Inspiration From The Teachings Of The Gospel...

One of the great scriptural accounts in the Old Testament tells of the children of Israel gathering at the gateway into the promised land at Kadesh-Barnea, where the great Moses, their lawgiver, stood up before them. He was confronted not with the ones who had left Egypt, but with their sons and their daughters, for the ones who had left Egypt had been wasted in the wilderness. According to the biblical writings, this is what he said to those who now were about to enter the promised land: "There are eleven days' journey for Horeb, or Mt. Sinai, unto Kadesh-barnea by way of Mt. Seir." (See Deut. 1:2.) ¶

The camel trains of that time had no difficulty in traveling that distance in 11 days, and yet it had taken Israel 40 years. I have often thought that in our own way of life, in our own problems, many times we take the long way, instead of the short way, in accordance with the laws and commandments of our Heavenly Father. ¶

"The feast" time of gathering, renewal, gratitude In ancient biblical times, "the feast" was a time of gathering, a time of harvest, a time of rejoicing, and what is more particularly significant, "the feast" was designated by the Lord as a time of remembrance. These observances were established among the people for various reasons. Three times, said the Lord, thou shalt keep a feast in the year: the feast of the harvest, the feast of the weeks, the feast of tabernacles, and there were others. (See Exod. 23:14, 16; 34:22; Lev. 23:34; Deut. 16:10, 16.) But in all of these there seemed to be a central motive, a time of the renewal of spirit, of regeneration, that the people might continue with gratitude and sacrifice to fulfill the purposes of the Lord, which were intended for their good and blessing. ¶

There are "feasts" that we observe at which we also gather to rejoice and be renewed in spirit and in thought, and to which we too bring the harvest of our achievements to evaluate, and then, with renewed determination, go forward to do better. Here, as in all the "feasts" of ancient times, is to be found the need of the people themselves, seeking the strength and the fortitude to push on. From such occasions will come this strength, if our hearts and minds can be brought in tune with the Spirit of God. ¶

"Conference," feast-time, gathering, renewal Establishing the custom of "conferences" for his people in this day and age, the Lord said the following: "The . . . elders composing this church of Christ are to meet in conference once in three months, or from time to time as said conferences shall direct or appoint." (D&C 20:61.) ¶

From experience in the Church we have learned that the expressed will of our Heavenly Father comes to his people at conference time. This great conference, now approaching its closing moments, has truly been and will continue to the end to be a time of the renewal of the spirit. ¶

Fuse inspirational experience with righteous action But now may I ask a question of you? What will the aftermath be? It will ever be a great privilege and blessing to receive the inspiration of the general conference sessions by personally being present or indirectly by television or radio. But can it not be said that the real significance of this conference will register in the weeks and months that are ahead? May we fuse inspirational experience with righteous and obedient action. As leaders may we evidence in the time ahead a true response to this conference by seeking to excel in our responsibilities; and this, as the Apostle Paul has said, "that righteousness may abound," that our lives will be such that we shall merit the spiritual guidance needed to fulfill our callings. ¶

May we as home teachers become more dedicated to our callings to "watch over" our families, rather than making just reporting visits. ¶

Let the stake missionaries become more aware of the power of the gospel in the lives of people, to go back again and again to the honest-of-heart and sincere in our midst, always keeping the goodwill of those who have not yet received the testimony of Jesus and the work of our Heavenly Father. ¶

Let our class teachers become better teachers, to teach more by the Spirit, to be more concerned about the individual lives of class members, both participating and non-participating. ¶

Let us all as members, through greater faith and devotion, live closer to the laws and ordinances of the gospel, be more concerned in seeking after our kindred dead, and thus do the will of our Heavenly Father and his Beloved Son. ¶

And so in the closing moments of this great conference, may these few particular scriptural revelations serve not to supplant in any way the great inspiration we have felt here during these past three days, but may they add a little, in the earnest hope that we may more closely adjust to the will of our Heavenly Father. ¶

". . . Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." (Matt 16:6.) ¶

But his disciples thought he referred to bread. Then he declared unto them: ¶

"How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? ¶

"Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." (Matt. 16:11-12.) This is what we are confronted with in this day. ¶

Upon another occasion he declared: ". . . Take heed, and beware of covetousness; for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth." (Luke 12:15.) ¶

"And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments." (D&C 59:21.) ¶

Continuing in a revelation given to our great modern Prophet: ¶

"Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; ¶

"For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward. ¶

"But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned." (D&C 58:27-29.) ¶

To those of us who have leaned more to our own strength, or to carnal-mindedness, let us seek for the Spirit, then live and teach by it as declared in the revelations from our Heavenly Father: ¶

"And the Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith; and if ye receive not the Spirit ye shall not teach." (D&C 42:14.) ¶

"For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. ¶

"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Cor. 2:11, 14.) ¶

Father, mother, children, practice influence of the priesthood with "love unfeigned" ¶

In the uniting and spiritually anchoring of the family, which is the broad and over-all intent of the gospel plan: ¶

(1) Let every father who has felt the spirit of this conference seek to become a better father, to magnify the priesthood in his own home, to place it in order, and, having done this, to labor that others will see the necessity of doing this in their own behalf. ¶

(2) Let every wife sustain her husband in the priesthood, that they as parents may fulfill the commandments of the Lord regarding the family. ¶

(3) Let children obey their parents in the Lord, for this is right. In the words of Paul, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your husbands, . . . ¶

"For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church. . . ." (Eph. 5:22-23.) "Children, obey your parents in the Lord; for this is right. ¶

"Honour thy father and mother; (which is part of the first commandment with promise;) "That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. ¶

"And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." (Eph. 6:1-4.) President McKay has often referred to the home as the center of civilization, and the responsibility of the home rests upon the parents of the home. As parents, in the aftermath of this great conference, let us put our homes in order, for it is in this, as declared by the Lord by revelation found in Section 93- of the Doctrine and Covenants, that will come the power to overcome evil. Let us not be deceived in the causes that bring spiritual decay and affliction upon the family. ¶

Here is the law: "For this shall be a law unto the inhabitants of Zion, or in any of her. stakes which are organized. ii ! ¶

"And they shall also teach their children to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord." (D&C 68:26, 28.) The father in magnifying the priesthood in his own home will contribute to the saving of his wife and children by safeguarding their lives, and with the assistance and help of his wife and companion he will exercise the rights of fatherhood in accordance with the principles of righteous dominion. Thus, the father, holding the priesthood of God, will know: ¶

"No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; "By kindness, and pure knowledge [revelation], which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile — "Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy." (D&C 121:41-43.) Finally, in the words of our beloved President, which have been echoed from this pulpit many times since he made this statement: "No other success can compensate for failure in the home." ¶

Now, in the words of the Apostle Paul, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard . . . the things which God hath prepared for them that love him" (1 Cor. 2:9) and keep his commandments. I bear testimony, my brethren and sisters, that this is God's work and that the great spirit and the power and the influence of this conference have truly been a feast to which we can anchor, which we can carry away with us, and which can modify our lives where they need to be modified, that we might draw closer unto our Heavenly Father and our committed purpose as the children of our Heavenly Father. I bear witness of this and of the reality of the mission of his Beloved Son, and I do it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶