25 Christmas Thoughts for a Missionary Advent Calendar

1.            “Missionaries, like the wisemen of old, travel afar bearing gifts. And they find that when they’re miles away from friends and family at Christmas, they grow closer to Heavenly Father and catch a glimpse of their celestial home.” New Era – Dec. 1992

2.            “When we face seemingly insurmountable obstacles in the fulfillment of righteous responsibilities, we should remember that when we are involved in the work of the Lord, the obstacles before us are never as great as the power behind us.” Elder Oaks

3.            “My first Christmas away from home was as a missionary. For such an uneventful Christmas—clearly the least festive of any I ever had before or since—it says something that those special days remain in my heart (after more than 50 years!) as one of the sweetest Christmases I have ever had. I think that is because for the first time in my life, I found myself understanding Christmas rather than just enjoying it. I think for the first time in any truly significant way, I was getting the message of Christ’s birth and life—His message and His mission and His sacrifice for others.” Elder Holland

4.            President Uchtdorf assured the missionaries that as they incline their hearts and minds to the Savior, “He will surely lift you up and strengthen you. He will visit you with knowledge, peace, and courage. He will prepare the way for you and send His angels to surround and uphold you. He will help you overcome fear. He will help you rise up and become men and women of God.”

5.            Elder Holland gave the missionaries this formula by which they can know they are measuring up to the Lord’s expectations: “Seek to be personally converted, obey the rules of the mission, strive to have the Spirit of the Lord in your life, and work hard. These are things every missionary can do. If you do those things, I promise you in the name of the Lord and with the authority of my office, you are a success in His eyes regardless of how many other convert baptisms you are able to have in your particular corner of the vineyard.”

6.            “On this Christmas I send my love to every missionary who won’t “be home for Christmas,” as the carol says. Keep your faith. Look for the good in your situation. Do something kind for someone. Seek Christ devoid of wrapping and tinsel. You will find that despite external circumstances, Christmas—like the kingdom of God—is “within you” (Luke 17:21). Elder Holland

7.            “Christmas is a time for remembering the Son of God and renewing our determination to take upon us His name. It is a time to reassess our lives and examine our thoughts, feelings, and actions. Let this be a time of remembrance, of gratitude, and a time of forgiveness. Let it be a time to ponder the Atonement of Jesus Christ and its meaning for each of us personally. Let it especially be a time of renewal and recommitment to live by the word of God and to obey His commandments. By doing this, we honor Him far more than we ever could with lights, gifts, or parties.” Pres. Uchtdorf

8.            “My first Christmas away from home was as a missionary. For such an uneventful Christmas—clearly the least festive of any I ever had before or since—it says something that those special days remain in my heart (after more than 50 years!) as one of the sweetest Christmases I have ever had. I think that is because for the first time in my life, I found myself understanding Christmas rather than just enjoying it. I think for the first time in any truly significant way, I was getting the message of Christ’s birth and life—His message and His mission and His sacrifice for others.” Elder Holland

9.            “The formula for finding Jesus has always been and ever will be the same—the earnest and sincere prayer of a humble and pure heart. The prophet Jeremiah counseled, “Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”  (Jer. 29:13.) Pres. Monson

10.          "The real Christmas comes to him who has taken Christ into his life as a moving, dynamic, vitalizing force. The real spirit of Christmas lies in the life and mission of the Master....” President Howard W. Hunter

11.          “Before we can successfully undertake a personal search for Jesus, we must first prepare time for him in our lives and room for him in our hearts. In these busy days there are many who have time for golf, time for shopping, time for work, time for play—but no time for Christ.  Lovely homes dot the land and provide rooms for eating, rooms for sleeping, playrooms, sewing rooms, television rooms, but no room for Christ. We remember, “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”  No room. Ever has it been.” Pres. Monson

12.          "If you desire to find the true spirit of Christmas and partake of the sweetness of it, let me make this suggestion to you. During the hurry of the festive occasion of this Christmas season, find time to turn your heart to God. Perhaps in the quiet hours, and in a quiet place, and on your knees -- alone or with loved ones --give thanks for the good things that have come to you, and ask that his Spirit might dwell in you as you earnestly strive to serve him and keep his commandments. He will take you by the hand and his promises will be kept." Pres. Howard W. Hunter

13.          “While the Christmas season is typically a time for looking back and celebrating the birth of our Lord, it seems to me that it should also be a time of looking to the future. Let us look forward. Let us prepare for that blessed day when He will come again. Let us be as wise as those ancients who watched for His coming. As His disciples, let us have in our hearts and minds the words of John: “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

14.          “And when we find him, will we be prepared as were the wise men of old to provide gifts from our many treasures? They presented gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These are not the gifts Jesus asks of us. From the treasure of our hearts Jesus asks that we give of ourselves: “Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind.” (D&C 64:34.) President Monson

15.          “It is quite in line to find at the season of the Messiah’s birth, which was springtime that flocks were in the field both night and day under the watchful care of their keepers.  Unto certain of these humble shepherds came the first proclamation that the Savior had been born. The trustful and unsophisticated keepers of sheep had not asked for sign or confirmation; their faith was in unison with the heavenly communication.  They waited not, but went in haste, for in their hearts they believed, yea, more than believed, they knew.” James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ.

16.          “Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay, Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.

Bless all the dear children in thy tender care, And fit us for heaven to live with thee there.”

17.          “He gave us the gift of a Savior, His perfect Son, the Lamb without blemish. Those are gifts to us that we can offer to others for Him. There was a song in a film years ago with the line “Have yourself a merry little Christmas.”  Well, you can give a great and wonderful Christmas if you remember the gifts God has given you and, as best you can, offer them to others as He would. That is the spirit of Christmas and of true happiness every day.” President Eyring

18.          “The wise men did come later bearing gifts; it is highly unlikely that they arrived on the night of the babe’s birth. Indeed, Matthew records that when they came Jesus was “a young child,” and the family was living in “a house.” (Matt. 2:11.) Perhaps this provides an important distinction we should remember in our own holiday season. Maybe the purchasing and the making and the wrapping and the decorating—those delightfully generous and important expressions of our love at Christmas—should be separated, if only slightly, from the more quiet, personal moments when we consider the meaning of the Baby (and his birth) who prompts the giving of such gifts.”  Elder Holland

19.          “When we keep the spirit of Christmas, we keep the Spirit of Christ, for the Christmas spirit is the Christ Spirit. It will block out all the distractions around us which can diminish Christmas and swallow up its true meaning. There is no better time than now, this very Christmas season, for all of us to rededicate ourselves to the principles taught by Jesus Christ.” President Monson

20.          “The Christmas season is wonderful in many ways. It is a season of charitable acts of kindness and brotherly love. It is a season of being more reflective about our own lives and about the many blessings that are ours. It is a season of forgiving and being forgiven. It is a season to enjoy the music and lights, parties and presents. But the glitter of the season should never dim our sight and prevent us from truly seeing the Prince of Peace in His majesty. We who have heard the glorious message of the coming of the Son of God, we who have taken upon us His name and have covenanted to walk in His path as His disciples—we must not fail to open our hearts and minds and truly see Him.” President Uchtdorf

21.          “Difficult days are ahead. Sin is on the increase. Considering all that the Savior has done—and still does—for us, what can we do for Him? The greatest gift we could give to the Lord at Christmas, or at any other time, is to keep ourselves unspotted from the world, worthy to attend His holy temple. And His gift to us will be the peace of knowing that we are prepared to meet Him, whenever that time comes.” Elder Nelson

22.          “Christmas and some of the cherished traditions of the season remind us that we, like the Wise Men of old, should seek the Christ and lay before Him the most precious of gifts: a broken heart and a contrite spirit. We should offer Him our love. We should give Him our willingness to take upon ourselves His name and walk in the path of discipleship. We cannot offer Him the gift of perfection in all things because this is a gift beyond our capacity to give—at least for now. The Lord does not expect that we commit to move mountains. But He does require that we bring as gifts our best efforts to move ourselves, one foot in front of the other, walking in the ways He has prepared and taught.” President Uchtdorf

23.          “And now, my beloved brothers and sisters, what must we do this Christmas season—and always? Why, we must do the same as the Wise Men of old. They sought out the Christ and found Him. And so must we. Those who are wise still seek Him today.”   --Ezra Taft Benson

24.          "Christmas is the spirit of giving without a thought of getting. It is happiness because we see joy in people. It is forgetting self and finding time for others. It is discarding the meaningless and stressing the true values. It is peace because we have found peace in the Savior’s teachings. It is the time we realize most deeply that the more love is expended, the more there is of it for others." President Monson

25. From “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles”:

“As we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ two millennia ago, we offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son.”

Other Resources: https://www.lds.org/topics/christmas/resources/articles?lang=eng

How to Increase Conversion in Ourselves and our Families

What Is Conversion?

Elder Oaks, "The Challenge to Become", Ensign, Nov. 2000

Jesus taught these same men about conversion, which is far more than testimony. This process requires far more than acquiring knowledge. To testify is to know and to declare. The gospel challenges us to be “converted,” which requires us to do and to become. In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.

How Does Conversion Happen?

Elder Ballard, “Now Is the Time,” Ensign, Nov. 2000

True conversion comes through the power of the Spirit. When the Spirit touches the heart, hearts are changed. When individuals, both members and investigators, feel the Spirit working with them, or when they see the evidence of the Lord’s love and mercy in their lives, they are edified and strengthened spiritually and their faith in Him increases.

Elder Holland, Making Your Life a Soul-Stirring Journey of Personal Growth, Ensign. 12/18

President Russell M. Nelson tied together learning and this converting change of heart when he taught that as “the Holy Ghost gives conviction to the earnest seeker of truth,” it fosters faith, which “promotes repentance and obedience to God’s commandments.” These essential ingredients of conversion turn us “from the ways of the world to … the ways of the Lord,” which “brings a mighty change of heart.” This isn’t about knowing the names of the twelve tribes of Israel or diagramming the allegory of the olives trees, as useful as such exercises may be. This kind of learning is about changing ourselves, about being different (better) because we know more of what God knows.

The Purpose of the New Curriculum and Sunday Block is Deeper Conversion

Elder Cook, “Deep and Lasting Conversion to Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,” 10/18

The goal of these adjustments is to obtain a deep and lasting conversion of adults and the rising generation. We know the spiritual impact and the deep and lasting conversion that can be achieved in the home setting. Years ago, a study established that for young men and women the influence of the Holy Ghost most often accompanies individual scripture study and prayer in the home. Our purpose is to balance the Church and the home experiences in a way that will greatly increase faith and spirituality and deepen conversion to Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

World conditions increasingly require deepening individual conversion to and strengthening faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and His Atonement. The Lord has prepared us, line upon line, for the perilous times that we now face.

Elder Holland, Making Your Life a Soul-Stirring Journey of Personal Growth, Ensign. 12/18

I hope we can see more than just modified policies, new programs, and revised manuals. The Lord’s work has always been ultimately about people, not programs. Whatever changes He directs, what He’s really hoping to change is you and me. He wants to change our hearts and enhance our future.

How to Study or Teach for Deeper Conversion

Elder Holland, Making Your Life a Soul-Stirring Journey

You can see that the kind of learning I’m talking about is far too big to be wrapped up in a 50-minute lesson. We wouldn’t expect our physical bodies to survive long on one meal a week—even if it is a very good meal. Similarly, if a one-hour Church class is the main setting for our “feasting upon the word of Christ” (2 Nephi 31:20), then we are in danger of spiritual malnourishment.

Let me reassure you with two thoughts: (1) You are teaching people, not lessons. (2). Remember that the best way to invite the Spirit into our lives—and into our teaching—is to learn and live the gospel ourselves. The Spirit is the ultimate teacher in this Church, and fortunately, there is no limit to that influence.

I help [learners] see connections between their lives and the precious doctrine in the scriptures. Above all, I pray for inspiration in the moment to turn a fact into faith, to turn a question into a quest. The true measure of success will not be how smoothly the lesson went. Success depends on what happens in the life of the learner.

Elder Bednar, “The Scriptures: A Reservoir of Living Water,” 2007

[There are] three basic ways or methods of obtaining living water from the scriptural reservoir:

  (1) reading the scriptures from beginning to end

  (2) studying the scriptures by topic

  (3) searching the scriptures for connections, patterns, and themes.

Whereas reading a book of scripture from beginning to end provides a basic breadth of knowledge, studying by topic increases the depth of our knowledge. In my judgment, diligently searching to discover connections, patterns, and themes is in part what it means to “feast” upon the words of Christ. This approach can open the floodgates of the spiritual reservoir, enlighten our understanding through His Spirit, and produce a depth of gratitude for the holy scriptures and a degree of spiritual commitment that can be received in no other way.

Priorities

President Oaks: Spiritual food is necessary for spiritual survival, especially in a world that is moving away from belief in God and the absolutes of right and wrong. In an age dominated by the Internet, which magnifies messages that menace faith, we must increase our exposure to spiritual truth in order to strengthen our faith and stay rooted in the gospel.

President Ballard: Our family-centered perspective should make Latter-day Saints strive to be the best parents in the world. It should cause us to devote whatever time is necessary to strengthen our families. Be wise and do not involve children or yourselves in so many activities out of the home that you are so busy that the Spirit of the Lord cannot be recognized.

Keep foremost in mind the sacred covenants you have made with the Lord as you write down your daily schedules.

Elder Christofferson: You and I can put Christ at the center of our lives. We can begin by stripping everything out of our lives and then putting it back together in priority order with the Savior at the center. We should first put in frequent prayer and scripture study, thoughtful study of apostolic teachings, weekly preparation to partake of the sacrament worthily, Sunday worship, and recording and remembering what the Spirit and experience teach us about discipleship.

President Russell M. Nelson's Challenge to Read all the References about Jesus Christ in the Topical Guide and How to Mark Your Scriptures about the Savior

In his talk, "Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into our Lives," Pres. Nelson explains why he wants us to take this challenge:

Earlier this year, I asked the young adults of the Church to consecrate a portion of their time each week to study everything Jesus said and did as recorded in the standard works. I invited them to let the scriptural citations about Jesus Christ in the Topical Guide become their personal core curriculum.

I gave that challenge because I had already accepted it myself. I read and underlined every verse cited about Jesus Christ, as listed under the main heading and the 57 subtitles in the Topical Guide. When I finished that exciting exercise, my wife asked me what impact it had on me. I told her, “I am a different man!”

I felt a renewed devotion to Him as I read again in the Book of Mormon the Savior’s own statement about His mission in mortality. He declared:

“I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me. And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross.”

1. Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into our Lives - President Russell M. Nelson’s Challenge

2. Promises of Daily Reading the Book of Mormon as Given by Prophets and Apostles in General Conference

Below are some ideas on how you could mark your scriptures about the Savior.

I bought the cheap, paperback copies of the 4 standard works. Then I copied the references to Jesus Christ from the Topical Guide and pasted them into a Word document. After I marked a verse in my scriptures, I crossed out the reference on my print out of the Topical Guide. 

Jesus Christ in the Scriptures

·         Attributes of Christ

o   Faith, Hope, Charity, Virtue, Knowledge, Patience, Humility, Diligence, Obedience, Leadership & Teaching, Discernment

·         The Strengthening aspect of Jesus’ Atonement (Grace)

·         The Redeeming aspect of Jesus’ Atonement

·         Christ’s doctrines, laws, and parables

·         The Life of the Savior

·         Symbolism & Prophecies, His Mission, Creator, Antemortal

·         Christ’s Second Coming

·         Divine Sonship, power & authority, titles of Jesus Christ

·         Rejecting the Savior

·         How we can draw the power of Jesus Christ into our lives. 
   (1)  We begin by learning about Him.

 (2)  We choose to have faith in Him and follow Him.

 (3)  We make sacred covenants and keep those covenants with precision. 
(4)  We reach up to Him in faith.

In order to mark "each verse" as President Nelson challenged, first I include the categories above for the major references and second, I use yellow to highlight every other reference to Him along with a couple of words around that reference. I am now in 2 Nephi and I feel that by marking "each verse," I am learning so much about the Savior and His love, His attributes, and His power. After I finish, I will read the Book of Mormon, focusing on what patterns and themes I can learn from my markings.

Great Faith has a Short Shelf Life

Preparedness: Start Early and Be Steady by Elder Henry B. Eyring

"Great faith has a short shelf life."

Most of us have thought about how to prepare for storms. We have seen and felt the suffering of women, men, and children, and of the aged and the weak, caught in hurricanes, tsunamis, wars, and droughts. One reaction is to ask, “How can I be prepared?” And there is a rush to buy and put away whatever people think they might need for the day they might face such calamities.

But there is another even more important preparation we must make for tests that are certain to come to each of us. That preparation must be started far in advance because it takes time. What we will need then can’t be bought. It can’t be borrowed. It doesn’t store well. And it has to have been used regularly and recently.

So, the great test of life is to see whether we will hearken to and obey God’s commands in the midst of the storms of life. It is not to endure storms, but to choose the right while they rage.

We will need to have developed and nurtured faith in Jesus Christ long before Satan hits us, as he will, with doubts and appeals to our carnal desires and with lying voices saying that good is bad and that there is no sin. Those spiritual storms are already raging. We can expect that they will worsen until the Savior returns.

However much faith to obey God we now have, we will need to strengthen it continually and keep it refreshed constantly. 

Let me suggest to you four settings in which to practice quick and steady obedience. One is the command to feast upon the word of God. A second is to pray always. A third is the commandment to be a full-tithe payer. And the fourth is to escape from sin and its terrible effects. Each takes faith to start and then to persevere. And all can strengthen your capacity to know and obey the Lord’s commands.

There is a better way to prepare, because great faith has a short shelf life. We could decide to persist in studying the words of Christ in the scriptures and the teachings of living prophets.

Understanding Light and Power

LIGHT

I)      Statements of Principle: General principles on light

A)    The Savior is a being of light, in all things and through all things.

1)      D&C 5:19  And the inhabitants are consumed away and utterly destroyed by the brightness of my coming.

2)      D&C 45:29 But they receive it not; for they perceive not the light, and they turn their hearts from me because of the precepts of men.

3)      D&C 50:24  That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.

4)      D&C 84: 45 For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

5)      D&C 84: 46 And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.

6)      D&C 88:6  He that ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth

7)      D&C 88:7 Which truth shineth.  This is the light of Christ.  As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made.

8)      D&C 88: 8  As also he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made;

9)      D&C 88: 9 As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made;

10)  D&C 88: 11 And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings;

11)  D&C 88: 12 Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space-

12)  D&C 88: 13 The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things.

II)                 The Light of Christ

a.       “The Light of Christ in not a personage.  It has no body.  I do not know what it is as far as substance is concerned; but it fills the immensity of space and emanates from God.  It is the light by which the worlds are controlled, by which they are made.  It is the light of the sun and all other bodies.  It is the light which gives life to vegetation.  It quickens the understanding of men, and has these various functions as set forth in these verses.

     “It is: ‘The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed…

     “This is our explanation in regard to the Spirit of Christ, or Light of Truth, which every man receives and is guided by.  Unless a man had the blessings that come from this Spirit , his mind would not be quickened; there would be no vegetation grown; the worlds would not stay in their orbits; because it is through this Spirit of Truth, this Light of Truth, according to this revelation, that all these things are done.

See student manual sec 88 from

Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1by Joseph Fielding Smith

Marion G. Romney, "The Light of Christ," Ensign, May 1977, 43

Elder Merrill J. Bateman

CES Fireside for Young Adults • March 5, 2006 • Brigham Young University

A receptacle for light.  The physical body is a receptacle for light. Physicists indicate that every physical object can hold light. The brother of Jared must have known this when he exclaimed, “Touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them . . . that we may have light while we shall cross the sea” (Ether 3:4). The Lord, speaking to the Prophet Joseph Smith, stated, “If your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light” (D&C 88:67).

Have you noticed the light in the countenances of those who live the gospel? Four months ago I was in the Accra Ghana Temple. The ordinance workers, dressed in white, were all Ghanaian. The light emanating from their faces was quite visible. As you live the gospel, light is added to your being with the body as the receptacle.

https://www.lds.org/manual/doctrine-and-covenants-student-manual/section-88-the-olive-leaf?lang=eng

Charles W. Penrose, First Counselor in the First Presidency under President Joseph F. Smith, said: “It is a great puzzle to some people how it can possibly be that a person, an individual, of form and stature, occupying but one place at a time, can hear the prayers of His people or can comprehend them as David said He does: Said he: ‘There is not a thought of my heart but lo! O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. If I ascend up into heaven behold thou art there. If I descend down into hell behold thou art there; and if I take the wings of the morning, and flee to the uttermost parts of the earth there will Thy hand lead me and thy right hand guide me’ [see Psalm 139:4, 8–10 ].

Of course these expressions are somewhat figurative, but there is the great fact that God can be omnipresent by the power of His universally diffused Spirit which proceeds from His presence throughout the immensity of space, and He can see and discern all things by that power, as He told Enoch, and Moses also, as you can read in The Pearl of Great Price. Moses and Enoch were each lifted up so that they could see, measurably, as Deity sees and they beheld the multiplicity of the creations of God; and when Enoch declared that if a man could count the particles of the earth or of a million earths like this, that would not be a beginning to the number of God’s creations, then God told him, ‘Yea, and mine eye can pierce them all’ [see Moses 7:29–36 ]. By the power of that Spirit he sees and comprehends and understands all things, and His watchful care and His mercies are over all His works.” (In Conference Report, Oct. 1915, pp. 37–38.)

Jesus Christ is a celestial being. Since the sun is typical of the glory of the celestial kingdom (see D&C 76:70 ), the imagery of burning and fire that describes the Second Coming could actually be caused by the glory of Christ’s person. Elder Charles W. Penrose, writing of this day, said: “He comes! The earth shakes, and the tall mountains tremble; the mighty deep rolls back to the north as in fear, and the rent skies glow like molten brass. He comes! The dead Saints burst forth from their tombs, and ‘those who are alive and remain’ are ‘caught up’ with them to meet him [see 1 Thessalonians 4:17 ]. The ungodly rush to hide themselves from his presence, and call upon the quivering rocks to cover them. He comes! with all the hosts of the righteous glorified. The breath of his lips strikes death to the wicked. His glory is a consuming fire. The proud and rebellious are as stubble; they are burned and ‘left neither root nor branch’ [see Malachi 4:1 ]. He sweeps the earth ‘as with the besom of destruction.’ [ Isaiah 14:23 ]. He deluges the earth with the fiery floods of his wrath, and the filthiness and abominations of the world are consumed. Satan and his dark hosts are taken and bound—the prince of power of the air has lost his dominion, for He whose right it is to reign has come, and ‘the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ.’” (“The Second Advent,” in Millennial Star, 10 Sept. 1859, p. 583.) O.T. Student Manual on Isaiah 64

Marion G. Romney, “Prayer and Revelation,” Ensign, May 1978, 48 (also in D&C Student Manual)

The purpose of prayer, however, is not to appease a vindictive Deity; nor is it to court favors from an indulgent Father. It is to attune oneself with the spirit or light which “proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space.” (D&C 88:12.) In that light is to be found sure answers to all our needs. Prayer is the key which unlocks the door and lets Christ into our lives.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie The Lord’s People Receive Revelation

We made the climb, and while on top of the peak we visited a television broadcasting station. A bright young man explained to us in words I had never heard, and using principles I could not and do not understand, how the sounds and scenes of television were broadcast into the valley below.

That night, back in the city of Hobart, my two young sons and I sat before a television set that was tuned to the proper wave band, and we saw and heard and experienced what had been described to us in words.

Now I think this illustrates perfectly what is involved in the receipt of revelation and the seeing of visions. We can read about visions and revelations in the records of the past, we can study the inspired writings of people who had the fullness of the gospel in their day, but we cannot comprehend what is involved until we see and hear and experience for ourselves.

This Tabernacle is now full of words and music. Handel’s Messiah is being sung, and the world’s statesmen are propagandizing their people. But we do not hear any of it.

This Tabernacle is full of scenes from Vietnam and Washington. There is even a picture of men walking on the surface of the moon. But we are not seeing these things. The minute, however, in which we tune a radio to the proper wave band and tune a television receiving set on the proper channel, we begin to hear and see and experience what otherwise remains completely unknown to us.

And so it is with the revelations and visions of eternity. They are around us all the time. This Tabernacle is full of the same things which are recorded in the scriptures and much more. The vision of the degrees of glory is being broadcast before us, but we do not hear or see or experience because we have not tuned our souls to the wave band on which the Holy Ghost is broadcasting.

Joseph Smith said: “The Holy Ghost is a revelator.” And, “No man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelations.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith [Deseret Book Co., 1968], p. 328.)

The Comforter knoweth all things; he is commissioned to bear witness of the Father and the Son, to reveal, to teach, and to testify—and he is broadcasting all the truths of salvation, and all the knowledge and wisdom of God, out into all immensity all of the time.

How this is done we do not know. We cannot comprehend God or the laws by which he governs the universe. But that it does happen we know because here in the valley below, when we attune our souls to the Infinite, we hear and see and experience the things of God.

The laws governing radio and television have existed from the time of Adam to the present moment, but only in modern times have men heard and seen and experienced these miraculous things. And the laws have always existed whereby men can see visions, hear the voice of God, and partake of the things of the Spirit. But millions of people everywhere live and die without tasting the good word of God, because they do not obey the laws which implant the revelations of the Lord in their souls.

Understanding the Worldly Philosophies of Satan and Strengthening Testimonies

We need to create a safe place with lots of love for ourselves/children to ask questions

A. What are Satan’s Strategies? – usually truth mixed with falsehoods

1) Moral Relativism = Satan’s says the world is too judgmental or intolerant (true) so you shouldn’t say there is absolute truth (false). Satan’s message – you can have “your truth” and I can have “my truth.”

Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “Free Forever, to Act for Themselves,” October 2014

“Relativism means each person is his or her own highest authority. In much of the world, relativist thinking has become a dominant philosophy. “By relativism I mean the view that ethical or moral truths are relative, that they depend on the attitudes and feelings of those who hold them, and that no one can judge the validity of someone else’s ‘truth,’” he said. “You hear a lot of talk these days about ‘my truth’ and ‘his truth’ or ‘her truth.’”

“I shouldn’t be forced to believe something is true that I don’t like.” But that does not change reality. Resenting the law of gravity won’t keep a person from falling if he steps off a cliff. The same is true for eternal law and justice. Freedom comes not from resisting it but from applying it.

See also Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “Now Is the Time to Defend Truth” Devotional 2018

2) Anger against that which is good

2 Nephi 28: 20 For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men and stir them up to anger against that which is good.

3) There is no devil, carnal security, or all is well in Zion

2 Nephi 28: 21-22 And others will he pacify and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell. Others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none.

4) God loves everyone, so He will save everyone

Alma 42:1, 30 For ye so try to suppose that it is injustice that the sinner should be consigned to a state of misery. Do not endeavor to excuse yourself in the least point because of your sins, by denying the justice of God; but do you let the justice of God, and his mercy, and his long-suffering have full sway in your heart.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten,” Ensign May 2011

Sadly, much of modern Christianity does not acknowledge that God makes any real demands on those who believe in Him, seeing Him rather as a butler “who meets their needs when summoned” or a therapist whose role is to help people “feel good about themselves.” It is a religious outlook that “makes no pretense at changing lives.”

Parents can and must correct, even chasten, if their children are not to be cast adrift at the mercy of a merciless adversary and his supporters. President Boyd K. Packer has observed that when a person in a position to correct another fails to do so, he is thinking of himself.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks, “Love and Law.” October 2009

I begin with four examples which illustrate some mortal confusion between love and law...

These persons disbelieve eternal laws which they consider contrary to their concept of the effect of God’s love. Persons who take this position do not understand the nature of God’s love or the purpose of His laws and commandments. The love of God does not supersede His laws and His commandments, and the effect of God’s laws and commandments does not diminish the purpose and effect of His love. The same should be true of parental love and rules.

5) The devaluation of marriage and motherhood

Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “The Moral Force of Women.” Oct. 2013

Certainly there are trends and forces at work that would weaken and even eliminate your influence, to the great detriment of individuals, families, and society at large. Let me mention three as a caution and a warning.

A pernicious philosophy that undermines women’s moral influence is the devaluation of marriage and of motherhood and homemaking as a career.

6) Seven strategies of Satan found in the Book of Mormon and how to counteract them.

See: Heritage of The Book of Mormon: A Shield against Evil, by Clyde Williams, Ensign Jan. 1996

B. Solutions to counter Satan’s strategies

1. Most powerful solution is daily reading the Book of Mormon

Pres. Russell M. Nelson, “The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like without It?,” Oct. 2017

I promise that as you daily immerse yourself in the Book of Mormon, you can be immunized against the evils of the day.

Ensign, January 1996. President Ezra Taft Benson declared: “The Book of Mormon exposes the enemies of Christ. … It fortifies the humble followers of Christ against the evil designs, strategies, and doctrines of the devil in our day.”

President Thomas S. Monson, “The Power of the Book of Mormon,” April 2017 President Monson: I maintain that a strong testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and of His gospel will help see us through to safety. If you are not reading the Book of Mormon each day, please do so.

Helaman 3:29 We see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked.

2. Increase our efforts to Understand the Doctrines

Pres. Nelson, “A Plea to my Sisters,” October 2015

President Packer declared: “We need women who can teach, women who can speak out. …We need women with the gift of discernment who can view the trends in the world and detect those that, however popular, are shallow or dangerous.”

Elder M. Russell Ballard, “Let Us Think Straight,” BYU Devotional, August 2013

 “We need now for you women of the Church to know the doctrine of Christ and to bear testimony of the Restoration in every way that you can. Never has there been a more complex time in the history of the earth,” he said. “Satan and his minions have been perfecting the weapons in their arsenal for millennia, and they are experienced at destroying faith and trust in God and the Lord Jesus Christ among the human family.”

Sisters, your sphere of influence is a unique sphere—one that cannot be duplicated by men. No one can defend our Savior with any more persuasion or power than you, the daughters of God, can—you who have such inner strength and conviction. The power of a converted woman’s voice is immeasurable, and the Church needs your voices now more than ever.

President Hinckley said: You cannot simply take for granted this cause, which is the cause of Christ. You cannot simply stand on the sidelines and watch the play between the forces of good and evil.

3. Discernment through the Gift of the Holy Ghost

President James E. Faust, The Great Imitator,” October 1987

I think we will witness increasing evidence of Satan’s power as the kingdom of God grows stronger. In the future the opposition will be both more subtle and more open. It will be masked in greater sophistication and cunning, but it will also be more blatant. We will need greater spirituality to perceive all of the forms of evil and greater strength to resist it. There is, however, an ample shield against the power of Lucifer and his hosts. This protection lies in the spirit of discernment through the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Elder David A. Bednar, “Receive the Holy Ghost,” October 2010

Consider the reasons we pray and study the scriptures. Please remember that these holy habits primarily ... are prerequisites to the ongoing companionship of the Holy Ghost. Reflect on the reasons we worship in the house of the Lord and in our Sabbath meetings. We primarily gather together in unity to seek the blessings of and instruction from the Holy Ghost.

President Russell M. Nelson, Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives, April 2018

If we are to have any hope of sifting through the myriad of voices and the philosophies of men that attack truth, we must learn to receive revelation. In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.

“In reality, the best way to help those we love--the best way to love them--is to continue to put the Savior first.   If we cast ourselves adrift from the Lord out of sympathy for loved ones who are suffering or distressed, then we lose the means why which we might have helped them."  Elder Christofferson

Those in the Spirit World Anxiously Await their Temple Work done

President Howard W. Hunter, A Temple Motivated People, 1995

The dead are anxiously waiting for the Latter-day Saints to search out their names and then go into the temples to officiate in their behalf, that they may be liberated from their prison house in the spirit world. All of us should find joy in this magnificent labor of love.

Elder Henry B. Eyring, “Hearts Bound Together,” April 2005

 . . . Wilford Woodruff said while he lived that he believed few, if any, of the ancestors of the Latter-day Saints in the spirit world would choose to reject the message of salvation when they heard it.  (“Discourse by President Wilford Woodruff,” Millennial Star, May 21, 1894, 339-40.)

Sister Wendy Nelson, “Open the Heavens through Temple and Family History Work”, Ensign October 2017

President George Q. Cannon (1827–1901), who served as a counselor to four Presidents of the Church, taught that in these latter days, those who are joining the Church are joining precisely because their ancestors have been praying for one of their posterity to join the Church so that they, the ancestors, can receive their essential ordinances by proxy. (Gospel Truth: Discourses and Writings of President George Q. Cannon, comp. Jerreld L. Newquist, 2 vols. (1974), 2:88–89.)

President Nelson shares hopes, counsel at 2018 New Mission Leadership Seminar

A missionary’s best friends in the local unit are the ward or branch mission leader and the ward or branch temple and family history consultant, he added. The former helps missionaries get more meaningful teaching opportunities, and the latter to help people new to the Church to learn names of ancestors, “many of whom are yearning — even desperate — for the exalting ordinances of the gospel to be done for them by their living posterity.”

President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) taught about the anticipation of many in the spirit world who desire to receive gospel ordinances:

“The spirit world is full of spirits who are anxiously awaiting for us to perform these earthly ordinances for them. …

“Some of us have had occasion to wait for someone or something for a minute, an hour, a day, a week, or even a year. Can you imagine how our progenitors must feel, some of whom have perhaps been waiting for decades and even centuries for the temple work to be done for them?” (“The Things of Eternity—Stand We in Jeopardy?” Ensign, Jan. 1977, 1, 7).

Introduction to Family History Student Manual - Angels Need Our Help. 

At the dedication of the lower story of the St. George Utah Temple on January 1, 1877, President Brigham Young indicated that some in the spirit world have waited thousands of years for their temple work to be done: “What do you suppose the fathers would say if they could speak from the dead? Would they not say, ‘We have lain here thousands of years, here in this prison house, waiting for this dispensation to come?’ … What would they whisper in our ears? Why, if they had the power the very thunders of heaven would be in our ears, if we could realize the importance of the work we are engaged in. All the angels in heaven are looking at this little handful of people, and stimulating them to the salvation of the human family” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young [1997], 309).