The Life and Teachings of Elder David Allan Bednar

The Biography of Elder David Allan Bednar

            The one thing that stuck out to me the most about Elder Bednar’s life was the his father was not a member of the Church, but later joined the Church after Elder Bednar came home from his mission. What an amazing experience that must have been for him. I thought it was interesting that his father made it a priority for his sons to attend church even though he, himself was not a member. I loved his desire to know and use the scriptures the way he had watched President Lee use them during the meeting in the temple while he was on his mission. I also loved the statement about his quiet boldness. This statement for me is a perfect example of how two words separately can mean two different things, but together they mean something far greater than they do individually. I also loved the story about the red suspenders. Children say some of the cutest things, and I am reminded of my time as a Primary Teacher, which is a time I will cherish for the rest of my life.

The Testimony of Elder David Allan Bednar

            The one thing which stuck out to me the most about Elder Bednar’s testimony was that on the restoration of the Priesthood. Being that both my parents are temple workers, I loved that Elder Bednar also spoke of not just the restoration of the Priesthood, but also that of Priesthood keys. I also loved that he bore his testimony on the banks of the Susquehanna River. I love Pennsylvania, being hat my dad was born there and I still have family who live there, it holds a special place in my heart as one of my favorite places in the world when you also consider all of the Church History that took place there. Also being that I just recently went through ten generations of family names, I decided to go back to my cousin’s blog and go through the other side of the family history and go through all of the names on that side as well. For me, the Priesthood is really all about family ties. The Priesthood is what ties and bind our families together. I also loved that Elder Bednar used the scripture speaking of the things bound on earth are bound in heaven and the things loosed on earth are also loosed in heaven. One of my favorite scriptures, but for the life of me I can’t remember the reference off the top of my head.

Recent Teachings

Elder David Allan Bednar, Bear Up Their Burdens with Ease, April 2014 General Conference, Sunday Morning Session

Key Doctrine and Principles:

·         Adveristy

·         Atonement

·         Covenants

·         Trials

Favorite Quotes and Why They Matter to Me:

·         “Each of us also carries a load. Our individual load is comprised of demands and opportunities, obligations and privileges, afflictions and blessings, and options and constraints. Two guiding questions can be helpful as we periodically and prayerfully assess our load: ‘Is the load I am carrying producing the spiritual traction that will enable me to press forward with faith in Christ on the strait and narrow path and avoid getting stuck? Is the load I am carrying creating sufficient spiritual traction so I ultimately can return home to Heavenly Father?’”

o    I loved this quote because it just spoke to me about the load I am currently being asked to bear. Some of the recent things I have been going through, including being asked to not attend the YSA Ward for six months, have at times seemed like they are a punishment for the trials which I have been asked to bear. They are a burden and a load, but it is so hard to understand why I would be asked to go through such things, only to have to go through them again when they are a direct cause of the trials I am currently facing, and thereby adding to the trials which I now face. It is at times like these that I must remember that all things happen for a reason, as well as these trials are preparing me for something greater.

·         “Sometimes we mistakenly may believe that happiness is the absence of a load. But bearing a load is a necessary and essential part of the plan of happiness. Because our individual load needs to generate spiritual traction, we should be careful to not haul around in our lives so many nice but unnecessary things that we are distracted and diverted from the things that truly matter most.”

o    I am completely guilty of believing “that happiness is the absence of a load.” There have been many times in my life have I truly felt happy, only to have my legs cut out from underneath me because of something which I thought I had overcome. Prior to the current trial I am now facing, I was happy, truly happy, but then out of nowhere I am hit with a trial that shakes me to my very core and makes me question why the thing which I have worked so hard to overcome have to come back to haunt me now. This quote helps me to understand that although I may have been happy, really truly happy, I was distract from what matters most.

·         “There is no physical pain, no spiritual wound, no anguish of soul or heartache, no infirmity or weakness you or I ever confront in mortality that the Savior did not experience first.”

o    I loved this quote for reason I can’t begin to explain. The pain our Savior went through in the Garden was for me, and He felt everything that I am going through, everything I have gone through, and everything that I have to go through. He did so for me so that He could be ther for me when no one else would or could be there for me.

Past Teachings

Elder David Allan Bednar, The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn, Ensign and General Conference (through the LDS Gospel Library App), November 2011 (General Conference October 2011, Saturday Afternoon Session)

Key Doctrine and Principles:

·         Family History

·         Priesthood

·         Technology

·         Temples and Temple Work

Favorite Quotes and Why They Matter to Me:

·         “Many of you may think family history work is to be performed primarily by older people. But I know of no age limit described in the scriptures or guidelines announced by Church leaders restricting this important service to mature adults. You are sons and daughters of God, children of the covenant, and builders of the kingdom. You need not wait until you reach an arbitrary age to fulfill your responsibility to assist in the work of salvation for the human family.”

o    Again, guilty as charged. As a child I hated it when my mom would be on the computer doing family history work and I would want to get on to play a game. It annoyed me to no end. I couldn’t understand the importance of people who were dead. Then I turned twelve and gained a little bit more of a better understanding of the importance of family history when I started going to the temple to do baptisms. But I would still be annoyed when my mom would be on the computer doing family history work and I would want to play a game. Then my grandfather died, follow by my Great-Uncle Joe Leah. A year later I went to the Los Angeles Temple to do baptisms for my Great-Aunt Marie Leah, Uncle Joe’s wife and my dad’s aunt, and another family member, while my brother did the baptisms for our grandfather and our Great-Uncle Joe. I remember seeing both my Uncle Joe and my Grandpa Bob at the temple that night. I also saw my Aunt Marie there, but I didn’t know it was her until I saw a picture of her many years later. Now more than ten years later I have truly started understand the importance of family history and temple work, but I can trace this understanding back to that one event in the Los Angeles Temple.

The Life and Teachings of Elder Jeffrey Roy Holland

The Biography of Elder Jeffrey Roy Holland

            For me the first thing which stuck out to me about Elder Holland was that before his mission he wanted to be a doctor, but after his mission he wanted to be a teacher. I think it is interesting that the saying of “those who can, do, but those who cannot, teach.” Obviously, this statement couldn’t be further from the truth when you consider that Elder Holland is a teacher. I have had many teachers in my life who not only teach, but also do what they teach. Although Elder Holland has never been one of my teachers in the secular educational sense, he has been one of my greatest teachers in the spiritual educational sense. I also found it interesting that even though Elder Holland loved to “teach the gospel to students in a classroom” his brother felt “that the Lord had same goal in mind for him, but that the size of the classroom and the number of students were on a much grander scale than he was envisioning.” This statement reminds me of a line from Shakespeare’s As You Like It where in Scene VII of Act II, gloomy Lord Jacques states the analogy of the world being that of a stage and life being that of a play. Lord Jacques states, “All the world’s a stage, And all men and women are merely players. They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts.” I have heard many times in church that our lives are like that of a three act play, with the first act being the pre-mortal existence, the second act being our mortal existence, and the third act being our post-mortal existence.

The Testimony of Elder Jeffrey Roy Holland

            As I watched Elder Holland’s testimony, I felt the chills and could feel the goose bumps forming on my arms. The thing that stuck out to me the most about Elder Holland’s testimony is that he used a series of words that I have been using for many years when I would talk to others about the Atonement. To paraphrase, Elder Holland said that our Savior felt every pain, sin, human misdeed, mortal infirmity, personal heartache, sorrow and loss that any person in the world would ever feel. I have been using this same description for many years, but I have also added that our Savior felt all of our joys, triumphs, accomplishments, and successes as well, so that when we were the only ones who would be able to share in those joyful times of our lives, we still wouldn’t be alone in our joy. I have used this in countless essays, sacrament meeting talks, testimonies, and other moments in my life, but I had never known where I had ever heard anyone use it or why it was something hat had become something I would always use to describe our Savior’s Atonement.

Recent Teachings

Elder Jeffrey Roy Holland, The Cost—and Blessings—of Discipleship, April 2014 General Conference, Saturday Morning Session

Key Doctrine and Principles:

·         Courage

·         Discipleship

·         Love

·         Obedience

·         Righteousness

·         Trials and Persecution

Favorite Quotes and Why They Matter to Me:

·         “Surely the angels of heaven wept as they recorded this cost of discipleship in a world that is often hostile to the commandments of God. The Savior Himself shed His own tears over those who for hundreds of years had been rejected and slain in His service. And now He was being rejected and about to be slain. ‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,’ Jesus cried, ‘thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.’ And therein lies a message for every young man and young woman in this Church. You may wonder if it is worth it to take a courageous moral stand in high school or to go on a mission only to have your most cherished beliefs reviled or to strive against much in society that sometimes ridicules a life of religious devotion. Yes, it is worth it, because the alternative is to have our ‘houses’ left unto us ‘desolate’—desolate individuals, desolate families, desolate neighborhoods, and desolate nations.”

o    I loved this quote because Elder Holland states that it is all worth it. I also loved this quote because although it doesn’t flat out state it, if what Christ did for us was worth an indescribable amount of pain and suffering, then how can we possibly say that taking a “courageous moral stand” isn’t worth it? How could we possibly think that after all that our Savior has done for us, we could just sit back, put up our feet and watch as things play out? No, we must take a stand even if we are standing alone.

·         “Christlike love is the greatest need we have on this planet in part because righteousness was always supposed to accompany it. So if love is to be our watchword, as it must be, then by the word of Him who is love personified, we must forsake transgression and any hint of advocacy for it in others. Jesus clearly understood what many in our modern culture seem to forget: that there is a crucial difference between the commandment to forgive sin (which He had an infinite capacity to do) and the warning against condoning it (which He never ever did even once). Friends, especially my young friends, take heart. Pure Christlike love flowing from true righteousness can change the world.”

o    I love this quote because Christlike love is one off the thing my best friend, Richard and I talk great deal about. We talk about how important it is to love everyone, even when they do things that would give us cause to not want to do so. Many times it is the things which our own flesh and blood say or do that can be the hardest to forgive and to maintain such Christlike love towards. It is at these times when it is most important that we maintain that Christlike love because if there is a lack of love and understanding within the home, family members may be more apt to seek for such love and understanding elsewhere, which may lead them into paths that could lead to their very destruction.

Past Teachings

Elder Jeffrey Roy Holland, Like a Broken Vessel, Ensign and General Conference (through the LDS Gospel Library App), November 2013 (General Conference October 2013, Saturday Afternoon Session)

Key Doctrine and Principles:

·         Adversity

·         Compassion

·         Depression

·         Endurance

Favorite Quotes and Why They Matter to Me:

·         “In striving for some peace and understanding in these difficult matters, it is crucial to remember that we are living—and chose to live—in a fallen world where for divine purposes our pursuit of godliness will be tested and tried again and again. Of greatest assurance in God’s plan is that a Savior was promised, a Redeemer, who through our faith in Him would lift us triumphantly over those tests and trials, even though the cost to do so would be unfathomable for both the Father who sent Him and the Son who came. It is only an appreciation of this divine love that will make our own lesser suffering first bearable, then understandable, and finally redemptive.”

o    Being that my best friend, Richard and I both suffer from differing forms of mental illness, this talk was one where it became difficult for me to even be able to take notes on. This talk was so moving and emotionally powerful for me, that for the rest of the Saturday Afternoon Session of Conference, I was unable to take any kind of notes. For days I mauled over the talk and the words of Elder Holland. Yet many of the things he stated in this particular quote ring very true for me, especially the part of lifting us over our tests and trials. I know from personal experience that our Savior sends us the strength we need to overcome our trials, but sometime that strength and help does not come when we want it to. Sometimes that strength, help and inner peace does not come until the last hour of the fourth watch. I have come to understand that our Savior will always come, but he needs us to persevere and we can only do that if He does not come when we want Him to, but when we NEED Him to.

·         “Let me leave the extraordinary illnesses I have mentioned to concentrate on MDD—’major depressive disorder’—or, more commonly, ‘depression.’ When I speak of this, I am not speaking of bad hair days, tax deadlines, or other discouraging moments we all have. Everyone is going to be anxious or downhearted on occasion. … I am speaking of something more serious, of an affliction so severe that it significantly restricts a person’s ability to function fully, a crater in the mind so deep that no one can responsibly suggest it would surely go away if those victims would just square their shoulders and think more positively—though I am a vigorous advocate of square shoulders and positive thinking! No, this dark night of the mind and spirit is more than mere discouragement. I have seen it come to an absolutely angelic man when his beloved spouse of 50 years passed away. I have seen it in new mothers with what is euphemistically labeled ‘after-baby blues.’ I have seen it strike anxious students, military veterans, and grandmothers worried about the well-being of their grown children. And I have seen it in young fathers trying to provide for their families.”

o    I loved this quote because of how boldly Elder Holland states exactly what depression really is. Having suffered from depression myself, brought on by the wrong medication prescribed by a doctor, which led to hyper-manic episodes followed by a devastating emotional crash, on a daily basis for many years, I know just how hard it can be to think positively. Yes there were days when I was able to counteract the hyper-manic episodes, but those days were so far and few between, that it seemed almost impossible to know when they would occur. It wasn’t until I was almost eighteen years old that I was taken off of this particular medication and given a formal diagnosis of manic bipolar.

·         “In that regard I once terrifyingly saw it in myself. At one point in our married life when financial fears collided with staggering fatigue, I took a psychic blow that was as unanticipated as it was real. With the grace of God and the love of my family, I kept functioning and kept working, but even after all these years I continue to feel a deep sympathy for others more chronically or more deeply afflicted with such gloom than I was. In any case we have all taken courage from those who, in the words of the Prophet Joseph, ‘search[ed] … and contemplate[d] the darkest abyss’ and persevered through it—not the least of whom were Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and Elder George Albert Smith, the latter being one of the most gentle and Christlike men of our dispensation, who battled recurring depression for some years before later becoming the universally beloved eighth prophet and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

o    I loved this quote because it confirms to me that I am not alone, and that even the greatest people in history, and those in the church, have all suffered from some form of depression or another. Knowing the President George Albert Smith suffered from recurring depression, helps me to know that I can get through whatever the Lord asks of me because I am not alone in all of this.

·         “So how do you best respond when mental or emotional challenges confront you or those you love? Above all, never lose faith in your Father in Heaven, who loves you more than you can comprehend. As President Monson said to the Relief Society sisters so movingly last Saturday evening: ‘That love never changes. … It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve [it]. It is simply always there.’ Never, ever doubt that, and never harden your heart. Faithfully pursue the time-tested devotional practices that bring the Spirit of the Lord into your life. Seek the counsel of those who hold keys for your spiritual well-being. Ask for and cherish priesthood blessings. Take the sacrament every week, and hold fast to the perfecting promises of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Believe in miracles. I have seen so many of them come when every other indication would say that hope was lost. Hope is never lost. If those miracles do not come soon or fully or seemingly at all, remember the Savior’s own anguished example: if the bitter cup does not pass, drink it and be strong, trusting in happier days ahead.”

o    I loved this quote because it has been my faith, as well as Richard, through whom our Savior has provided comfort and understanding, that my hope that everything will work out has been bolstered. I know the Lord sent Richard into my life or a reason, and although I might think that I know what that reason is, I will never fully know until all is said and done with. At the moment, that reason is to have an advocate on my side when it comes to a lot of the things which I am experiencing right now, including being asked to not attend the YSA ward for the next six months. Being that Richard understands me, he has stated that he wished things had been handled in a different manner. However since they haven’t Richard has given me the strength to push past this setback in life and move forward with my life, and focus on what is most important.

·         “Whatever your struggle, my brothers and sisters—mental or emotional or physical or otherwise—do not vote against the preciousness of life by ending it! Trust in God. Hold on in His love. Know that one day the dawn will break brightly and all shadows of mortality will flee. Though we may feel we are ‘like a broken vessel,’ as the Psalmist says, we must remember, that vessel is in the hands of the divine potter. Broken minds can be healed just the way broken bones and broken hearts are healed. While God is at work making those repairs, the rest of us can help by being merciful, nonjudgmental, and kind.”

o    I loved this quote because it speaks to a part of me past that is difficult to talk about. A part of my past that I really only tend to talk about with my best friend, Richard. Being that he and I bother suffer from differing forms of mental illness, having him in my life is what really keeps me going and what gives me the will to keep moving forward.

Elder Jeffrey Roy Holland, Israel, Israel, God is Calling, CES Devotional on LDS.org, September 2012

Key Doctrine and Principles:

·         Discipleship

·         Standing as a Witness

·         Showing Compassion

·         Being Loyal to the Commandments

·         “Never Check Your Religion at the Door!”

·         Build Zion Where We Are

·         Judge Righteous Judgments

·         Live Your Life to Reflect Your Love of Jesus Christ

Favorite Quotes and Why They Matter to Me:

·         “‘ We check our religion at the door ‘? Lesson number one for the establishment of Zion in the 21st century: You never ‘check your religion at the door.’ Not ever. My young friends, that kind of discipleship cannot be—it is not discipleship at all. As the prophet Alma has taught the young women of the Church to declare every week in their Young Women theme, we are ‘to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in,’ not just some of the time, in a few places, or when our team has a big lead. ‘Check your religion at the door’! I was furious. But let’s stay with this for a minute because there is a second lesson on its way. Lesson number two in tonight’s quest for Zion is that in my righteous indignation (at least we always say it is righteous) I have to make sure that I don’t end up doing exactly what I was accusing this young fan of doing—getting mad, acting stupid, losing my cool, ranting about it, wanting to get my hands on him—preferably around his throat—until, before I know it, I have checked my religion at the door! No, someone in life, someone in the 21st century, someone in all of these situations has to live his or her religion because otherwise all we get is a whole bunch of idiots acting like moral pygmies.”

o    I loved this quote because it came at a time when I needed it. A few weeks after this talk was given, I was called to be a primary teacher. A few weeks later, I was have a horrible day, and I couldn’t find what I needed at Walmart or Target. I was ready to blow a fuse and have a meltdown when I came around the corner and I ran into one of my sunbeams and his mom. To this day, I am glad that I maintained my composure. A few months later, this little boy was having a very difficult day, so I picked him up and I walked him around the church building. He had wrapped his arms around my neck and placed his head on my shoulder which he proceeded to fall asleep. As I was walking around the church building, I came to the chapel doors, and I stopped because the Elders Quorum was meeting in the chapel. I just stood here for a few minutes listening to the lesson when I noticed his dad had seen me and wanted to know if he needed to come get his son. I simply shook my head. I would not have been able to have this experience if I hadn’t been able to maintain my composure that day at Target.

·         “I have not uttered the word missionary in this context for fear you would immediately think of white shirts and name tags. Don’t limit me on this. Stay with the big picture—the huge need—to share the gospel always, whether you are a full-time missionary or not. Latter-day Saints are called upon to be the leaven in the loaf, the salt that never loses its savor, the light set upon a hill never to be hidden under a bushel. And your age group—18 to 30 for the most part—is the time in a person’s life when your acquaintances are most likely to accept the gospel if it is presented to them. We know that. A number of studies conducted by the Church have told us that. So start presenting! If we do right and talk right and reach out generously with our words and our deeds, then when the Savior cuts short His work in righteousness, says time is no more in this last, great dispensation and then comes in His glory, He will find us—you and me and all of us—doing our best, trying to live the gospel, trying to improve our lives and our Church and our society the best way we can. When He comes, I so want to be caught living the gospel. I want to be surprised right in the act of spreading the faith and doing something good. I want the Savior to say to me: ‘Jeffrey’—because He knows all of our names—’I recognize you not by your title but by your life, the way you are trying to live and the standards you are trying to defend. I see the integrity of your heart. I know you have tried to make things better first and foremost by being better yourself, and then by declaring my word and defending my gospel to others in the most compassionate way you could. I know you weren’t always successful,’ He will certainly say, ‘with your own sins or the circumstances of others, but I believe you honestly tried. I believe in your heart you truly loved me.’”

o    I loved this quote because it wasn’t this last month that I actually started giving referrals to the missionaries again. Three years ago was the last time I gave a referral to the missionaries and things turned out very badly. I lost one of my best friends from what transpired, and I became extremely depressed about everything. However through the understanding which I have received from my best friend, Richard, I have gained back the confidence that I have needed to again begin referring people to the missionaries.

The Life and Teachings of Elder Robert Dean Hales

The Biography of Elder Robert Dean Hales

            The first thing that really stuck out to me about Elder Hales was the advice he was given by his coach. I think warming up for any kind of activity is important. We have an opening hymn and prayer in our church meetings to help invite the spirit into the meetings. In a way, this could be considered a type of warmup since it allows us to be more open and receptive to the spirit as we are taught by others. It also allows us to better understand the things we are being taught and allows us to be taught by the spirit in how we can apply what we learn into our daily lives. The second thing that really stuck out to me was that he received a degree in communications. As it stands, I am currently pursuing a degree in communications with an emphasis in news and journalism, as well as a minor in English. My goal is to one day write and edit articles for Church Magazines. The third thing that really stuck out to me was that Elder Hales went to the University of Utah, while his wife went to Brigham Young University. The reason this really stuck out to me is because my best friend, Richard goes to Utah State University and roots for the Aggies, while I go to Brigham Young University-Idaho, but I root for the University of Utah Utes. Richard and I are as different as can be, and yet we have so many things in common. There have been times when I have told myself that things could never possibly work out between me and him because of our love of two rival teams, but knowing that Elder Hales went to U of U and his wife went to BYU, proves that it doesn’t matter what team you root for, so long as you both love each other and make the Gospel a part of your lives. In all of my conversations with my best friend, Richard, every time I ask him for advice, he always manages make the Gospel the center of his advice. This is something I want in the man that I someday marry.

The Testimony of Elder Robert Dean Hales

            The one thing that stuck out to me the most about Elder Hales testimony is that the title of his testimony is so perfect for what he bore his testimony on. Sometimes for me, obedience can be very hard since I am a very strong willed and persistent individual, something that a lot of people don’t understand, or refuse to understand about me. There was a time in my life where I let people walk all over me, and when I couldn’t take it anymore, I began to be something no one expected me to ever become. In the words of one of my best friends from high school, I have become a force to be reckoned with because when people try to walk all over me, things backfire and they never know what happened. And yet, as I write this, the words of the hymn, “Lead, Kindly Light” come to mind, particularly the second verse. “I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou Shouldst lead me on. I loved to choose and see my path; but now, Lead Thou me on! I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears, Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years.” This is one of my favorite hymns because it described me almost perfectly. Being that I am so strong willed, I tend to be very intimidating for some people because I am so determined to see things through to the very end. I am unable to let things rest until I find out the root cause for such things to have happened. This can lead to more problems because I am always being told to let things go because I can’t change the past. It is at times like these, that I reply by stating that I may not be able to change the past, but I can change how this one incident will influence future events.

Recent Teachings

Elder Robert Dean Hales, “If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments”, April 2014 General Conference, Saturday Afternoon Session

Key Doctrine and Principles:

·         Agency

·         Different Types of Obedience

o    “Natural Man’s Obedience”

o    “Selective Obedience”

o    “The Savior’s Obedience”

Favorite Quotes and Why They Matter to Me:

·         “Using our agency to obey means choosing to ‘do what is right [and letting] the consequence follow.’ It requires self-mastery and brings confidence, eternal happiness, and a sense of fulfillment to us and, by example, to those around us; and it always includes a deep personal commitment to sustain priesthood leaders and follow their teachings and counsel.”

o    I loved this quote about agency because I recently have been on a huge agency kick. Having my agency to choose means a great deal to me. When others try to blame me for their actions, misdeeds, feelings, and choices, I know that I am not the one at fault. I am only responsible for my own actions, choices, feelings and misdeeds. If I say something that someone chooses to take offensively, if they tell me I have said something which was offensive to them, of course I will apologize, but if they never tell me I have said something which was offensive to them, I cannot apologize because I won’t know if I have said something which was offensive to them. I have been told there is a fine line between being blunt and being offensive, but in reality there is no line at all because being blunt is choice made by one person who is speaking and choosing to be offended by the words of others is a choice made by the person who is listening to the words spoken by others.

·         “To rationalize disobedience does not change spiritual law or its consequences but leads to confusion, instability, wandering in strange paths, being lost, and grief. As disciples of Christ, we have a sacred obligation to uphold His laws and commandments and the covenants which we take upon ourselves.”

o    I loved this quote because it states what our “sacred obligation” is, and that to rationalize our disobedience has many different consequences, some of which can have eternal ramifications.

Past Teachings

Elder Robert Dean Hales, Agency: Essential to the Plan of Life, Ensign and General Conference (through the LDS Gospel Library App), November 2010 (General Conference October 2010, Saturday Afternoon Session)

Key Doctrine and Principles:

·         Agency

·         Choices

·         Plan of Salvation

·         Repentance

Favorite Quotes and Why They Matter to Me:

·         “Of the 10 definitions and usages of the word agency, none expressed the idea of making choices to act. We teach that agency is the ability and privilege God gives us to choose and ‘to act for [ourselves] and not to be acted upon.’ Agency is to act with accountability and responsibility for our actions. Our agency is essential to the plan of salvation. With it we are ‘free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil.’”

o    I loved this quote because of the fact that Elder Hales states that out of all the definitions of agency in the dictionary, none of the had anything to do with choices. Being that I am a communications major, this quote really means a lot to me. I have always known that if you take any individual word in a piece of written work for its written worth alone, disregarding all of the words surrounding it, you end up with what the word means if it were to stand alone. However, when you consider all of the words surrounding a word, a meaning which was once may have been negative can become positive, and vice versa. For example, the word “shocked” tends to have a negative connotation, but if you were to place the word “pleasantly” in front of the word “shocked” it changes the entire meaning of the word. Oh the power of words, the power with which we give them. The saying “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” couldn’t be farther from the truth. In the words of my best friend, Richard in an email he sent me almost two years ago, he stated he following, “Sticks and stones break bones, but words...words are what made the world.  They hold the power to destroy, to tear out a man's life, his will, his love.” Richard could possibly have stated it any better of how great the power of words are. They have power to destroy as well as the power to create. They have the power to tear down and the power to build up. However, just as the dictionary didn’t mention agency as being that of the ability to make choices, words are still very limited in their power. It is through our agency that they derive their greatest power. If the negative words of another person are to hurt us, we first have to choose to let them hurt us. If we choose to let them roll off our back as water rolls off a duck, then they are just that, they are just words and nothing more.

·         “Our agency—our ability to choose and act for ourselves—was an essential element of this plan. Without agency we would be unable to make right choices and progress. Yet with agency we could make wrong choices, commit sin, and lose the opportunity to be with Heavenly Father again. For this reason a Savior would be provided to suffer for our sins and redeem us if we would repent. By His infinite Atonement, He brought about ‘the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice.’”

o    I loved this quote because of how plainly it states that our agency is essential to the plan of salvation. Without our agency, the plan of salvation wouldn’t exist. Without the plan of salvation, we wouldn’t exist.

                                               

Elder Robert Dean Hales, Christian Courage: The Price of Discipleship, Ensign and General Conference (through the LDS Gospel Library App), November 2008 (General Conference October 2008, Sunday Morning Session)

Key Doctrine and Principles:

·         Adversity

·         Courage

·         Discipleship

Favorite Quotes and Why They Matter to Me:

·         “True disciples of Christ see opportunity in the midst of opposition.”

o    I loved this quote because it reminds me a lot of myself in terms of my friendship with my best friend, Richard. Both of us have, at times, been the only person to support one another in our friendship. Our other friends have been so concerned about the possible ramifications of what our friendship could do to one another that they haven’t been able to see the good that both of us have allow the other to create within the other. In the midst of all of this opposition, he and I have been able to see the opportunities to bless the life of the other, to help one another stay on the strait and narrow path and work on remaining faithful to the end.

·         “True disciples seek guidance from the Spirit, they receive inspiration tailored to each encounter.”

o    I loved this quote because I turn to Richard a great deal when I need advice. He in turn always finds a way to bring the Gospel and its teachings into the conversation and allows his advice to be guided by what the Spirit is telling him to say to me. Although he has no stewardship over me, he still is able to give me the same advice as those who do, but he always presents it in a way that allows me to chance to accept or reject it. In every encounter, I have always accepted his advice, because he presents it in a way that makes everything finally make sense.

·         “True disciples respond in ways that invite the Spirit of the Lord.”

o    I loved this quote because it again reminds me of Richard. One of the many things he and I do together is study our scriptures and write to each other about what we have learned. Sometimes I send him copies of my write-ups, sometimes I send him my favorite scriptures, or links to my favorite conference talks and why they mean so much to me. Being able to share my testimony with Richard has helped me to gain a confidence that will go with me throughout my life, and will help me to be ready to help others when the need arises.

·         “As true disciples, our primary concern must be others’ welfare, not personal vindication.”

o    This quote couldn’t possibly more perfectly describe Richard. The simple fact that he is so concerned about the welfare of others is what really drew me to Richard when I first met him. In the two short years that I have known him, I have seen my life go from where it was to where it is now, and from that I am able to see all of the important decisions I had to make to get me where I am now. In all of those decisions, Richard played a key role in them.

·         “True disciples avoid being unduly judgmental of others’ views.”

o    So this quote has so much meaning in it for me. Again, Richard is behind all of the meaning. Richard and I are so different from one another that it is amazing that we could even possibly be friends. Yet we are so alike that it would be equally shocking if we were not. Richard and I differ in political affiliation, but agree in our application of Gospel Principles. I have found that our differing views are in fact hat makes our friendship so strong. It is our differing views that allow both of us the opportunities we need to avoid being judgmental of the views of others.

·         “Sometimes true disciples must show Christian courage by saying nothing at all.”

o    In my friendship with Richard, there have been times when I have just called to talk to him, and despite wanting to give me advice about my problems or my situation, he remains silent. In doing this, he has allowed me to formulate solutions to my problems or ways to better my situation on my own. Sometimes just knowing he is there to help me through things is all the help I need. In all of this, Richard reminds me of our Savior. Both of them are there for me when I need them, and both of them care enough about me to allow me to sometimes find a solution to my problems all on my own. In saying nothing, they have allowed me to grow exponentially as an individual because they give me the opportunity to grow on me own.