After The Earth Had Been Organized And...

After the earth had been organized and beautified, the Lord created man in his own image and after his own likeness. And then the Lord God said: ¶

"It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him." (Gen. 2:18.) Eve was then created and given to Adam as a companion and wife. ¶

"No man is an island" ¶

The poet Longfellow beautifully expressed this relationship of husband and wife in the following verse: ¶

As unto the bow the cord is, So unto the man is woman; Though she bends him, she obeys him, Though she draws him, yet she follows; Useless each without the other! ¶

(Hiawatha.) The Lord's declaration, "It is not good that the man should be alone; . . ." (Gen. 2:18) has lofty significance. ¶

A babe born into this world is a helpless creature, dependent on its parents for care, love, and sustenance. Then as his life's cycle expands toward maturity, many other people affect the course of his life. Association with other youth and participation in their activities, schools, movies, television, radio, and other media also influence the individual. ¶

One of the most vital forces in this teaching or training process is that of the Church. Someone has estimated that a boy fourteen years of age, raised in the Church, would have had approximately twenty-five auxiliary and priesthood teachers and leaders who provided more than a thousand hours of gospel instruction for his benefit. ¶

Added to this there probably would be another twenty-five persons currently engaged in bringing the full program of the Church to him. ¶

Although one is born alone and dies alone and is free to live, think, feel, and act by himself, he needs help in reaching his highest possible potential. ¶

He cannot do it fully by himself. ¶

As members of the Church, we are traveling along the same highway, each one working out his own salvation, with exaltation and eternal life in the celestial kingdom as the goal. ¶

Yet in this striving process we are not alone; we gain and give strength and encouragement to each other. It has been aptly stated: "No man is an island; no man stands alone." (John Donne. ) ¶

God in the Solitudes

But there are those who feel that they have no need for anyone else, that they are sufficient unto themselves. Such persons claim, for instance, that it is not necessary to attend church meetings and mingle with others. They suggest that they can worship alone in the mountains, in the canyons, in the out-of-doors. ¶

It is true that momentous events have transpired out in nature. Moses heard the voice of the Lord from the burning bush on the hillside and also received the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai. Joseph Smith was blessed with the actual visitation from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ in the Sacred Grove. The spirit of worship was surely present on those hallowed occasions. The Savior taught that secret prayer is efficacious when he suggested: ". . . when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." (Matt. 6:6.) ¶

Worship for "the perfection of the Saints"

Even though Moses, Joseph Smith, and the Master all worshiped as individuals and prayed secretly, yet each indicated the need for group worship. ¶

The Lord had Moses set up the magnificent Tabernacle in the wilderness; the Prophet Joseph was directed to build churches and temples and establish a group educational system; and the Savior established his church organization for the purpose of "perfecting . . . the saints, for the work of the ministry. . . ." (Eph. 4:12.) We have received from God many commandments that require participation together as church members. The Lord has said: ¶

"And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day; "For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High; . . ." (D&C 59:9-10.) Also remember the instruction: "It is expedient that the church meet together often to partake of bread and wine in the remembrance of the Lord Jesus." (D&C 20:75.) Many blessings come from assembling with other members of the Church. On fast day we are inspired and uplifted as we hear fervent testimonies borne. In Sunday School and other meetings we profit by the experiences and expressions of others. ¶

Then also consider the value of the warm smile and hearty handclasp as we associate together, giving us a feeling of brotherhood and unity, a sense of belonging — belonging to one another and to the kingdom of God. The joys we feel are many, many times greater than if we attempted to work and worship alone. ¶

Fellowship with the Saints

It was not meant that we should stand alone. No one is an island. We need to be in fellowship with the Saints. By them our lives can be made better and richer. Recently I heard of an incident which illustrates this point. ¶

A boy was extended an invitation to visit his uncle who was a lumberjack up in the Northwest. For months the boy had looked forward with anticipation to this trip as an exciting adventure. Finally the time came for his journey to the vast timber empire of our country. His uncle met him at the depot, and as the two pursued their way to the lumber camp, the boy was impressed by the enormous size of the trees on every hand. There was a gigantic tree which he observed standing all alone on the top of a small hill. ¶

The boy, full of awe, called out excitedly, "Uncle George, look at that big tree! It will make a lot of good lumber, won't it?" ¶

Good Trees Grow in Groves

Uncle George slowly shook his head, then replied, "No, son, that tree will not make a lot of good lumber. It might make a lot of lumber but not a lot of good lumber. When a tree grows off by itself, too many branches grow on it. Those branches produce knots when the tree is cut into lumber. ¶

The best lumber comes from trees that grow together in groves. The trees also grow taller and straighter when they grow together." ¶

It is so with people. We become better individuals, more useful timber when we grow together rather than alone. ¶

This growing together places a responsibility upon each one of us. We should try fully to appreciate all our associates, help them, love them, teach them the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, his plan of salvation for them. ¶

We are all the children of God. We can help others; they can help us. ¶

Together we can become valuable timber in effectively building his Church in which we are blessed to hold membership. ¶

Somewhere out there in the wards and branches and cities where you live are those who are lonely — lonely for want of the light of truth; lonely for the association of those who reflect the Spirit of the Master; lonely, though they may not realize it now, to be a part of the body of Saints that make up the kingdom of God here on the earth. Don't let them stand alone in the dark. Go to them. Let your life be a lamp to their feet. Guide them till they stand with you and your associates in the gospel of our Redeemer. This is your responsibility, your obligation, your mission, your privilege. May you fulfil all of these opportunities humbly and nobly, I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶