Seek Not to Counsel the Lord
Have you ever been faced with a personal problem in which you felt you knew exactly how the problem should be solved, but also knew it was beyond your ability to solve it? Have you ever been tempted to go to the Lord and say, “Okay, God, here’s the problem and here’s what you need to do about it?”
Or, have you ever asked God to help you with a problem, disliked the results, and went back to God to complain about it? The Book of Mormon prophet Jacob warned his people of these methods of dealing with God.
Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works. (Jacob 4:10)
This command really comes down to faith and trust. When we have a true testimony that God knows what is best for us, and loves us enough to provide us with the best, we are freed from a desire to tell Him what to do. Instead, we’d much rather let Him do the choosing, since He knows far more than we do.
It can be difficult to put aside what we want to accept that the Lord might have a better plan. We, as humans, dislike giving up control over our lives, even to God. For this reason, it’s important to work hard on our trust.
Keeping a blessings journal is one way to do this. Each day, try to note something God did for you. As you become accustomed to seeing His hand in your life, it will become easier to trust Him.
Learn to say, “Thy will be done” in your prayers. There is nothing wrong with telling God how you’d like things to be. We’re counseled to study our problems out in our minds, come to a decision, and then ask God if it’s correct. We’re supposed to do our part. However, now the hard part begins. Once we’ve asked God to confirm our choice, we have to accept His answer. If He says you’re on the wrong track, accept that and try again.
God tells us we don’t have to be afraid. We can choose to be afraid, but if we’re doing what God has asked us to do, we need never be afraid of the results. Even though the purpose of His choices may not be clear, He can see much further into the future than we can.
There is a story in the Book of Mormon I love about a man named Abinidi. Abinidi was a prophet sent to preach to a group of people who didn’t want to hear the message. Their priests and their king were corrupted. Even though they intended to kill Abinidi, God promised he couldn’t be killed until he’d delivered his message, and so these wicked people were forced—out of fear—to listen.
Out of all the listeners, one man felt the spirit and was converted. His name was Alma, and he was a priest of the wicked king. However, when he heard Abinidi’s message, he knew it was true and asked the king to spare Abinidi.
When I tell this story to children, they expect Alma to be a hero and save Abinidi. It doesn’t happen that way, though. The king orders Alma killed also, and Alma flees, which upset the children I am teaching terribly. What the children eventually understand, though, is that even though Abinidi is then killed, God’s promise was kept. The reason Abinidi was sent there and the reason he couldn’t be killed until they’d heard the message was because God needed Alma’s conversion. His mission—that day and for his life—was completed upon the conversion of Alma. Alma will go on to become a prophet and a great leader. His descendants, because they grew up with the gospel, will be among those who see the Savior one day. God saw what my little students could not—He saw the long range picture, generations away, and made His choices accordingly.
When we agree to follow God’s counsel, however uncomfortable it might seem to be, we ensure His plans are carried out, giving us and others who are affected by our choice, the best possible outcome in life.
Diversity
Jacob was the third prophet of the Book of Mormon. His family had left Jerusalem before he was born, when his father, Lehi, a prophet, was in danger. They came to a new land in the Americas. Sometime after their arrival, their father died. Lehi had two older sons who were wicked and they and their families had taken to persecuting and even trying to kill a younger son named Nephi. Nephi became the prophet after his father’s death, and the persecutions became so strong, the two factions of the family split off. Nephi took his family and friends away from those who chose to follow his older brother, Laman.
Over time, however, the Nephites became wealthy, which led to pride because they took full credit for their wealth instead of crediting God. Pride led to a letting down of obedience and moral standards. Jacob, who became the prophet when Nephi died, called his people together and spoke firmly to them, outlining their sins, including a serious problem in which the men were not honoring their marriage vows.
Jacob told them they hated the Lamanites due to their dark skins. The skin had been darkened by God in order to ensure the two groups didn’t initially intermarry. This helped to protect the Nephites from the wickedness of the Lamanites and helped them to recognize their enemy. However, the Nephites, as people sometimes will, had forgotten the purpose of the mark and had instead treated it entirely as a racial issue, not a religious one.
He told them in firm terms that they, the Nephites, had become more wicked than the Lamanites in many ways, particularly in terms of how they treated marriage. He said the Lamanites loved their spouses and their children, and some Nephites no longer did that. He explained that the Lamanite wickedness was because their fathers had trained them to be that way. The Nephites, raised in the gospel, had no such excuse. He warned them to stop judging Lamanites by their skin color and to be more concerned with their own wickedness.
“Wherefore, a commandment I give unto you, which is the word of God, that ye revile no more against them because of the darkness of their skins; neither shall ye revile against them because of their filthiness; but ye shall remember your own filthiness, and remember that their filthiness came because of their fathers.” (Jacob 3:9)
Gordon B. Hinckley, a previous prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said in an important church conference:
“Now I am told that racial slurs and denigrating remarks are sometimes heard among us. I remind you that no man who makes disparaging remarks concerning those of another race can consider himself a true disciple of Christ. Nor can he consider himself to be in harmony with the teachings of the Church of Christ…Let us all recognize that each of us is a son or daughter of our Father in Heaven, who loves all of His children.
Brethren, there is no basis for racial hatred… If any within the sound of my voice is inclined to indulge in this, then let him go before the Lord and ask for forgiveness and be no more involved in such.” (Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Need for Greater Kindness,” Ensign, May 2006, 58–6)
Over the years, the Church’s diversity has grown as the gospel has spread into many lands. I live in a very diverse ward (congregation) in a large city. Within the halls of the church on Sundays, we see people with every shade of skin color. Anyone can be asked to pray or speak, and prayers and “talks” are given in many different languages. Sunday School classes are taught in three languages and English classes are taught on Wednesdays.
Last year, our congregation had a cultural fair. Immigrants just in our own congregation were asked to create display tables for their countries. More than 35 countries were represented, and that didn’t include all the countries represented in our congregation, since not everyone chose to do a table. People of all races and nationalities can be seen in leadership positions in our congregation.
Unlike many churches, the Church of Jesus Christ has never held separate services for black and white worshippers. Congregations are determined by boundary lines and everyone who lives within the boundaries of a congregation is expected to attend that congregation.
Church materials today can be found in 157 languages and churches can be found in nearly every country in the world, where legally allowed. We have truly become a worldwide church.
For more on race relations within the church, visit the Newsroom at LDS.org.
Helping Others Out of Captivity
There is a scripture in the Book of Mormon that has occupied my time this morning. I wrote an article on it, focusing, as most of us who read it do, on how to use our wealth to help the poor. However, there is a small phrase tucked into this verse that caught my attention today:
“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)
The little phrase we tend to skip over is “liberate the captive.” In a time when few of us live in countries with slavery, what does this verse mean? The verse was spoken in a sermon the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob was giving to his own people, chastising them for losing sight of the teachings of God. However, the Book of Mormon prophets kept these records just for our day—the people of the time didn’t have them. This means, if he chose to record the sermon, it has application for us. How can we today liberate the captive?
There are many ways to be captive. One can be held captive through sin, debt, addiction, poverty, or lack of education. One can be captive by not knowing the teachings of God. Anything that keeps you from reaching your full potential as a child of God can hold you captive.
With that in mind, the verse is specifically about the appropriate use of excess income. What are some ways you can use your discretionary income to liberate the captive?
Since no one can solve every problem, one solution is to think of which forms of captivity are of particular concern to you. You can put your money to good use in those areas, allowing you to make a larger single contribution than if you spread your money out. Another solution is to choose a single organization to help. Some people also prefer to help individuals rather than to deal with organizations.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has several programs to help liberate the captive. Some programs focus on the needs of members, but many others serve regardless of faith. You can read on the church’s website about their humanitarian outreach.
This outreach is funded by donations from both church members and non-church members alike. None of the money donated to this outreach is used for administration or outreach, a rare situation. Those costs are paid from regular church funds.
The services offered span a wide range of ways to liberate the captive. For instance, the church’s outreach has donated more than 190,000 wheelchairs to people around the world who would otherwise be captives in their beds. The clean water initiative has provided clean water to over three and a half million people in thirty-four counties by providing such things as wells or boreholes, purification, or storage systems. LDS ophthalmologists have served more than 30,000 people in sixteen nations.
While we may not be in a position to help so many people individually, the collective good done when a group of people band together to help can be immeasurable. A former prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints once said, “The goodness of the world in which we live is the accumulated goodness of many small and seemingly inconsequential acts.” (Gordon B. Hinckley, “I Believe,” Ensign, Aug 1992, 2)
Using Our Money to Help Others
As we’ve been reading the Book of Mormon together, we’ve seen that the Nephites (the people who chose to follow God and so went with the prophet Nephi) had prospered since separating from their wicked family members, the Lamanites, who followed a rebellious young man named Laman, the brother of the prophet Nephi. Since this time, Nephi has died, a new man has been appointed king, and Nephi’s younger brother Jacob has become the leader of the church, assisted by the youngest brother, Joseph.
The Nephites had grown numerous over the years, and had been blessed for their worthiness. Some had now grown prosperous because they were fortunate enough to find gold and ore and other valuables. Instead of thanking God, and using their excess to help those who had been less successful, they took all credit for their finds and their wealth and even looked down on those who had not been as fortunate. We discussed this in the previous article on pride. Jacob called his people together to chastise them for this:
19 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.
20 And now, my brethren, I have spoken unto you concerning pride; and those of you which have afflicted your neighbor, and persecuted him because ye were proud in your hearts, of the things which God hath given you, what say ye of it? (Jacob 2)
The subject of how to treat the poor ties directly in with Jacob’s warnings about pride. It’s much easier to neglect the poor if you believe it is their own fault they’re poor—that they’re poor due to wickedness, laziness, or whatever excuse you have in mind. Later in the Book of Mormon, other prophets will also warn people that often the wealthy have wealth because they had opportunities for learning because of their wealth. Had they not been wealthy, they might well have been different. It was their advantages that put them in place for their wealth.
“I am concerned about some of our prosperous people who are beginning to criticize the poor for being poor. Some of our own church members believe that only shiftless, lazy people remain poor in this prosperous day and age and that welfare is necessary only to sustain those who are not competent enough to work. They simply do not realize the unexpected problems and expenses that can suddenly come to any one of us. On one occasion the Church came to my aid when I was sick and helpless to help myself, and I was truly grateful that it did.” Theodore M. Burton, “A Disease Called Pride,” Ensign, Mar 1971, 26
Notice that Jacob suggested we should seek after wealth “for the intent to do good.” In other words, while being wealthy is not, in itself a sin, wanting to be wealthy so you can be “better than other people,” or to have a fancy home, an expensive car, or other worldly goods is wrong. The only reason to seek wealth is to have more to spend helping others. This can take enormous self-control. Brigham Young once said his greatest fear was that his people would become wealthy. While many may start that way, it’s difficult to maintain over time. Once a person has a taste of nice things, it can be tempting to add just one more nice thing, and then another nice thing, and soon you’re making your annual donation to the Heart Fund and that’s it, not willing to sacrifice too much of your own comfort.
One way to avoid this challenge is to get into the habit of giving long before you have wealth. Another is to always keep your life simple, not upgrading every time your wealth increases. Luxuries should be chosen with care. For instance, we live in a tiny cottage in a modest neighborhood. We do have a few things we spend a bit more money on, such as computers, since we both make our livings on the computer, but in general our material possessions are very modest. Self-employment means our income fluctuates, and we try not to raise our way of living when things are going well. I would like us to stay comfortable with a modest lifestyle. It’s much easier to stay with the status quo than to “downgrade” to a simpler life.
When life hands you a more luxurious income, ask yourself, “What good can I do with this money?” This will keep you in line with Jacob’s admonition to seek wealth, if you really want it, only to help others.
The Sin of Pride
Jacob, the third prophet of the Book of Mormon, warned his people of the sin of pride. Today, we tend to praise pride as a value, but never does the Book of Mormon speak of pride as a virtue. God just doesn’t see pride the way we do today. Jacob warned:
13 And the hand of providence hath smiled upon you most pleasingly, that you have obtained many riches; and because some of you have obtained more abundantly than that of your brethren ye are lifted up in the pride of your hearts, and wear stiff necks and high heads because of the costliness of your apparel, and persecute your brethren because ye suppose that ye are better than they.
14 And now, my brethren, do ye suppose that God justifieth you in this thing? Behold, I say unto you, Nay. But he condemneth you, and if ye persist in these things his judgments must speedily come unto you. (Jacob 2)
In these verses, and in several that follow, Jacob specifically points out one danger of pride—it causes people to think they alone are responsible for the good things that come to them, and therefore, it causes them to persecute or look down on others. This means they have forgotten to praise God and give Him the credit for their blessings.
If people stop crediting God for their blessings, they see no need to live His commandments or honor Him in any way, and this, of course, leads to further sin and apostasy. This is why pride is so strongly condemned. In the Book of Mormon, we see a reoccurring pattern of obedience leading to wealth, and wealth leading to pride. It takes a strong spirit and diligence to cope well with wealth.
In 1989, Ezra Taft Benson, a former prophet of God, gave what is considered a signature talk on pride to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sometimes nicknamed Mormons. In Beware of Pride, he explained one of the most serious dangers of pride:
The central feature of pride is enmity—enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means “hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.” It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us.
Pride is essentially competitive in nature. We pit our will against God’s. When we direct our pride toward God, it is in the spirit of “my will and not thine be done.” As Paul said, they “seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.” (Philip. 2:21.)
Our will in competition to God’s will allows desires, appetites, and passions to go unbridled. (See Alma 38:12; 3 Ne. 12:30.)
The proud cannot accept the authority of God giving direction to their lives. (See Hel. 12:6.) They pit their perceptions of truth against God’s great knowledge, their abilities versus God’s priesthood power, their accomplishments against His mighty works.
Our enmity toward God takes on many labels, such as rebellion, hard-heartedness, stiff-neckedness, unrepentant, puffed up, easily offended, and sign seekers. The proud wish God would agree with them. They aren’t interested in changing their opinions to agree with God’s.” Ezra Taft Benson, “Beware of Pride,” Ensign, May 1989, 4
We can clearly see from this explanation that pride can destroy a person’s testimony of God and his relationship with God. This is why prophets from the earliest days of earth have counseled people against becoming prideful. Wealth, or the love of wealth, can lead to pride, but so can a love of our talents, for instance. While there is nothing wrong with being grateful for our talents—praising God for them and offering them to Him as we practice them—we must always remember where they came from and how they should be used. Our talents come from God and must be used for Him in humility.
We aren’t asked to hate ourselves. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints celebrate that we are all children of a Heavenly King, and therefore have a bit of divinity tucked inside us. We all have gifts and talents and blessings. But it’s the knowledge that we all have them that allows us to think of them with the proper perspective and avoid the sin of pride. We are all children of God and therefore, He loves and values us all equally. When pride allows us to think we are better than other children of God, we face spiritual danger.
As President Benson, quoted above explained, “The antidote for pride is humility—meekness, submissiveness. It is the broken heart and contrite spirit.”
What is a Calling?
17 Wherefore I, Jacob, gave unto them these words as I taught them in the temple, having first obtained mine errand from the Lord.
18 For I, Jacob, and my brother Joseph had been consecrated priests and teachers of this people, by the hand of Nephi.
19 And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day. (Jacob 1 in the Book of Mormon)
In these verses, the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob is talking about the importance of serving well when chosen by God to do a specific purpose. He notes that when God gives us responsibility over an aspect of His church, or over some of His people, He holds us accountable for how well we serve them. Today, we call these assignments callings.
Callings are a unique and powerful aspect of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While most religions rely on volunteers to do a variety of things, the Church of Jesus Christ relies on volunteers to do everything. We are what is called a lay church, meaning we don’t have a paid clergy. We don’t pay our organists or teachers or other leaders. Everyone is a volunteer, but with a twist.
In general, for most positions, members of the Church don’t walk into the bishop (their congregational leader similar to a pastor) and ask for a specific job. Instead, the bishop and his counselors (the two men who serve under him and assist in leading the congregation) decide who might be good for the job and then pray until they know who God wants for the position. It takes so many people to run a typical congregation that everyone who wants a job to do can have one, and some people have more than one.
The person who receives the job is not necessarily the most qualified to do the job. In fact, people are often called to positions for which they’re entirely unqualified. We have a saying that whom God calls, God qualifies. In other words, you may not be called because you’re qualified or even skilled at the task. Instead, God sometimes chooses people who, if they choose to do so, can rise to the task and develop new skills and talents they didn’t know they had.
This is one of the signs to me that this is the true church. I felt, from the moment I first learned about callings, that this is just how God would do things. He wants us to find out who He knows we can be, and callings are one way to do that. Early in my church membership, I was told by someone speaking through inspiration that God saw in me a leader. I suspected God had made His first mistake. I was very, very shy, and no one had ever chosen me to lead anything. I was a skilled follower. However, in short time, I began to receive leadership positions. Who but God would see a leader in a painfully shy young woman?
Now, I wasn’t a great leader the very first day. I spent lots of time in prayer and study. I made mistakes. Over time, however, I really did learn how to lead and this helped me become someone I would never have become had I not joined the church.
Church members learn to be patient with people in callings, knowing they have to grow into them. People “born into” the church however—those who were born to active LDS families—tend to have a wider range of experience early on, since they receive leadership callings beginning when they’re only twelve years old. A preteen might find herself responsible for the well-being of a group of her own peers, planning their activities, planning to meet the needs of girls in her youth class who have special needs, and conducting meetings. She does all this with the help of two other young girls, called counselors, and under the shadow leadership of her adult advisors.
Shadow leadership means the leaders are there, quietly guiding and advising, but in general, letting the youth do their own work. The adults make sure guidelines are met, attend all meetings and activities, and use questions to guide the youth into making the proper decisions. They also provide leadership training.
Each position in the church comes with authority over that position. However, no position is more important than another and a person doesn’t work her way up the ladder of a congregation. A man might be a bishop one day and the assistant teacher in the toddler nursery the next. People are moved around in order to broaden their skills. I have been in the leadership over the Primary, the children’s auxiliary, many times, but I still find myself teaching instead of leading quite often. When this happens, and I face a challenge with my class, I go to my leaders for advice. Even though I am nearly fifty with extensive experience, and my leader might be only 23 years old with little experience, it is she who currently holds the authority to lead and so she is the one to whom God gives the wisdom for that job. I don’t find this demeaning at all. In fact, I have learned a great deal from these younger leaders who come in with fresh ideas.
God’s plans are always designed to help us grow to be everything He planned for us to be, and callings are one way He does this.
To learn more about callings, read, “Boyd K. Packer, “The Weak and the Simple of the Church,” Ensign, Nov 2007, 6–9
How Nations Falter
The Book of Mormon chronicles the history of the family of Lehi, a prophet who lived in Jerusalem in 600 BC. After being instructed by God to flee into the wilderness to protect his life, Lehi’s family was led by God to a personal promised land across the waters, in what is now the Americas.
After Lehi’s death, the family and those who had joined them on their journey split into two groups. The Nephites followed the fourth son, Nephi, who was righteous and loved God. The Lamanites followed Laman, the oldest son who rebelled and became very wicked. The Nephites moved to a new area to escape the brutality and persecution of the Lamanites, under the leadership of Nephi.
After Nephi’s death, his younger brother Jacob assumed leadership of the church, while another man was appointed king. Jacob wrote that Nephi’s death led to changes in the until-then righteous Nephites:
15 And now it came to pass that the people of Nephi, under the reign of the second king, began to grow hard in their hearts, and indulge themselves somewhat in wicked practices, such as like unto David of old desiring many wives and concubines, and also Solomon, his son.
16 Yea, and they also began to search much gold and silver, and began to be lifted up somewhat in pride. (Jacob 1)
We seen from Jacob’s brief summary the problems the small society faced: a hardness of the heart, immorality, corruption of the family unit, a love of money, and pride. These particular sins are primary destroyers of the spirit and in future chapters, Jacob will address these in sermons to the people. The fact that he was able to deliver a sermon to them suggests they had not stopped attending church. These were the members of the church living in this way.
It can be very easy for good people to slide into unworthiness. As we’ve discussed in previous articles, Satan doesn’t take perfectly good people and instantly turn them into bad people. He leads them away carefully and gently in small steps. The problems Jacob outlined didn’t suddenly begin upon the death of Nephi.
Nephi’s final sermon had expressed concern that the people seemed puzzled by the teachings he offered, unable to figure out what they meant. He had seen this often with his two oldest brothers, who would listen to their father’s sermon, and then go to Nephi for explanation. When he asked if they had inquired of God, as he had, they said they hadn’t.
Now Nephi and his two younger brothers saw this same problem developing in their own people. It was perhaps this problem that started the other problems. When the people stop going to God for counsel and instruction, they forget how to hear the Holy Ghost. From that point, it becomes easy for Satan to introduce other sins, since the people are no longer hearing the warnings of the Spirit.
Nephi had mentioned previously that his people prospered due to their righteousness. Repeatedly, in the Book of Mormon, we see that as people are blessed as a society, they forget where the blessings came from and begin to credit themselves for their prosperity. With an unwillingness to approach God for guidance and a forgetfulness of God’s blessings, it is but a small journey into the other sins mentioned.
Jacob’s concerns have two factors: The lack of individual worthiness and the carry-over into the larger society. To fix a nation, we must first fix the individuals. Being a member of the church and attending services does not make you a Christian. Only keeping the commandments and centering your life around Christ, crediting Him for all that is good, can make you a true Christian.
Sharing Our Faith in Christ
When Lehi, the first Book of Mormon prophet died, his family split into two groups, the Nephites and the Lamanites. The Nephites were the part of the family (and those who traveled to their own, personal promised land with them) who chose to follow God, and wanted Nephi as their leader. Nephi was the fourth son of Lehi.
The Lamanites were followers of the oldest of Lehi’s sons, Laman. He was a wicked young man who resented the family’s decision to abandon their wealth and do as God commanded. In time, he became violent and even murderous, and led a portion of the family and their companions away from the church. When Lehi died, they were so threatening, Nephi took his family and followers and moved a distance away.
Nephi’s younger brother Jacob lived with Nephi after his parents died, and become, in time, the spiritual leader of the Nephites. In his book (a section of the Book of Mormon) he wrote:
7 Wherefore we labored diligently among our people, that we might persuade them to come unto Christ, and partake of the goodness of God, that they might enter into his rest, lest by any means he should swear in his wrath they should not enter in, as in the provocation in the days of temptation while the children of Israel were in the wilderness.
8 Wherefore, we would to God that we could persuade all men not to rebel against God, to provoke him to anger, but that all men would believe in Christ, and view his death, and suffer his cross and bear the shame of the world; wherefore, I, Jacob, take it upon me to fulfil the commandment of my brother Nephi. (Jacob 1)
Although Jacob may have been the president of the church, he uses the plural term to discuss efforts to convert people. This reminds us that teaching of Christ is not the sole responsibility of the churches. Everyone who has a testimony of the Savior has a responsibility to share it with others.
Friends who are not of my faith will sometimes tell me, “If what you just told me is true, how could you not share it with everyone?” Today we see people eager forwarding by email information on health or safety they think will help their friends. The message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is far more important than those pass-along messages, so why are we less eager to share them?
Each of us can work to prepare ourselves to share our message with others. It can be done in a non-offensive, non-intrusive way. Often, I find opportunities to mention an aspect of my faith in ordinary conversation. I don’t have to preach—it’s just a natural response to whatever is discussed. It can be done with complete respect for the beliefs of those I talk to. I consider it my responsibility to treat the faith of my friends with the same respect I want them to treat my own. A sharing of beliefs helps to strengthen friendship as we get to know each other.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is rather famous for its missionary program, but we know we can’t rely on those men and women on bicycles to teach everyone, so we’re all taught to be ready to jump in and help out.
Want to know more about our faith? Ask a “Mormon.”
The Blessings of Trials
Filed under: Frequently Asked Questions, Inspirations, Teachings
As the prophet Lehi, sent from Jerusalem with his family to a land of promise in the Americas, lay dying, he spoke to each of his sons, giving them his final words of advice. Jacob, the second youngest, had never known the life of privilege the older boys had enjoyed before their father led them away, leaving all their wealth behind. He was the first of two sons born in the wilderness. For Jacob, a life in the wilderness was a natural thing, not an unusual trial. The division that was occuring in the family, because his two oldest brothers tried to punish the family for giving up a life of privilege, was forcing people to choose sides. Jacob, young and faithful, sided with his parents and his older brothers, Nephi and Sam. Nephi would become the prophet after his father’s death, and Sam, his next oldest brother, humbly accepted Nephi’s divinely chosen place.
Lehi was pleased with how Sam was turning out. It hadn’t been an easy life for the boy, having lived his childhood with two older brothers bent on murdering the brother they loved, and even trying to kill or harm their parents. It was, in modern terms, a dysfunctional family, but only due to the selfish choices of the two oldest sons. In spite of all this, Jacob was growing up well.
“And now, Jacob, I speak unto you: Thou art my first-born in the days of my tribulation in the wilderness. And behold, in thy childhood thou hast suffered afflictions and much sorrow, because of the rudeness of thy brethren.
Nevertheless, Jacob, my first-born in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain. –2 Nephi 2:2.
Most of us go out of our way to avoid trials. The moment they begin, we plead for them to end. Some people complain and blame God, feeling He owes them a trial-free life. Lehi’s prophecy, however, shows us a different attitude toward trials. He promised Jacob that his trials would be consecrated. Consecration is yielding oneself up to God. In this case, Jacob’s trials would consecrated to help him—not in any worldly way, but in a spiritual way.
Although we can seldom see it during the trial, when we’re wrapped up in survival, later, the blessings of trials often become clearer to us. I remember once, years ago, when I was told through inspiration that although I’d have many trials, there was going to come a time in my new calling (unpaid church jobs) when I would use every one of those trials to help another. My calling was Compassionate Service Leader, which means I organized all the service that needed doing. In the course of my work, I really was called on to use all my past trials, including some I’d forgotten. Often the job consisted of sitting with and listening to or comforting someone facing a trial or a sadness. I was often able to say, “I’ve been there,” and to have some sense of what they were facing and what options were available to them.
Many of my trials have brought me closer to my Heavenly Father or strengthened me. They’ve made me more compassionate. When I take time, both during and after the trial, to analyze what I’ve learned and how God was there to help me through them, I grow in my ability to live a Christ-like life and to accomplish the goals my Heavenly Father has for me.
Jacob would go on to play an important role in the new homeland. The trials he faced as a child gave him courage, perseverance, and leadership skills. He had a terribly challenging childhood, one that some might have used as an excuse for going bad or giving up. Instead, Jacob accepted the promise made to him by his father and consecrated his trials for his own gain.
Family History Records
Jacob, apparently the third prophet of the Book of Mormon, wrote that his brother Nephi, the second prophet, had commanded him to keep two records of their people, the Nephites. When Nephi handed over the records to this younger brother, he asked Jacob to keep one set of plates (records) containing the history of the people. The second set would contain something more valuable:
And if there were preaching which was sacred, or revelation which was great, or prophesying, that I should engraven the heads of them upon these plates, and touch upon them as much as it were possible, for Christ’s sake, and for the sake of our people. (Jacob 1:4)
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sometimes known as Mormons, are asked to keep both kinds of records even today. They are commanded to gather their family history, write it, and preserve it for future generations, just as Jacob was asked to do. They’re also asked to keep journals and write personal histories, which include the spiritual aspects of their lives. These too will be handed down to their posterity.
Nephi, and later Jacob, worked hard to make sure the records they kept would be of value to future generations. They listened carefully to the spirit and evaluated what they wrote to be sure it provided something that would help us in our day. Because of their diligence, we have many of God’s teachings to the people, as well as true inspirational stories from their history. These spiritual stories help guide us today, and many have found comfort or wisdom in them, just as people do the stories in the Bible.
What experiences have you had in your life that could be of value to others? What lessons do you want your children and grandchildren to have when you’re gone? Do your children know what your testimony of the Savior is? Is it written down so they can have it to comfort and encourage them after your death? If you keep these records diligently, your influence can continue for many generations to come.
Begin simply. You can write your history for a half hour or so a week. It needn’t even be written in order. Just write what comes to mind, and then insert it into the file wherever it fits. This is an excellent Sabbath activity. Periodically write and date your testimony of the Savior, including what spiritual lessons you’ve learned.
Choose what to write with wisdom. You don’t have to tell it all, but do be honest enough to help others learn from your experiences. As you read the Book of Mormon, you’ll see that sad moments, and moments of spiritual weakness are followed up with an explanation of what can be learned from the experience, and frequently with the ways these events changed lives for those who repented.
Begin your personal record keeping today and have a spiritual impact on your family for generations to come. For more on family history, visit LDSblogs.com’s Genealogy blog or LDS.org’s Family History section.