This is a talk I gave in Sacrament Meeting Last November. I was asked to base it on Elder Ballard's talk from General Conference, "Faith, Family, Facts, and Fruit". Instead of just reiterating his talk, I decided to mostly expand on one point he made in the talk:
"We should also remember that sometimes the best way to answer people’s interest can be by how we live, how we radiate the joy of the gospel in our lives, how we treat others, and how sincerely we follow the teachings of Christ."
Below is the outline I prepared for my talk.
• This is an exciting time in which to live as we see prophesy being fulfilled as the Church grows (D&C 1: 30—And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually— [emphasis added])
• Church is definitely coming out of obscurity as can be seen by all the national attention it’s received over the past few years
• 1997—150th anniversary of the westward trek across the plains
• 2002—Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City
• 2007—Prominent presidential candidacy of a member who is constantly called the “Mormon Candidate” by the media
• Some would like it better without this attention since some of it is negative, but this was never meant to be the case (1 Peter 3: 15—But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:)
• Last conference Elder Ballard gave some advise on how to be ready
• Difference between interest and curiosity
• For those who are interested, refer them to the missionaries
• For those who are curious best to have some simple talking points prepared—Facts, Faith, Family, Fruits along with the Articles of Faith
• “We should also remember that sometimes the best way to answer people’s interest can be by how we live, how we radiate the joy of the gospel in our lives, how we treat others, and how sincerely we follow the teachings of Christ.”
• How well do we “radiate the joy of the gospel in our lives”?
• This seems to echo Alma’s questions (Alma 5: 6, 14-15, 26-27—And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, you that belong to this church, have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers? Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them? And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has delivered their souls from hell?... And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts? Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body?... And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now? Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins?)
• Once someone has walked in the light of Christ, but cannot feel it now why not?
• 2 Nephi 28: 30—For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.
• D&C 84: 49-54—And the whole world lieth in sin, and groaneth under darkness and under the bondage of sin. And by this you may know they are under the bondage of sin, because they come not unto me. For whoso cometh not unto me is under the bondage of sin. And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me. And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world groaneth under sin and darkness even now. And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—
• Sin is the willful disobedience of God’s commandments.
• The commandments of God and sin are directly opposed
• Can only do one or the other
• God cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance (Alma 45: 16, D&C 1: 31)
• No unclean thing can enter into the kingdom of God (1 Nephi 15: 34, 3 Nephi 27: 19)
• All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3: 23)
• Left to our own merits we will be punished for our sins (Mosiah 2: 33—For behold, there is a wo pronounced upon him who listeth to obey that [evil] spirit; for if he listeth to obey him, and remaineth and dieth in his sins, the same drinketh damnation to his own soul; for he receiveth for his wages an everlasting punishment, having transgressed the law of God contrary to his own knowledge.)
• On our own we are hopelessly lost (2 Nephi 9: 8-9—For behold, if the flesh should rise no more our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more. And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself;)
• God has “prepared a more excellent way” (Ether 12: 11)
• Jesus answered the ends of the law (2 Nephi 2: 7—Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.)
• We must repent and be baptized (2 Nephi 9: 23—And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.)
• This redeems us from the punishments for our sins, but we have not yet been delivered from the power of sin over our flesh
• This deliverance from the power of sin comes from enduring in faith to the end of our lives (2 Nephi 31: 16—And now, my beloved brethren, I know by this that unless a man shall endure to the end, in following the example of the Son of the living God, he cannot be saved.)
• If we try to endure by our own strength we will fail
• We may fall back into our former way of life (Alma 24: 30—And thus we can plainly discern, that after a people have been once enlightened by the Spirit of God, and have had great knowledge of things pertaining to righteousness, and then have fallen away into sin and transgression, they become more hardened, and thus their state becomes worse than though they had never known these things.)
• Or we may simply go along with the flow, trying to live in both worlds (Revelations 3: 15-16—[to the Laodiceans] I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.)
• Or we will recognize the futility of our efforts and cry out with Paul “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7: 24) or with Nephi, “O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.” (2 Nephi 4: 17)
• We must do as Paul and Nephi did and depend wholly on the Spirit and God’s help
• Romans 8: 13-14—For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
• 2 Nephi 4: 30-35—O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation. O Lord, wilt thou redeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin? May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite! O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road! O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way—but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy. O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm. Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. [emphasis added]
• thee, thou, or thy used 18 times!
• That is exactly what is meant to “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee” (Psalms 55: 22)
• Romans 12: 1-2—I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
• Matthew 11: 28-30—Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
• Sometimes we try to take on the Lord’s yoke without first casting our burden onto him
• That is a hard and heavy load indeed!
• We must always walk with an eye single to the glory of God (D&C 88: 67-68—And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things. Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will.)
• As long as we always remember these promises we have made with the Lord and continually strive to walk with an eye single to his glory, then we will “radiate the joy of the Gospel in our lives”
• Let us follow the counsel of Elder Ballard and always be prepared to “tell a little about our Church” to those who are curious about or interested in the Church, but most especially let them be able to see “the hope that is in you” in how we live our lives
• [Bear testimony]
• In the name of Jesus Christ, amen
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