1. law, govt and politics

Holiness to the Lord: How to Live the Law of
Consecration
Robert Smith
March 30, 2012
Holiness to the Lord
Copyright 2012 - Robert Smith
Paper copies of this book are for sale at upwardthought.blogspot.com. Eversions are available FREE at upwardthought.blogspot.com. Permission (and
encouragement) is given to distribute free e-copies to everyone you can think
of. Do not resell this book in part or whole.
2
Contents
INTRODUCTION
5
CONSECRATION DEFINED
7
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD
15
SEEK WITH THE INTENT TO DO GOOD
21
WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?
29
THE LORD’S WAY OF HELPING
33
PRIORITIES
43
SERVICE
51
SPIRITUALITY
61
TEMPORAL CONSECRATION
67
EDUCATION
77
OCCUPATION
89
RECREATION
97
CONCLUSION
107
Appendix A: List of Surpluses
109
3
INTRODUCTION
Whenever the Lord gives a commandment, it is to instruct us in how to live
better in order to receive higher blessings. Joseph Smith said, “when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is
predicated.”1 Clearly, our ability to receive the full blessing intended depends
on how fully we understand the commandment and its application in our lives.
In our lives and in our sermons it is clear that, when it comes to living the law
of consecration, we live far below our privileges. I don’t pretend to know the
fulness of the law of consecration. I have, however, spent much time studying
the doctrine with the intent of improving myself. I believe what I have learned
may be of service to others.
I have prepared the contents of this book little by little through a constant
and considerable effort to record disparate thoughts that came to me from time
to time. As I gathered these thoughts, I noticed patterns. As I wrote down
and thought about these patterns, more thoughts came to me.
I wondered how I might share the library of thoughts I had assembled in
a concise and cohesive way in order to help others to benefit from them. The
value of the perspectives in this book is not in their source—for anyone can
learn these truths—but in the fact that the reader can access them at once,
without having to go through the task of gathering them from others or the
pain of learning them from experience. As the author of this book, my role
has been more editor than oracle.
The scriptures teach us that revelations can come to us as dew from the
heavens.23 In effect, as I noticed the dew, I collected it. Then I fashioned a
jug to store it. This book is my effort to pass a filled water jug to those who
thirst.
I hope that the tone of the book is sufficient that you experience an internal
monologue with your mind—realizing things that you know already instead of
receiving advice from an external source.
These ideas have shaped me as a Latter-day Saint, a husband, a son, a
1 D&C
130:21
thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith,
and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the
presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distill upon thy soul as the dews
from heaven. (D&C 121:45)
3 As the dews of Carmel, so shall the knowledge of God descend upon them! (D&C 128:19)
2 Let
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Holiness to the Lord
brother, and a friend. I feel impressed to share what I have found with others.
I have put off the date of publication time and again in hopes that somehow
I could turn this lump of words into something more closely resembling the
magnificent eloquence of the Spirit in which these thoughts were given to me.
I hope that any who read this book might have the spirit of prophecy so that
they can receive what they need no matter the shortcomings of this text.
The contents herein represent my own opinions. Although everything contained herein is correct according to my current understanding, I reserve the
right to receive further light and truth, and hereby make reservation for changing my mind on any point should I gain intelligence on the matter.
6
CONSECRATION
DEFINED
It may seem a little difficult at first, but when a person begins to
catch a vision of the true work, when he begins to see something
of eternity in its true perspective, the blessings begin to far
outweigh the cost of leaving “the world” behind.
Spencer W. Kimball4
A convert friend of mine was on her way to the temple for her own endowment. Knowing a little of the serious nature of the promises you make
there, she tried to ease herself, saying, “Well, at least we don’t live the law of
consecration anymore!” In about an hour and a half she would be surprised
to find out that, in fact, we do live the law of consecration—at least we agree
to. She had received the missionary discussions prior to baptism, was fellowshipped by good members before and after baptism, and faithfully studied the
scriptures and attending Church. Despite it all, my friend did not understand
that you not only covenant to live the law of consecration in the temple, but
you are already bound by the same law by virtue of baptism. How did she get
through all these fantastic members and missionaries without getting it? She
had attended institute and sacrament meeting and Sunday school faithfully.
Is it really possible that the subject of the law of consecration was never addressed? The answer is that the law of consecration is almost never addressed
in these settings. Even when it is addressed, it is always in a superficial and
basic manner.
One reason that our teaching of consecration is lacking is the misunderstanding of what it means to live it today. You cannot teach what you do not
know, and many do not know what the law of consecration is. Some seem to
believe that you make that covenant in the temple in anticipation of a time
when you will again be commanded to live the United Order. They believe
that the United Order was the full version of the law of consecration. They see
the United Order like the first set of commandments received by Moses (which
were later destroyed) and the contemporary law of consecration like the second
set of tablets, the law of Moses, a preparatory version of the full law under
4 Spencer
W. Kimball, ”The False Gods We Worship,” Ensign, June 1976, pp 5, 6.
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Holiness to the Lord
which you are obligated to yield up your goods and services when explicitly
asked to do so by a priesthood leader. They might explain that a modern
example of the law of consecration would be when the Bishop asks to use your
large vehicle for a ward scout campout, or when the Elder’s Quorum President
assigns you to volunteer for a shift at the cannery. Though this is certainly
within the set of all applications of the law of consecration, the fullness of what
you should be living today is so much more. Limiting yourself to this definition
is like claiming that the law of Moses is the fulness of the Gospel, precluding
all of the blessings of the Melchezidek Priesthood, including the temple and
everything associated with it!
Living the law of consecration at this basic level will entitle us to basic
blessings. This application is watered down in the extreme, and as is standard
in the gospel, without living the greater principle, the greater blessings will be
withheld. Those who do not live the full law of consecration cannot reap the
rewards for living the full law of consecration.
So what is the full definition of the law of consecration? To consecrate is to
make holy, or to use for holy purposes. The law of consecration is the pinnacle
covenant whereby you explicitly commit to use all of your time, talents, and
energy for God’s purposes—at all times, and in all places. That includes when
specifically called upon by those in authority. It also includes opportunities
that you can and should seek out yourself. It includes the time, talents, and
energy which you have now, and it includes the increased time, talents, and
energy which you could have in the future if you live to prepare for such. So
you see that far from being a watered-down version of the United Order, or
some dormant commandment waiting to be activated by a priesthood request,
the law of consecration is a live and active commandment with implications
for practically every decision you make in life: from what you do for a living,
to how much you work, to how and when you play, to how much and what to
study, to where you live and what sort of place you live in. It is a big deal!
Some may think that you first promise to live consecrated lives with a
covenant administered in the temple. In reality, the temple covenant is only
a reinforcement of the covenant of consecration made for the first time at
baptism.5 Between the two events, and weekly ever after, the covenant is
reaffirmed as you agree once again to take the name of Christ upon yourself
with the sacrament. Perhaps the repetition is meant to highlight changes which
must be made as your understanding of the meaning of the covenant increases
throughout your life.
A consecrated disciple of Christ is one who does all that he does in order
to build the kingdom of God. He not only seeks first to build the kingdom of
God, but he seeks only to build the kingdom of God. Everything in his life
fits this purpose. Whatever does not is removed. Whatever he could do but is
not doing is added.
5 At baptism we covenant with “all our hearts” (Mosiah 21:35) that we are “willing to
bear one another’s burdens,” “stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and
in all places,” (Mosiah 18:8-9) with a “determination to serve him to the end.” (Moroni
6:1-4) See also D&C 20:37.
8
CONSECRATION DEFINED
Those who feel that aspects of their lives do not fit into the prescribed
parameters should understand that, with a proper understanding of the reach
of the plan of salvation, there is no good thing which is not circumscribed by
God’s plan. Therefore, it is likely that some of the seemingly inappropriate behaviors are in fact quite appropriate, while some the of the accepted behaviors
are actually not so acceptable. In each of our lives, certain things must go and
others must be added as our understanding of God’s plan increases. Yet, true
disciples welcome further light and knowledge because they trust that God
knows better than they about what will bring happiness. And the fullness of
happiness cannot be obtain by living a remidial-level law of consecration.
To show the emptiness of the status quo, and to temper trepidation of the
extreme, let us consider a consecrated view of tithing, a simple commandment
which is more familiar and less daunting than the standard of liberty hoisters
or those that wall-climbing gospel preachers who persevere at peril of stones
and arrows. The standard explanation of tithing is that someone gives you ten
items, and then tells you that in exchange for those ten, you have to give one
back. They say, “the Lord gives us ten and asks for one back. The other nine
you can spend as you please.”
This is an elementary explanation of the principle. There are parts of the
true law of tithing that are excluded for simplicity in the preceding explanation—but do the missionaries even realize this? To fully understand tithing,
you must change the way that you explain it.
Tithing is not the Lord’s tax. Tithing is not a returned portion of what he
has given you. Everything that God gives you is his to give, and remains his
even after he gives it. In other words, nothing that you have it truly yours.
It is given on loan to see how you will use it. It is God’s. You are his agent
to use it according to your judgment, but always for his purposes, and always
with the anticipation of accounting to him for what you do with it.
In Luke 19:12-27 the Savior gives the parable of the pounds. Particular
attention should be given to verse 23 where the nobleman in the parable says
to his servant who had not increased his stewardship, “Wherefore then gavest
not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required
mine own with usury?” How can you doubt that the Lord intends to retain
full ownership of what he has trusted us with, and expects us to wisely use it
for his purposes?
Instead of saying that the Lord asks us to return one tenth of what he gives
us, you should say that the Lord explicitly dictates how one tenth of what he
gives us is to be used. And the rest? With the rest, you are to build the
kingdom as best you can. He will judge you in how you use it based on your
talents, abilities, opportunities, and the desire of your heart.
The principle is simple, yet remains untaught by missionaries, parents, and
sacrament speakers alike. Why? Are we scared that we might frighten off an
otherwise willing investigator by explaining that everything they thought was
theirs to this moment in life is really the Lord’s? Are we afraid that children
won’t understand?
Perhaps some would not be baptized if they fully understood why we pay
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Holiness to the Lord
tithing. Though some deeper doctrines are not appropriate to be taught prior
to the reception of the Holy Ghost, joining while lacking such a foundational
understanding of the totality of the covenant is akin to making a contract
under false pretense. It should be no surprise when such do not home teach,
visit teach, or do missionary work after joining the Church. Can those converts
or children be blamed for not spending the 90% as the Lord would? How will
their abridged understanding of tithing bleed over into abridged obedience in
other areas? How will they spend their time, talents, and energies? Do they
have any reason to think that their time is not their own? Do they have any
reason to think their talents are not just for their own use? Why should they
accept priesthood assignments—especially those that fall outside of “church
hours”—on “their” time? They were never taught anything different.
Those who do accept the Church despite a deeper understanding of consecration will always be available when called upon by the Lord or his servants.
They were taught properly. “Therefore, they are without excuse, and their
sins are upon their own heads.”6
The Lord himself taught the expanded principle of tithing in the parable
of the unjust servant. He tells the story of a man who gives a variable amount
of money to his servants, measured in weights called talents. He then leaves.
Upon returning, he finds that the servant to whom he gave five talents has,
through his wisdom, gained five more talents in interest. The man is pleased,
and rewards the servant with greater responsibility. The servant who received
two talents likewise doubled his master’s loaned money, and is blessed with
greater responsibility. The servant who was given only one talent fails to
improve upon it, and thus is called a “wicked and slothful servant.” The talent
is taken away from the last servant, and given to the one who had ten talents.7
When you pay your tithing and spend the remaining money without regard
to the Lord’s desires for it, you are the last servant, who gives back only what
is explicitly asked.
In effect, God gives you your increase and says, “Give ten percent to my
Church for its maintenance. Use your agency and wisdom to decide how to
best build the kingdom with the other ninety percent.”
Why should the same not be true for everything God has given us, and not
just money?
Consecration isn’t only a proactive approach to tithing. It is a consummate
approach to living. To illustrate, consider a full-time missionary. He leaves his
family, his girlfriend, his possessions, his education—everything except his duty
to preach the gospel. After two years of pure focus on building the kingdom,
he returns to the world. His perception is that this focus on the kingdom came
with the call to be a full-time missionary. Logically, he follows that with the
release from the call, he is released back into the world, freed from his full-time
obligation to build the kingdom.
This is perhaps one of the most tragic misunderstandings within the Church
today. The truth is that, though released from his authority to represent
6 D&C
88:82
25:14-29
7 Matthew
10
CONSECRATION DEFINED
the Church, he is not released from full-time kingdom building. In fact, his
obligation to full-time kingdom building did not begin when he was call to be
a missionary. It began when he was baptized a member of the Church. It was
reinforced upon ordination to the priesthood, and further reinforced when he
was endowed. The mission is not when young men become full-time kingdom
builders, but simply when most realize their long-standing duty for the first
time. Unfortunately, most fallaciously consider it a duty with an expiration
date of two years.
Religion is not a part of life. Life is a part of religion. That is what
consecration teaches us. That is what the return missionary realizes as he
returns home. The return missionary’s challenge is not to pick up life where
he left off. If he does so, he has missed one of the biggest messages of the
mission. The return missionary’s challenge is to restructure post-mission life
according to the pattern of kingdom building he learned in two years of explicit
service to the Lord. His post-mission life may include some elements of what he
was doing before—but under a different motive. Now, he sees the big picture.
He sees how everything he places in his life leads to building the kingdom.
Before the mission, religion was a piece of his life. Afterward, he realizes
that mortal life is in fact merely a piece of his religion. Everything he does
must be circumscribed by the gospel, or it has no place. He may find himself
doing some of the same things—scripture study, work, study, dating—but it
is all for a different reason. Scripture study is not done solely because it is
a commandment, but in order to prepare him to choose righteously, and help
others to do the same. Work is not just to earn money, but is a practicum
for putting gospel principles into action. Earning money is beneficial not as
an end in and of itself, but to further the Lord’s causes, including supporting
his future family. He sees missionary opportunities not only at work, but also
at school. Here, the returned missionary learns passionately as opposed to
passively, as he did before the mission. He knows that the more practical skills
he learns, the better he can serve God and his fellowman. Dating is no longer
something fun to do to pass the time. It is a way to find a wife, with whom
he can build the kingdom by perfecting each other and raising a family unto
the Lord.
Before the mission, the returned missionary saw life as a container into
which he could place things which he enjoyed or was told he ought to do. After
the mission, he sees that the gospel is the container, and if something doesn’t
fit, he doesn’t have room for it. The gospel ought to circumscribe everything
in your life. To circumscribe means to fit within a containing circle. The
commandments and doctrines of the Restoration form a circle, and anything
which does not fit into them should likewise not fit into our life.
Consider what the Lord told Joseph Smith, Sr. in D&C 4. This scripture
is frequently memorized by missionaries as a description of their service. Note,
however, that at the time this revelation was received, Joseph Smith Sr. was
not a missionary. He was a rank-and-file member of the Church.
Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve
him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may
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Holiness to the Lord
stand blameless before God at the last day.
Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;
For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that
thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store
that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;
And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory
of God, qualify him for the work.
Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence.
Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
Amen. (D&C 4:2-7)
“The work” is not missionary work, but the service of God. It is not just the
full-time missionaries, but you who is supposed to be in the full-time service of
God. You are called to the work. You are all expected to thrust in the sickle
with our might. You are expected to have attributes of godliness.
Missionaries do accept a special responsibility when they leave. They are
relieved of all of the normal responsibilities of life, allowing missionary work
to fill their entire schedule. Their responsibility to do missionary work is not
relieved upon returning home, it just has to share resources with the other
kingdom-building elements of life, which now return in full force.
The seemingly mundance life-sustaining activities (such as income earning)
thrust upon a return missionary might seem less spiritually oriented than his
previous occupations, but not so. In a consecrated life, everything that has a
place can be used for holy purposes. If it can’t, it has no place in a consecrated
life. Brigham Young said,
Thirty years’ experience has taught me that every moment of my
life must be holiness to the Lord, resulting from equity, justice,
mercy and uprightness in all my actions, which is the only course by
which I can preserve the Spirit of the Almighty to myself. (Brigham
Young, Deseret News, Apr. 2, 1862, 313)
And how do you make even the ordinary events in life “holiness to the
Lord?” Ancient prophets instruct us to “let all [our] doings be unto the Lord,
and withersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be
directed unto the Lord;”8 The Lord himself tells us to “Look unto me in every
thought; doubt not, fear not.”9
The Joseph Smith Translation renders Matthew 6:33 as “Wherefore, seek
not the things of this world but seek ye first to build up the kingdom of God,
and to establish his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto
you.”10 What does it mean to build the kingdom? Consecration is seeking to
8 Alma
37:36
6:36
10 JST Matt. 6: 38
9 D&C
12
CONSECRATION DEFINED
build the kingdom of God. But how does this fit into the many other activities
and responsibilities that you have in this life?
Only when you see life as a kingdom building experience can you bring the
spirit of a mission into post-mission life.
True consecrated living requires a paradigm shift time and again as our
increasing spiritual understanding pushes gospel principles deeper and deeper
into our minds and lives. The more time you spend thinking about how you
can better serve the Lord, and then applying what you have considered, the
closer to him you will be.
13
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD
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. This is the
first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it,
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Matthew 22:37-39
Each of us will come to the point where our mortal journey has ended. At
some point after death, each and every one of us will come to a time known as
the judgment. Then, all who ever lived will recognize with awe and reverence
beyond description that Jesus is the Christ. “Yea, every knee shall bow, and
every tongue confess...that he is God.”11
In that day you will have a perfect comprehension of what the Savior has
done for you. This is not all. You will also have a perfect remembrance of
your life—all of the good as well as all of the bad.12 What knee would not bow
under the strain of comprehending the limitless love of God, while knowing
with perfect clarity how undeserving we are? In that day, who is there among
us that will not feel with all the feeling in their soul that in this life they
should have loved the Savior more than they did? If you were to feel that
feeling today, what changes would you make in your life?
What keeps us from seeing with an eternal perspective? What is it within
us that causes us to attach more value to the now than the later, the here than
the hereafter, to ourselves instead of to others? I believe that the answer is
simple. We do not love God as much as we ought.
Unconditional love for God is the key to consecration and spiritual selfreliance. It is the key to living valiantly in our testimony of Christ. It is the
key to offering a sacrifice in righteousness, or acting out of our hearts and not
for external reasons. Thus, love of God is the key to true obedience to God.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf has said, “His pure love directs and encourages
us to become more pure and holy. It inspires us to walk in righteousness—not
11 Mosiah
27:31
your souls for that glorious day when justice shall be administered unto the
righteous, even the day of judgment, that ye may not shrink with awful fear; that ye may
not remember your awful guilt in perfectness, and be constrained to exclaim: Holy, holy are
thy judgments, O Lord God Almighty—but I know my guilt; I transgressed thy law, and
my transgressions are mine; and the devil hath obtained me, that I am a prey to his awful
misery. (2 Nephi 9:46)
12 Prepare
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Holiness to the Lord
out of fear or obligation but out of an earnest desire to become even more like
Him because we love Him.”13 The love of God makes us one with God because
his purposes become our own.
The love of God is so important to our accomplishment of the purposes of
creation that God made it the first and great commandment. “Because love is
the great commandment, it ought to be at the center of all and everything we
do in our own family, in our Church callings, and in our livelihood.”14 Love is
the impetus to true kingdom building. It is dedication to improving the lives
of any and all.
Kingdom building is so often thought of as discrete tasks—things we can
check off a list. True kingdom building, however, is a lifetime effort. It is
not about discrete tasks. It is not about building up a church. It is about
building people—either yourself, or others. It means to bring yourself and
others unto Christ. Kingdom building is a pervasive attitude which ought to
be consummate and constant. With that sort of attitude, actions flow out
of the heart in every condition and place. But actions are not as important
as the motive behind them. Motive is everything. Ask a Pharisee. The Lord
condemned many Pharisees in the New Testament for doing the works without
the Spirit. He instructed them as well as us to act “not with eyeservice, as
menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the
heart.”15 When you seek to build the kingdom, you not only do what the
Savior would do, but you do it for the same reasons he would. What is the
Savior’s motivation? “He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the
world.”16 You should do everything for the benefit of the world, just as the
Savior does. Conversely, you should do nothing which does not benefit the
world. This is a principle which will affect everything in your life.
Though this thought may be intimidating, you must realize that pure love
of God will cast out all fear of obeying Him.17 The Savior lived a consecrated
life because he loved us. If you love God, you will do the same.
Because he loves us, you should love others. You should use your time,
talent, and everything you have to increase the happiness of others, just as
God uses his limitless power and resources to increase your happiness. To
do anything else would be to deny that you are “eternally indebted to your
heavenly Father, to render to him all that you have and are.”18
Charity is impossible without consecration. Consecration allows us to be
charitable. The two are intertwined.
John said that we love God because God first loved us19 , yet there are
plenty in and out of the Church who do not love God because they have never
known his love for us or because their love for God has waxed cold. For those
who have never recognized the love of God in their lives and for those who
13 Dieter
F. Uchtdorf, “The Love of God,” Ensign, Nov 2009, 21–24
14 Ibid
15 Eph
6:6
Nephi 26:24
17 1 John 4:18
18 Mosiah 2:34
19 1 John 4:19
16 2
16
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD
have once felt it but have let it grow cold, the remedy is the same. The
key to increasing love for God lies in obedience. The reason for this is that
the love of God comes from a comprehension of his goodness to us; whether
that be through a greater understanding of the blessings he has given us, a
comprehension of the grossness of our sins which he has forgiven, or a greater
knowledge of his goodness and wisdom. All of these things come through a
greater measure of the Holy Ghost. And the Holy Ghost comes in proportion
to our own personal righteousness. To be more consecrated, you must love God
more. To love God more, you must be more spiritual. To be more spiritual,
you must be more obedient.
Obedience is a necessary quality for those who desire to increase in their
love for God. “We increase our love for our Heavenly Father and demonstrate
that love by aligning our thoughts and actions with God’s word.”20 You are
obedient as you implement all of the principles that you have been taught.
First, reconcile yourself to the principles that you already know. Second, seek
further light and knowledge by feasting on the words of Christ.21 Through
your obedience you will become more like the Father, and feel more of the love
for Him that he feels for you.
Although obedience to all the commandments is necessary to avoid hindering the Spirit, there are two commandments of action whose degree of
fulfillment will have a tremendous effect on the measure of the Holy Ghost
that you feel. Besides obeying the commandments of avoidance, such as the
word of Wisdom, the law of chastity, etc., one should increase the intensity of
scripture study and prayer.
The scriptures help us “remember, and always retain in remembrance,
the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and longsuffering towards you, unworthy creatures.”22 When you study the scriptures,
you see what God has done for others and for you, and the love you have for
God increases.
When you study the scriptures, how do you feel? Do you remember that
these are real people who had real experiences? They felt pain and sorrow,
happiness and joy. They made real sacrifices and received real blessings.
In an account from the Book of Mormon we have a record of the reunion
of several groups of people. To catch each other up on their recent history,
they read the records detailing the experiences of each. After reading the
experiences that were had, the people are described as having many deep,
sincere emotions because of their consideration of those people about whom
they had read.
When were you last “struck with wonder and amazement” while reading
the scriptures? When were you last “filled with exceedingly great joy”? When
were you last “filled with sorrow”? When did you last “shed many tears of
20 Dieter
F. Uchtdorf, “The Love of God,” Ensign, Nov 2009, 21–24
ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting
upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have
eternal life. (2 Nephi 31:20)
22 Mosiah 4:11
21 Wherefore,
17
Holiness to the Lord
sorrow” for the sins of others while reading the scriptures? Does reading the
scriptures cause you to “give thanks to God” or fill you with “pain and anguish
for the welfare” of your brethren? These are the feelings that the people in
this Book of Mormon story are recorded to have had by reading the scriptures,
and they are feelings that you, too, are able to have if you study the scriptures
properly.
The key to all of this feeling is that they had to actually think about what
they were reading! Four times in these six verses above quoted the record
mentions that they were thinking about what had been written.23 If you will
make an effort to invest your mind and heart into your scripture study, you
will reap a greater love of God and man.
Prayer is a tool that can be used to express gratitude toward Heavenly
Father, and thereby helps us recognize blessings which he has given to us.
Have you ever prayed without asking for any blessings? Do you recognize
enough blessings to fill an entire prayer with gratitude for them? Have you
ever prayed until you could not think of one more thing to thank God for? It
seems that there is some sort of cloud that prevents us from feeling prayer,
one that only goes away with sincerity and effort, which often translates into
time. When was the last time you stayed on your knees until you thought he
was listening?
Obedience will strengthen our prayers. When you are true followers of
Christ through your obedience, you can pray to the Father with all the energy
of your heart and he will help you to love Him and others as he loves us.24
Your confidence in God—your faith that he hears you and that your desires
are one with his desires—will increase as you are obedient towards God in both
your actions and in your desires as expressed in prayer.25
It is not possible for those who make an effort to remember the Lord in
their lives to not recognize the love that God has for them. For those who need
a reminder of how much the Lord has loved them, there are journals to read,
23 And now, when Mosiah had made an end of reading the records, his people who tarried
in the land were struck with wonder and amazement. For they knew not what to think;
for when they beheld those that had been delivered out of bondage they were filled with
exceedingly great joy. And again, when they thought of their brethren who had been slain
by the Lamanites they were filled with sorrow, and even shed many tears of sorrow. And
again, when they thought of the immediate goodness of God, and his power in delivering
Alma and his brethren out of the hands of the Lamanites and of bondage, they did raise
their voices and give thanks to God. And again, when they thought upon the Lamanites,
who were their brethren, of their sinful and polluted state, they were filled with pain and
anguish for the welfare of their souls. (Mosiah 25:7-11)
24 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found
possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him. Wherefore, my beloved brethren,
pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which
he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may
become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him
as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.
(Moroni 7:47-48)
25 Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith,
and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the
presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews
from heaven. (D&C 121:45)
18
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD
thoughts to ponder, prayers to offer, and scriptures to study. Each of these
tools act as a barrier to an eroding testimony of God’s love for you. How can
one who has recognized the hand of the Lord daily through journal writing,
meditation, prayer, and scripture study deny that God loves him?
One of the central purposes of the Book of Mormon is to help you increase
in love for God by helping you to “remember how merciful the Lord hath
been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam”26 as you read and
ponder its words. The Book of Mormon, other scriptures, and the words of
living prophets will invite the Spirit of the Lord into the heart of the reader,
helping him to remember how much the Lord has done for him. Meditation
and prayers of gratitude will supplement a rigorous study of the scriptures for
those who desire to remember the Lord.
When you have a grasp of even a small degree of the love that God has
for you, you will love Him in return. This is a juvenile but essential first step
in the path towards consecration. The next step is to graduate this reciprocal
love into an unconditional love. You love God because he loved you first. You
may think you have completed your journey once you have reciprocal love for
God. After all, because his love for you is unconditional, he will never stop
loving you, and so, you reason, you will never cease to love him. When the sun
is up, it may appear that a solar panel will always provide energy. Yet, the
sun sets. Though God never stops loving us, this mortal probation includes
times when the love of God is not readily apparent to our limited sight. For
example, it may be tough to feel the love of God when a loved one dies, or when
you feel you are the victim of misfortune, or when you have done everything
right only to see everything go wrong, or when you are just plain having a
bad day. Because faith is a necessary part of this mortal probation, blessings
aren’t always apparent immediately after righteous acts, nor do punishments
immediately follow unrighteous acts. There will be times that the Father hides
his presence from imperfect you, as he did from perfect Jesus,27 that you may
have a more complete trial of your faith. So you see that if your love for God
is conditioned on his loving you, you are not yet prepared for what you will
face in this life, and therefore not prepared for eternal life.
If you only love God because he loves you, you will cease to love God
anytime his love for you is not apparent. Those still in the reciprocal stage of
love for God will quickly turn away from the faith when they see righteousness
seemingly rewarded with affliction, or wickedness seemingly rewarded with
blessings. They are only obedient because of what they can get out of it. Those
who move on to unconditional love have a different attitude. They are obedient
no matter what happens. They love God so much that they will obey in the
face of great adversity and affliction. Their obedience is not limited to their
current understanding of the gospel. They stand ready to repent and improve
over their current practices upon receipt of further light and knowledge. Their
26 Moroni
10:3
on the cross, Jesus said, ”My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mark
15:34) Though God never did forsake Jesus, he did allow Jesus’ perception of his presence
to be dimmed for that time, so that he could have a true trial of his faith.
27 While
19
Holiness to the Lord
love for and obedience to God join together to produce a deep trust in God and
a confidence that endures any affliction by saying, “this must be necessary for
my happiness and progression.” This is the love that Abraham, Joseph Smith,
Paul, and Jesus Christ had for God. This is the love of God which caused Job
to say, “though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.”28
You should strive to develop unconditional love for God. Only when your
love for Him is unconditional can you be blessed with all the experiences he
desires you to have to make you more like he is. Without this love, you are
like a piece of chicken that hasn’t been cooked all the way through because it
is taken out of the oven too quickly thus wasting the whole experience. The
whole meat is spoiled because the core was not prepared.
Love of God is an absolute necessity for those who desire to live a consecrated life. Without it, no part of consecration makes sense. Without it, there
is no motive to live consecrated or strength to overcome the pull of the world.
28 Job
13:15
20
SEEK WITH THE
INTENT TO DO GOOD
And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches,
if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do
good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate
the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.
Jacob 2:19
You are to meet your basic needs with all your talents, and then acquire
more and use them to bless and uplift others. So often, we terminate our
acquisition of talents, money, etc., when our own needs are met. Instead, we
ought to expand what we have in order to prepare for the unforeseen needs
of ourselves and others. A man ought not to discontinue strengthening his
testimony when it becomes strong enough to maintain his own activity in the
Church. He should ever strengthen it, so that he can use it to help others
strengthen their own testimonies. A college student who knows the material
well enough to pass the class can continue to master it until he has the ability
to teach it to his peers.
In the United Order days, the Saints who were given or had earned more
than was needful for their necessities were commanded to give it to the storehouse. In modern times, we are to dedicate everything that we have that is
more than is needful to the building up of the kingdom, using our agency to
decide how best to do it.
Regarding to whom this applies it is written, “behold, this is what the Lord
requires of every man in his stewardship....And behold, none are exempt from
this law who belong to the church of the living God.”29 In the parable of the
wise steward the Lord describes,
Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find
so doing.
Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that
he hath.
29 D&C
70:7-10
21
Holiness to the Lord
But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to
eat and drink and to be drunken;
The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not
for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him
in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
(Luke 12:43-46)
The world sleeps as individuals are drunken with living to themselves, and
grind the faces of the poor in oppression by failing to succor them. As your
means expand, only your responsibility—not your needs—expand with them.30
Your expanding means are a stewardship from the Lord intended for building
the kingdom. Oh how we fail to see the importance and deeper meaning of the
proverb, “Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the
power of thine hand to do it.”31
One Christmas Eve I had a good Samaritan experience. I decided to leave
after work Christmas Eve and make the 16 hour drive to a distant city to visit
friends. It was snowing heavily. A few hours into the journey the weather
worsened. I decided to continue on rather than turn back. As the night went
on, I noticed that fewer cars were braving the country roads. The snowstorm
worsened. Around 11pm, out of nowhere, my tires started to skid. I watched
helplessly (and in slow-motion as it were) as my truck slid off the road and
down a 15 foot ditch. I got out and noted that the snow was higher than the
bottom of the cab door. I tried, without avail, to get traction. I realized how
far from home I was, and how far I remained from my destination. I knew
I had no hope of help from either source. I was thinking about how long it
would take to fill the bed with snow for extra weight, using nothing but my
bare hands. Just as I started, a man shouted down from the road, asking if
I was alright. He asked if I had anyone who was coming to help me. As I
responded in the negative, his face showed disappointment. I couldn’t blame
him. After all, it was nearly midnight on Christmas Eve.
Just as he gave up, another man pulled up behind him. He jumped out of
his SUV with a start, like a fireman at a fire. He surveyed the situation, and in
a few seconds had convinced the other man to stay and help. The second man
just so happened to have a 20 foot tow strap and a hitch that fit the first man’s
large four wheel drive truck. The second man came down the ditch and started
digging out the snow under the front of the truck with his bare hands. He slid
under the truck and found a way to hook on the tow straps. The other man
pulled with his truck, my truck went a few feet, and then the straps snapped
off. The second man went on all fours again, cleared out the new snow under
the truck, and rehooked the straps. The same result occurred. Finally, after
30 “We may foster the idea that we have nothing more than we need; but such a notion
is entirely erroneous, for our real wants are very limited. What do we absolutely need? I
possess everything on the face of the earth that I need, as I appear before you on this stand.”
(Brigham Young, JD 13:300)
31 Proverbs 3:27
22
SEEK WITH THE INTENT TO DO GOOD
a third time, my truck was pulled to the road. I thanked the men profusely. I
knew I would have spent Christmas Eve in a ditch without their help.
After that experience I wondered to myself, why did that man have a
towstrap and a towing ball in his car? The answer came later when the man
invited me to his home, where I found out that he had been out for hours. He
expected that cars would be sliding off the road, and that the strap and hitch
would come in handy. He was right. Mine was the last of many vehicles he
had towed that night.
Would anyone claim that it was sinful for the man to put a tow strap and
a hitch into his vehicle that night? It seems ridiculous to even ask. Yet, if we
changed the situation into a monetary one, and asked the question again, some
might hesitate to answer. Is it a sin to seek riches, if we seek them for the
intent to do good? To answer, let us modify the situation. Say that, instead of
bringing the towing implements, the man denied a prompting to do so. Now,
change the story to a financial one. Would it be a sin for someone to disregard
a righteous32 opportunity for financial advancement?
Do you comprehend that you are responsible for the kingdom building you
fail to do because of lack of preparation? Consider the story of Esther, a
Jewess who conveniently found herself wed to a king at a time when the king
was persuaded to issue a proclamation calling for the extermination of the
Jews. In a letter, her uncle pled with her to convince the king to rescind his
order, saying,
Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house,
more than all the Jews.
For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall
there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another
place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who
knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as
this?(Esther 4:13-14)
We will be held accountable for the good we leave undone, and for the
preparation we failed to get. The time may well come when you realize that
those foregone opportunities for advancement were for “such a time as this,”
yet because you chose not to embrace them, you are left without the capabilities
to help.
Whether in financial or other matters, it is not a sin to prepare to build the
kingdom of God in the way best suited to our current and potential ability. It
is the failure to prepare that is sin. Perhaps if the rich young ruler had failed
to accumulate his wealth when he had the chance, the Savior’s rebuke would
have instead been, “Go thou, and accumulate all the riches thou canst, that
thou may give them to the poor.”33
Joseph Smith said,
32 Say,
one that would not interfere with other responsibilities such as family and church
19:21
33 Matthew
23
Holiness to the Lord
God himself, finding he was in the midst of spirits and glory, because he was more intelligent, saw proper to institute laws whereby
the rest could have a privilege to advance like himself....He has
power to institute laws to instruct the weaker intelligences, that
they may be exalted with himself. (Joseph Smith, History of the
Church 6:310-312).
Had God not already been more intelligent,34 how could he develop a means
whereby those less intelligent than him could attain a greater intelligence? If
you, as Brigham Young said, “wish to frame, fashion, and build after the
pattern that God has revealed,”35 then you must follow God’s pattern. You
cannot consecrate anything which you do not possess. In order to lift others,
you must first lift yourself. In making life decisions, you must first consider
your own needs, then the needs of your current or future families. Only when
you can take care of these stewardships can you worry about others in the
world. Your primary responsibilities, however, are not an excuse for ignoring
the needs of the masses. Instead, they are yet another reason for preparing
wisely for the future.
As Brigham Young said,
Every man and woman that has talent and hides it will be called
a slothful servant. Improve day by day upon the capital you have.
In proportion as we are capacitated to receive, so it is our duty to
do. (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 7:7)
Perhaps the day by day improvement brother Brigham suggests will come
by simply improving our situation from day to day as best we can. Joseph of
Egypt followed such a model to attain a position where he could affect much
good—not only for himself and his family, but for several countries! More
likely, significant ability to bless others will come in proportion to significant
planning and exertion on your part to improve your skills, talents, situations,
etc. You should plan early and often for the future, anticipating not only your
own needs, but those of future family and even people you have never met.
And all this for the benefit of the church of the living God, that
every man may improve upon his talent, that ever man may gain
other talents, yea, even an hundred fold, to be [used to build the
Lord’s kingdom]—Every man seeking the interest of his neighbor,
and doing all things with an eye single to the glory of God. (D&C
82:17-19)
Brigham Young said “Idleness and wastefulness are not according to the
rules of heaven. Preserve all you can, that you may have abundance to
bless your friends and your enemies.”36 Consider how he practiced what he
34 It
is useful to think of intelligence here as capability, and not IQ.
Young, Journal of Discourses 13:238
36 DBY, 290
35 Brigham
24
SEEK WITH THE INTENT TO DO GOOD
preached. In the journey west, President Young had counseled the parties to
bring a certain amount of flour per person. Some did not listen to his advice.
President Young, having brought sufficient for his family and some to spare,
was able to dispense flour to those who had not heeded his counsel sufficient
to keep them alive. Later, in the Salt Lake valley, Heber C. Kimball, through
his industry, had raised a bumper crop of wheat. Soon after, a famine made
wheat more scarce than money. Brother Kimball could have sold off his surplus
wheat at an incredible profit. Instead he kept the wheat and sold it to those
in the worst need for the pre-famine price. Had Brigham or Heber only raised
what was necessary for their families, others would have died.
It is because our abilities can be the difference between life and death that
we should do all we can to accumulate talents, wisdom, spirituality, wealth, or
any other improvement we prayerfully feel is suited to our potential that we
might then be prepared to distribute it to those who lack what we have gained.
Brigham Young applied this principle to knowledge when he said, “Put forth
your ability to learn as fast as you can, and gather all the strength of your mind
and principle of faith you possibly can, and then distribute your knowledge to
the people.”37
It is very difficult to obtain a surplus of skills, emotions, morals, or other
things in the moment. These must be obtained over time and sometimes at
great expense. The most prepared individual is the individual who prepared
the most. If we aren’t considering the future, how can we prepare for it? When
the time for contributions arrives, the limit of our contributions have already
been established by our planning or lack thereof.
Seeking a surplus is safer when we understand the correct attitude we ought
to have once we get one. Through hard work, thrift, and good management,
Andrew Carnegie went from being a pauper to amassing a net worth of $298
billion in today’s dollars, making him the second richest man in history.38 His
life is a financial example of the thesis of kingdom building. You could say
he wrote the book on it. In actuality, he did not write the book on kingdom
building—but he did write an essay! Titled “The Gospel of Wealth,” it contains
stirring insights which lay out true principles on kingdom building—though
Carnegie was not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
In the essay he explains the duty of the wealthy. His ideas apply not only to
the financially wealthy, but to any who have more than their brother in any
sense:
This, then, is held to be the duty of the man of wealth...to consider
all surplus revenues which come to him simply as trust funds, which
he is called upon to administer, and strictly bound as a matter of
duty to administer in the manner, which, in his judgment, is best
calculated to produce the most beneficial results for the community—the man of wealth thus becoming the mere trustee and agent
for his poorer brethren, bringing to their service his superior wis37 Brigham
38 From
Young, Journal of Discourses 8:146
“Wealthy Historical Figures,” Wikipedia.com, Retrieved 19 Aug, 2009
25
Holiness to the Lord
dom, experience, and ability to administer, doing for them better
than they would or could do for themselves. (Andrew Carnegie,
“The Gospel of Wealth”)
To follow Carnegie’s philosophy, the man of surplus must consider said
surplus as a trust to the community, and must administer it with all his faculties
for their benefit. The Lord has empowered that person with those means
(whatever they might be) to act in his best judgment to the benefit of the
kingdom.
If, by industrious habits and honorable dealings, you obtain thousands or millions, little or much, it is your duty to use all that is put
in your possession, as judiciously as you have knowledge, to build
up the Kingdom of God on the earth. (Brigham Young, Journal of
Discourses 4:29)
If you think about it, by kingdom building in this way, we are living the
antithesis of pride. President Benson said that when we are prideful “we are
tempted daily to elevate ourselves above others and diminish them.”39 However, when we consecrate ourselves by seeking resources in order to help others,
we emulate Christ. “Christ wants to lift us to where He is.”40 and we want
to lift others to where Christ has lifted us. This is the plan of salvation in its
entirety, but sometimes we fail to fully apply it to temporal or even spiritual
situations. What better way to follow the Savior and fight our inherent tendency to diminish others by actively seeking to lift others, even by structuring
our lives to do so? As Brigham Young said,
You see the nobleman seeking the benefit of all around him, trying
to bring, we will say, his servants, if you please, his tenants, to
knowledge, to like blessings that he enjoys, to dispense his wisdom
and talents among them and to make them equal with himself.
(Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 15:19)
In conclusion, let’s consider the parable of the talents. The parable, in
essence, is that money in differing amounts is given to each of three servants,
according to their abilities. The giver returns, expecting each sum to have
been improved upon. His desire is granted in the first servant, who, having
received five units of money, has doubled the money. The second servant, who
had received two units, has likewise doubled the money. The third servant,
who is given one unit, has not made any profit. He is chastened by the giver
and his one unit is taken away and given to the servant who had five units.
The Savior concludes the parable by explaining that “unto every one that
hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not
shall be taken away even that which he hath.”41 In other words, “to everyone
39 Ezra
Taft Benson, “Beware of Pride,” Ensign, May 1989, 4
Taft Benson, “Beware of Pride,” Ensign, May 1989, 4
41 Matthew 25:14-29
40 Ezra
26
SEEK WITH THE INTENT TO DO GOOD
who has improved upon what I gave them, will more be given, and those who
have not improved will be relieved of that which they have.”
Let each of us focus on expanding our capabilities to match our potential,
all with the intent to do good to others. In doing so, the Lord will bless us to
be guided to know how to devote our energy to make the best contribution to
his kingdom.
27
WHO IS MY
NEIGHBOR?
But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my
neighbour?
Luke 10:29
help always an convenient We know that the second great commandment is
to love our neighbor as ourself. To love someone as ourself is to assign the
same priority to their needs as we do to our own needs. Loving someone as
ourself does not mean that we assign their needs almost as highly as we do
our own. When we subordinate the needs of others to our own needs, we will
always fare better than our neighbor. We can be so quick to excuse the most
gratuitous personal uses of resources as a deserved splurge or much needed
break, and yet be extremely stingy when it comes to helping others, no matter
how measuredly meager that help may be. When the needs of others are
subordinate to our own, we are biased toward our own comfort; our comfort
becomes more important than theirs. A poor man can say “I cannot feed that
starving man because I barely have enough to eat myself.” Yet, if he were the
one who was starving, he would accurately see that it would be better for two
people to have a small meal than for one to starve and die while another has a
full belly.42 In calculating “sufficient for our needs,” we can use two formulas.
The first is to consider what we lack compared to those who have more than
us. The better is to consider what we surplus compared to those who have less
than us.
Oddly, those with the least most often use the second metric, while comfort
seems to decrease our sensativities to the needs of others. Comfort seems to
blind our sense of what is fair and boosts our sense of entitlement. We must
love our neighbor as ourselves. But who is our neighbor?
When this question was asked the Savior, he responded with the parable
of the Good Samaritan. The protagonist in the story, traveling to a planned
destination, happened to belong to the arch-enemy nation of the Jews. He
reached out to a wounded enemy. He had to cross the road to get to the
42 Appropriately, I must here mention that there is a righteous and important principle of
limitation when comparing the needs of others to our own. It will be discussed in another
chapter.
29
Holiness to the Lord
wounded Jew. He stopped midway in his journey to help. He paid of his
own money to help. Clearly, Jesus was indicating that our neighbors are not
just those in our family, nor those who live within close proximity, nor those
who are our friends. Neither is the time to help always a convenient, cheap,
assigned, or easy opportunity.
With a few minutes of research, one can be inundated by evidence that
the Lord has poured out technological advancements exponentially since the
Restoration. In Joseph Smith’s day, the probability that one person could do
anything that would have an effect on someone on the other side of the globe
was almost zero. In those days, only those who invented some extraordinary
device, wrote some earth-shaking book or won some high public office could
hope for any effect on someone in a distant land. Today, in nearly real time,
an ordinary person from anywhere in the world can share ideas with almost
any other ordinary person on the other side of the globe. The earth has
become small, and is smaller every day, as it becomes more and more easy to
communicate across the globe. In Joseph’s day, as limited as technology was,
the Prophet still felt such an urgent responsibility for those in the world that
he sent Elders to far-flung missions across the globe. If disciples of Christ in
Joseph’s technologically poor days had such responsibility to the ends of the
earth, how much more do modern disciples, who can reach across the globe in
real time, have toward the ends of the earth?
Though we may be on different poles of the earth, separated by distance
and culture, our responsibility toward those suffering in the world is extant and
obligatory. They are all our brothers and our sisters. We are responsible for the
sufferings of those people whose suffering we have the power to relieve. Such
a knowledge requires not only reaction while in our path, but, like the Good
Samaritan, action to direct our path toward the greatest good that we can do
while in this life. Just as the wisdom and great examples of others lay scattered
for us to gather in diverse books, we should seek out the sufferings of the human
race, be they distant and hidden or near and obvious, and chart a course
accordingly. In both cases, we must not ignore the low hanging fruit for its
proximity, nor the distant opportunities for their difficulty. To anyone who has
less than you—spiritually, temporally, educationally, vocationally, physically,
socially, morally, or in any other way—you have the duty to lift them as far as
they will be lifted.
It is easy to forget just how important the welfare of others is. “The Latterday Saints have got to learn that the interest of their brethren is their own
interest, or they never can be saved in the celestial kingdom of God.”43 This
is not just a Restoration doctrine. In a letter to the Hebrews Paul taught,
“Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which
suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.”44 Do we comprehend
the weight of this verse? Even with those in close proximity, do we truly react to
their lack as we would if the deficiency were our own? When Brother Jones lost
his job, did you dispense your means to him in the same way you would have if
43 Brigham
44 Hebrews
Young, Journal of Discourses 3:331
13:3
30
WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?
you had lost your own job? Do you seek to teach neighborhood children lessons
about life with the same intensity as your own children? When the widow next
door’s roof started leaking, did you respond in the same manner you would have
if it were your own grandmother’s roof?45 If we are lacking in close proximity,
how do we perform when it comes to global needs? When was the last time
you remembered those starving in other parts of the world? When was the
last time you remembered those oppressed by tyrannical governments? Those
enslaved by poverty? Sickness? Lack of education? If your circumstances were
theirs, could anything else occupy your mind?46
You cannot use your time, talents, and everything you have been blessed
with, or may be blessed with, for the building of the kingdom of God without
searching out opportunities to do so. A United Order Bishop would consider
the needs of his entire ward when deciding the disposition of his means. You
should do the same, only your stewardship is not defined by ward boundaries,
though it certainly includes those in your ward. Neither does it end at your
front door, though it certainly includes your own family. Though there is a
hierarchy of priority within your stewardship, it extends to include any and all
that you have the means to help in any way—and to all those you could have
had the means to help had we exerted an effort to extend your stewardship.
“And who is my neighbor?” you may ask, as did the lawyer.47 From the
examples in the scriptures, it is clear that your neighbor is anyone for whom
you possess the ability to help. Your consecrated stewardship includes the
needs of yourself, your family, your friends, and everyone else you can help,
ordered by expanding concentric circles of proximity.
Most of us are good enough people to feel badly when we hear of someone
suffering. Yet, unless pressed to do so by a third party, we do not act. Brigham
Young said, “Sin consists in doing wrong when we know and can do better.”48
I would say that sin is also doing nothing when you know of a need and can
do something to fix it.
President McKay shared the following story: “I am reminded of a circumstance of the Russian woman who felt sympathy; she knew how to sympathize
with the poor heroine on the theater stage. This Russian lady sat in her box,
comfortable in her furs and silks, and as she looked at the performances she
wept in sympathy with the heroine who was suffering imaginary torments; and
while that Russian woman was sympathizing with the stage heroine, her own
coachmen froze to death on the carriage seat outside, because of insufficient
45 In each of these examples, remember that surpluses must be distributed according to
righteous wisdom. For instance, a prudent man would not help a wasteful and unwise man
in the same way he will help a prudent man. Nor is it righteous to help others to the neglect
of the true needs of your family. For more on this, see the chapter on The Lord’s Way.
46 When we fully understand our duty to the world, it can be overwhelming. With a proper
understanding of the entire principle of consecration, we can wax strong in confidence with
God that we are doing all that we can with the resources he has blessed us to obtain. As
King Benjamin, we are to serve “with all the might, mind and strength which the Lord hath
granted unto [us].” (Mosiah 2:11).
47 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? (Luke
10:29)
48 Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young 156
31
Holiness to the Lord
clothing. It is not enough to feel; we must act, so that it will benefit somebody.”49 Like the Russian lady, it is quite easy to ignore the real needs of your
fellowman while you drown in comparative luxury. Let us do what we can to
improve the situations of those we observe, and let us do more to seek out the
needs of others—wherever they may be—in order to lift them as well.
49 David
O. McKay, “Gospel Ideals,” p507
32
THE LORD’S WAY OF
HELPING
But it must needs be done in mine own way; and behold this is the
way that I, the Lord, have decreed to provide for my saints, that
the poor shall be exalted, in that the rich are made low.
D&C 104:16
As with all things, the best way of helping others is by emulating what God
does with us. Since God is perfect, methods will be perfect inasmuch as they
approach what God himself would do.
When it comes to consecrating our surplus resources, there are two basic
fundamentals: what is a surplus, and how do we use it?
First, how do you determine what is surplus? In other words, how much
of your resources should you righteously use for yourself and your family, and
how much should you dedicate to building others?
Some constrain their kingdom building to specific assignments from priesthood leaders. Others build the kingdom as long as it is comfortable to do so.
Neither boundary condition will entitle the builder to the blessings of living
the fullness of the law of consecration.
The scripture reads, “Do not run faster or labor more than you have
strength.”50 Some wrest this scripture to excuse them from any good works
which would be uncomfortable. Anything that would cause any personal inconvenience is labeled as extreme, thus excusing them from any perceived
responsibility to participate upon the pretense that it would be unrighteous.
Such was also the reasoning of evil-minded men in the days of the Savior, who
were quick to claim their property as corban, or dedicated to the Lord, so that
they could keep it for themselves instead of fulfilling the obligation to spend
it on the care of those entitled to their support. The Savior said that their
hearts were far from Him, and their worship was in vain.51
50 D&C
10:4
answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is
written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit
in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying
aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and
cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the
51 He
33
Holiness to the Lord
To place our comfort before our service is to wrest the scriptures to say
“Do not run. Do not labor.” Such is clearly not the meaning intended.
Likewise, to limit yourself to those activities to which you are assigned by
your leaders is not to be “anxiously engaged in a good cause...do[ing] many
things of their [your] free will.”52
The strongest evidence against these common interpretations of the law
of consecration is scriptural. If we are only to do things that benefit others
when specifically prescribed to do so by Church assignment, then we must find
another explanation for the actions of those in the scriptures. For example,
what leader asked Moroni to starve and suffer his entire life in the name of the
freedom of his countrymen? Did his priesthood leaders ask him to hoist the
standard of liberty? What about Nehemiah of the Old Testament? No one
asked him to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.53 No one commanded the sons of
Mosiah to preach the gospel to the Lamanites. And the examples go on and
on.
If anything, these individuals were implicitly discouraged by the status quo,
and explicitly discouraged by peers. Nehemiah’s peers threatened and mocked
him54 . There were people willing to die to prevent Moroni from accomplishing
his goal. The sons of Mosiah were laughed to scorn55 . And the examples
go on and on. They were not asked to do any of it. So why did they do it?
What would cause these people to go far beyond the status quo and accomplish
impactful, meaningful service at their own expense and significant effort?
They did it all because of a proactive desire to be of service to this earth.
They understood that consecration is about what you are capable of doing,
not what you are asked to do. They had a mind to work.56 They sought out
opportunities to build the kingdom, and they leveraged those opportunities,
even in the face of resistance from the status quo, and at personal peril. They
followed the Lord’s admonition to “be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and
do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness.”57
In each case, the results were strikingly significant.
So, if our hearts are full of desire to do the work, how do we define a
righteous limit to what we do and give? On my first mission, I was zealous
in preaching the gospel of the Lord. At times, I found myself so exhausted
that I felt guilty that I could not do more. In an interview with my mission
commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honour thy
father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: But
ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by
whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to
do ought for his father or his mother; Making the word of God of none effect through your
tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. (Mark 7:6-13)
52 D&C 58:27
53 Nehemiah 2
54 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth,
and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.(Nehemiah 4:1)
55 Now do ye remember, my brethren, that we said unto our brethren in the land of
Zarahemla, we go up to the land of Nephi, to preach unto our brethren, the Lamanites, and
they laughed us to scorn? (Alma 26:23)
56 Nehemiah 4:6
57 D&C 58:27
34
THE LORD’S WAY OF HELPING
President, he related the mission to a marathon. He clearly explained to me
that a marathon runner who runs as fast as he can from the first mile will never
finish the race. He said our pace must be determined by our long-term goals.
The marathon runner runs at the fastest pace that will still leave him enough
energy to finish. In terms of the law of consecration, we have to give everything
we can without sacrificing explicit exceptions from the Lord. For instance, it
is good to dedicate money to worthy causes, but becomes sin when we fail to
first pay our tithing. There is an explicit expectation of the Lord for almost all
of our resources, not just money. For example, it is good to dedicate surplus
time to a good cause, but if we fail to first give our families the time they
need, “no other success can compensate for failure in the home.”58 It is good
to read good books, but not at the expense of scripture study. A missionary
is not to give away his food money to those in need, beyond what would be
a generous fast offering. To do so would deprive him of the nourishment he
needs to handle his assigned task: full-time proselyting. It is better that one
man go without bread than a whole area go without the bread of life. A father
is expected to help those in need, but if he does so by taking the necessities
of life from his wife and children, he has run faster than he is able. A student
is expected to work with all his might to accomplish his education, but never
at the expense of his keeping the Sabbath holy. This is a righteous principle
which can be applied to almost every resource.
We can see the principle of righteous withholding in the life of the Savior.
Though he gave his very life, he would not give that which he truly did not have
to give. He wouldn’t give anything that would prevent Him from accomplishing
his prescribed duties. He would not, for example, have given his life on the
cross before performing the Atonement. This being said, it is also true that he
would give anything that would not hinder his ability to do the greatest good.
The Savior did not remain among the multitudes after becoming spiritually
drained.59 They never ceased to throng Him, yet he left them from time to
time. This was so that he could always give them the greatest service possible.
Had he stayed among them, he could not have blessed and taught them to the
degree that he did. Allowing yourself to serve sub-optimally, or, in other words,
to give in ways that will hinder your ability to fulfill your explicit obligations
to God and to others, is running faster than you have strength and must be
avoided.
We follow the Savior by obeying this principle. Situations will arise in
your life when your heart will be ripped from you as you watch those you love
struggle. You will desire to give of your time, talents, and means to help them,
even when you don’t have the time, talents, or means to do so. Do not fall
into the temptation to give that which you do not have. Such behavior may
help your loved one in the moment, but will almost certainly prevent you from
attending to your explicit duty to God, to your own spiritual self-reliance, and
to your responsibilities to others, and will likely cause others to have to support
you once the urgency of the situation fades and the reality of the cost of your
58 David
O. McKay, “Family Home Evening Manual,” 1968, iii)
14:23, John 6:22, Mark 6:45, etc.
59 Matthew
35
Holiness to the Lord
actions sets in. Jeopardizing your self-sufficiency in order to help another is
running faster than you have strength. You must realize that you simply can’t
afford to give what you can’t afford to give. You are to give everything you
can and nothing that you can’t.
Second, how do you use your surplus? What is the best way to contribute
your resources to lift others?
We read that there will be no poor in Zion.60 Some mistakenly believe that
this will be because the rich simply give away all their money. Though the
rich will be free with their means, if such were to happen right now, the poor
would still poor! The change would be that the rich would have no money.
The other significant change that will occur in Zion is that the poor will learn
the principles of self-restraint and investment.
The poor are poor, not because they do not earn enough money, but because
they do not leverage opportunity as they ought, spending their time and money
on all the wrong things. Isaiah, speaking poetically about feasting on the
principles of the gospel, said, “Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is
not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently
unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in
fatness.”61 This scripture has temporal implications which are just as the
spiritual implications: The culture of the poor is to purchase that which, in
the words of Nephi, are “of no worth” and to “labor for that which cannot
satisfy.”62 The poor are lacking some combination of self-restraint, priorities,
time management, work ethic, and investment know-how. As long as the
poor continue to buy consumer electronics, go out to eat, go on vacation,
etc., instead of directing their resources to building income by increasing their
training to earn more while increasing their thrift and spending less, the poor
will continue to be poor.
How are we to help the poor? The Lord said, “ye must visit the poor
and the needy and administer to their relief.”63 But does this mean that we
are to give handouts to the poor? How will handouts change the culture of
the needy? It will only cause them to rely on handouts to support their suboptimal behaviors. But it also hurts them spiritually: “Whatever causes us
to be dependent on someone else for decisions or resources we could provide
for ourselves weakens us spiritually and retards our growth toward what the
gospel plan intends us to be.”64
Free handouts do not help. They hurt. I once heard a story about a herd of
deer whose population had exploded. There was not enough grass during the
winter to feed the deer, and they started dying of starvation. Sympathizers
began to feed the deer with straw. The deer gorged themselves, and then were
found dead the next day. They had eaten so much straw that their stomachs
burst.
60 Moses
7:18
55:2
62 2 Nephi 9:51
63 D&C 44:6
64 Dallin H. Oaks, “Repentance and Change,” Ensign, Nov 2003, p12
61 Isaiah
36
THE LORD’S WAY OF HELPING
When we give handouts to the poor, we may be feeding them, but the effect
of the substance is poison. Their lot is worse when we leave them than when
we met them. Instead of giving them a ladder with which to climb out of their
situation, we have dug their hole deeper. Brigham Young said,
My experience has taught me, and it has become a principle with
me, that it is never any benefit to give, out and out, to man or
woman, money, food, clothing, or anything else, if they are ablebodied, and can work and earn what they need, when there is
anything on the earth, for them to do....To pursue a contrary course
would ruin any community in the world and make them idlers....No,
my plan and counsel would be, let every person, able to work, work
and earn what he needs; and if the poor come around me—ablebodied men and women—take them and put them into the house.
“Do you need them?” No; but I will teach this girl to do housework,
and teach that woman to sew and do other kinds of work, that they
may be profitable when they get married or go for themselves.
(Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 11:297)
This lesson is echoed in a story told by a man seeking work from Joseph
Smith.
I said, “Mr. Smith, if you please, have you any employment you
could give us both, so we can get some provisions?” He viewed
us with a cheerful countenance, and with such a feeling of kindness, said, “Well, boys, what can you do?” We told him what our
employment was before we left our native land.
Said he, “Can you make a ditch?” I replied we would do the best
we could at it. “That’s right, boys,” and picking up a tape line, he
said, “Come along with me.”
He took us a few rods from the store, gave me the ring to hold,
and stretched all the tape from the reel and marked a line for us to
work by. “Now, boys,” said he, “can you make a ditch three feet
wide and two and a half feet deep along this line?”
We said we would do our best, and he left us. We went to work,
and when it was finished I went and told him it was done. He came
and looked at it and said, “Boys, if I had done it myself it could
not have been done better. Now come with me.”
He led the way back to his store, and told us to pick the best ham
or piece of pork for ourselves. Being rather bashful, I said we would
rather he would give us some. So he picked two of the largest and
best pieces of meat and a sack of flour for each of us, and asked
us if that would do. We told him we would be willing to do more
work for it, but he said, “If you are satisfied, boys, I am.” (Joseph
37
Holiness to the Lord
Smith, quoted in “Recollections of the Prophet Joseph Smith”65 )
It would have been much easier for Joseph to simply give them the food.
After all, clearly they were in need. But Joseph understood that the only true
kind of assistance is the kind that not only meets the immediate need, but also
improves the person.
Carnegie said,
In bestowing charity, the main consideration should be to help those
who will help themselves; to provide part of the means by which
those who desire to improve may do so; to give those who desire
to rise the aids by which they may rise; to assist, but rarely or
never to do all. Neither the individual nor the race is improved
by almsgiving. Those worthy of assistance, except in rare cases,
seldom require assistance. The really valuable men of the race
never do, except in case of accident or sudden change. Every one
has, of course, cases of individuals brought to his own knowledge
where temporary assistance can do genuine good, and these he
will not overlook. But the amount which can be wisely given by
the individual for individuals is necessarily limited by his lack of
knowledge of the circumstances connected with each. He is the
only true reformer who is as careful and as anxious not to aid the
unworthy as he is to aid the worthy, and, perhaps, even more so, for
in almsgiving more injury is probably done by rewarding vice than
by rewarding virtue. (Andrew Carnegie, “The Gospel of Wealth”)
When Heavenly Father helps us, he does not send us a paycheck in the mail
every two weeks. He gave us a brain to think, hands to work, and legs to move.
Whenever he provides assistance to us, it is always couched in a multitude of
learning experiences. You should give alms to others in the same way God
gives alms to us. He gives us opportunity to work, to learn, to sacrifice, and to
improve. To follow his example is to provide opportunities for advancement,
not handouts.
While the reasons for not giving handouts are strong, this does not relinquish our responsibility to give to the poor. The Lord was clear when he gave
us the following through King Benjamin:
And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of
your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that
standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up
his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish. (Mosiah
4:16)
The emphasis here is the structure of our assistance. As in the Joseph Smith
story, we ought to require work for anything we give, and help those in need
65 Juvenile Instructor, Mar. 1, 1892, pp. 152–53; punctuation modernized; paragraph
divisions altered.
38
THE LORD’S WAY OF HELPING
learn more skills to extract them from their situation. We must teach them
something, or else our “help” really isn’t helping them at all, but extending
their present state of need.
This principle is illustrated in the story of Joseph of Egypt. When Joseph
is approached by his starving brothers who request food of him, he does not
simply provide the food. Instead, he makes demands of them, helping them to
correct faults in their behavior before and while he helps them.66 The Savior
demonstrates this principle in his intercourse with a blind man seeking healing:
And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his
peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have
mercy on me. And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought
unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, Saying, What
wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may
receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy
faith hath saved thee. (Luke 18:38-42)
The Savior did not go to the blind man, but commands the blind man to
come to Him. If Joseph had fed his brethren and ignored their suboptimal
behavior, he would have gone to them and healed them where they were. But
the Savior shows us that we should help others by teaching them how to elevate
themselves to our level so that they have what we have. On another occasion,
the Savior addressed a group who began to follow him after he miraculously
provided food to a multitude of people:
Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did
eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which
perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life,
which the Son of man shall give unto you. (John 6:26-27)
The Savior’s mission was not to dole out divine blessings, but to give us the
teachings and opportunities to earn those blessings for ourselves. You should
avoid doling out the fruits of the gospel which you have received without first
helping those in need to live the principles which you have followed to receive
those blessings in the first place. After all, we are not on this earth to avoid
suffering, but that our suffering might impel us to be more like God. We hinder
those we intend to help when we remove suffering, which is often the impetus
for improvement, without facilitating improvement.
The Lord always used alms in conjunction with teaching. He said, “And
behold, thou wilt remember the poor, and consecrate of thy properties for
their support that which thou hast to impart unto them, with a covenant
and a deed which cannot be broken.”67 In the days of the United Order, the
Church gave lands to the poor so that they could farm and support themselves.
They were given a means to earn an income, not money itself. We don’t live
66 Genesis
67 D&C
42-44
42:30-31
39
Holiness to the Lord
in an agrarian economy today, so it isn’t as easy as giving someone a piece
of land and some seeds, but the law of the harvest is still in effect. Are they
without work? Provide them with counsel, encouragement, and opportunity.
Help them learn the principle of work, and develop the self confidence that will
assist them in becoming self-propelled toward success. Give them work to do
in an environment where they can learn new skills. Build them up until they
are at your stature, if they will have it. Let them be satisfied at the bottom
rung of the ladder, but make sure they know that there is more to be had, and
how it is to be had.
Those in business administration, whether they be employers or owners,
have a special ability to help build the kingdom. Places of employment can be
a haven for kingdom building. Brigham Young said,
You count me out fifty, a hundred, five hundred, or a thousand
of the poorest men and women you can find in this community;
with the means that I have in my possession, I will take these ten,
fifty, hundred, five hundred, or a thousand people, and put them
to labor; but only enough to benefit their health and to make their
food and sleep sweet unto them, and in ten years I will make that
community wealthy. In ten years I will put six, a hundred, or a
thousand individuals, whom we have to support now by donations,
in a position not only to support themselves, but they shall be
wealthy, shall ride in their carriages, have fine houses to live in,
orchards to go to, flocks and herds and everything to make them
comfortable. (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 14:88)
Brother Brigham understood that any people who are willing to work and
capable of learning can be brought to have as much income producing potential
as the next man. If you consider that when the poor become rich, they have
more money to spend, you can quickly see how the righteous way to grow
an economy is to enable the idle to create wealth, the workers to work more
efficiently, the owners to practice principles of the gospel, and the wealthy to
invest in expanding and starting businesses.
The Lord said that it is his desire to provide for the Saints, “But it must
needs be done in mine own way.”68 Should not all things, including how we
dispense charity through our business interests, be done in his own way, or
according to the principles and patterns of the gospel? The Lord said, “Zion
cannot be built up unless it is by the principles of the law of the celestial
kingdom.”69
We are not interested in equalizing in the traditional sense, by stealing from
the rich and giving to the poor. To do so would be against the system that
God has established, and in line with Satan’s plan of compulsory obedience.
Instead we are to teach the poor how to be rich. You see, under the plan
of salvation, God Himself does not become less in order to make us more.
The Savior condescended to come to live on this earth, but his loss was not
68 D&C
69 D&C
104:16
105:5
40
THE LORD’S WAY OF HELPING
given that all men would be instant heirs of the glory of the Father. Instead,
his sacrifices were so that all would have the opportunity to work out their
salvation, through obedience in the principles established for that purpose.70
In effect, he dropped a ladder into the pit without climbing it for us. For you
to follow his example, you surely must dedicate your all to doing anything
possible to improve your fellowman, but without handout when such can be
avoided.
Not everyone will choose to accept your help, especially when there are
improvement implications. The Lord’s way of helping is just one temporal
application of the plan of salvation. As we know, there are those who reject
the whole gospel. Why be surprised when some reject this one principle? There
are rich who are unwilling to give their means to the poor, and there are poor
who are unwilling to work and obtain and discipline themselves to become rich.
Consider a practical example of the Lord’s way of helping. Chile, a fertile
country on the west coast of South America, is today a global exporter of
produce. Decades ago, it was not. The situation was, and is, that in Chile,
most of the land is owned by very few people. Most people do not own land;
they live in squatter camps where they are given the land for free by the
government after occupying it for several years. A man named Sam Daines
went to Chile and tried to change that. He decided to purchase a large tract
of land in Chile. he began to farm it. His plan was to empower the Chilean
migrant workers to be landowners. He found workers, taught them how to farm
the land and created a co-op for them. The workers who were responsible as
laborers would be given the opportunity to be sharecroppers—in effect renting
the land from Sam while reaping part of the profits from their work on it.
Those who proved successful in sharecropping would be given the chance to
purchase the land. Agency was respected, hard work was rewarded, skills were
learned, and men were given a chance to become what they never could have
without Sam Daines. This is a great example of true kingdom building.
To build the kingdom is to prepare this earth for the return and millennial
reign of Jesus Christ. We are told that those in Zion will be equal in all things.
The pattern here is not to take from those who have and haphazardly give to
those who have not. The way to Zion is through the haves giving opportunity
to the have-nots, that through their work and improvement they become the
haves.
70 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now
much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. (Philip. 2:
12)
41
PRIORITIES
Idleness and wastefulness are not according to the rules of heaven.
-Brigham Young71
Driving everywhere in 1st gear is clearly not the most effective use of fuel. No
one would intentionally do that. Yet many readily live their lives in an equally
ineffective manner, wasting much of their limited resources on that which is of
no worth.
The fact of the matter is that time, money, and other resources are limited
during this life, and you will have to choose what you will spend them on. You
could haphazardly spend your resources on any activity as it comes along or
catches your attention. That would be much like driving to your destination
in whichever gear the car happens to start in. This approach is like grocery
shopping without a list, cooking a complicated meal without a recipe, or going
on a long road trip without a map. You are guaranteed to waste resources.
You are guaranteed to miss something. President Monson said, “I plead with
you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that
illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want
to do.”72
When we know what we need to do, and what priority each task has, we
guarantee that we won’t miss anything important, and that we are living most
effectively. Living more effectively saves resources, which means we can get
more done than we could have otherwise.
Perhaps the following example will show the danger of not ordering our
priorities. Do you remember playing pickup games of neighborhood sports as
a kid? The team captains would take turns picking which kids they wanted
on their team. The captains would eagerly anticipate which kid they would
pick their next turn—always the strongest, fastest, most popular left of the
group. This is sort of how we pick the disposition of our resources if we don’t
have priorities. The fastest, shiniest, newest, biggest, most worldly, and most
fun things get all of our attention. In team-picking, as the picks go on, the
captains’ attitude degrades from eager anticipation of who would be best to
morosely evaluating who would be the least terrible out of those who remain.
Sometimes our attitude towards spiritual matters is like the captains’ attitude
71 Journal
72 Thomas
of Discourses 14:44
S. Monson, “Finding Joy in the Journey,” Ensign, Nov 2008, p85
43
Holiness to the Lord
towards those less-than-ideal team members. We begrudgingly go to Church
on Sunday because that is what we ought to do. We clock in to our routine and
mediocre scripture study and prayer to check the box. Our spiritual pursuits
are usually the last items on our to-do list, and are limited to the bare minimum
of compliance. Not being much of an athelete, I was always left as the dregs.
I know how I felt to be the dregs. I wonder what Heavenly Father feels like
when we make him and his program the dregs of our life. We never see him
until everything else is gone, and we look around furtively to see if there is
something—anything else we can spend our energy on before we break down
and read the scriptures, pray, go to the temple, magnify our calling, keep a
journal, or visit the lonely. At the slightest opportunity, we will rush off to a
movie, do our homework, work overtime, play video games, or waste time on
the computer, and then claim we were too busy for him.
A purposeful approach requires that you take time and effort to decide what
is most important in life and dedicate the greatest measure of your limited
resources to those things. A purposeful approach doesn’t mean that there is
no room for the good things of the earth.73 A purposeful approach simply
means that these things are used with judgment and not to excess.74 In fact,
a purposeful approach is a protection from abusing the good things of the
earth, since a key part of knowing what measure of recreation is appropriate
is understanding your consecrated duties and priorities.75
So, where do you start? The problem with priorities is that there is a
negative stigma. People see priorities as a deviation from the ideal life. In
reality, your priorities are based on what is truly important to you. They are
not intended to deviate you from what is important, but to keep you focused
on what matters most to you.
What is your number one desire? The Lord said that eternal life is the
greatest gift anyone can receive.76 Is it your number one desire? There is a
promise available to all who place eternal life at the top of their priorities.
“The light of the body is the eye; if, therefore, thine eye be single, thy whole
body shall be full of light.”77 If your desire is to God, all of your actions will
be full of light. They will be made holy—consecrated.
Many returned missionaries complain of the loss of light associated with
the return to real life. Just about any member of the Church would probably
agree that they would like more light in their life. All of us, to a degree, can
increase our desire for eternal life. This desire is represented in our life by what
our priorities are and how we spend our time and other resources.
Once your main goal is fixed, your life becomes like an empty box in a
crowded garage. The garage represents life, with all its options. The box
represents your limited resources. It is not possible to put everything in the
garage into your box—it just won’t fit. There are many things to choose
73 See
D&C 59:17-19
59:20
75 See the chapter on recreation
76 And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life,
which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God. D&C 14:7
77 3 Ne 13:22
74 D&C
44
PRIORITIES
from in the garage. There are the clearly wrong choices. These are easy to
discriminate. But even with those removed, there are still very many good
choices remaining. The key is the box itself. The label on the box, “Eternal
Life,” gives a clue as to what belongs inside. The dimensions of the box, the
commandments and teachings of the gospel, prevent certain large objects from
fitting. Now the choice becomes much simpler. This is what it means to limit
your life to those priorities which the gospel circumscribes. If it does not fit
within the Lord’s plan, it does not fit. There are many things in this world,
good and bad, which have no place in the gospel. There are many other things
which have a proper, restrained place in the gospel. Your priorities must be
structured to enforce the Lord’s priorities in your life.
What are the Lord’s priorities? First, you must meet your own needs.
Second, you must meet the needs of your family. Third, you meet explicit
Church service assignments. After these three priorities, you work for the
benefit of the world in the most efficient way you can.
These priorities are purposefully general. Defining them specifically is a
personal matter. Clearly, there will be sub-prioritization amongst these main
priorities. Perhaps the rest of this book will help you with that. One thing
is clear: as you begin to prioritize the elements of your life, you will find that
every moment is useful, and even precious.
Time is so precious, and our goals so important, that we should never
waste our time on actions that have nothing to do with our goals. Brigham
Young said, “Every moment of human life ought to be devoted to doing good
somewhere and in some way.”78
When we act independent of our goals, we are acting in vain. Vanity means
without real significance, ineffectual, counterfeit, without effect or avail, to no
purpose, hollow, not yielding the desired outcome, fruitless, lacking substance
or worth, having no real substance, unsatisfying, worthless, unreal, and empty.
Following after vanity is a total waste. Not only do you spend your precious
time and means on things that will yield no good thing in the end, but you are
diverting your means and time from productive uses. You are being doubly
robbed. You are being distracted, “spend[ing] money for that which is of no
worth, [and] your labor for that which cannot satisfy...”79
Perhaps we waste time because we think it of no value. Brigham Young
said, “What have we? Our time. Spend it as you will. Time is given to you;
and when this is spent to the best possible advantage for promoting truth upon
the earth, it is placed to our account, and blessed are you; but when we spend
our time in idleness and folly it will be placed against us.”80
Perhaps we waste time because we procrastinate. President Monson said
that “there is no tomorrow to remember if we don’t do something today.”81
Never put off for tomorrow what can be done today. Said Franklin, “Dost thou
78 Journal
of Discourses 9:296
Nephi 9:51
80 DBY, 290
81 Thomas S. Monson, “Finding Joy in the Journey,” Ensign, Nov 2008, p85
79 2
45
Holiness to the Lord
love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.”82
Perhaps we waste time because we think that by doing nothing we can rest
from our labors. In truth, doing nothing is actually an illusion. The only true
way for you to do nothing is to die. Short of that, you are always choosing
to do something, even if that something is to lay on the couch and not move
for four hours. Don’t be fooled into thinking that being 100% productive is
to be intensely working 100% of the time. The difference between people who
are productive and people who aren’t is probably not in what they choose to
do when they are working, but what they choose to do when they are not.
The trick in being productive is to relax by doing productive things, though
those productive things may not be your top priority. Reading an informative
non-fiction book, for example, can be productive even though it might not be
on the top of your priority list.
Don’t ever be wasteful, even when it seems there is nothing that needs
doing, or that there is plenty of time. Time is fixed, there is never more or
less of it. It always ticks by at the same rate. The only thing that changes is
our productivity in using it. There is always something good to be done with
it. When you think there isn’t, pray and ask God what you could do to bless
your life or the life of another, and he will tell you. Emerson said, “One of the
illusions is that the present hour is not the critical, decisive hour. Write it on
your heart that every day is the best day in the year.”83 When you value your
time, your time will have value. You will fill moments with productive events,
and you will increase your ability to be productive during those moments.
When you practice thrift of time, you will gain a return on your investment.
Wasting time can lead to laxness in health, spirituality, intelligence, finances,
and morals, amongst other things.
In fighting the constant trap of wasting time, it is easy to get so busy that
you think less about what you are doing and more about the fact that you are
doing something. It is important to learn the subtle but essential difference
between making the greatest impact on your goals at any given time and
wasting your time on things, even good things, which are not the best use of
your time given your goals. Seeking your goals in the world of distractions we
live is like driving to a destination in a snowstorm. There are seemingly millions
of things designed to take your focus off of what really matters. Spending your
resources wisely on those things of greatest worth is wisdom. Spending your
resources for the sake of spending them (even on good things) is referred to as
being cumbered in the scriptures.
When you focus on the swarming barrage of the eternally insignificant, you
are cumbered. The Savior warned us to trim the unnecessary or unfruitful
out of our lives when he said, “Seek not to be cumbered.”84 Being cumbered
prevents our having focus in life. When the Savior visited with Martha and
Mary, he taught this important lesson. Mary, who recognized the importance
of focusing on the Savior, “sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha
82 Benjamin
Franklin in “Nuggets”, p77
“Nuggets,” p82
84 D&C 66:10
83 Emerson,
46
PRIORITIES
was cumbered about much serving.”85 She was upset that the Savior did
not ask Mary to help her sister, seeing how busy she was. The Savior said,
“Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one
thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be
taken away from her.”86
Martha struggled to make the present situation the best it could possibly
be. Her sister Mary focused instead on what was lasting. The “good part”
that Jesus mentions, the part that is most important, is that “which shall not
be taken away from [us].” We can become so busy, even with good things, that
we are blinded to what is most needful, which is always what has the greatest
lasting effect. Besides missing out on that which is really important, we may
find that we are so busy that we can’t even do the marginally important things
well.
What is the remedy for being cumbered? Do those things which are eternal!
Those which God would have you do, and which will have the greatest effect
and the greatest lasting effect.
Everything righteous has a place in the priorities of the consecrated Saint.
However, not all good things will fit into the finite resources we have. So, priorities become essential. A good thing becomes a bad thing when it pushes out
a better thing. Ordering our priorities makes sure first things come first. For
example, it is right to think about our funds as our own personal stewardship,
but if we spend them according to the best of our ability to build the kingdom
prior to paying our tithing, we’ve made a mistake. Likewise, understanding
that the Sabbath day is the first day instead of the last day of the week can
have an impact on how we spend our time on that day and through the rest
of the week. Sunday will become the day we do all the important spiritual
things we may not have time for during the rest of the week, instead of the day
we squeeze in all the temporal things we didn’t have time for in the preceding
week. Follow the same logic with when and how we plan trips to the temple
or home teaching visits.
Elder Scott said
Are there so many fascinating, exciting things to do, or so many
challenges pressing upon you, that it is hard to keep focused on
that which is essential? When things of the world crowd in, all too
often the wrong things are allowed to take highest priority. Then
it is easy to forget the fundamental purpose of life. Satan has a
powerful tool to use against good people, those who are committed
to a worthy, righteous life, who want to do good and intend to make
the most of this life. His tool is distraction. He has an extensive
array of undeniably good things that are used to keep us from doing
the essential ones. Have you noticed that when you begin to focus
on something truly important, something of eternal significance,
there often come thoughts of other good things to distract you?
85 Luke
86 Luke
10:39-40
10:41-42
47
Holiness to the Lord
Satan promotes distraction. He would have good people fill life
with “good things” so there is no room for the “essential ones.”
Have you unconsciously been caught in that trap? (Richard G.
Scott, “Finding Peace, Happiness, and Joy,” p10)
How do we follow Elder Scott’s advice and become un-cumbered? Consider
a fruit tree. Most fruit trees need to be culled at some point during the growing
season in order to maximize the quality of the fruit. In other words, the fruit
tree seeks to grow many more fruits than it should. In order to make the
quality of fruit what it ought to be, the wise farmer must knock off a significant
percentage of the small, immature fruits in order to allow the remaining fruit
to receive a larger portion of the tree’s limited resources. By limiting our goals
and the means you use to achieve them to a few specific but important ones,
you will free up more of your time, money, and other resources, permitting
you to invest the resources necessary to achieve your goals without spreading
yourself too thin.
As a scriptural example of this principle, consider the liahona. The liahona
was a ball given to Lehi by the Lord.87 It pointed him in the direction he
should travel towards the promised land. It had instructions written upon it
from time to time. Note that with just one ball with limited writing space,
there just wasn’t enough room for every possible instruction the Lord could
have given. The instructions were not randomly chosen. The instructions that
appeared were limited to those needed by Lehi and his family at the time. Lehi
was not instructed in how to make a rocket ship or how to do calculus. We,
too, must limit the expense of our resources on those things that matter most
to the task at hand.
As you prosecute your goals, you will find yourself in different circumstances. Perhaps your energy fluctuates. Perhaps you find yourself with more
or less money. Perhaps some inexpected demand on your time interrupts a
project. For these and other reasons, it is important to be flexible. Remember
the analogy of a manual transmission car. Sometimes you can run in high gear,
going very fast with not much fuel. At other times, say, when you approach
a hill, you need to down-shift and drive in a lower gear. Perhaps you need
to slow down at turns. Your gears of efficiency begin with those things which
are the highest priority. Then you downshift to lesser priorities as your energy
wanes. No activity on the shifting list should be a negative influence on us
or others. Neutral is the bottom rung. An example: in writing this book, it
has been a high priority. But at times I am too tired or sick to continue, so
I will study scriptures, read a biography of George Washington, or play with
my children. Then, when I feel recharged enough, I jump back into writing.
Perhaps, at the end of the day, I am still exhausted and might go talk with
my wife about the day. I am always doing something that contributes to my
goals.
The important thing is that you never give up on your goals, and you always
do whatever you can today. I once heard someone say, “I wish I had enough
87 See
1 Nephi 16
48
PRIORITIES
money to retire. Then I could focus on helping other people.” The question
is, what keeps you from helping people today? Sure, we all have the demands
of life to meet. But who doesn’t have ten minutes out of each day to focus on
someone else? Does not the same logic apply to the most important things in
life? Maybe you won’t achieve your life’s ambition in one day, but can’t you
at least work on it for ten minutes? Every moment counts.
We ought not to speak lightly of and undervalue the life we now
enjoy, but so dispose of each passing day that the hours and minutes are spent in doing good, or at least doing no harm, in making
ourselves useful, in improving our talents and abilities to do more
good, cultivating the principle of kindness to every being pertaining to our earthly sphere, learning their uses and how to apply
them to produce the greatest possible amount of good; learning to
conduct ourselves towards our families and friends in a way to win
the love and confidence of the good, and overcome every ungovernable passion by a constant practice of cool judgment and deliberate
thoughts. (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 9:291)
Enacting your decision to be more productive will be difficult. Your first
round of changes may seem extreme. They may seem like they won’t really
matter. But once you make the change, you will see the difference. Your
eyes will be opened to new changes that you could make to become even more
productive. As you continue this cycle, you will notice that each time your
capacity to observe ways to improve is sharpened, just as an administrative
clerk, by virtue of his experience with certain forms, knows exactly where to
look for errors.
In organizing your priorities and making the most of time, you will have
more light in your life, and will make more efficient contributions to the kingdom of God.
49
SERVICE
After obeying the principles and ordinances of the gospel, the will
of God is to serve your fellowmen, benefiting them, making this
world better for your having lived in it.
David O. McKay88
The crux of consecrated living is service: living to serve God. When you
are consecrated, you live wholly for the Lord, and “when you are in the service
of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”89 If we desire to
serve God, then we must serve our fellowman, projecting upon him our love
for God and our appreciation for everything he has done for us, for “it is folly
in the extreme for persons to say that they love God; when they do not love
their brethren.”90 How is it possible for us to take upon ourselves the name
of Christ without living for our fellowman? After all, that is what Jesus did.
The Savior said, “remember in all things the poor and the needy, the sick and
afflicted, for he that doeth not these things, the same is not my disciple.”91
The world considers heaven to be an ephemeral place with clouds, pearly
gates, gold streets, etc. Architecture aside, what the world doesn’t realize is
that heaven is a concentrated continuation of the consecrated service we do
here. We strive to obtain the chance to become like God is. What will we be
doing in heaven? The same things God does now. What do you know about
God that is independent of his service to us, his children? Has anything ever
been revealed about God which is independent of his service to his children?
To think of heaven as anything but a constant service experience would be to
overlook the facts. If God, the most happy being, occupies his time in our
service, then can there be any greater source of happiness for us? If such is
the destination we seek in eternity, why not start the pattern now?
“The key to happiness is to serve others.”92 Most people learn this lesson
well, albeit later in life. I cannot escape a visit to my grandmother’s without an
invitation for food. I hardly get both feet into the door before she is cooking up
something for me, even if I have just eaten somewhere else! My grandmother
88 137th
General Conference, Oct 1966, Sunday Afternoon Session
2:17
90 Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 4:297
91 D&C 52:40
92 John Groberg, “The Other Side of Heaven,” p276
89 Mosiah
51
Holiness to the Lord
has lived far longer than I have, and probably has a much shorter span left here
on earth than I do. Though her visits are so rare, and her time so precious,
she chooses to spend it serving me in any way she can. She cooks, she offers
advice, she finds things that are just what I need buried in her basement with
20 years of dust on them. She knows something you and I don’t know about
being happy. The experienced have learned that joy comes from serving others.
Elder John Groberg has said, “When life is through, I am sure those who have
worn out their lives in the service of others, which is serving God, will have a
feeling that is impossible to describe but will include a feeling of total love.”93
Those who would live to themselves do not realize that “he who lives only
unto himself withers and dies, while he who forgets himself in the service of
others grows and blossoms in this life and in eternity.”94 They do not realize
that whatever their goal may be, as long as it is righteous, serving others will
get them nearer to it then not serving others. “Remember that when you help
another up a mountain, you are a little nearer the top yourself...you can never
love the Lord until you serve Him by serving His people.”95
Making others happy makes you happy. Helping others achieve their goals
will help you achieve your righteous goals.96 When you lose your life in serving
others, you gain a life of much more substance, quality, and joy.97 In reality,
selfishness does not exist, only short-sightedness. Jesus said “that which ye
send out shall return unto you again.”98 “Cast thy bread upon the waters:
for thou shalt find it after many days.”99 “Knowing that whatsoever good
thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be
bond or free.”100 A selfish being would indeed serve selflessly, realizing that
the greatest reward goes to the selfless.
For every good deed there is a reward. But is it equal to the cost? Helping
others brightens their day, but it also brightens yours. “When we reach out
to bless the lives of others, our lives are blessed as well.”101 Service pays not
only a dividend to the person who receives it, but increases the principle of the
person who gives it. “The more we serve our fellowmen in appropriate ways,
the more substance there is to our souls.”102
We should not cringe at the cost of service. King David understood that
it is the very cost of sacrifice which makes it more acceptable to God. When
he desired to prepare a sacrifice for God to stop the plague killing his people,
93 Ibid,
p205
B. Hinckley, “Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley,” 1997, p588
95 Thomas Monson, “Great Expectations,” CES Fireside, Jan 2009
96 Similarly, helping others achieve their goals will push unrighteous goals out of your reach;
you won’t have the resources for both. You cannot serve God and Mammon.
97 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake
and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. (Mark 8:35). See also Luke 9:24, Matt. 16:25, Luke
17:33
98 Alma 41:14-15
99 Eccl. 11:1
100 Eph. 6:8
101 Dieter Uchtdorf, “Happiness, Your Heritage,” Ensign, Nov 2008, p119
102 Spencer W. Kimball, “The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball,” Edward L. Kimball, 1982,
p254
94 Gordon
52
SERVICE
he wanted to purchase a threshing floor on which he could build an altar. The
owner would not accept payment. He said to the king, “Take it to thee, and let
my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen also
for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for
the meat offering; I give it all.” David’s reply is telling. “Nay; but I will verily
buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the Lord,
nor offer burnt offerings without cost.”103 In effect, David said, “If it doesn’t
cost me anything, it isn’t worship.”
Even when the cost is small, it may seem like service is yet another expense
heaped onto the pile of demands of gospel living. While one could legally
reference the contract of baptism, where all resources were already signed over
to God,104 the more pragmatic truth is that there are no clear lines between
what you do for yourself and what you do for others, if you understand the
plan of salvation. What is best for yourself is for you to do what is best for
others. It is impossible to do what is truly best for yourself without living the
gospel completely. Brigham Young said:
Man may think, and some of them do, that we have a right to work
for ourselves; but I say we have no time to do that in the narrow,
selfish sense generally entertained when speaking about working for
self. We have no time allotted to us here on the earth to work for
ourselves in that sense; and yet when laboring in the most disinterested and fervent manner for the cause and Kingdom of God, it is
all for ourselves. Though our time be entirely occupied in laboring
for the advancement of the Kingdom of God on the earth we are
in reality laboring most effectually for self, for all our interest and
welfare, both in time and eternity, are circumscribed and bound up
in that Kingdom. (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 14:101)
I have found that the more I have to give in order to serve, the happier I
am and the closer to God I feel.
One example of how we can give of ourselves for the benefit of others is
the law of the fast. When we fast, we go without food or water for a twentyfour hour period, that the poor might receive what we would have spent on
food, plus whatever else we can give. I have had many fasts where, when the
twenty-four hours were up, though I was hungry and very tired, I did not want
to eat or drink. I felt so close to the Lord that I did not want the fast to end.
In those moments I have realized that I would rather feel the love of God than
any carnal comfort. There is something about selfless actions that make us
more aware of God’s love for us. That is why it is impossible to do something
for someone else without being a better person for doing it.
103 1
Chronicles 21:24
would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into
the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives.” (Mosiah 5:8)
We renew this promise to do what the Lord commands each week we take the Sacrament.
The Atonement of Christ is a contract where we give Christ everything we have in exchange
for everything he has.
104 “I
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Holiness to the Lord
The Savior gave us the perfect example of selfless service (and everything
else that is worthy of emulation) in his mortal ministry. He lived for everyone
else.105 He died for everyone else.106 The only things he did for himself were
those which were necessary to enable Him to continue to give his all for everyone
else. Good missionaries learn how to do this in their field of service, which is
like a lab for life. Assigned a specific flock to shepard, they may develop a
fullness of purpose whereby they describe their days thus: I live to serve. I
eat enough so as to have energy to serve, and nothing more. I sleep enough to
have the health to serve, and nothing more. I study in order to have the word
of God, that I might have power to serve. This is consecration. How different
this Church would be if all missionaries reached this level of dedication.
When missionaries return, some mistakenly think that their tour of duty
as a shepard has ended. It hasn’t. Their flock has just been added to. The
whole world is a Latter-day Saint’s flock.
Charity is the pure love of Christ. If we interpret that to mean that charity
is the love which Jesus shows for us, than to have charity is to love others
as he loves them. Jesus is willing to do everything he can for others’ benefit,
giving his life in two ways. First, he gave his life by living it perfectly so that
he would have the power to help us. Second, he gave his life in pure love by
allowing Himself to die for us. If we use an alternate definition and interpret
the pure love of Christ to mean our pure love for Christ, then this, too, should
impel us to love our fellow man with all our hearts, since no man can love God
without loving his fellowman.
Love is a verb; it is an action. “Love is shown by how much we are willing to deny ourselves for the good of others, how much we are willing to go
through that others might benefit.”107 If God is love, Jesus’ life was the perfect demonstration of the true definition of love, to do for others, even at our
own expense.
If there are strings attached, it is not love. Love doesn’t count the cost.
Love doesn’t do things for reward. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin said, “charity
means subordinating personal interests willingly and gladly for others.”108 By
living for the benefit of others, we follow Christ. “Each of us should follow
Him by denying ourselves of selfish interests in order to serve others.”109
But what about those who don’t really need help, but ask for it anyway?
We must remember the reason we serve others is to assist in God’s work to
improve them. If our service does not assist them to be more self-sufficient
or help them learn something, then we should consider ways to help which
would. We must remember that King Benjamin’s injunction was to deny not
105 “He
doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world.”
(2 Nephi 26:24)
106 “That he came into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for the world, and to bear
the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness;”
(D&C 76:41)
107 Groberg p277
108 Joseph Wirthlin, “Seeds of Renewal,” Ensign, May 1989, p8
109 Dallin Oaks, “Unselfish Service,” Ensign, May 2009, p93
54
SERVICE
the beggar who begs that he “perish not”,110 not so that he could avoid work
without suffering the consequences. Many times our intended charity can hurt
those we intend to help, denying them a powerful learning experience about
self-sufficiency and consequences by assisting them at a time or in a way which
is not the best to help them grow and improve.
Thomas Carlyle said of great men,
Each one has given something of his life to make the world better.
They did not spend all their time seeking only pleasure and ease,
and a “good time” for themselves alone, but found their greatest
joy in making others happy and more comfortable. All such good
deeds live forever, even though the world may never hear of them.
(Quoted in “Ancient Apostles”, David O. McKay, 1921, p2)
Their greatest joy and ours comes from making others happy by helping them
improve. Some might mistakenly associate happiness with carnal comfort or
vain recreational pursuits. We can graduate our palates to enjoy real joy and
not simple pleasure. Pleasures are for the moment, and not for the long-term,
and can rob us of those things which are more lasting and important.
We know that wickedness was never happiness.111 Possessions and wealth
are not happiness, either (though Laman and Lemuel would disagree).112 Neither is lack of adversity or struggle. Recreation is not happiness. These all
cause pleasure, but pleasure is neither necessary nor sufficient for joy. Joy is
had by missionaries serving unpleasant missions. Joy is had by mothers who
go through the unpleasant ordeal of carrying and delivering children. Job had
joy even though he was barraged by affliction.
Joy is free of monetary cost. Joy is the direct result of creation,113 which
can take on one of many forms of building. On the macro-scale, creation refers
to God’s creation of the universe, of the earth, and of Adam and Eve, and also
parents’ creation of their children. But it also occurs on the micro-scale, and
all the same rules and blessings apply. We can build things, start businesses,
cook food, grow plants, increase our talents and skills, build other people, etc.
In all cases we are organizing things that previously only existed as ideas.
True happiness, or joy, is found in building and serving others. Service to
others, unlike its pleasurable counterfeits, can be undertaken at anytime and
at anyplace.
110 And if ye judge the man who putteth up his petition to you for your substance that he
perish not, and condemn him, how much more just will be your condemnation for withholding
your substance, which doth not belong to you but to God, to whom also your life belongeth;
and yet ye put up no petition, nor repent of the thing which thou hast done. (Mosiah 4:22)
111 Alma 41:10
112 And thou art like unto our father, led away by the foolish imaginations of his heart; yea,
he hath led us out of the land of Jerusalem, and we have wandered in the wilderness for these
many years; and our women have toiled, being big with child; and they have borne children
in the wilderness and suffered all things, save it were death; and it would have been better
that they had died before they came out of Jerusalem than to have suffered these afflictions.
Behold, these many years we have suffered in the wilderness, which time we might have
enjoyed our possessions and the land of our inheritance; yea, and we might have been happy.
(1 Nephi 17:20-21)
113 See Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Happiness, Your Heritage,” Ensign Nov 2008
55
Holiness to the Lord
If acts for service are more enjoyable and accessible than the alternative,
why do we have a tendency to prefer pleasure over joy?
Our preference for pleasure over joy is analogous to our preference for refined instead of whole foods. The main purpose of eating is to obtain the
necessary nutrients for survival, and we all know that whole foods contain
many more nutrients than their refined counterparts. Still, most of what we
consume is not only incapable of providing the very nutrition we eat to obtain,
but fills us up so that there is no room for what we really need. Compare this
to wholesome service to others and the recreative pursuits with which we can
fill our lives. That life is best which centers on our two main tasks in life: love
of the Lord and love of our neighbor. When we fill our lives with rubbish, we
reap all the costs of life while robbing ourselves of the reward. We fill ourselves
with twinkies leaving no room for bread. In other words, we spend so much
time on the things which provide fleeting pleasure that we have no room, or
not as much room as we should, for the things which provide lasting joy. Our
treasures are on earth instead of in heaven.
If pure religion is “to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and
to keep [ourselves] unspotted from the world,”114 then we as Latter-day Saints
should live by the principles of altruism and magnanimity. The dictionary
should list as these words’ definitions not only the common meanings of “noble,
generous, character, nobility of mind, unselfish concern for others, devotion to
the welfare of others,” but, as a synonym, “Latter-day Saint.”
You cannot live the fullness of life without setting as your goal the happiness
of your fellowmen. “We live our lives most completely when we strive to make
the world better and happier.”115 To live for yourself is to rob yourself of the
more nourishing part of life. To live for the world is to encounter all the joy
that you were meant to have here. President Monson has said: “To find real
happiness, we must seek for it in a focus outside ourselves. No one has learned
the meaning of living until he has surrendered his ego to the service of his
fellowman. Service to others is akin to duty-the fulfillment of which brings
true joy.”116
When you live after this manner, seeking the interest of others before your
own, you change your relationship with divine justice. To the man who lives
only for himself, justice is something to be excused from through the atonement
to escape the penalty for unjust actions. For one who lives for others, however,
“seeking the interests of his neighbor, and doing all things with an eye single
to the glory of God”117 will cause him to look forward with faith, seeing the
positive consequences of his service. Inasmuch as you have drained all your
heart, might, mind, and strength for the benefit of others you will see the fruits
of your labors here and in the hereafter. The just consequences of our service
will be all the more greater the more opposition and less thanks you receive for
114 James
1:27
O. McKay, Improvement Era 80:567
116 Thomas Monson, “Messages of Inspiration from President Monson,” Church News, July
5, 2008, p2
117 D&C 82:19
115 David
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SERVICE
them. Though perhaps the best reward of service is feeling the love of God in
your heart, you cannot get away from the blessings that will be poured out on
you here or in the hereafter for service, especially when it is not appreciated
or easy. As Emerson said,
There is a third silent party to all our bargains. The nature and
soul of things takes on itself the guaranty of the fulfillment of every
contract, so that honest service cannot come to loss. If you serve an
ungrateful master, serve him more. Put God in your debt. Every
stroke shall be repaid. The longer the payment is withholden, the
better for you; for compound interest on compound interest is the
rate and usage of this exchequer. (Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Essays,
Volumes 1-2“, 1903, p119)
Service is particularly difficult when it is unappreciated, comes at a time
when you yourself stand in need of comfort, or when your efforts seem to have
no effect for good. At these times you will really need to lean on the Lord
to keep doing it. It is then that we can see divine justice as a weight in the
other end of the scales, balancing our unbalanced act of placing others before
ourselves. When you sacrifice to live the gospel, you hopefully attempt to give
more than you receive.
Besides being blessed with greater accomplishments and satisfaction in life,
you will find that as you completely dedicate yourself to the cause, you will
become less attached to material comforts. When things seem tough, you will
become all the more obedient and dedicated to God. You’ll see afflictions as an
opportunity to show your unconditional trust in and love for God. You really
get to know Him personally. “For how knoweth a man the master whom he
has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts
and intents of his heart?”118 You will see the tough times as an opportunity
to show your gratitude for blessings received during the good times.
You will also feel your capacity to love increase. I remember the first
priesthood blessing I gave. I had felt love many times before, but never before
had I felt the love that I felt for this person. I hardly knew her, but the Lord
did. As I laid my hands on her head, I was filled with a portion of the love that
God had for her. It was deeper than any feeling I had ever experienced. But
that wasn’t the end of my experience. Then and since then I have noticed two
things about pure service. First, I feel an ever-deeper expression of the love
God feels for the people I serve. Second, feeling even a portion of the immense
love that God feels for his children is greater than my current capacity to love.
Through service, my capacity to love is increased. The increase of capacity
to love remains even after the service is complete, and transfers to all of my
personal relationships. For instance, if my service to a neighbor yields a special
opportunity to feel a portion of the love God has for that neighbor, my capacity
to love is increased. I can then leverage that expanded capacity to improve
and deepen the love I have for my wife.
118 Mosiah
5:13
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Holiness to the Lord
Consider a trickling brook. If the flood gates on an upstream dam are
opened, much more water will run down the brook, swelling it to a river. Even
after the flood gates are closed, the depth of the channel of the brook is forever
increased. Now the brook can contain greater amounts of rain runoff that may
come. The more time and effort you spend in the service of God, the deeper
your capacity and disposition to love will be. If you serve with your heart,
don’t be surprised when you get pangs of desire to help others, even people
you’ve never met before.
Orson Pratt described how the Lord returns the bread we cast upon the
water when we love God:
The more righteous a people become the more they are qualified
for loving others and rendering them happy...a righteous man, being filled with the love of God, is sure to manifest this heavenly
attribute in every thought and feeling of his heart, and in every
word and deed. Love, joy, and innocence will radiate from his very
countenance, and be expressed in every look. This will beget confidence in the wife of his bosom, and she will love him in return;
for love begets love; happiness imparts happiness; and these heaven
born emotions will continue to increase more and more, until they
are perfected and glorified in all the fullness of eternal love itself.
(Orson Pratt, The Seer, Salt Lake City: Eugene Wagner, 1960,
p156)
Service is an upward spiral of ever-increasing love and concern for others.
Joseph Smith said, “A man filled with the love of God, is not content with
blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless
the whole human race.”119 A man who serves will be filled with the love of God.
That love will not let a man be still. He will actively search for opportunities
to bless not only those for whom he has explicit responsibility, but to bless
anyone he has the capacity to bless.
Consider the scriptural example of Alma the younger. His entire life is a
demonstration that the love of God draws us into ever more consecrated service.
He began locally, serving as a political and spiritual leader in his homeland.
Although these service opportunities were not trivial, they did allow him to
support himself and live at home. He increased the latitude and cost of his
service by resigning the former to devote himself to the latter, endeavoring to
reclaim and strengthen those in surrounding lands. His subsequent missions
focused on ever more estranged populations. Beginning in a periodic approach
where he returned home to rest after each journey, he became more and more
cognizant of the necessity of his service. He finally reached the point where he
“could not rest,” so great was his sense of urgency.120 He continued preaching
until the end of his days.
119 Teachings of Presidents of the Church, Joseph Smith, Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, 2007, pp330-331
120 And now it came to pass that the sons of Alma did go forth among the people, to declare
the word unto them. And Alma, also, himself, could not rest, and he also went forth. (Alma
43:1)
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SERVICE
Love is about what you put into it, not what you get out of it. It is not a
receiving situation, but a giving situation. It is an opportunity to serve. Alma
knew that, and it shows by the places he chose to go and the people he chose
to teach. His decisions were based on how much the people needed it, not how
much they would receive it.
You serve as an agent of God in blessing your fellowmen.
God knows the needs of his children, and he often works through us,
prompting us to help one another. When we act on such promptings, we tread on holy ground, for we are allowed the opportunity to
serve as an agent of God in answering a prayer. (Kathleen Hughes,
“What Greater Goodness Can We Know: Christlike Friends,” Ensign, May 2005)
It is only by living consecrated to the service to our fellow man that you can
fill your responsibility and privilege to be a representative of the Savior at all
times and in all places. This is a charge that can only be fulfilled as you strive
to serve others in whatever way you can with all your heart, might, mind, and
strength.
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SPIRITUALITY
The development of our spiritual nature should concern us most.
Spirituality is the highest acquistion of the soul, the divine in man.
David O. McKay121
I have had the experience of driving across the United States several times.
No matter how often I make the trip, I am amazed at just how empty the
country is. Living in residential areas, it is easy to develop the impression
that the countryside is outside of the city. In reality, the city is inside of the
countryside. Everything that man has built, all his buildings, laws, roads,
systems, technology, and conveniences are artificial. They are built one upon
another in an endless change of ever-increasing complexity. The wilderness
remains. Pure. Untouched. Empty. Open. While driving cross-country, if you
are wise enough to turn off your radio, you can’t help but take in the wide,
open scenes of blues and whites above, and greens and tans and reds below.
The window glass cannot keep the vistas from seeping into your mind. Pretty
soon, you begin thinking about the principle ideas in life. You consider the
nothingness of man, the wonder of creation, the glory of God.
What is it about modern life that deflects this inflection? When in nature, man cannot help but think outside of himself. It is a passive act. In
the metropolis, it takes a special focus, a great deal of meditation to quiet
the outside influence of the world that drowns out the subtle but prolifically
important things in life. Spirituality is a gift that will not come by default in
today’s temporally-focused world.
President McKay said “Man’s earthly existence is but a test as to whether
he will concentrate his efforts, his mind, his soul, upon things which contribute
to the comfort and gratification of his physical nature, or whether he will
make of his life’s pursuit the acquisition of spiritual qualities.”122 On another
occasion he said, “The development of our spiritual nature should concern us
most. Spirituality is the highest acquisition of the soul, the divine in man.”123
Why are we so quick to marginalize spirituality? Even when we do consider
it, it is almost always as a piece of life. The full, abundant life is one that is
centered on the gospel and building the kingdom—not as a suspension of “real
121 “True
to the Faith,” p52
O. McKay, CR, Oct 1963, p89
123 David O. McKay, “True to the Faith,” p52
122 David
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Holiness to the Lord
life,” which would be a sacrifice, but as an elevated manner of living, each
piece of life being raised up to the spiritual level, thus being made holy. This
is consecration.
A few years ago, an Elder’s Quorum President assigned me to arrange
brethren weekly for the sacrament. With this assignment came instruction
from a Stake High Counselor to assign brethren, rather than ask for volunteers.
I was amazed at the number of brethren who reliably said no. I wondered if
perhaps there were worthiness issues, but the Bishop told me that such was
not the case. They simply did not want to bless or pass the sacrament. The
same people said yes every week, and everyone else said no.
I have wondered what those brethren would think if one day they showed
up to church and there was no sacrament. Clearly they always expected it to
be there, even though they had no desire in helping out. These people were
consumers, not producers. They expected the sacrament, but were not willing
to prepare it. They expected to be home taught, but would not home teach
others. A priesthood holder with this attitude is like a ward organist expecting
music at church without them playing the organ.
Spiritual consecration begins with spiritual self-sufficiency. When you are
spiritually self-sufficient, you are a producer, and not a consumer in the Church.124
The idea of spiritual self-sufficiency is to give more than you receive.
And how can you give more than you receive? You can go to church prepared to inspire and uplift others, instead of going to be inspired and uplifted
by others. To do this, you make sure Sunday is spiritually uplifting whether
the lessons of church are or not. Then, you obtain an extra measure of spirituality so that your sharing of insights, answering of questions, or even your
smile and positive attitude can help uplift others. You go to church to uplift,
not to be uplifted.
Note that what we are talking about here is not mere lesson reading, which
seems difficult enough for some. We are talking about each member having
their own spiritual experiences (yes, more than one experience), and bringing
those to bear in church settings and also in settings outside of church to uplift
others. Without spiritual self-sufficiency in most ward members, our meetings,
our wards, and our quorums will be living far beneath their intended blessings.
You become spiritually self-sufficient when you perform your duties without
supervision. You do not need to be told to do your home teaching. You know
that your leaders need to know the result of your visits monthly, why wait
for them to ask? You can read your scriptures daily, personally and with
your family. You can hold family home evening weekly, attend the temple as
frequently as circumstances permit, and pray daily individually and with your
family. You can live by the guidance of the modern prophets, including what
is written in “For the Strength of Youth.” What does it matter if these things
aren’t referenced in the temple recommend interview? You can do all the
things that the Lord expects of you instead of doing just enough to keep your
124 Of course we all receive spiritual benefits from the membership of the church, whether it
be an insight from the teacher in Sunday school, the work of the priesthood in administering
the sacrament, or help from the Elder’s Quorum in some home project.
62
SPIRITUALITY
leaders from chastising us. The consecrated do what they do out of love for
God, not fear of man. Besides, can you really believe that all that is required
to achieve celestial glory is passing the temple recommend interview?
The spiritually self-sufficient live so as to have their own personal spiritual
reservoir daily overflowing with the Lord’s power, fully stocked on virtue, and
a ready to-use-surplus for anyone who stands in spiritual need. They know
their scriptures well enough to cite the appropriate verses to provide guidance,
support, or faith for the many personal trials they may encounter. They realize
that our own good deeds, no matter how small, can and do have an effect on
those around us.125
This sort of constant preparation requires logging much time in quiet communion with the Holy Ghost. In the New Testament, we read that when the
Savior lifted the masses spiritually, whether by teaching or healing or striving
with men, he used up some of his spiritual vitality, and sought solitary communion with God to recharge his virtue to be able to return to full service. If you
are spiritually self-sufficient, you keep your batteries charged, ready to serve
whenever needed. We can recharge spiritually via earnest scripture study and
purposeful meditation with God. Only when you are spiritually self-reliant can
you live a spiritually consecrated life.
After having met your own spiritual needs, you should focus on those of
your family. You study the scriptures with real intent, preparing for questions
your wife or children may ask you. You stand ready to provide the guidance
they seek, or at least are studying enough to merit the guidance of the Holy
Ghost which will come in the moment, and give you what to say to them.126
You prepare to be able to respond to situations and doubts by directly quoting
from the scriptures.
Personal spirituality and righteousness can be leveraged to secure blessings
for family members. Consider the examples of the patriarchs. Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob lived righteously and were given the opportunity to make covenants
which secured blessings for their posterity, most of whom were less righteous
and some of whom were downright wicked.127 The righteousness of Alma
the elder and those who joined in praying for his son caused a life-changing
paradigm shift in Alma the younger. Shortly after joining the Church, I saw
the promised blessings of paying an honest tithe fall upon my entire family,
though I was the only member. You possess the ability to bless your family
through efforts to become more spiritual.
125 Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son
of man. (Job 35:8)
126 This is a blessing that many expect without living the conditions upon which it is
predicated. The blessings are described in D%C 100:6, “For it shall be given you in the
very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say.” The conditions are given in Alma
17:9-10, “and they fasted much and prayed much that the Lord would grant unto them a
portion of his Spirit to go with them, and abide with them....And it came to pass that the
Lord did visit them with his Spirit.”
127 Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess
their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord thy God doth drive them out
from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the Lord sware unto thy fathers,
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (Deut. 9:5)
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Holiness to the Lord
Spiritual consecration does not end with your family, but extends to your
church responsibilities. Your spiritual stewardship includes your Church callings, which may include home teaching. When spiritually consecrated, you
pray for the people you home teach, by name, and follow the promptings you
receive about them. You see your call as a home teacher as two fold: to see
that your families’ needs are met, and also to see that they are doing their
duty. You realize that the latter is not a call to judge a member’s worthiness in the Church, but is most certainly a responsibility to ask them specific,
appropriate questions about their standards and practices in terms of Church
doctrine. You use these answers to formulate lessons that will help them improve, and also to provide feedback to your Elder’s Quorum Presidency, who
will exercise extra leverage to help them further. You realize that you cannot
teach someone principles that you yourself are not living, and this compels you
to live even more righteously.
Home teachers are the first bastion of defense of righteousness when the
family has failed to teach the gospel in its fullness. Whenever a church member
claims ignorance in breaking the Lord’s standards, it is first the fault of himself,
then the parents, and third the fault of the home teacher. How could a Bishop
possibly be expected to know the true spiritual posture of every single person
in his ward? A home teacher, however, cannot only know his families this well,
but must know them this well in order to home teach them as specifically as
he ought. He must keep the families in remembrance of their duty, and that
requires knowing them well enough to know where they are struggling. All
members are free to live in opposition to the Lord’s standards, but if any ever
does so without knowing the error of their ways, surely the home teachers have
failed.
If you are spiritually consecrated you realize that your spiritual stewardship does not end with formal assignments like home teaching. Your baptismal
covenant “to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in
all places that ye may be in”128 is an injunction to faithfully stand for the
standards of the Lord, and to be vocal in support for right, and in pronouncement of evil. This is a global injunction. You are to stand for right in all
places, in all things. Remember also that your purpose is to help those whom
you teach. Speak out when it is expedient for the benefit of the hearer. It is
always expedient to teach by example, but only sometimes prudent to do so
by precept.
You will realize that all men, including you and I, are capable of coming
unto Christ a little more than we have. It is the duty of every member of the
Church to invite others to come unto Christ—including other members! To
come unto Christ is not just to be baptized, but to do all things that Christ
would have us do, and to do none from which he would have us abstain. Thus,
all of us can learn one from another, and benefit one from another in invitations
to improve—to come unto Christ. You can lift others spiritually everywhere
you go. In Sunday school, you can make comments which fight the status quo
of spiritual deadness and secularism. If you are invited to do things which you
128 Mosiah
18:9
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SPIRITUALITY
do not think are in line with the gospel, even if invited by members, you may
decline, and if appropriate, explain why you do not want to participate.
Don’t be scared to invite others to improve. Wealthy men have the responsibility to help the starving they see on the side of the road, whether or not
they have an assigned responsibility to do so. Why should we wait until we
have some flagship calling to do the same spiritually? Just as a poor man may
not have the business talent to create wealth, a man may not have faith to
obtain wisdom from heaven. You can show the spiritually less fortunate how
to be spiritual by doing so yourself and then teaching by example and precept.
Those who are endowed with talents spiritually have the duty to dedicate
themselves to learning and share it will all who will listen. The Savior told
the Twelve, “What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in the light: and what
ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.”129 Do we not have a
duty to share with others the doctrines that our Apostles and Prophets have
taught us?
A friend of mine once took it upon herself to share with me what a prophet
had taught. Despite my own efforts to search out guidance on the topic, and
though the teachings were from a published sermon, I had never seen them.
I was seeking to know whether or not I should serve a mission. I had prayed
and fasted. I had read everything I could get my hands on. I had talked to
my bishop. I just couldn’t figure out what God wanted me to do. Finally, my
friend sent me the talk by President Kimball which stated that God’s will is
that all worthy young men should serve a mission. I served a mission. Had
she felt it wasn’t her place to send me that talk because she wasn’t my home
teacher or Bishop or Stake President, then I would not have served a mission.
My testimony would be weaker, my life would be devoid of its richness, and
tens of thousands of Chileans would not have had the chance to receive the
gospel. Are you beginning to catch the vision of the difference you can make
in other peoples lives? What you regard as common knowledge could be the
gem another person has prayed and fasted to hear. Do not hide your spiritual
talent in the earth.130
Spiritual gifts are meant not only to be used, but sought. Paul told the
Corinthians to “covet earnestly the best [spiritual] gifts,”131 not for personal
gain, but “that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.”132 There is no
man on this earth who has spiritual knowledge without having searched for it.
Joseph Smith, perhaps the most spiritually enlightened person the earth has
seen in hundreds of years, received nothing until after he had spent much time
in searching. Subsequent knowledge was only received after subsequent effort.
We must fight the tendency to reduce scripture study to scripture reading.
It is doubtful that anyone has ever succeeded in a secular class without taking
notes or doing any assignments. Yet, how many of us expect to pass the difficult
spiritual tests in this life without having anything more than a textbook that
129 Matthew
10:27
D&C 60:2 and D&C 60:13
131 1 Cor. 12:31
132 1 Cor. 14:12
130 See
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Holiness to the Lord
we occasionally skim over? As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, all of us are expected to be scholars of the gospel. Keep a
record of the things you have learned. Strive to put the gospel into your own
words. It is easier for the Lord to write the gospel on the fleshy tables of your
heart if you are writing it in the paper tables of our scriptural study journals.
Find a system which works for you, and use it. Deep gems are only available
to those who dig deep.
Your applications of even the most basic doctrines is limited to your depth
of understanding. Consider your teeth. The part we see is only a small portion
of each tooth. What would happen if there were no root below the gum line?
Your teeth might look like everyone else’s, but they could not be used for
anything but show. So is the knowledge of members who opt not to deepen
their understanding of basic gospel principles. With each study session, you
work on the root. The difference will not be in the visible portion of your
understanding, but in the deepness of the roots in your mind and in your heart.
Your deepened intellectual understanding will allow you to be better equipped
to answer the questions of others and teach the gospel with simplicity and
comprehensiveness. Your deepened gospel roots in the heart will allow you to
teach with power and conviction. You will know the truthfulness of the gospel
because of what the Spirit has told you, not because of what others have told
you. Your testimony will stand filled out and independent of others’.
Spiritual gifts are to be sought to bless others. A home teacher may enjoy
a heightened amount of spiritual guidance in preparing a lesson compared
to his personal scripture study. The extra guidance is intended for those he
serves, but he is worthy of his hire, and can apply that guidance to himself
and his family. I have had many significant spiritual learning experiences only
to realize a short while later that it was given me to give to someone else for
a specific need that they had at the time. These nuggets intended for others
have always been a joy to pass on, but each time I also retain what was given
for the benefit of others to apply to my own life.
The numerous blessings for spirituality make it no surprise that the consecrated individual carries a few spirit-building activities in the back of his mind
at all times to fill any unforeseen down time. Such simple things like carrying
a pocket version of the scriptures, an mp3 player with sermons, a spiritually
uplifting book, or a notepad with you can turn idle time into spiritually productive time. Carrying your home teaching families’ phone numbers in your
cell phone is another way to make the most of unforeseen down time. A quick
phone call can mean a lot to those you home teach. Little changes like this
can bless the lives of many people in the long run.
Paul said, “strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those
who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and
evil.”133 The gift of spirituality is acquired and cultivated by reason of use.
It is a gift whose fruits run over into all aspects of life. Seek to obtain it by
becoming spiritually self-sufficient, then seek further spiritual knowledge to
better equip yourself to serve others.
133 Hebrews
5:14
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TEMPORAL
CONSECRATION
Wo unto you rich men, that will not give your substance to
poor, for your riches will canker your souls; and this shall be
lamentation in the day of visitation, and of judgment, and
indignation: The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and
soul is not saved!
D&C 56:16
the
your
of
my
The early Saints failed to live the United Order. Some think that our
covenant to consecrate our time, talents, and energies is a dormant promise
awaiting the activating request of a priesthood leader: a lower law to prepare
us to be able to live the United Order in the future. Such couldn’t be further
from the truth. The community-centric United Order has been replaced by
the individual-centric policy we live today. Instead of giving all of our means
to the Bishop, and explicitly receiving in return what we need for survival and
to increase our ability to produce, we are expected to use our agency to decide
how to best use our means for the building of the kingdom.
The United Order was not a fullness of the law of consecration, but was
the lesser law of Moses to preparate us for living the fullness. Under the
United Order, a selfless and spiritual Bishop was needed to be steward over
the temporal affairs of the Saints. Today, each Saint is expected to be selfless
and spiritual. We are each our own personal United Order Bishops. We are the
ones who the Lord entrusts to decide on the disposition of ninety percent of our
finances. We are the ones who the Lord entrusts to decide on the disposition
of our time outside of church meetings and explicit priesthood assignments.
We are the ones who the Lord entrusts to decide how to magnify our gifts and
talents, and how to best use them for the building of the kingdom. If you have
never considered this before, your life should be forever changed. The duty
that rests on each of us is immense.
The center of the United Order was temporal consecration—but seeking
for riches has a bad connotation. Should temporal concerns be the focus of
our contemporary consecration?
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Holiness to the Lord
The scriptures teach that the love of money is the root of all evil.134 Yet,
without money, the service we can give is quite limited. Though it is quite true
that there are many ways of serving that don’t cost anything, it would be quite
a challenge to find a resource that does not require either time or money to
obtain or dispense. And time and money are one and the same. Goods require
money. Skills require time. Service can require both. Your temporal decisions
factor into your service abilities, as your temporal surpluses and skills (or lack
thereof) will dictate what services you can afford to give.
Temporal consecration is the pecuniary application of the consecration formula. First, you obtain enough money to meet your own needs. Then, enough
for your family. After the needs of your family are met, you can focus on the
needs of others. This noble intent is artfully put by Nephi: “The laborer in
Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for money they shall perish.”135 You
can seek money while still laboring for Zion, but your end and means will differ
from those who labor for money only. Those who labor for money, who are
many in the Church, are described by Brigham Young in this manner: ”The
Latter-day Saints, in their conduct and acts with regard to financial matters,
are like the rest of the world. The course pursued by men of business in the
world has a tendency to make a few rich, and to sink the masses of the people
in poverty and degradation. Too many of the Elders of Israel take this course.
No matter what comes they are for gain—for gathering around them riches;
and when they get rich, how are those riches used? Spent on the lusts of the
flesh.”136
How do we seek riches righteously? What are the needs of our family?
How much of our riches are we entitled to? We can certainly go too far.137
Surely we should be justified in spending some of them on creature comforts for
ourselves. But where should we draw the line? Brigham Young said, “We may
foster the idea that we have nothing more than we need; but such a notion is
entirely erroneous, for our real wants are very limited. What do we absolutely
need? I possess everything on the face of the earth that I need, as I appear
before you on this stand.”138 Carnegie suggested that:
the man of wealth [ought to] set an example of modest, unostentatious living, shunning display or extravagance; to provide moderately for the legitimate wants of those dependent upon him; and,
after doing so, to consider all surplus revenues which come to him
simply as trust funds, [to be used] to produce the most beneficial results for the community. (Andrew Carnegie, “The Gospel of
Wealth”)
On another occasion, he said,
134 1
Tim 6:10
Nephi 26:31
136 JD: 11:347
137 ”The earth is here, and the fullness thereof is here. It was made for man; and one man
was not made to trample his fellowman under his feet, and enjoy all his hearts desires, while
the thousands suffer.” (Brigham Young, JD 19: 46-47)
138 JD 13:300
135 2
68
TEMPORAL CONSECRATION
We are met here with the difficulty of determining...what is modest,
unostentatious living; what is the test of extravagance....The rule in
regard to good taste in dress of men or women applies here. Whatever makes one conspicuous offends the canon. (Andrew Carnegie,
”The Gospel of Wealth”)
In Carnegie’s opinion, if you live better than the general population, you are
spending too much on yourself. Cowper penned it this way,
He that holds the golden mean
And lives contentedly between
The little and the great,
Feels not the wants that pinch the poor,
Nor the plagues that haunt the rich man’s door. (William Cowper,
“Golden Nuggets of Thought,” Vol III, Ezra L. Marler, Bookcraft,
SL, 1958, 129)
Two verses give us a juxtaposition of both righteous prosperity, and sinful
prosperity. In Alma 1:29-30 we read of a group that, despite their “exceeding
riches,” they did not “set their hearts upon” them. Not setting their hearts
upon them is explained as
not send[ing] away any who were naked, or that were hungry, or
that were athirst, or that were sick, or that had not been nourished...therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both
bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or
in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood
in need.
Contrast this to the group in Alma 4:6, who experienced the same prosperity
via industry as the former group, but without projecting that prosperity to
others. God does not give us an abundance for our own comfort. He gives
us an abundance to bless others. The Lord said, “How hardly shall they that
have riches enter into the kingdom of God,”139 but was he suggesting that no
one should seek to be rich, or rather was he suggesting that the purpose of
riches are not to exalt the owner, but to impart to the needy? I would contend
that those who have the opportunity to acquire riches (in order to use them
for good), and do not magnify that ability are “idl[ing] away th[eir] time”
and “burying th[eir] talent that it may not be known.”140 They waste the
gifts God has given them, which is not only slothful, but wicked.141 Brigham
Young said, “Preserve all you can, that you may have abundance to bless your
friends and your enemies.”142 What President Kimball preached years ago is,
I believe, just as applicable today. He was quite worried about the temptation
to accumulate wealth for our own comfort and not for the benefit of others.
139 Luke
18:24
60:13
141 Matthew 25:26
142 Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 14:44
140 D&C
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Holiness to the Lord
The Lord has blessed us as a people with a prosperity unequaled in
times past. The resources that have been placed in our power are
good, and necessary to do our work here on the earth. But I am
afraid that many of us have been surfeited with flocks and herds
and acres and barns and wealth and have begun to worship them
as false gods, and they have power over us.
Do we have more of these good things than our faith can stand?
Many people spend most of their time working in the service of a
self-image that includes sufficient money, stocks, bonds, investment
portfolios, property, credit cards, furnishings, automobiles, and the
like to guarantee carnal security throughout, they hope a long and
happy life.
Forgotten is the fact that our assignment is to use these many
resources in our families and quorums to build up the kingdom
of God—to further the missionary effort and the genealogical and
temple work; to raise our children up as fruitful servants unto the
Lord; to bless others in every way, that they may also be fruitful.
Instead, we expend these blessings on our own desires, and as Moroni said, ‘Ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet
suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and
the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not.’ (Morm. 8:39.)”
(Spencer W. Kimball, “The False Gods We Worship,” Tambuli,
Aug 1977, 1, paragraphs modified)
Avocado trees are an interesting plant. As saplings, their sensitive bark
cannot bear the full force of the sun. They must be grown in the partial shade
of a taller tree until they are mature. The baby avocado tree does not care
how much taller the taller tree is, only that it has more height than it does.
The role of the larger tree is analogous to the role that Beecher claims belongs
to those with surplus money. “If any man is rich and powerful, he comes under
the laws of God by which the higher branches must take the burning of the
sun, and shade those that are lower; by which the tall trees must protect the
weak plants beneath them.”143 I would take Mr. Beecher’s point and change
it just a little. If a man has any means, he comes under the law of God to
shade any who have less than he does. I remember the unflinching example of
my grandfather who for years operated a small construction business. Even in
the worst of times, he was always charging poor customers less than market
rates, many times spending more money on materials and labor than he would
make on the job, because the customer was worse of than he was.
The more wealth we have, the more wealth we can use to bless others. To
seek riches for the building of the kingdom is to seek riches so that you can do
more for more people than you currently can. God may or may not bless you
with opportunities, but you can make the most of whatever comes your way.
143 “Golden
Nuggets of Thought,” Vol III, Ezra L. Marler, Bookcraft, SL, 1958, 131
70
TEMPORAL CONSECRATION
Riches, along with the other qualities which can be consecrated, are different from Church positions in that our ability, and not our assignment, determines our stewardship.
The more we are blessed with means, the more we are blessed with
responsibility; the more we are blessed with wisdom and ability,
the more we are placed under the necessity of using that wisdom
and ability in the spread of righteousness, the subjugation of sin
and misery, and the amelioration of the condition of mankind. The
man that has only one talent and the man that has five talents have
responsibility accordingly. If we have a world of means, we have
a world of responsibility. (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses
9:172)
Sacrifice is a law of heaven, and by sacrifice we can do much good in the
kingdom. But consecration is a higher law. The difference? To sacrifice is to
give away; to consecrate is to make holy. When you are seeking to accumulate
wealth, the more you sacrifice, or do without, the more wealth you can use to
consecrate, or use for holy purposes. Temporal consecration is not just about
sacrifice. Use your riches not to build bigger barns to store them in, but live
modestly and view the wealth as it really is—a stewardship given to you in
trust from God, given you to administrate and bless others with, much better
than they could have blessed themselves. If you find yourself with money, and
don’t see a clear way you can use it to build the kingdom, give it away. Brigham
Young said, “If I have wealth and cannot use it to the glory of God and the
building up of his Kingdom, I ask the Lord to take it from me.”144 Give it to
the Church; to the missionary program or the humanitarian aid program or
the perpetual education program. If you do it, you will still be counted as a
just steward, because the Church will double the Lord’s talent, whereas if you
use it to build an unnecessarily large house, or an unnecessarily fancy car, or
an unnecessary boat, etc., you will be counted as an unjust steward, who made
no usury on the talent given, and even what you have will be taken away. The
more money you have, the stronger the pull will be to spend more than you
need.
In preparing for others, we can either adopt the passive approach or the
proactive one. If we choose the first, it is likely that we will squander much of
our means for our own comfort, waiting for the Bishop to ask to use something
of ours for church business. If we choose the latter, we will prepare for unseen
emergencies not only for ourselves, but for those around us, starting with our
family. In the absence of such emergencies, we use our surplus money to create
situations whereby the poor are given opportunities to improve themselves. In
recent times, many people who have mortgages have abandoned their homes
for inability to make the payments. I wonder how many of these homeowners
could have saved their dignity and honored their loan if they had prepared
for a rainy day; If they had purchased the smallest, humblest home that met
their needs; If they had lived within their means; If they had family members
144 Brigham
Young, Journal of Discourses 13:280
71
Holiness to the Lord
who saved what they could in the event that someone might need extra cash.
Don’t live beyond your means, expecting the Church or the government to bail
you out if you run into an unexpected loss of income or emergency expenses.
When you do, you put an unnecessary burden on your responsible family and
friends, who might be living a lower standard of living just to be equipped to
help you in time of need.
While on a mission, I noticed that some Elders would let their bills go
unpaid. New Elders who moved in after them were expected to pay off the
previous tenants’ bills. We received a very humble allotment for food, transportation, and utilities. It was scarcely enough to buy the necessities of life,
and frequently we would have to walk for hours to reach our appointments because we didn’t have enough money for transportation. Nevertheless, I found
that if I ate Spartan meals, such as boiled barley or oat bran with powdered
milk, I could save money to prepare for the other Elders’ fiscal mistakes. I
found myself in several situations where I was faced with enormous utility bills
that I would not have been able to pay without my preparation. This attitude
also allowed me to support a fellow missionary for a month when he was robbed
and had no money for food. At the end of the mission, I had saved a small
amount of money that I no longer needed, and I turned it into the mission
office.
I have followed this same pattern in normal life. I have adopted a simple
standard of living. Whenever I am blessed with more money than I need to
maintain my financial obligations, I put the money aside. I have encountered
a few times when I needed money unexpectedly, and many more times when I
have had an opportunity to help a family member or friend in need.
I have a relative who taught me a great lesson. He lived on a humble fixed
income and lived in modest accommodations. I went to visit him once, and
in our conversations we arrived on the topic of giving. I said that I would be
glad once my college loans were paid off, because then I would be able to help
others. He said, “You can give a dollar. I don’t think I’ve ever been so hard
off that I can’t give a dollar.” I’ll never forget the lesson. You see, sometimes
we put off helping others because we judge their needs as less important than
our wants, and this makes it seem that we have nothing to give. In fact, if the
tables were turned, I’m sure it would be easier to separate our needs from our
wants, and, perhaps more importantly, to value the needs of another over our
wants.
Remember the words of King Benjamin? “And again, I say unto the poor,
ye who have not and yet have sufficient, that ye remain from day to day; I mean
all you who deny the beggar, because ye have not; I would that ye say in your
hearts that: I give not because I have not, but if I had I would give.”145 There
is a difference between having not and having little. The mission example is
valid. Perhaps some would say it was extreme for me to eat such meager meals.
But was it not better for me to eat less, if it prevented the missionary who was
robbed from having nothing? Can you see how that lesson applies to everyday
life? We ought to control our desires in preparation for the needs of others.
145 Mosiah
4:24
72
TEMPORAL CONSECRATION
In our search for wealth, we must keep the proper perspective. If we fail to
remember the Lord, we will fall into the sin of ingratitude. With ingratitude
comes increased temptation to abandon the law of the gospel in our financial
decisions, leading us to make unjust business deals or break the Sabbath, for
instance. The greatest blessing of all is the blessing of eternal life, and no
financial choice is worth jeopardizing this supernal gift. Take care not to trade
the kingdom for a mess of pottage.146 Remember the Lord in plenty as as well
as in little. Remember what the Lord said to the Israelites, who he had freed
from bondage and brought to the land of promise:
When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord
thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.
Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping
his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I
command thee this day:
Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly
houses, and dwelt therein;
And when they herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and
thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;
Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God,
which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house
of bondage;
Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein
were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was
no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of the flint;
Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew
not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to
do thee good at thy latter end;
And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand
hath gotten me this wealth.
But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth
thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which
he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. (Deuteronomy 8:10-18)
The Lord warned the Israelites that comfort impedes spirituality. It is good
to have sufficient means to give you time and disposition to work on spiritual
things, but the more wealth you have, the harder it is to keep your devotions
on the Lord, and not on your money. Perhaps that is one reason why the Lord
said, “That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.”147 The
Book of Mormon contains many instances of the people growing rich, then
forgetting God. “But they grew proud, being lifted up in their hearts, because
of their exceedingly great riches; therefore they grew rich in their own eyes,
146 Genesis
147 Matt
25:30-34
19:23
73
Holiness to the Lord
and would not...walk uprightly before God.”148 The secret to staying righteous
amid riches is realizing that they are not your own, and they are given for the
purpose of building the kingdom of God.
Perhaps the best step towards enabling yourself to live consecrated financially is to live within your means. This means that the necessities of survival
and simplicity should be stronger voices in your spending and saving than the
latest style and the status quo. Take, for example, a positive example from
the Book of Mormon. “And they did impart of their substance, every man
according to that which he had, to the poor, and the needy, and the sick, and
the afflicted; and they did not wear costly apparel, yet they were neat and
comely.”149 By wearing humble clothing they had more money to help others.
Their happiness was not affected by their clothes. Happiness is not determined
by what you get, but what you give. Happiness is not the result of external
circumstances. If you cannot have what you want, perhaps you can limit what
you want to what you have.
How many of us, in times of plenty, will maintain a standard of living that
permits a financial surplus to be saved or invested? “To be prudent and saving,
and to use the elements in our possession for our benefit and the benefit of
our fellow beings is wise and righteous; but to be slothful, wasteful, lazy and
indolent, to spend our time and means for naught, is unrighteous.”150 It would
help to remember our higher purpose in life.
We are organized for the express purpose of controlling the elements, of organizing and disorganizing, of ruling over kingdoms,
principalities, and powers, and yet our affections are often too
highly placed upon paltry, perishable objects. We love houses, gold,
silver, and various kinds of property, and all who unduly prize any
object there is beneath the celestial world are idolators. (Brigham
Young, Journal of Discourses 2:257)
Some would justify their selfishness by declaring that they are entitled to
the good things in the earth. There is nothing wrong with the ox eating some
of the corn that he treads out,151 but generally we are too quick to reward
ourselves for all our hard work. In reality, it was God’s providence that has
blessed us with what we have, always to see what we would do with it. Instead
of considering the situation of sufferers worldwide, we go and buy something
we don’t need. This is seeking riches to quench our lust for mammon. Like
any carnal desire, it is not quenched but stoked every time we gratify it, like
tossing another log onto a dying fire.
Whether you are rich or poor, your economic efficiency is paramount. To
the wealthy who waste their earning potential on frivolous pursuits and creature comforts goes the same judgment as to the poor who waste table scraps.
Unfortunately, our decisions on the appropriateness of our expenditures are
148 Alma
45:24
1:27
150 Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 16:16
151 Deuteronomy 25:4
149 Alma
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TEMPORAL CONSECRATION
usually based on either how much or how little we earn, always to the extreme. For example, the poor man says, “I am going to splurge on my credit
cards for a vacation, because I work so hard and never have any money.” The
well-paid woman says, “Since I make so much in a day, I can make what I need
to finance my lifestyle in 11 months and spend a month on vacation.” In the
first example, the poor man spends money he does not have on a vacation he
should not take. If he is going to go into debt, he should use it for something
which will magnify his earning potential. As it stands, his extra debt will
increase his need to stay exactly where he is, since he is now even further in
the red and an even greater sacrifice is needed to afford the training which will
improve his earning potential. In the latter example, the woman completely
ignores the fact that her earning potential is a stewardship from God. It has
been given, not for her to indulge in the greatest level of comfort possible, but
to see how she will use it to help others. In this example, she fails openly.
Working just one extra day of her planned vacation will allow for quite some
surplus income, which can be used to help those in need. Of course, everyone
needs a break, but as explained elsewhere in this book, the break should never
be larger than it needs to be.
Wealth does not necessarily go to the righteous, as riches will be distributed
as God deigns to distribute, but you can make the most of the stewardship
you obtain. Remember the parable of the talents. In your search for honest
wealth, you should remember our motives. Jacob said,
But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God. And
after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if
ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to
clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted. (Jacob
2:18-19)
Helaman’s son Nephi explains that the unrighteous road to wealth is to forget
God and “get gain, to be praised of men, and that ye might get gold and sliver.
And ye have set your hearts upon the riches and the vain things of this world.”
Those who are seeking riches for the wrong reasons are willing to “murder, and
plunder, and steal, and bear false witness against [their] neighbor, and do all
manner of iniquity”152 in order to get them.
Get all the wealth you can righteously get, and use it to do good.
152 Helaman
7:21
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EDUCATION
We are so organized that we can learn but little at a time, and the
little we do learn should be that kind of knowledge which will bring
to us as individuals and as a community, temporal and eternal
salvation.
Brigham Young153
While I was at Airborne School I was having serious problems with the
extensive running required of all students. I had never been a good runner,
and we had to run at a set pace for about 5 miles per day. I was worried that I
would not be able to keep up and get kicked out of the school. I didn’t want to
be there in the first place, and the physical intensity was just another reason
to make me want to go home. I prayed about staying, and promised the Lord
that if he wanted me to stay, and let me know that he wanted me to stay, I
would make it, no matter what. I knew that he had promised that if it was
his will, there would be a way to do it.154 He told me very clearly that he
wanted me to stay. I was very confused. I thought and thought, searching for
any reason that I should stay, and I could only come up with the fact that the
people who sent me knew I was Mormon. I thought my quitting would give
them a bad impression of the Church.
I resolved that I would stay, no matter what, and that I would complete
the runs. I knew it would take more tenacity than I had, but that God would
give me the ability to push past my natural ability. The next morning came,
and I made the run. My celebration was short-lived, however, because as we
headed to the mess hall, I felt an intense pain in my knee. I had never felt so
much pain in my life. Let me here explain that, besides the daily formation
runs, all students at airborne school had to run everywhere they went; To the
mess hall; To the training sites; To the barracks. You weren’t allowed to walk.
I talked to the instructor as soon as I had the chance, and explained that I
was injured and needed medical attention. He said that I was not allowed to
go to the hospital. If I did, he would send me home for refusal to train. I
153 JD
11:12
it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things
which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto
the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the
thing which he commandeth them. (1 Nephi 3:7)
154 And
77
Holiness to the Lord
remembered the promise I had made, and prayed with all my heart—not for
the pain to go away, but for strength to bear it for the rest of the duty day,
until I could get to a hospital. After breakfast we were informed that a high
profile guest was coming to the base, so we would spend the afternoon picking
weeds and trash from a field. I rejoiced, knowing that we would be spared the
normal routine of running all over the place and jumping off of things.
That evening I went to the hospital. On the way, I prayed to God and
said that if the doctor said that bearing this injury would cause permanent
damage, I would go home. If it would just be painful, I would stick it out
somehow. The doctor examined me and explained the problem. He said I
needed to go home and use crutches for at least a month before the pain would
go away. I asked him what would happen if I continued training. He looked at
me in shock, and explained how much it would hurt. I asked him if it would
leave permanent damage. He said it would not, but was still in shock that I
was considering staying, especially because airborne students were not allowed
narcotic pain relievers. I left the hospital, sure that God wanted me there.
That was a Friday. I spent the entire weekend in my bed. Monday morning
I limped down the barracks steps and braced for our run, which I anticipated
would be the most painful experience of my life. Before I had struggled with
just the physical strain of running. Now, it would be coupled with an intense
stabbing pain in my knee whenever pressure was placed on it. Somehow I
made it despite the pain. By Wednesday, my knee felt fine. I completed the
school and went home.
For the entire year following, I wondered why the Lord wanted me to stay
at that school. That following fall, I would learn why. I had left for a mission
to Chile. As a zone activity, we had driven out to the mountains. On a dare,
I stupidly decided to climb a cable bridge which stretched across a river. I
rationalized my decision by noting that the river wasn’t very wide, and I had
recently navigated much more difficult obstacles in military training. I would
have crossed without incident, but I decided to stop halfway and pose for a
picture. Instead of just pausing on the wire, with my feet interlocked over the
wire and my hands supporting the rest of my weight, I decided to unlock my
feet and hang by just my hands. The missionary taking the picture took a
very long time to figure out how to work the camera. After what felt like a few
minutes, he took the picture. I tried to get my feet back up to continue the
crossing. But I was too tired. My hands were beginning to slip. It was only
then that I thought about how high I was off the ground. I looked down and
noted that the ground was covered with boulders. I thought that if I dropped,
I would surely break my legs, and miss out on the rest of my mission. I felt so
foolish and angry at myself. I pleaded with the Lord to make the most of the
situation somehow. The skin on my hands began to tear and bleed. I dropped.
From that height, anyone would have hit the boulders and broken at least
one leg. I executed a parachute landing fall, specifically designed to absorb
the force of a man dropping at 25 miles per hour without any injury—the
equivalent of a 13 foot drop. I was higher than that, but somehow the only
injury I had was my bleeding hands. I knew in that moment why the Lord had
78
EDUCATION
told me to stay at Airborne School. I still felt incredibly stupid for risking a
mission on such a stunt, but I was incredibly grateful for the preparation I had
received at Airborne School, without which I would not have served longer than
2 months. “Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I
say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass;
and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.” This scripture
has special meaning for me. I thought Airborne School was foolishness, but I
was confounded, as a great thing came to pass.
Like my Airborne experience, long periods of preparation can make all the
difference in a moment of opportunity. There is usually much preparation for
seemingly short, even instantaneous events in life. That is how life goes. As
the value of money is defined by the quality and quantity of goods you can
exchange for it, the value of time is the value of the preparation you can use
it for. The more advantageous an experience is, the more time and energy it
is worth using to prepare for it.
Early in life, there are far less valuable experiences to be had. A child may
spend an entire day sleeping, eating, and playing. Perhaps those are the only
options. As the child grows, he can begin to acquire new skills. He learns to
walk. He learns to speak. He learns to read. Now he must choose between
playing and reading, speaking and walking. In adolescence, he can earn money
or go out with friends, practice piano or ride his bike, learn math or play games,
among many other options. As life moves on, more high-value experiences are
options. Previous decisions and preparations begin paying dividends as current
opportunities are only possible because of prerequisite preparation. The piano
skills sure came in handy on the mission, and now he is enrolled in college,
which wouldn’t be a possibility without the income from the piano lessons he
gives three times per week. A few years later, he marries and has his first child.
His preparation in seminary, institute, the mission, and private study were all
necessary to make him the sort of man worthy for such a wonderful wife. His
preparation has honed him to take the first steps into the lifetime of service
which is fatherhood. And so on with careers, future service, and anything of
meaning in life. All future experiences build on prior preparation.
Chances are that your time will become much more limited the older you
get, and it will be harder to spend large amounts of time on things that don’t
have an immediate payoff. Contrast this with youth. How long did it take for
you to learn how to read your first language? Would you spend that much
time for anything now? Yet, was it worth it then? A young child may detest
piano practice, but they are much more suited for it, since, as they get older,
the time cost to learn increases, while the payoff doesn’t change much. The
time cost increases because there are so many things to do which will yield a
high and quicker return on investment. For the adolescent there are dates to
go on, paid work to do, and college classes to take. For the married person,
there is a career to tend to, a family to watch over, etc. For a woman with
children, going back to school requires a great deal more financial and time
sacrifice than it would if she didn’t yet have children.
Most preparation does not have a quick turnaround. Many of the significant
79
Holiness to the Lord
sacrifices you make for future gain will have a high initial cost, and a low
payout. But the payout will continue for the rest of your life, providing many
times over the original cost in resources. For example, a mission requires a
great deal of sacrifice, hard work, and even suffering. But the missionary who
gives his all will reap substantial rewards for the rest of his life. Another
example is getting a degree in a worthwhile field. It may cost four years or
more of your time, and more money than you probably have on hand. But,
if you choose your major wisely, you will have a secure income for the rest of
your life because of your sacrifice. As the Savior said,“wisdom is justified of
her children.”155 The probable fruits of your actions should be the deciding
factor in how you spend your limited resources in preparation.
Thus, the more you prepare, and the earlier you do it, the better off you
will be.
The race of life is so important, the prize so valued, that great emphasis must necessarily be placed on adequate and thorough preparation. When we contemplate the eternal nature of our choices,
preparation is a vital factor in our lives. The day will come when
we look upon our period of preparation and be grateful that we
properly applied ourselves. (Thomas S. Monson, “Great Expectations,” CES Fireside, Jan 11, 2009)
In some vocations, one must spend more than a decade in specific preparation. A person cannot meander through general courses and somehow end up
a lawyer. A potential doctor can’t start one sort of degree and continuously
change his mind and switch to others. At some point, one must commit to
a path and stick to it. Typically, the more worthwhile the destination, the
earlier one must plan for and commit to it. The longer you wait, the harder it
will be, and the less time you have left. That being said, there is no limit to
where you can go, if you are willing to pay the price.
Whenever we learn, we should recognize that it is the Holy Ghost that
allows us to do it. If we tailor the environment so that it invites the Holy
Ghost, we will be sure to increase his presence, and increase our learning. If
prayer helps you learn while studying the scriptures, would it not also help
while studying math? I’ve never heard anyone say they feel the Spirit when
they integrate, but if the Spirit testifies of truth, he can help you to learn
anything that is true. If the Spirit is present, you will study with an ability
greater than your own. It is difficult to seek spiritual learning without inviting
the Spirit. The effects of the Spirit, including quickening of the mind, will help
you study more effectively. President Eyring said, “That spiritual element,
when it is effective, refines and uplifts the aims of our total education.”156
A simple way to invite the Spirit into your study sessions is by reading the
scriptures in between study tasks. If you recognize that it is the Spirit who is
teaching you, you will avoid studying for school on Sundays. To do so would
be to try to obtain a favor from One who you are offending. Another way of
155 Matt
11:19
B. Eyring, “Education for Real Life,” Ensign, May 2002, p16
156 Henry
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looking at it is that you are attempting to obtain a blessing by pursuing the
opposite condition upon which it is predicated.
Education is preparation when education is for a pragmatic purpose, as
opposed to for entertainment value. There are two main types of education:
formal and informal.
For most, formal education is one of the greatest temporal preparations
that can be undertaken. The main question is simply, what to study? The
answer to this lies in another question: why study in the first place? Some
study the subjects that they like. Some go to college because that is what
other people do. Some go because of parental pressure. Some go because they
don’t know what else to do. Some study a subject because it is easy. Pursuing
education for any of these reasons make it less likely that you will achieve
your vocational potential. We don’t go to college because our parents said to,
because everyone else is doing it, or because we have no plans for life. We go
to college to learn skills which will empower us to better build the kingdom.
What we choose to study, therefore, should be the subject which best fulfills
that purpose.
There are many educational paths which will bring us closer to God and
those that will injure our spirituality. This could be a result of the schedule
necessary to attain them, the location and environment of learning, the cost
of learning, or the subject matter.157 Moroni taught that
every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe
in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye
may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God. But whatsoever
thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and
deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect
knowledge it is of the devil; (Moroni 7:16-17)
If any educational decision will increase your distance from God, it is not worth
pursuing. “It is clear that our first priority should go to spiritual learning. For
us, reading the scriptures would come before reading history books. Prayer
would come before memorizing those Spanish verbs. A temple recommend
would be worth more to us than standing first in our graduating class.”158 If
your educational goals cause you to fail to meet spiritual duties, they are not
worth the cost of pursuing.
These generalities aside, to specifically know what field of study will best
prepare you for building the kingdom, you must consider your specific duties
in the kingdom.
To the men: You seek training in skills which will make you more marketable to an employer, and thus more able to support a family and finance
service to others. Your choice of study is really a choice of career. And your
157 Subject matter can only be detrimental to our spirituality when it is false. Our religion
embraces everything which is true. But there are many teachings which are clearly false
when seen in the light of the gospel. For example, many seek to solve the social problems of
the world while denying the validity of the eighth commandment.
158 Henry B. Eyring, “Education for Real Life,” Ensign, May 2002, p17
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choice of career is really a choice of how much and in what way you will serve
in this life. This subject is addressed more fully in a later chapter. Choose
your career wisely.
You have the responsibility to financially support not only yourself and your
family, but also to help all those you can. Elder Oaks said, “In our educational
choices we should prepare to support ourselves and those who may become
dependent upon us.”159 Elder Robert D. Hales said, “obtain an education and
vocational training to prepare [yourself] for a profession that will sustain [you]
and [your family].”160
In considering essential questions such as what to study and where, don’t
forget to consider how much school will cost compared to how you will earn in
your employment. A rule of thumb is to select a major where you will qualify
for employment which will pay you enough in the first one or two years of
employment to have paid your entire cost of education. If the cost of tuition
is several times what you would make in that field’s annual salary, consider
another major which is more worth your time and money. There are a lot of
vocations which pay in the first year enough to cover the full cost of one or
more degrees. This is one application of a parable that Jesus taught about the
cost of being a disciple:
For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first,
and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest
haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish
it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began
to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make
war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth
whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh
against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet
a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions
of peace. (Luke 14:28-32.)
Resources in making these cost calculations include the school’s website,
government labor outlook booklets (which contain annual salaries, job descriptions, and educational requirements for almost every job), and current job
listings.
Once you have settled on a prospective career, choose electives which will
better prepare you for that specific job. Even if you haven’t made a final
decision as to what career you will pursue, choosing classes based on a tentative
plan will better prepare you than blindly taking classes.
A good major is one which will prepare you for a job that will provide
for your family, give you time with your family, and allow you to serve in the
Church. After those basic requirements are met, further selection can be made
by considering your own strengths and weaknesses. You will be spending a
great deal of your life working, and it makes sense to pick a job which will help
159 Dallin
H. Oaks, “Learning and Latter-day Saints,” Ensign, April 2009, p24
D. Hales, “Seek and Attain the Spiritual High Ground in Life,” CES Fireside,
March 1, 2009
160 Robert
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you develop your weaknesses into strengths. For example, a job that requires
patience is a good fit for someone who lacks it. Or, a job requiring math skills
for someone who isn’t very good at math. Surely, spending so much time each
and every week will help you be better in those weak areas.
To the women: As a women you do not have a primary responsibility to
provide for your family, but to nurture them. You should choose your scholastic
path accordingly. You should choose the educational path which will make you
the best mother and wife.
You must take special care not to be snared by the trapping idea which
would lead you to believe that scholastic preparation in fields which are directly
applicable to managing a home are degrading. The truth is that these areas of
study will best prepare you to fulfill the responsibility to nurture, teach, and
raise children, as well as be a help meet for your husband. These duties are
the noblest and most joyful that you can undertake in your life.
The thirst for education that comes with the change the gospel
brings can be a blessing or a curse, depending on our motives. If
we continue to seek learning to serve God and His children better,
it is a blessing of great worth. If we begin to seek learning to exalt
ourselves alone, it leads to selfishness and pride, which will take
us away from eternal life. (Henry B. Eyring, “Education for Real
Life,” Ensign, May 2002, p16)
You will approach your education much differently if you are preparing to be a
mother and wife than you would if you were preparing to tackle the industry.
The former will lead you to choose based on what will best prepare you to be
a wife and mother. The latter may lead you to choose based on rigor of topic,
worldly honor, academic acclaim, and monetary remuneration.
All subjects are not created equal. Though practically any major will give
you something which is useful in the home, the disparity between the most and
least useful degrees for a homemaker would suggest that a majority of majors
are not worth the time and money. What will give you the guidance you need
to discern between them in prayerfully considering your purpose. If you chose
accounting, you would pick classes which would help you make strong family
financial decisions and keep tabs on accounts in the home. You would also
prepare to teach those skills to your husband and children. If you were taking
a teaching major, you would do it in preparing to teach your children. If you
were taking a math major, it would be to help your children in math, or even
home school them. If the major does not have primary application in the
home, then perhaps another major would be more appropriate.
If there is more than one option which meets these requirements, discrimination should be made according to which educational path could help you
secure the highest paying job if circumstances arose where you had to support
your family. Unfortunately, many female students use income potential as one
of the first discriminants in choosing a job. Income should not be a primary
deciding factor. It should only become an issue once a list of majors that would
help you become a better mother and wife has to be pared down. This list
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is so extensive that there should be quite a few majors that could support a
family on one income should the need arise.
Be careful in acquiring large sums of school debt if you are a single female
student. When you get married, those loans will put an additional stress on
your family without increasing your family’s earning power. Do all in your
power to work off your tuition as you go through school, even if it takes you
longer to obtain a degree. Your husband’s income, if substantial enough, will
be sufficient for you to eventually finish your degree after marriage. Even if
(and especially if) your husband’s income is not substantial enough to support
your continuing education, you are better off without the burden of debt.
To all: The goals you set in education will determine how you study. If
your goal is to get a good grade point average, you will study to do well on
evaluated assignments. If your goal is to learn skills which will assist you in
life, you will learn those skills through your own efforts independent of what
is taught in class or the text.
I suggest focusing on the latter. Grades certainly matter, but if you make
it your mission to master the useful part of the subjects you take, you will be
better off in the long run. Both spiritual and secular knowledge are only as
good as they are applicable. If your life or the lives of others will be no different
as a result of the knowledge, it really isn’t worth much. Trivial dates, facts,
and arcane obscurities are akin to fillers for your mind. In abstract, they are
neutral, but in practice, they are malignant, as they squander your limited time
and money from being used to obtain more beneficial knowledge. “Nothing
in education is so astonishing as the amount of ignorance it accumulates in
the form of inert facts.”161 Much of what we call education, isn’t. You would
do well to separate subjects which you are interested in from subjects that
will teach you something useful. The former is recreation, to be treated as
such in terms of priorities, and the latter is preparation, which has a much
higher priority level. Recreation is treated in a later chapter in detail. As
with any use of resources, put your greatest focus on the subjects which will
yield the greatest effect on your life. If you have to memorize something or
learn something for a test, than do it, but spend extra time seeking out and
internalizing those skills which will actually be useful in life. In the eternities,
we will have eons to learn everything there is to know about anything which
is true. But, even there, all our knowledge will center on and be delineated by
what is needful to build kingdoms, principalities, and powers. What we study
here should increase our ability to serve. It should prepare us for employment.
Education for the sake of education is nothing more than leisure, and subject
to the judgments which bound when leisure is an appropriate use of resources.
Don’t waste your time and the school’s resources—especially if it is a
Church school. Church universities are subsidized with tithing. There are
some very poor members of the Church in this world, and they are funding
schools with their widow’s mite—schools which their children probably have
no chance of attending. Keep that in mind the next time you are tempted to
enroll for a semester because you have no other plans, or take a class because
161 Henry
Adams, “The Education of Henry Adams”
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it sounds interesting. Show the same level of seriousness in your education as
the poor members of the Church show in funding it. Figure out your major,
complete your coursework as quickly as you are able, and get out into the job
market. College is not for leisurely general study. Know your purpose and act
accordingly. If you don’t have a major, make your purpose to find out what
to major in, and tailor your actions accordingly.
What you become in this life is determined by what happens outside the
classroom. I am not talking about homework. I am talking about proactively
taking charge of your education. One who does this sees the teacher not as a
master, but as a resource; sees the text not as a to-do list but as a resource for
answering questions. The syllabus does not determine his course of study. His
goals and interests do. He sees knowledge as a toolkit to solve problems.
You should always ask Heavenly Father to increase your abilities to aid
you in studying. Such a prayer would be in vain if you didn’t do your best to
show up to class (if classes help—there are some terrible ones out there), to
do your assignments, and to take extra time to study anything you don’t fully
understand. Remember that it is not the teacher’s job to dump his brain into
yours. His job is to create an environment where you can learn for yourself. As
Emerson said, “it is not instruction, but provocation, that I can receive from
another soul.”162
Don’t ask the Lord to give you good grades, but that he give you the
strength to study hard enough that you earn good grades. Take the example
of Alma, who asked for strength so that he could break the bands with which
he was bound.163 Ask God to give you strength to study as hard as you need to
in order to be successful. I have seen students who could study with ease, and
I have seen students not so blessed with book-smarts. The old fable about the
tortoise and the hare applies here. The degree doesn’t go to the one for whom
it is easy, but the one who has tenacity. Don’t be discouraged if you aren’t
book smart. You may have to study four times as long as your peers. You will
develop book smarts, but they may never develop your tenacity. That tenacity
is perhaps the greatest spiritual reward for education. Those who study hard
subjects are constantly forcing their body to do what the spirit wants it to.
The natural man has no interest in calculus! The ability to subdue the body
with the spirit is one of the principle skills we were born to learn.
An oft-cited scripture reads, “And if a person gains more knowledge and
intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he
will have so much the advantage in the world to come.”164 Perhaps I can take
liberty to apply the ideas of this verse to school, and render it, “if a person gains
more knowledge and intelligence in [school] through his diligence and obedience
than another, he will have so much the advantage in the [post-college] world
to come.” Perhaps in this application, the advantage is not necessarily what
you learned in your classes, but what you learned through your classes—the
tenacity you necessarily developed in order to do what you had to do to be a
162 Ralph
Waldo Emerson, Divinity School Address
14:26
164 D&C 130:19
163 Alma
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success. Your degree may qualify you for a job, but your tenacity and ability
to conquer challenges is what will make you a success in life.
Be smart about school. Research your professor options before choosing
classes. It may be the most important homework you’ll ever do. A good
professor can make the hardest subject simple, and a bad one can make the
easiest subject impossible.
Of course, most of the greatest learning we enjoy this life happens outside
of the classroom. With the internet, libraries, and other resources available, we
can learn almost anything about almost any topic for almost no money. Even
those further along the path of life still have many opportunities to improve
themselves. A father without a college degree can go back to school and then
motivate his child to do the same. A mother can learn an instrument and then
teach her child to play. A worker can learn a tough new technique and then
share it with her coworkers. The list of possibilities are endless. Every moment
we can fill with learning. But we have limited time in this life. What should
we study in our formal education?
We will have all of eternity to learn about everything our hearts may desire.
In this life, however, our main educational objective is to learn to subject our
body to our spirits. For this purpose were we born. Learning to learn is
learning to control our minds and focus them on improvement. Our spirits
grow as our minds grow. Learning how to subject our bodies to the desire of
our spirit is a part of becoming more like God.
All learning can and should be framed within the gospel. If it has no place
in building the kingdom, we have no time for it. This is more about motive
than content. Brigham Young explained it this way, “Our education should be
such as to improve our minds and fit us for increased usefulness; to make us of
greater service to the human family; to enable us to stop our rude methods of
living, speaking, and thinking.”165 In most cases, the subject is not what makes
it worthwhile or not, but the intended use of the knowledge. Just as righteous,
kingdom-building wealth is made of the same dollars as selfish, stewardshipdenying mammon wealth, kingdom-building learning could include the very
same subjects as empty, vain, waste-of-time learning. President Eyring said,
“when you put the spiritual things first in your life, you will be blessed to feel
directed toward certain learning, and you will be motivated to work harder.”166
In its proper frame, spiritual learning will always be first. That doesn’t
mean simply scripture study, but learning placed in an eternal perspective.
Spiritual learning really means learning that increases your ability to build
the kingdom. Knowing the proper motive will clarify the purpose of your
education, give you guidance in the path you should take in obtaining it, and
also aid in your learning. The Spirit will bless you with speed, depth, and
applicability in a greater measure than your unaided abilities.
True education is not an experience, but an attitude. A true learner will find
learning in all that he does. His entire life will become an informal education
experience. Every moment we can fill with learning. We can either choose
165 Brigham
166 Henry
Young, Journal of Discourses 14:83
B. Eyring, “Education for Real Life,” Ensign, May 2002, pp18-19
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explicit instructional activities like researching a particular topic or learning
a new area of math, or we can glean educational opportunities from small
changes in our everyday tasks. We can listen to scriptures while driving, listen
to audio books or talks while exercising, or make flash cards to expand our
vocabulary on our lunch break. While reading for entertainment, we could
note new words to memorize later. We can choose hobbies which increase our
knowledge, such as reading, writing, teaching, etc.
Intelligence is not the result of a college education, but of an unquenchable
thirst for light and truth. Any knowledge that exists is fuel for your educational
pursuits. Prioritize it according to your expectation of the needs of those
around you, and tenaciously seek after it. The stronger we are in the gospel,
the stronger will be our desire to learn not just the spiritual, but all things.
President Eyring said that Joseph Smith experienced this effect. “[He] had
essentially no formal schooling, yet the effect of the gospel of Jesus Christ on
him was to make him want to learn more so that he could be more useful to
God and to God’s children.”167
You never know when you will be able to use acquired knowledge to help
yourself or others. “We may live here year after year, and store up knowledge
all the time, and yet not have an opportunity of exhibiting it to others; it is on
hand; whenever the time comes it should be used.”168 This is the true end of
kingdom-building education, to give us more tools with which to serve others,
and to draw closer to God ourselves.
As we become more like God, we will become more capable of caring for
others as he does. Perhaps the service will come in the form of using the
knowledge to fulfill the needs of others. Or, perhaps the service will be passing
on what we have learned to others. Perhaps what you know took a lot of time,
money, or experience to learn. Perhaps in teaching another, you can pass on
your knowledge to someone who does not possess the skills, time, or means
to obtain it in the same way you did. Nephi was blessed with a foundational
knowledge of metallurgy, and to that was added additional instruction in the
trade from the Lord. Knowing that his people in the New World would not
have the same opportunities he had in learning those skills, he taught them.
“And I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all manner of
wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and
of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance.”169
Take the time to think about what you want to study. “Our Heavenly
Father expects us to use our agency and inspiration to examine ourselves and
our abilities and decide the educational course we should follow.”170 Whether
formally or informally, how much effort we spend on our education is a measure
of how consecrated our lives are, for God’s sole purpose in giving us our lives
and this world is so that we can improve, and improvement always starts with
an increase in knowledge.
167 Henry
B. Eyring, “Education for Real Life,” Ensign, May 2002, p14
Young, Journal of Discourses 6:274
169 2 Nephi 5:15
170 Dallin H. Oaks, “Learning and Latter-day Saints,” Ensign, April 2009, p24
168 Brigham
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The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be
under tribute.
Proverbs 12:24
As technology continues to advance, more and more jobs take longer and
more dedicated preparation. Gone is the day of the jack of all trades, master of
many. A young woman must decide if she is going to be a doctor years before
she will actually become one. Besides the grades needed to get into medical
school, there will be much of a financial, social, and comfort sacrifice that must
be prepared for. A doctor cannot afford to change her mind after obtaining
her degree. She has many loans to pay off, and will need a doctor’s salary to do
so. With the increase in required training it has become more difficult to pick
a good path. Because of how much time you will spend at work, the vocation
you choose will be a strong influence on who you become in life. Because of
the money you will make, it will also determine to a large degree your ability
and means to serve in the kingdom. How can you know what you want to do
for a living, or if you should change from your current occupation?
Most people today pick what they will end up doing by staying in their
comfort zone. Maybe you got a job from a family friend, and have stayed
there without thinking of what else may be out there. Maybe you stayed on
familiar ground, following in the footsteps of parents or siblings. Maybe you
did what you thought was easy. Maybe you decided to take a job in something
you like to do. Maybe you started doing something temporarily, but with the
increased financial demands you feel you can’t afford to change your path.
Almost nothing worthwhile in this life is easy. Doing something just because
it is easy is almost surely a mistake. It takes courage to look around and explore
options that would be better, even if they are harder. Remember, difficulty is
not a good decider.
You can’t get to the right answer without the right question. The real
question is not, “what should I do for a living” but, “what occupation would
allow me the greatest chance to build the kingdom, given my potential?” Note
that the answer to this question will be different for each person. Most any
occupation can be used to build the kingdom in one form or another. You must
prioritize your options based on what you really want out of life, and what will
get you closest to that goal. If you want to live in the Celestial Kingdom, than
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your vocational priorities are:
• First, make enough money to meet the needs of your family. Paul denoted
just how important this priority is by saying that “if any provide not for
his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the
faith, and is worse than an infidel.”171 It may comfort the father of the
home to note that the needs of a family are always less than the wants of
a family. Though the father has the responsibility of earning enough that
the needs are met, the family has a responsibility to curb their wants to
what is needful.
• Second, spend as much time as possible with your family. “The most
important of the Lord’s work that you will ever do will be the work you do
within the walls of your own home.”172 It can be difficult to understand
the need of spending time with your family, especially considering that
most people must choose a path of preparation while they are still single.
Work is to family life as a battery is to a toy. If you don’t have the toy, it
is difficult to know what sized battery would fit it. Likewise, the battery
is not the point of the toy, but a vehicle for helping it to do what it is
designed to do. Having a battery alone is worth nothing. If the battery
is bigger than what you need for the toy, it won’t fit, and you’ll have a
battery and no toy.
• Third, employment should provide resources (such as time, talents, and
money) for serving others. This includes the time and ability to serve in
Church callings.
• Fourth, seek work which will make you a better person. You will likely
spend the greater part of each week at work. This will be a great portion
of your life. Ensure that you get more than money out of your job. Your
work could strengthen weaknesses that you might have. It can provide
opportunities to serve others while at work. You can have many implicit
opportunities to bless the lives of your coworkers or customers by living
Christian principles. You can have explicit opportunities to bless others
that are specific to your job description.
• Lastly, choose work which motivates, inspires, and interests you. Perhaps
the choice is between a career where you would make much money and be
disinterested in your work, and a career where you would earn less money
(but still enough to support a family) and you will be developing a talent
the Lord has given you, or doing something you feel called to do. Money
isn’t everything. It has its place, but once the needs of your family are
met, you have to weigh your priorities in the balance and prayerfully pick
the option that will best empower you to build the kingdom. That is the
place you will find the most joy.
171 1
Tim 5:8
B. Lee, “Strengthening the Home,” p7
172 Harold
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I picture the selection process much like a computer search. You start with
the set of all possible jobs. The first criterion is making enough money to meet
the needs of your family. Suppose that disqualifies 50% of the jobs that are out
there. Continue by eliminating those jobs which prevent you from spending
the most quality time with your family. Then you focus on those that remain
which will allow you to serve in Church callings, and also prepare you to serve
others. And so on until you are in the enviable position of having to choose
from a few possible jobs which each meet all the criteria. You may wish to
add more criteria, and you definitely should pray about it.
How amazing it is to see that most people’s vocational priorities seem to
be quite different than the ideal. Most people seem to first ask themselves,
“what do I like to do?” It is only to these positions that they apply the next
question, “What am I qualified for?” Finally, from the dregs that are left, they
select whichever job pays the most.
There are several problems with this chain of priorities. First, what you
like to do has its proper place. But what you ought to do is almost never
what you want to do. Alma counseled his son, who had run after harlots,
“suffer not yourself to be led away by any vain or foolish thing.” He identified
that Corianton ought to have been preaching the gospel, but instead he had
done what he wanted to do, and the result was not only a complete waste, but
carried terrible consequences for Corianton and those to whom he showed a
bad example.173
Our ability to grit our teeth, roll up our sleeves, and do what is beneficial is
truly an attribute of God. It must be developed, and is strongly in opposition
to our natural tendencies. There are so many things which we enjoy, but are of
no real benefit to us. Consider a culinary example. If most kids were allowed
to eat anything they wanted, they might eat nothing but junk food. No child
wants to be obese. However, by following what they want in the short term,
they are choosing consequences that are contrary to what they want in the
long term. You do not work for fun. You work to build the kingdom. If you
aren’t building yourself or others, you shouldn’t be doing it.
You should always strive to take on us much challenge as possible, always
growing. The weightlifter that feels he is strong enough to stop growing is sure
to loose his strength. If you only do what you like to do in this life, you will
severely limit what you achieve and will certainly miss out on what you could
have been in this life. You will live off of what others give you, slowly rotting
through life, constantly on a downward spiral, until you look back on a wasted
life remorseful for what you have frittered away.
Second, what you qualify for has no bearing on the matter. In abstract, you
can qualify for nearly any position for which you are willing to qualify yourself.
In practice, obvious factors such as whether you are willing to make necessary
sacrifice to do so are the real limits to your qualification. For example, if you
are a single mom with four kids, and decide that you want to be a physician,
you will have to make extraordinary sacrifices in order to accomplish your
goal—not the least of which will be having enough faith in yourself to commit
173 Alma
39:11
91
Holiness to the Lord
a lot of time and money (probably in the form of commitment-creating debt)
to accomplish your goal. The more committed we must become in a decision,
the harder it is to just walk away, and the more faith it takes to move forward.
We should never give up on something just because it is difficult.
I grew up in a family where no one had gone to college. My parents would
interact with doctors and lawyers from time to time, and I had the impression
that these professionals were geniuses. I thought you had to be born with
great intelligence to do something like that. As I grew up, I met more and
more people that had gone to college. Finally, I had the courage to try it
myself. I didn’t think I would succeed. The more I tried, the more real
the possibility of success became. During my final year I began working at
a hospital. I met a lot of doctors, nurses, and technicians. Some were still
in their education, some were experienced members of the industry. I was
amazed to see that these were not people endowed with a mythical amount of
intelligence at birth. These were normal people who had just taken one step at
a time like anyone else. It just so happened they chose a path that not many
people choose to trod. There are many great occupations that are not doctor
and lawyer type jobs, I use these fields only as an example.
I know that some people do have natural abilities or temporal resources
greater than others. In most cases, however, the difference can be made up
with tenacity. If you are missing your arms, you probably won’t be the pushup
champion of the world. However, most handicaps, be they physical, temporal,
mental, or emotional, can be overcome to a large degree with determination
and faith. A friend of mine grew up wanting to become a lawyer. Near the
end of his undergraduate education, he broke his neck in an accident, and was
paralyzed from the neck down. Many of us would change our vocational plans if
we found ourselves in his position. He didn’t. With the support of his family,
and with humble but tremendous courage, he pushed forward. He qualified
himself for admission into a prestigious law school. I remember offering to
help him type one of the many papers that he had to write on assignment. He
declined the assistance. He had to type pages of papers one key at a time with
a stick in his mouth designed for that purpose. I never heard him complain
about it. He never even acted like he was doing anything special. If he can do
it, so can you. I’ve seen people with learning disabilities push through them to
become very successful vocationally and financially. Many, many poor people
have become very successful financially. You might have been dealt a different
hand of cards in the game of life, but you can make up for loses with faith and
hard work.
Think of the most elite position you can imagine. Now, think of what
people have to undergo to prepare for such a post. If you are willing to do the
same, you can do it—especially if you do it with your heart set on God, with
the intent to use whatever position you gain to bless the lives of everyone you
can.
Third, if you take out all the options that require additional training or
aren’t what you want to do, you are probably down to jobs which don’t even
meet your financial needs. If you are a father and a husband, such a situa92
OCCUPATION
tion demands your full dedication to rectify, since supporting your family is a
paramount duty. While basing a career choice solely on money is not optimal,
you are probably going to be better off than choosing based on what you like
to do or what you can do without any further preparation.
It is rare that someone has reconciled their vocation to all of the kingdom
building priorities outlined above. It is a shame because leaving even just one
unmet will lead to missed opportunities.
Besides those individuals who choose not to obtain training for a field, there
are those who choose careers with no thought about potential employment. A
good rule of thumb to identify these careers is to investigate how many years of
a starting salary would it take to repay the full cost of the education required.
If it is over one or two years, it is not a wise career. Some pick careers like that
because they hope they somehow they will be one of the few in that field that
get a job. Some just do it because it seems fun or less challenging than a more
profitable career. It is unwise to pick a limited job market or low pay scale.
It would be wise to choose a career that is in demand and that can support a
family. As for avoiding a challenging career, if you have already decided that
you have worked hard enough after the rigors of high school, then you probably
won’t accomplish much in this life. Once you crest a hill, the only way to go
is down.
Poor career choices will reduce the quality of life you live, but it doesn’t end
there. Besides the damage you are doing to your children by neglecting their
temporal needs, you are increasing the likelihood that they will grow up to be
just like you, and will perpetuate your poor choices in the next generation.
Most people do not enjoy their jobs, so don’t be shocked if you don’t feel
like you are on vacation when you are at work. However, if you follow these
suggestions, you will feel peace in knowing that you have dedicated your vocation to the Lord, no matter if you love your job or not.
Thrust a man into prison and bind him with chains, and then let
him be filled with the comfort and with the glory of eternity, and
that prison is a palace to him. Again, let a man be seated upon a
throne with power and dominion in this world, ruling his million
and millions and without that peace which flows from the Lord of
Hosts—without that contentment and joy that come from heaven,
his palace is a prison; his life is a burden to him; he lives in fear,
in dread, and in sorrow. But when a person is filled with the peace
and power of God, all is right with him. (Brigham Young, Journal
of Discourses 5:1-2)
With such an attitude, whatever we do at work, we do unto the Lord,
Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ,
doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service,
as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good
thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether
he be bond or free. (Ephesians 6:5-8.)
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Holiness to the Lord
This blessing would not be yours to claim if you arbitrarily selected a job
with no thought to service to the Lord.
If, instead of following these consecrated priorities, you submit to the
world’s priorities of work, you will find yourself missing out on precious family
time, the most important time you will ever spend. You may find yourself
making too little money to cover the needs of your family, which is one of your
main tasks if you are a father. You may find yourself losing chances to bless
the lives of others because of your hectic work schedule. You may find yourself
not attending Church or unwilling to accept Church callings because of your
priorities.
After a life of preaching the gospel, Alma’s son Corianton was in line to be
the bearer of the plates. He took a ship north to deliver provisions to another
people. He never returned. We do not know his exact reason for going. But
suppose that he went north as a businessman. Regardless of his reason for
not returning, he missed a tremendous service opportunity to be the custodian
of the plates which were eventually published as the Book of Mormon. How
many today choose an employment option which prevents them from reaching
their spiritual potential, either knowingly or unknowingly?
There are differences in how consecrated work must be approached in both
men and women. One reason that women may be tempted to leave the home
for work is the perceived power or short-term success they may see in a career,
compared to the perceived monotony and long-term dedication required in
raising a family. It should be noted that men should not go into the workplace
for the perceived power nor for the short-term success, nor to escape the duties
of home life. Men should go to work to fulfill a divine commandment to provide
for their families. The Lord blesses them, not because they are working, but
because they are doing what he has asked. Though the method of receipt may
be different, faithful women who resist the urge to leave the home, and whose
husbands provide an environment where they can fulfill their full-time role in
the home, will be blessed just as their husbands are. The men will grow the
most from doing what the Lord asks them to do, and the women will grow the
most from doing what the Lord asks them to do. True success in life comes
not from the career you pick, but from your seeking an interest in the work of
the Lord with all your heart, and structuring your life to make your greatest
attempt at it.
Consecrated vocational work is not just about what you choose as your
career. It is about how your work fits into your life, and what your life’s
purpose is. Consecration is focusing every element of your life to the Lord’s
work. Work is one such element. No matter your occupation, you can make it
holy to the Lord’s work.
J.S. Bach was a noted example of vocational consecration. Though he
earned a living from the music he composed, his objective was to worship
God. He recognized that he was building the kingdom when he wrote his
music. He knew that God had blessed him with the talent, and that only
through God would music come to him which was worthy of its purpose. Said
Bach, “God, who has not known a work of imperfection, must be most pleased
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OCCUPATION
with the most perfect art.”174 To that end, he began each composition by
writing “Jesu Juva” atop the blank paper. The translation: “Jesus help me.”
He concluded each piece by writing the letters “SDG,” which is an acronym
for “Only to God be the Glory.”
Another great example of this principle is Alma. He said that from the
time he had seen an angel, “even until now, I have labored without ceasing,
that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of
the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God,
and be filled with the Holy Ghost.”175 He clearly describes gospel work here.
But how could he have labored without ceasing in bringing souls to Christ if
we know that he also labored for his own support and worked as a government
official?176 At a very minimum, Alma saw his temporal work as a source
of funding for his missionary work. More likely, he took advantage of every
opportunity, whether in the field or in the judgment seat, to live Christian
principles and teach by example and precept the gospel of Jesus Christ, to the
greatest extent allowed by those who listened.
This totally consecrated view of life may seem like something new and
dramatic, but it isn’t. Voices from the past are a clarion call to return to
our fundamental roots of consecration. Consider a comment made of Wilford
Woodruff. Note how seamless were his ecclesiastical and temporal duties. All
his duties and actions were unified in their purpose—to build the kingdom:
In all of his thoughts and labors, whether secular or spiritual,
he sustained the same lofty inspiration. When he preached, he
preached in the name of the Lord, when he plowed he plowed for
the glory of God’s Kingdom. All that he said and all that he did
was to him but a unified whole in the dispensation of God’s purposes. Life to him, in its highest and best sense, was the fulfillment
of the Divine will. Wherever he was, whatever he was doing, he was
thinking of his Maker, with whom he worked, walked, and talked
in this life.” (“Wilford Woodruff,” Matthias Cowley, p181)
You might say that it would be easy for an Apostle to live a consecrated
life. After all, if your full-time responsibility is to be a witness of the Savior,
how hard could it be to make every action holy? It should first be remembered
that Wilford Woodruff lived a consecrated life far before he was called as an
Apostle. Second, keep in mind that Wilford Woodruff lived in a time when
much time was spent in obtaining the necessities of life. An Apostle was not
174 JS
Bach, quoted in Lawrence Kimbrough, “Words to Die For”
36:24
176 Now Alma said unto him: Thou knowest that we do not glut ourselves upon the labors
of this people; for behold I have labored even from the commencement of the reign of the
judges until now, with mine own hands for my support, notwithstanding my many travels
round about the land to declare the word of God unto my people. And notwithstanding the
many labors which I have performed in the church, I have never received so much as even
one senine for my labor; neither has any of my brethren, save it were in the judgment-seat;
and then we have received only according to law for our time. (Alma 30:32-33)
175 Alma
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Holiness to the Lord
exempt from the many manual labor tasks of building homes for himself and
others, farming, etc.
Are you confused about how he could plow for the glory of God’s Kingdom?
The secret is not only in the action, but the motive.
With God, and also with those who understand the principles of
life and salvation, the Priesthood, the oracles of truth and the gifts
and callings of God to the children of men, there is no difference
in spiritual and temporal matters—all are one.” (Brigham Young,
Discourses of Brigham Young, 8)
We are told that with God, there is no difference between the spiritual and
temporal commandments.177 When we do temporal things with a pure heart
and with the intent to build the kingdom, they are as holy to the Lord as our
home teaching or temple service. If your motives are focused on building the
kingdom, you will feel the Spirit of God in all that you do.
Zechariah understood this principle. He prophesied that one day even the
bells of the horses will be “HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD,” “Yea, every pot in
Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts.”178 How can
rudimentary work animals and plain vessels be considered holy? The purpose
of the animal and vessel determined its holiness. Nephi’s temple, though made
of less costly materials, served the same holy purpose as that of Solomon’s,
and was therefore just as holy.179
Building the kingdom is not just putting on a missionary plaque and a suit
and knocking doors. Building the kingdom is consecrating our time, talents,
means, and everything we have or could have to the establishment of a people
prepared to receive the Lord. Our whole purpose, even in work, is to help
ourselves and others improve and draw closer to God. Though we receive
money for our temporal work, the money is not our purpose, only a means
to our real end, the building of Zion. “But the laborer in Zion shall labor for
Zion; for they labor for money they shall perish.”180 I believe that we can
worship God by doing the best we can in whatever our craft.
God derives great joy from seeing his children magnify their talents, as
indicated in the parable of the talents. We possess a great capacity to give joy
to our Father by applying ourselves to excellence in our vocations.
177 D&C
29:35
14:20-21
179 And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple
of Solomon save it were not built of so many precious things; for they were not to be found
upon the land, wherefore, it could not be built like unto Solomon’s temple. But the manner
of the construction was like unto the temple of Solomon; and the workmanship thereof was
exceedingly fine. (2 Nephi 5:16)
180 2 Nephi 26:31
178 Zechariah
96
RECREATION
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of
thy sleep?
Proverbs 6:9
During his mortal ministry, the Lord asked, “Who then is that faithful and
wise steward?”181 He explains that a faithful and wise steward is one who
is found doing the Lord’s work when he returns. An unfaithful and foolish
steward is one who, endowed by his master with with instructions and the
capacity to fulfill them says “in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming” and
begins “to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be
drunken;”182 Although we may not find ourselves literally playing the part of
the debauched servant, many of us are certainly filling the role figuratively by
taking no thought or only a minor thought of the very purpose for which we
were born. Though we may claim to have the eternal purpose as our goal, we
do not live wholly to that end but merely figure that by having exaltation as
an afterthought we will somehow end up accepted of the Lord. We eat, drink,
and are merry, for tomorrow we will die and everything will be as we suppose.
Many of us are blessed with such circumstances that we are endowed not
only with the needs of survival, but with surplus time, money, and energy.
The Lord said, “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much
required:”183 We are all guilty, to some degree it seems, of squandering our
plenty on things which would surely not please the Lord. This is the sin of
living unto ourselves. This is the result of relegating eternity to an afterthought
instead of the center of our lives. This is the danger the Lord warned about in
the parable of the sower. “And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness
of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it
becometh unfruitful.”184 Living unto self makes impotent the power of the
gospel in the life of the individual and in the lives of those to whom he owes
responsibility.
“But,” you may say, “I work very hard, and I deserve a break!” Stop right
there.
181 Luke
12:42
12:45
183 Luke 12:48
184 Mark 4:19
182 Luke
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Holiness to the Lord
First, you don’t deserve anything. All that you have now was given to
you of the Lord. Anything you have become is either meant as a test to see
what you will do with your increase, or a simple result of your following his
commandments, or both. If you were to dedicate your entire life to others,
upon reaching the judgment bar, and seeing what the Lord is giving you in
exchange for whatever efforts you have exerted, you would still consider yourself
an unworthy servant.
Second, there is a difference between the “vain things of the world” which
Satan tempts you to seek and the “good things of the earth,” which are for
our use and benefit.
What is the difference? The good things of the earth give you comfort
sufficient for your needs, or the degree of comfort you need to sustain your
mission in building the kingdom of God. Building the kingdom is building
treasures in heaven. The intelligence you help another to develop, the gospel
knowledge you carry to another, the righteous intelligence which is expanded
in you, the alleviation of suffering of your brother—these are things which will
carry into the next life: who you have become and what you have done for the
improvement of others. This is the corn of which the law of Moses permitted
the beasts of burden to partake as they ground it with their labor.185 The
vain things of this world, however, are those things which do not go with
you into the next life. The unnecessarily large home you built, the toys and
superfluous vehicles you have purchased with the stewardship with which God
has entrusted you, the prolonged and expensive vacations—these things have
no lasting worth, and are snares to prevent you from spending your time and
money on things which will actually further the Lord’s cause.
The Lord said, “I will that ye should overcome the world.”186 He also
commands us to forsake the world.187 There is nothing intrinsically evil about
the world itself. Like our own bodies, it holds the potential of being celestially
perfect. We forsake the world when we use our lives for that which is eternal
and holy. Elder Perry said:
When we think of eternal life, what is the picture that comes to
mind? I believe that if we could create in our minds a clear and
true picture of eternal life, we would start behaving differently. We
would not need to be prodded to do the many things involved with
enduring to the end, like doing our home teaching, attending our
meetings, going to the temple, living moral lives, saying our prayers,
or reading the scriptures. We would want to do all these things and
more because we realize they will prepare us to go somewhere we
yearn to go.188
One aspect of an accurate perspective of eternal life is that it will not be
a rest in the sense that many think. The Celestial Kingdom is a place of rest,
185 Thou
shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn. (Deuteronomy 25:4)
64:2
187 Behold, I, the Lord, who was crucified for the sins of the world, give unto you a commandment that you shall forsake the world. (D&C 53:2)
188 “The Gospel of Jesus Christ,” L. Tom Perry, Ensign, May 2008, p44
186 D&C
98
RECREATION
not from work, but from the sins of the world. Heaven is a place we go to
work, not to escape from work. If we really understand that, we will learn
that work is a divine and eternal principle, and leisure’s proper place is to
maximize our working ability, not for drunken misappropriation of kingdombuilding resources, or, as the Lord would say, to consume upon our lusts.189
The Lord’s work is what our hearts should rest upon, and not our incorrect
definition of the Lord’s rest. “Therefore, care not for the body, neither the life
of the body; but care for the soul, and for the life of the soul.”190
The proper role of rest follows what I call the p-day principle. The p-day
principle derives its name from preparation day. P-day is commonly known as
the one day per week missionaries have off from their missionary labors. Under
this definition, they are free to walk around in civilian clothes, play sports, go
to the grocery store, the mall, and go out to eat, all without worrying about
their normal missionary duties. This is a false tradition. In reality, p-day
is the one day per week appropriated for accomplishing all non-proselyting
activities which will make them more effective missionaries during the rest
of the week. They are to buy whatever food and other supplies they will
need, they are to wash their clothes, and they are to rest. Sports and other
recreation only has a place inasmuch as it will assist them to be more effective
in the week. Running a marathon, for example, would probably not be a good
use of their preparation day, since it would leave undone their laundry and
grocery shopping, and would leave them exhausted for the rest of the week.
Meanwhile, while on preparation day, a missionary is still expected to do his
best to contact those whom he encounters and invite them to come unto Christ
in whatever way possible.
Applying this principle to our consecrated view of leisure, we should see
leisure not as a self-serving time of lazy gratification, but as a time to sharpen
our saw to be able to continue our labors in the kingdom. A simplified application of the p-day principle is to consider a group of people trying to push a
football linebacker sled across the 100 yard field. If they shoulder into the pads
and push with all their might, with a vow to not quit until they accomplish
their mission, they will wear themselves into the ground in no time and utterly
fail. Applying the p-day principle, they will take rests along the way. Though
they will take as many rests as they need to complete their goal, they will not
rest more than they need to nor for longer than needed.
Brigham Young said that recreation is
That our minds may rest, and our bodies receive that recreation
which is proper and necessary to keep up an equilibrium, to promote healthy action to the whole system...to rest their minds, to
convene in a social capacity, and enjoy the society of each other,
with their families, and to give renewed activity and energy, which
will invigorate and strengthen them in the discharge of the arduous
duties devolving upon them. (Journal of Discourses 1:29)
189 See
James 4:3, Mormon 9:28, and D&C 46:9
101:37
190 D&C
99
Holiness to the Lord
Brother Brigham counseled emphatically against using our time unwisely: “We
have to give an account of the days we spend in folly.”191
Leisure for the sake of leisure is a trap that is rampant in our society
and within the Church. Unfortunately, some think that the goal in this life
is to achieve a point where you can retire from work, and spend your days
without any productive work. Most exercise a preview of that goal as much as
they can get away with in the interim. President Uchtdorf clearly quelled this
questionable status quo when he said,
retirement is not part of the Lord’s plan of happiness. There is no
sabbatical or retirement program from priesthood responsibilities—
regardless of age or physical capacity. While the phrase ‘been there,
done that’ may work as an excuse to avoid skateboarding, decline
the invitation for a motorbike ride, or bypass the spicy curry at
the buffet, it is not an acceptable excuse for avoiding covenant
responsibilities to consecrate our time, talents, and resources in the
work of the kingdom of God. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Two Principles
for Any Economy,” Liahona, Nov 2009, 55–58)
How do we avoid unrighteous leisure? President Eyring suggests a remedy
to empty leisure. “Too often we use many hours for fun and pleasure, clothed
in the euphemism, ‘I’m recharging my batteries.’ Those hours could be spent
reading and studying to gain knowledge, skills, and culture.”192 It is a worthwhile investment to train ourselves to appreciate constructive activities. It is
not natural for us to enjoy such things, but we can train ourselves to. Just as
eating healthy and exercising, the more we pursue constructive leisure activities, the more our bodies train to expect the rewards of such endeavors, and
the more we enjoy them.
We must always seek to avoid the adversary’s snares which he lays to get
us to waste our time and money on things that are of no worth! One way of
doing this is to remember all of the eternal tasks which still remain to be done.
Even when we are at a loss for pressing external priorities, there are limitless
internal character improvements which still remain before we are prepared for
all of the blessings the Lord has in store for us. Said Brigham Young,
Of the time that is allotted to man here on the earth there is none
to lose or to run to waste. After suitable rest and relaxation there
is not a day, hour or minute that we should spend in idleness, but
every minute of every day of our lives we should strive to improve
our minds and to increase the faith of the holy Gospel, in charity,
patience, and good works, that we may grow in the knowledge
of the truth as it is spoken and prophesied of and written about.
(Journal of Discourses 13:310)
In President Young’s time, Saints worked very hard; building settlements,
serving missions, and traveling across the plains. After long days of walking
191 DBY,
192 Henry
290
B. Eyring, “Education for Real Life,” Ensign, May 2002, p19
100
RECREATION
across the plains, I can imagine the Saints circling the wagons after a long day
of exposure to the elements. After all the duties of the day were attended to,
I can see a man playing a fiddle while others danced. I can see pioneers sitting
around the campfire sharing enlightening conversation. I don’t think the Lord
or any of his servants would have a problem with that. I can, however, imagine
the fallout if they stopped halfway through the day and did the same. They
had a righteous and holy goal set, they moved along on their path towards its
completion, and they participated in leisure in a limited fashion—limited to
what was necessary to accomplish their goal. Everything we do in life should
be circumscribed by the bounds the Lord has set. Leisure is no different. When
it ceases to be useful for our eternal purpose, it ceases to be appropriate.
When we focus on the Lord’s purposes in our recreational pursuits, it becomes very hard to allow our participation in anything that could be deemed
morally questionable. If recreation that is morally or productively neutral is
questionable when not profitable, then surely we should not participate in anything ungodly. If our purpose is to build the kingdom, anything which doesn’t
meet the Lord’s standard surely will not help us to do it.
Brigham Young was a big fan of dancing. He did not, however, endorse all
kinds of dancing. Can you imagine Brigham Young at a modern dance club?
He said “The atmosphere of the dance should be such that if any elder be called
from the party to go to administer to a sick person, he could leave with the
same spirit that he would go from his Elder’s quorum meeting.” When giving
a blessing, you have to obtain a feeling of closeness with God. You would
have a very difficult time obtaining that closeness while at a dance with the
latest dancing trends of the world, loud, worldly music, and hedonistic purpose.
This is juxtaposed to Brigham Young’s dances. These featured uplifting music,
engaging conversation, and appropriate dancing.
Brigham Young’s recreational counsel to only go where the Spirit can follow
did not apply only to dances. He said, “I have frequently told the people at our
places of recreation, if they cannot go there with the Spirit of the Lord, they
had better stay at home.”193 Can you imagine walking out of the last movie
you saw in a theater to go give a blessing? How about the last TV show you
watched? Anything which does not increase your association with the Holy
Ghost impedes it.
John Wesley’s mother was very concerned with him going to college. She
wrote the following in a letter to him, giving him a standard by which to judge
the worthiness of different types of recreation.
Would you judge the lawfulness of pleasure, take this rule: whatever weakens your reason; whatever increases the authority of your
body over your mind; whatever impairs the tenderness of your conscience; whatever takes away your relish for things spiritual; whatever obscures your sense of God; that is sin to you no matter how
innocent it may seem in itself.
193 Journal
of Discourses 11:283
101
Holiness to the Lord
Never get involved in pastimes that are so loud and involved that you can’t
think, that you can’t hear the still small voice. If you find that during one
of your recreational activities you feel prompted to leave and feel pressure to
stay, then don’t do that thing. It just isn’t worth offending the Holy Ghost. If
you were an astronaut on a space walk, would you unhook yourself from your
tether? Even just for a moment? Of course you wouldn’t. It just isn’t worth
unplugging yourself from God, no matter how much you enjoy the activity.
Before long, you will be going without feeling the Spirit for such bouts at a
time that it will become the norm. If you encounter something ungodly in
your recreation, cut it out of your life completely. If you don’t, it won’t be
long before you are so numb to the Holy Ghost because of your persistent
disobedience that you begin to think your behavior is okay because it doesn’t
feel bad anymore.
Don’t participate in any recreation whose thrill is derived from danger.
Elder John Groberg said, “we shouldn’t do foolish or rash things, as there is
enough evil and danger around without our seeking it out.”194 How painfully
foolish would you feel if you had to stand before God in the day of judgment,
knowing that the only reason your mortal life had come to an early end was
that you had taken unnecessary risks in the name of thrill seeking, and by one
small misstep had failed to accomplish your mission in life?
You must wean yourself off of the recreation of the world. The gospel helps
in that process. The more truth you seek through a diligent study of the
scriptures, faithful meditation of the gospel, and pouring over books written
by and about leaders of the Church, the more you will see that there is a higher
standard than that which is accepted by the status quo. Wilford Woodruff’s
biography by Matthias Cowley is a wonderful example of a resource which
can be leveraged for your benefit. In it, you find such gems as the following
description of Wilford Woodruff:
his standard of purity and excellence was so high that he never
indulged in light-mindedness or in trifling recreations. To him they
were grievous sins in the sight of God; and he believed with the
Prophet Joseph that they should be eschewed. He was constantly
striving for a higher plane upon which he might firmly plant his
feet. (Matthias Cowley, “Wilford Woodruff”, 26)
There is an element of Mormon culture that involves playing board or
card games. It is seen as a great way to turn off the TV and be together as
a family. What ever happened to uplifting conversations about life and the
gospel? Family history? Scripture study? Family projects? Joseph Fielding
Smith said,
While there is no objection to the brethren and sisters meeting together from time to time to engage in some relaxation, the devoting
of the time to some foolish practice as the playing of cards or games
194 Groberg,
p170
102
RECREATION
of chance is contrary to the spirit and teachings of the gospel of
Jesus Christ.195
Besides being an utter waste of time, most games encourage winning at the
expense of others. Most are competitive. Most encourage contention. There
are many good ways to spend time in groups. Productive ways. President
Eyring said, “we cannot waste time entertaining ourselves when we have the
chance to read or to listen to whatever will help us learn what is true and
useful.”196
Besides exercising the body, there are many ways to exercise the brain.
It was common in years past for educated people to gather and discuss some
advancement in science or politics, and certainly to discuss religion. Even if
you are stuck on playing board games, find or create one which rewards and
encourages Christ-like behavior, or actually being together as a family in more
than just the physical sense. I made a game called “Prove It” that consists
of principles of the gospel written on cards with relevant scriptures on the
back. The object of the game is for players to read the principle and then look
up scriptures which prove it. I know of another game called “The Ungame”
which consists of cards with personal questions on them that each player has
to answer. There is no winner, just honest conversation. Family bonds or
friendships are strengthened as you play. I’m sure if we really tried we could
invent many other games that are beneficial and not just entertaining.
Only in modern times has time for relaxation been relegated to fruitless (or
at least less than ideal) endeavors. What the Lord said to missionaries years
ago applies to our lives. “Thou shalt not idle away thy time.”197 When was
the last time you got together with a group of friends on Sunday evening to
discuss the doctrine? To discuss how to be better home or visiting teachers?
To talk about the aspects of Christ’s mortal ministry? When was the last time
you discussed intriguing elements of a good work of nonfiction? When was the
last time you set your mind to solve a modern problem? Discussed a solution
to a pressing political problem? Or, simply talked about finance and how to
prepare for retirement effectively? The trick to keep your life balanced while
also never wasting time is to find activities which are productive, which make
you a better, more capable person, and which you find enjoyable. The order
in that statement is not coincidental.
Maybe none of these activities seem very relaxing or enjoyable to you. Intelligent uses of time, like nutritious food, are unpalatable to the unrefined.
However, with persistence, your tastes will improve. You will be able to recognize the good and desire to eschew the bad. Many people who go for a short
while without watching TV would prefer to never watch it again. I’m not sure
if it is because they see TV as something bad as much as they realize all of
the better activities they have missed out on by spending their precious time
watching it.
195 Joseph
Fielding Smith, “Answers to Gospel Questions,” 5:75, Deseret Book, 1966
B. Eyring, “Education For Real Life,” Ensign, May 2002, p19
197 D&C 60:13
196 Henry
103
Holiness to the Lord
You can train your mind to enjoy things were are productive and uplifting.
I never liked to read. Now I love it. I have trained myself to trade in idle
pastimes for things like memorizing new vocabulary words, reading non-fiction
books, and writing. These things are relaxing to me. They are not work,
but pleasure. Yet they build me up more so than most of the work I do in
a day. President Eyring said, “you need determination to capture the leisure
moments that you now waste.”198
This is wisdom, to trick your body into working as it plays. Elder Scott
said, “order your life more effectively; and eliminate trivia and meaningless
details and activity; they waste the perishable, fixed, and limited resource of
time. Choose to emphasize those matters that have eternal consequence.”199
Once you have replaced less-effective and overly indulgent recreation in
your life with p-day principle recreation, there is still one untapped frontier of
productivity. You probably would not consider time spent waiting in a line or
driving in your car as leisure time. After all, you are in pursuit of some activity
like work or getting a prescription filled at the pharmacy. These times are idled
away almost without your noticing it. These are great times to listen to audio
books, read paper books, or memorize new vocabulary words. Just think, you
could learn a whole new language while waiting in line at the drugstore!
A moment in the scriptures or a good book of poetry can change your whole
day, and maybe even give you a paradigm shifting moment which changes your
entire life. Longfellow said,
See some good picture—in nature, if possible, or on canvas—hear
a page of the best music, or read a great poem every day. You
will always find a free half hour for one or the other, and at the
end of the year your mind will shine with such an accumulation of
jewels as will astonish even yourself. (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Quoted in “Golden Nuggets of Thought,” Vol III, Ezra L. Marler,
Bookcraft, SL, 1958, 26.)
Joseph Smith had some pretty dramatic results just by reading one verse of
scripture, namely James 1:5. A missionary needs only 7 seconds to reroute
someone’s eternity by contacting them and inviting them to hear the message
of the restored gospel. Our time is just as important in our sphere as the
missionaries’ time is in their sphere or Joseph Smith’s time was in his. Jonah
thought that going to Nineveh would be a waste of time. Upon preaching,
the whole city repented in a miraculous manner, and “sixscore thousand persons”200 —that’s four football stadiums worth—were given a chance to live,
and a better chance at eternal life. Make the most of your innocuous transit
and wait times!
Even if you choose not to travel the high road of righteous recreation, you
can at least use your time more wisely than most do now. For example, if your
198 Henry
B. Eyring, “Education For Real Life,” Ensign, May 2002, p20
G. Scott, “Finding Peace, Happiness, and Joy,” p103
200 And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand
persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much
cattle? (Jonah 4:11)
199 Richard
104
RECREATION
children are not performing well in school, or have a poor relationship with you,
but have extracurricular schedules full of things which are not as important as
their grades in school or their relationship with you, perhaps it is time to focus
on that which is of real worth, and not that which will have a nominal effect
on their future. Pull them out of those extracurricular activities which you
claim are for their benefit, and spend time with them, giving a benefit which
can’t be bought.
If you have the Lord on your mind while doing recreation, you are sure to
always be engaged in a proper pastime. It isn’t so much that we overindulge
ourselves in recreation, as some work very hard. It is more that the pastimes
we choose are vain and idle pursuits. It is improper to think that by thinking
of the Lord you must be reciting scripture or on your knees praying. What it
means is to seek his purposes. To think of the Lord in a baseball game, for
example, is not to bring your scriptures but to be aware of people who are
left out, to seek to complement players who are doing well—in short, to lift
and inspire all that you can. This same pattern can be applied to all things.
In a violin concert, you can say a mental prayer and thank God for the gift
of music. You can reaffirm your intent to put as much hard work and effort
into your goals as the violin player has into hers. You can make it an uplifting
experience—an experience that will cause the rest of your life to be better. If
you cannot or would not address God in prayer during a pastime, it is probably
better that you not practice it. Would you consciously unplug yourself from
the guidance and sanctifying influence of the Holy Ghost?
Consecration leads to making the most of all time, even recreational time,
for the advancement of the kingdom of God.
105
CONCLUSION
I don’t know if President McKay knew that October 1966 would be his last
conference. I do know that the Lord, who inspired him to say what he did at
that conference, did know. One of his remarks, to me, is a perfect capstone
for the message of his mortal ministry. “After obeying the principles and
ordinances of the gospel, the will of God is to serve your fellowmen, benefiting
them, making this world better for your having lived in it.”201
Brigham Young made another statement which I believe could be considered the central argument of his lifetime ministry: “The only business that we
have on hand is to build up the Kingdom of God and prepare the way of the
Son of Man.”202
This creation is a great handcart moving towards the millennial reign of
the Savior. Many enter and exit this plane of existence without even realizing
the work that is going on. Some are shown the cart, but prefer to occupy
themselves with other pursuits rather than participate in moving it. Some
spend most of their lives in ignorance concerning what the cart is, why it is
moving, where it is headed, and the wonderful opportunity to help push it.
They see the big picture late in life, and spend comparatively few years in
its advancement. Can we associate the immense importance of building the
kingdom early in our lives? What a great difference it will make! Imagine the
difference between one who works on a retirement account his whole life versus
one who begins to save a few years prior to retirement. What an immense
difference in perspective. Imagine a man who builds and saves his whole life,
who notices a suffering homeless person with mental disabilities who cannot
afford treatment. What if he can be the means of easing one person’s suffering,
while his peers go on the hunting trips, their RV tours, their boating outings?
If everyone in the world were to pursue such a selfless course, such a sincere
searching to alleviate suffering wherever it is to be found, would it be long
before the Lord would accept our offering? If a man were to value the gospel as
much as his employment, what lengths would he reach to share it with another?
Again, if all followed his example, what would be the global outcome?
Not all will leverage the opportunities set before them. Even in eternity,
this will be the case, as some will have settled for the Telestial Kingdom, some
201 137th
General Conference, Oct 1966, Sunday Afternoon Session
of Discourses 5:230
202 Journal
107
Holiness to the Lord
the Terrestrial, and some, though they have obtained the Celestial, have settled
for being ministering angels. Each have one thing in common: They chose not
to take full advantage of the opportunities they had to expand, increase, learn,
grow, and improve. At some point they said, “I have enough. I need no more.”
We cannot force everyone to advance. We can only build the scaffold of a better
life for others; they must build the building.
I hope you will accept this invitation to build the kingdom in any way you
can. I pray that the Lord will make you successful and magnify you so that
you, in turn, can magnify others.
Reconcile yourself to God, build yourself up, and then reconcile to world to
you. May you and I live the injunction of Brigham Young, and “have mercy
upon all, [and] do good to all, as far as they will let us do good to them.”203
203 Journal
of Discourses 11:282
108
Appendix A: List of
Surpluses
This is a non-exhaustive list of resources you can develop in preparation for
helping others.
• Any Christlike attribute (patience, mercy, love, ...)
• Spirituality (recognizing the Spirit, seeking the Spirit, ...)
• Material goods (money, food, vehicles, ...)
• Temporal skills (gardening, cooking, house maintenance, accounting,
speed reading, ...)
• Interpersonal skills (teaching, parenting, conflict resolution, ...)
• Knowledge (gospel knowledge, history, biology, ...)
• Languages
• Critical Thinking
• Spiritual Gifts (discernment, prophecy, tongues, ...)
• Empowering Items (free time, flexible schedule, no debt, ...)
109