If you are still writing names on the prayer roll, I want to encourage you to instead spend an hour on your knees in your quiet place in prayer for this person. Fast for them. And do it again and again - fast and pray. See if this person you've been writing on the prayer roll for years has a shift. Ask God if He is still the God of miracles (Mormon 9:11) and then ask for one. We watched a movie about prayer that was so inspiring. It is called, "The War Room" and you can rent it on Amazon. I highly recommend as it can teach about things you may have never considered when it comes to prayer.
I was watching a documentary on India and did you know they have a temple entirely dedicated to rats? They feed the rats delicious fresh food and give them milk to drink. They believe the rats, known as "kabbas" or "little children" are sacred and are believed to be reincarnated descendants they must care for.
After watching this documentary I became frustrated primarily because I had just finished a documentary about Mother Theresa and saw the suffering of the people of India and how much opposition she faced trying to get the people of that country to help their own sick and dying. And yet - the rats, they are so important. Treat them well and your next life will be good. The beggar on the street...pffft - pass them by with no repercussions. I realized with shame that it was all too familiar to me.
Are we in the church doing the same? Packing multimillion dollar temples with patrons - encouraging them to do things for their "kabbas"/ancestors while the poor and the hungry are passed by? Must we have a $150+ billion dollars only to build more sanctuaries for the dead? And not even just build more - to give a facelift to the Provo, Ogden, St. George and other temples?
Can you imagine if the thousands who attend the Temple each day went to provide service to their community for that amount of time instead? What would the world be like with such an army of true Saints!! "But Ruth! People must get their salvation! If we don't do it they will go to a lower kingdom!"
Blasphemy. Salvation was purchased at Gesthemane and the Cross. We mock the atonement of Christ when we say that it is up to us to offer salvation for the dead. Joseph never taught this. You can look all you like and you won't find him teaching to do all this temple work for the dead.
Blasphemy. Salvation was purchased at Gesthemane and the Cross. We mock the atonement of Christ when we say that it is up to us to offer salvation for the dead. Joseph never taught this. You can look all you like and you won't find him teaching to do all this temple work for the dead.
32 But behold, it sorroweth me because of the fourth generation from this generation, for they are led away captive by him even as was the son of perdition; for they will sell me for silver and for gold, and for that which moth doth corrupt and which thieves can break through and steal. And in that day will I visit them, even in turning their works upon their own heads.
33 And it came to pass that when Jesus had ended these sayings he said unto his disciples: Enter ye in at the strait gate; for strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there be that find it; but wide is the gate, and broad the way which leads to death, and many there be that travel therein, until the night cometh, wherein no man can work. (3 Nephi 27)
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7)
I got this from the Owl of the Desert blog:
The reason that faith is dwindling in the Church (among others) is because we have replaced the gospel of Jesus Christ with a neo-temple-theology.
The problem, you see, with temple-theologies is that they are deleterious to a living faith. Remember the veil of the temple in Jerusalem that was rent in twain at Christ's death? Why have we stitched it back together with silver thread, placing it under lock-and-seal so that now we must depend upon those with priesthood "keys" rather than upon Christ?
Earlier this month in General Conference, President Nelson gave a talk titled, "Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys" (I wish I were making this up). Not "Rejoice in Jesus Christ" ― you know, as Nephi told us to (2 Nephi 25:26). Nope. Rejoice in the authority given unto men.
President Nelson said, "Priesthood keys give us the authority to extend all of the blessings promised to Abraham to every covenant-keeping man and woman.... Time in the temple will help you to think celestial and to catch a vision of who you really are, who you can become, and the kind of life you can have forever." (April 2024 General Conference).
Janey on Wheat and Tares said:
"Think Celestial? The hymn Have I Done Any Good in the World Today? admonishes us to 'wake up' and stop focusing on our celestial reward and instead to look at the chances to do good that are all around us in this world. In President Nelson’s talk 'Think Celestial!' there is not one word about reaching out to help other people."
A commenter on reddit wrote, "My parents are temple workers. They would rather spend time 'working' in the temple than spend time with their grandchildren. This is a fact."
A person responded, "Working in the temple is certainly a lot easier than dealing with the hungry, the naked, and the prisoners that Jesus mentioned."
We worship the God of the living! A temple-theology should not eclipse the telestial-work God has called us to do.
To paraphrase Jesus, "Let the dead baptize their dead" (Luke 9:60).*
The reason that faith is dwindling in the Church (among others) is because we have replaced the gospel of Jesus Christ with a neo-temple-theology.
The problem, you see, with temple-theologies is that they are deleterious to a living faith. Remember the veil of the temple in Jerusalem that was rent in twain at Christ's death? Why have we stitched it back together with silver thread, placing it under lock-and-seal so that now we must depend upon those with priesthood "keys" rather than upon Christ?
Earlier this month in General Conference, President Nelson gave a talk titled, "Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys" (I wish I were making this up). Not "Rejoice in Jesus Christ" ― you know, as Nephi told us to (2 Nephi 25:26). Nope. Rejoice in the authority given unto men.
President Nelson said, "Priesthood keys give us the authority to extend all of the blessings promised to Abraham to every covenant-keeping man and woman.... Time in the temple will help you to think celestial and to catch a vision of who you really are, who you can become, and the kind of life you can have forever." (April 2024 General Conference).
Janey on Wheat and Tares said:
"Think Celestial? The hymn Have I Done Any Good in the World Today? admonishes us to 'wake up' and stop focusing on our celestial reward and instead to look at the chances to do good that are all around us in this world. In President Nelson’s talk 'Think Celestial!' there is not one word about reaching out to help other people."
A commenter on reddit wrote, "My parents are temple workers. They would rather spend time 'working' in the temple than spend time with their grandchildren. This is a fact."
A person responded, "Working in the temple is certainly a lot easier than dealing with the hungry, the naked, and the prisoners that Jesus mentioned."
We worship the God of the living! A temple-theology should not eclipse the telestial-work God has called us to do.
To paraphrase Jesus, "Let the dead baptize their dead" (Luke 9:60).*
Over 2,000 years ago Jesus taught of a New Commandment:
John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Thanks to modern revelation, Sister Nelson 1:1 has taught a new type of commandment: that ye love President Nelson, as he deserves our love, that ye also follow and do what he says.
I am going to include a talk given by Sister Nelson in Europe about a year and a half ago. As you listen to this talk ask yourself, do you feel like you know Jesus Christ better? Does this talk help you to have more faith in Jesus? Or do you know President Nelson better and more faith in his goodness?
In this talk, she tells the story of the Emperor with no clothes. The big point of that fable is that no one but the child spoke the truth because everyone else was too busy stroking the Emperor’s ego. She then proceeds to stroke her husband’s ego for the entire talk. It is a day of deep sorrow when those in leadership declare that the naked emperor has clothes i.e. that a prophet who doesn't prophecy is a prophet. A seer who doesn't see is a seer. A revelator who doesn't reveal is revelator...
Sister Wendy Nelson
LDS European region devotional
1/23/22
Video: https://youtu.be/78a8hQR0p3k
Okay, I just checked this link and it has been pulled down again. I don't know why they are pulling down this devotional and only allowing "summaries" to be posted by the church newsroom but nevertheless, so it is. If anyone here is tech savvy, could you post a link in the comments below?
I will give the transcript of her talk here:
Our dear brothers and sisters of Europe, how we love you. From Sweden to Austria, from Romania to Whales, we have loved meeting with so many of you over the years. You are in our hearts forever. All the lands you Europe call to us, not just the ones we have visited nor only the lands of our ancestors, which for me includes Switzerland, Scotland, and England. Rather every land in this grand Europe area--which I'm told includes 48 countries--beckons us. No doubt it is because the blood of Israel is there. How grateful we are to be with Elder and Sister Bednar, whom we love.
Today I'd like to talk with you in Europe about truth and prophets. In the literary folktale The Emperor's New Clothes by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, swindlers convince the emperor that the new attire that they made for him is of the most exquisite pattern, material, and colors. They emphasize that anyone who cannot see the extraordinary clothing is unworthy of his office or simply stupid. Everyone is duped by the charlatans, even the emperor's most trusted officials. All the townspeople join in the chorus telling the emperor how magnificent he looks as he proudly parades in front of them. No one wants to be thought of as stupid. However, one child boldly proclaims, 'The emperor has no clothes on!'. And that was the truth.
Today it can be difficult to know who speaks the truth. But my testimony is that prophets of god always speak the truth. While many in the world's great and spacious building convincingly profess that evil is good and good is evil, prophets speak the truth. While many tout and even celebrate new approaches to and rationale for breaking god's commandments, prophets speak the truth.
One of the distinctive features of the savior's restored church is the presence of prophets. Today we sustain 15 men in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as prophets, seers, and revelators. We are blessed in this devotional to be taught by two of these prophets.
Prophets are called by the Lord to do difficult things, to speak unpopular things, not 'smooth things', as Isaiah wrote. The Lord's prophets can see things we can't see and can hear things that we cannot. The Lord speaks to his prophets, instructing them what to say and do that will bless and protect all of god's children. Therefore, as we choose to follow the prophets, we will be blessed spiritually and temporally.
The media, social and otherwise, is filled to overflowing with ideas that are contrary to the teachings of prophets. In fact, so much that is offered as truth is just silly, much like the emperor's new clothes. However, prophets help us discern specious notions as well as their intentions to trap us--trip us up--and basically wreck our lives.
So how can we protect ourselves amid the war of words that rages all around us? I suggest we compare anything and everything we read, view, or hear with the teachings of the prophets. If it isn't in harmony, we should run away. The question we can use as a litmus test to discern truth from error and to help us with a multitude of our personal dilemmas, decisions, and questions, is 'what do the prophets say?'.
Let's start there. Let's use prophetic words as our standard of truth. For this new year, let's put an exclamation mark after every statement from a prophet, and a question mark after everything else we read, see, or hear.
Would you like to try that with me for 30 days and see what happens to your heart and mind? You may notice a decrease in the amount of stress you feel as you're able to see through the false philosophies of men that produce a kind of tension and anxiety that can almost immobilize us. What would happen to your level of peace, clarity of thinking, joy, experience of love, and spiritual prosperity if, for 30 days, you started to question everything the world's media and all other sources offer you, and instead prayerfully study, fully embrace, and lived by every prophetic teaching you could find?
What would happen in only 30 days if you chose to follow the prophets with exactness? The prophets testify of Christ. Their sole desire is to help us find and stay on the covenant path that leads back to him and our Heavenly Father.
Now, if we had lived in the days of Nephi, we would have followed him. Not necessarily back to Jerusalem to retrieve the brass plates, but by doing whatever difficult thing the Lord asked us to do. If we had lived in the days of the prophet Abinadi, we would have followed him. Not necessarily into wicked king Noah's court, but by boldly speaking up about those things we know to be true.
And now, how will your life be blessed as you choose to follow president Russel M. Nelson, the prophet of god on the earth today? Who for four years has lead the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints under the direction of Jesus Christ himself? I'm grateful that my husband is the kind of man who many years before he was called to be an apostle said, "I never ask myself, 'When does the prophet speak as a prophet and when does he not?' My interest has been, 'How can I be more like him?'".
As his wife, may I offer you many examples of President Nelson's life that you may want to emulate?
Number one, he is attentive and alert. Wherever we are, he is always leaning forward to listen to what is being said or sung. This is not to compensate for a hearing problem, he hears just fine. It is an issue with his heart. He wants to take in even more of what is being said. He wants to see, and to feel, more. Because of his attentiveness, it takes a long time for us to enter or exit an event.
Along with his eternal perspective, President Nelson seems to have a wide angle lens as well as a zoom lens on his eyes to see those in need. So as we exit a meeting large or small he will frequently say, "Who's in the wheelchair?", or, "We need to greet that young man." (usually one that looks out of place in a chapel). Or he'll tenderly say, "Oh, there's a little girl." He is irresistibly drawn to little children.
Number two: he is in awe of the laws of god. As he seeks to know and understand more of god's laws, he is in awe of them. And he honors god's laws by being obedient to them. He is enthused by the dependable connection between keeping god's laws and receiving god's blessings. As together my husband and I read from the Book of Mormon every day, we marvel at the many times the Lord's promise is repeated: "If ye keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land."
President Nelson thrills to think of the eternal laws that govern everything from galaxies to the human body. And he has always been eager to learn more. Decades ago, to help him in his professional work as a physician and a medical researcher, he worked tirelessly to discover the laws that govern the beating heart. He was inspired by the scripture, "There is a law irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated. And when we obtain any blessing from god, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated."
So, are there blessings that the Lord has in store for you that would be yours if you lived certain laws of god with exactness?
Number three: President Nelson finds joy in serving others. For the first twelve years of our marriage, we lived at an elevation higher than Salt Lake City, and in the winter it snowed a lot. We often measured the accumulation by feet! I well remember the Sunday when a brother in our ward came ashen-faced to me and said, "Oh Sister Nelson, we're so embarrassed. We just learned that Elder Nelson does his own snow removal."
I thanked him for his concern and added with a grin, "If you really want to help him, clear the neighbor's walks." Because after each storm, my husband would bundle up and spend hours removing the snow from all the sidewalks in our neighborhood. Also, each Monday throughout the year after garbage pickup, he would roll each neighbor's large garbage bins from the road back up to their home. Some people had more than two bins! Some had long, sloping driveways. His simple but consistent neighborly gestures softened the heart of one woman who had spent decades showing, in word and in deed, that she was committed to not liking Latter-day Saints. Then, one Christmas, she left a loving note and a handmade item on our porch to thank him.
Number four: President Nelson knows that the Lord loves effort. Therefore, he requires it of himself and admires it in others. He admires those who pay the price to accomplish something difficult, including those who, due to chronic or life-threatening illnesses, have to work diligently with their health routine just to stay alive. Those who diligently search scriptures to their sincere questions. Those who vigorously work with the Lord and, when appropriate, their priesthood leaders to overcome weaknesses, increase their self-mastery, and truly repent of their sins so they can receive all the blessings god has for them. And he admires those who rigorously wrestle with a problem, generating possible solutions before approaching someone else for help.
President Nelson celebrates excellence and will often say, "I love watching an expert at work." When a service professional comes to our home, President Nelson cannot restrain himself from leaning into their field of operation to observe their work. While the plumber, electrician, or computer specialist may think President Nelson is adjudicating their work, he is actually celebrating their skills and efforts.
Number five: President Nelson never delays. He never puts off anything. I learned this early in our marriage when, as we would be drifting off to sleep, I would think of something I needed his help with, and softly mention it as something we might do on the weekend. "What's wrong with right now?" would be his enthusiastic response. And suddenly we would be in the garage, looking for a hammer and nail to hang a picture.
Therefore, it's no surprise to me that in the last four years, a multitude of important adjustments have been made to church policies and procedures. "What's wrong with now?" is his response when he knows that an adjustment in policy or procedure is the Lord's will. He often says, "I'm on call 24 hours a day with the Lord", and he is quick to respond to the Lord's instructions. Therefore, when people thank him for an adjustment that blessed their lives, he turns to me after they walk away and says, "I was only following instructions from the Lord. I do know how to follow instructions."
Oh, I could tell you so many more inspiring glimpses into President Nelson's heart, including his devotion to avoid contention. His joy as he includes his brethren in temple dedications. His respect for the power of words, which he carefully uses to love and lift others. And his insatiable focus on the future. He is always looking forward, and he is always looking up.
Now, where will following the prophets lead you? As you follow the prophets, your love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will grow, as will your desire to keep your covenants with them. Your ability to discern between what is true and what is not will increase. You will long to be in the temple more than ever before because you love whose house it is and who teaches you supernal truths there.
My dear brothers and sisters of Europe, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's church. It is called by his name because it is his church. Everything in his church belongs to Jesus Christ. Covenants and ordinances are his. Priesthood power is his power. And the prophets are his prophets. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
In this talk I can't help but see the leadership worship eclipsing even that of, well...
Did Emma ever speak this way of Joseph? Did Joseph ever paint himself as anything other than an imperfect man? How many times can we read D&C and find the lord chastening Joseph or other members? But do we ever hear of the apostles and prophets of our day being chastened by the Lord? All we are told is to never criticize them because that is "evil speaking of the Lord's anointed". Have we strayed so far from Him that we no longer know who "the Lord's Anointed" is?
Anyone that knows Jesus personally would never speak of a prophet in this way. They wouldn't speak of the prophet at all! Their gaze would be locked firm and steadfast on He who is the Author of Salvation.
No one that is a true prophet of God would allow someone to speak of them this way.
No one that has stood in the presence of their Lord and their God would allow anyone to call them good.
There is only one good and that is God. (Mark 10:18)
Matthew 15: 8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Matthew 22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment.
Matthew 16:13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
Pray the Father, which is in heaven, will reveal Him unto you. Those that seek the Lord with all their hearts WILL find Him. And to those that have found Him, as Evelyn Underhill has said, they don't find him because God loves them more...they find Him because those that earnestly seek Him, "loved and attended to Him more."
Love and attend to Him more.
Imagine Jesus singing this song just to you:
Scott Matthew, "Annie's Song"
