Elder Henry B. Eyring, now a member of The First Presidency of the Church once said; “We may know that the warning is from the Lord (when) the law of witnesses, authorized witnesses, has been invoked. When the words of prophets seems repetitive, that should rivet our attention and fill our hearts with gratitude to live in such a blessed time.” (Ensign May 1997 p.24[i]) It follows as we strive daily to live by (repetitive) words of authorized witnesses we too become daily examples to others. Also we should never place all our faith in one person or small group. The more wide read we are in truth coming from Christ’s true sources, the better our spiritual balance and stability in hard times (from zionwisdom home page).
In the spirit of Elder Eyring’s thought above, it fits that we hear often what the Lord would have us do through His Prophet, the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve and the many others authorized, ordained and / or set apart to speak on the Lord’s behalf. There’s increased safety in following their counsel. Any other counsel or ‘delicious to the natural man suggestions’ is an invitation to worldly ways and resulting estrangement from God and our Savior. In the spirit of what President Nelson and many others are now embracing, Elder M. Russell Ballard, shared the following in Conference April 2011. His talk was titled ‘Finding Joy through Loving Service’. Some of what he said follows:
“…. By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.“… And by very small means the Lord … bringeth about the salvation of many souls” (Alma 37:6–7).
Brothers and sisters, the gospel of Jesus Christ is simple, no matter how much we try to make it complicated. We should strive to keep our lives similarly simple, unencumbered by extraneous influences, focused on those things that matter most. What are the precious, simple things of the gospel that bring clarity and purpose to our lives? What are the flecks of gospel gold whose patient accumulation over the course of our lifetime will reward us with the ultimate treasure—the precious gift of eternal life? I believe there is one simple but profound—even sublime—principle that encompasses the entirety of the gospel of Jesus Christ. If we wholeheartedly embrace this principle and make it the focus of our lives, it will purify and sanctify us so we can live once again in the presence of God.
The Savior spoke of this principle when He answered the Pharisee who asked, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? “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 22:36–40).
It is only when we love God and Christ with all of our hearts, souls, and minds that we are able to share this love with our neighbors through acts of kindness and service—the way that the Savior would love and serve all of us if He were among us today. When this pure love of Christ—or charity—envelops us, we think, feel, and act more like Heavenly Father and Jesus would think, feel, and act. Our motivation and heartfelt desire are like unto that of the Savior. He shared this desire with His Apostles on the eve of His Crucifixion. He said: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you. …By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34–35). The love the Savior described is an active love. It is not manifested through large and heroic deeds but rather through simple acts of kindness and service.
continued…two days hence
