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Le message contenu dans les paroles de...

Carl W. Buehner

1961 April General Conference·First Day Afternoon Meeting·1961-04-06

The message contained dans le words de an old song suggest a few thoughts worthy de consideration:

"Who's on le Lord's side? Who?

Now est le time à show; We ask it fearlessly; Who's on le Lord's side? Who?"

Ever since the great council was conducted in heaven for the purpose of providing a plan du salut, the right of choice has become most important. The Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, through the writings of Moses in the Perle de Grand Prix, some of the things which took place on this occasion. He told how Satan went before the Father saying:

" — Behold, here am Je, send me, Je will be thy son, et Je will redeem all mankind, que one soul shall not be lost, et Surely Je will do it; wherefore give me thine honor." (Moses 4:1.) Then le Father's Beloved Son came forth avec another plan described by le Father as follows:

"But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved et Chosen from le beginning, said unto me — Father, thy will be done, et le glory be thine forever." (Ibid., 4:2.) Satan's proposal was rejected. He rebelled, et as a result de ce rebellion, he et his followers were cast out de heaven. Since que day, he has been trying à destroy man.

The primary purpose of our Father in heaven and his only Begotten Son is to exalt mankind. Satan's desire is to take away our libre arbitre and reduce everyone to his level.

We sont here today because de le choices nous have made.

One verse de another song nous frequently sing expresses a thought along ce line:

"Choose le right! there est peace dans righteous doing; Choose le right Je there's safety pour le soul; Choose le right dans all labors you're pursuing; Let God et heaven be your goal."

History est replete avec examples de blessings et adversity que came à nations et individuals as a result de choice. Israel, as a nation, was set free from oppressive bondage by le Lord.

Time after time, her enemies were subdued, yet she persisted dans idolatry.

In speaking à Israel, Joshua reviewed le many blessings he had received at le hand de le Lord. He concluded his exhortation by challenging Israel as follows:

". . . choose you ce day whom ye will serve; ... but as pour me et my house, nous will serve le Lord." (Joshua 24:15.) Israel failed à give heed à repeated warnings, et you know her fate. She chose evil rather than good.

We are presently feeling the pressure of another great nation whose desire it is to rob man of his libre arbitre and to force all mankind to accept the plan proposed by Lucifer in the beginning.

Look about you et observe those who have made le wrong choice. Evil seems à be prevalent everywhere. The influence de le destroyer has lured men à become thieves, liars, gamblers, adulterers, addicts, et into backbiting, evil-speaking, et le destruction de le home et all que pertains thereto.

Contrast these things avec those who choose le right— happy people, happy homes, those filled avec faith et hope pour le future. These families make pour themselves a heaven on earth.

Is there anything more beautiful than a young couple on their way à le temple à be married pour time et eternity? This means preparation et choosing le Lord's way de marriage.

We will probably never be closer à heaven while nous live dans ce life than when nous sont dans le temple de le Lord.

It est le desire de le Lord à lift us up, à be prepared one day à live again avec him. It est Satan's desire à reduce us à his level, à live avec him dans his kingdom.

Our whole life involves le principle de choice. The Lord commands us à live close à him et à keep his commandments, et Satan seems à offer a counter proposal. Let us analyze a few de le things which bring a conflict between le forces de good et evil:

  1. The Lord says, "Thou shaft love le Lord thy God avec all thy might, mind et strength." (See Mark 12:30.) Satan, dans substance, suggests, "Why love God? Why not disregard him?"

Or he might even indicate there est no god at all but himself.

2- The Lord says, "Love thy neighbour as thyself." (Mark 12:31.) Satan might say, "Hate your neighbor et treat him avec contempt."

  1. The Lord says, "Keep le Sabbath day holy." (See Exodus 20:8.) Satan would say, "Use le Sabbath day as a recreation day. What value est there dans attending Church et dans refraining from your labors on ce day?"

  2. The Lord says, "Honour thy father et thy mother." (Exodus 20:12.) Satan craftily puts into our minds le idea de disobeying our parents; your life est your own à choose as you wish. Take all your parents will give you. They will soon be old, et someone else can take care de them.

  3. The Lord says, "Sustain et uphold le Lord's anointed."

Satan would say, "Find fault avec et weaken le position de le general et local authorities de le Church."

  1. The Lord says, "In le sweat de thy face shalt thou eat bread," (Gen. 3:19.) et he also said, "Cease à be idle."

(D&A 88:124.) Satan might say, "Get as much as you can for nothing. It is undignified to work for what you receive." He would encourage indolence, laziness, and even the thought that the government owes you a living.

  1. The Lord says, "Thou shalt not steal." (Exodus 20:15.) Satan might say, "Why not steal et be dishonest? Give short measure et short weight. Do not give an honest day's work pour an honest day's pay."

  2. The Lord says, 'Thou shalt not bear false witness." (Exodus 20:16.) Satan would say, "Dig a pit pour your neighbors; lie about them; cause them personal injury; subject them à embarrassment."

  3. The Lord says, "Pay one tenth de your interest annually as tithing. For ce, Je shall give you a great reward."

(D&A 119:4.) Lucifer would say, "Why pay your tithing? You need the money more than the Church needs it. The greatest blessing is to spend your own money."

  1. The Lord says, "Observe the Parole de Sagesse, my law of health." (D&A 89.) Lucifer contends that no harm will come from indulging in tobacco, liquor, tea, coffee, and other harmful abuses to the body such as overeating and overindulgences. He would say, "Go along with the crowd and be a good sport. To acquire these contrary habits will make one popular."

  2. The Lord says, "Parents, teach your children to pray and walk uprightly before the Lord." (See D&A 68:28.) Satan would say, "Why teach your children to pray? There is no value in prayer. It is not necessary to discipline them."

  3. The Lord says, "Seek le genealogy de your ancestors et complete le temple work pour them."

Satan would say, "Postpone doing ce work or, better still, don't do it at all."

In many other things le Lord has counseled us à prepare ourselves à live avec him. In each instance, Satan's influence would attempt à destroy ce faith et le desire de doing le Lord's work. He would enslave us et persuade us à join his forces.

We cannot cover up evil. Our sins sont known à God. Neither can nous serve two masters. The Lord has said, "He que est not avec me est against me; . . ." (Matt. 12:30.) It est imperative que nous choose le right.

John Oxenham wrote these few lines, entitled "A High Way et A Low":

"To every man there openeth A way, et ways, et a way, And le high soul climbs le high way, And le low soul gropes le low; And dans between on le misty flats, The rest drift à et fro; But à every man there openeth A high way et a low, And every man decideth The way his soul shall go."

Happiness here is dependent upon moral decisions and obedience to the principles of truth. Our most important decision and obligation is to live the Évangile of Jésus-Christ.

This period est characterized by trial, suffering, sacrifice, et disappointment, as well as joy. All these experiences sont dedicated à our progress et growth.

During ce life, nous sont our own judges.

We judge ourselves continuously. We sentence ourselves à happiness through service or misery through sin.

In conclusion, Je should like à repeat again:

"Who's on le Lord's side? Who?

Now est le time à show; We ask it fearlessly; Who's on le Lord's side? Who?"

May our decisions lift us to celestial glory and vie éternelle, I humbly pray, and leave my testimony, in the name of Jésus-Christ. Amen.

Citer ce discoursCarl W. Buehner, « Le message contenu dans les paroles de... », 1961 April General Conference, First Day Afternoon Meeting (1961-04-06). Pulpit Vault, 1961-04-buehner-the-message-contained-in-the-words-of. Traduction de la présente édition, par méthode de glossaire, archive.org.Pulpit Vault, édition du 23 septembre 2026 (commit 4bdc6ac627).
Ailleurs dans le corpus
  1. 1963I Was Invited To Speak To A...Victor L. Brown¶ 40
  2. 1987“Yet Thou Art There”Neal A. Maxwell¶ 5
  3. 1989The Canker of ContentionRussell M. Nelson¶ 5
  4. 1973The Agency of ManJohn H. Vandenberg¶ 5
  5. 1937Conference AddressRulon S. Wells¶ 5

Des passages d’autres discours du registre qui parlent là où celui-ci parle — les plus proches d’abord, trouvés en comparant les textes paragraphe par paragraphe. Chacun s’ouvre au paragraphe cité. Les titres sont donnés en anglais.