One Morning On My Way From The...

One morning on my way from the parking lot to my office in the Church Office Building I stopped momentarily at the large excavation behind the building. A young man stepped over by me and asked what was going on. I told him it was the excavation for a large multistory church administration building. He replied as he turned and went down the street, "That's too much to spend on religion." Obviously he didn't place much value on religion. ¶

I've been thinking since then, how much is too much? ¶

In this busy world, are we so concerned with other things that we have not time for God? We need to stop and ponder — Where are our values centered? ¶

"There is something very remarkable about what we have to give under the gospel plan," said President J. Reuben Clark, Jr. "No matter how much we give of truth, of good example, of righteous living, our stores, our blessings increase, not decrease by that which we give away. . . . ¶

"We are expected to give out of our store all that we possibly can give away, and in proportion as we give unto others, we become thereby more and more enriched ourselves." ¶

In serving our fellow men we are also serving God. As he has said, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matt. 25:40.) The more we serve, the more we are blessed. ¶

King Benjamin in addressing his people said, "I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another — I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls, yet ye would be unprofitable servants. ¶

"And behold all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you. ¶

"And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him. ¶

"And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?" (Mosiah 2:21-24.) Have you ever tried to get the Lord indebted to you? He has offered that challenge to you. ¶

"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." (Mai. 3:10.) We are indebted to God for our very life: the air we breathe, our sight, speech, hearing. ¶

Typical of many other such cases is the lady who was born blind. Through the goodness of the missionaries who provided her with the Braille and talking records necessary to teach her the gospel, she became converted to the Church. She told me she had two sisters who had their sight, but she wouldn't trade places with either one of them. ¶

They had their sight, but they didn't see. She had the gospel and a testimony of its divinity, but they did not. ¶

Another typical example is the man who was grateful for the accident which caused him to be paralyzed from the waist down. He said if it had not been for the accident he would not have received the gospel. He had been too busy before to be interested in religion. ¶

After the accident he had plenty of time to think and set his values straight. ¶

Then the missionaries called on him. ¶

He accepted the gospel and now has been to the temple and had his wife and family sealed to him for time and all eternity, without which he wouldn't have his family after death. For this he was most grateful. What price is too great for the blessings of exaltation and eternal life, and what is there in this world that is more precious than the gospel of Jesus Christ? ¶

In early days of the Church it was not uncommon for converts to be rejected by family and friends and forced to make a choice between loved ones and the gospel of Christ. They chose the gospel because it gave them a joy and security which could not be found in any other way. There are still some converts who are forced to make this choice. On the other hand, some of us who have been given blessings in such abundance have no time for God. ¶

Our search for wealth and riches means more to us, and we are sufficient unto ourselves. We no longer depend upon God. ¶

The Lord has said in the section called the Word of Wisdom: ¶

"And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones; "And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures"; (D&C 89:18-19.) How can one set a price on the "hidden treasure" of knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ? ¶

And again the Lord has declared: ¶

"And also all they who receive this priesthood receive me, saith the Lord; "For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me; "And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father; "And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father's kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him." (Ibid., 84:35-38.) What price is too high? Can you ap predate the blessing which belongs to you priesthood holders to take your child in your arms in the congregation of the Church and give it a name and blessing, or to baptize and confirm the members of your family, or others who may be worthy? ¶

Count your many blessings, see what God has done. ¶

Someone has said, "True faith is that which teaches that things which matter most, should not be at the mercy of things which matter least." ¶

Let us not be like the man in the parable Christ gave who filled his storehouses with the riches of the world. ¶

When they were filled to overflowing he said, "I shall tear them down and build greater." (See Luke 12:18.) "But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: . . ." (Ibid., 12:20.) None of us knows when our soul may be required of us. It may be later than we think. ¶

May we more fully appreciate the great and wonderful blessings which the gospel offers to us, and may we show that appreciation by righteous living and service to our fellow men and unto God, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶