century that the great health heroes Robert Koch, Louis Pasteur, and others proved that infection could be caused by bacteria.  Infectious organisms in contaminated body fluids were transmitted from one individual to another by attendants who had not washed their hands. 

With these painful recollections of history in mind, may I quote the word of the Lord, as recorded long ago in the Old Testament's book of  Leviticus, chapter 15:

"The Lord spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying,
"Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When any man hath a running issue [or as we would say, pus draining] out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean.
"And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue . . . ."Every bed, whereon he lieth that hath the issue, is unclean: and every thing, whereon he sitteth, shall be unclean.
"And whosoever toucheth his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water . . . . 
"And he that toucheth the flesh of him that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water" (Leviticus 15:1-7; emphasis added).
Several verses follow that reemphasize those important instructions.  Then we read this conclusion:
"And when he that hath an issue is cleansed of his issue; then he shall . . . wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean" (v. 13).

Thus, our loving Heavenly Father clearly revealed, and His prophet faithfully recorded, the principles of clean technique in the handling of infected patients more than 3,000 years ago! 

These scriptures are in complete harmony with modern medical guidelines.^[10]  But during those many millennia, how many mothers needlessly perished?  How many children suffered because man's quest for knowledge had failed to incorporate the word of the Lord in that quest?