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Because of Jesus Christ (Video)
Weekly Message: Sources of Guidance, Inspiration, and Comfort
When I was around 9 years old, our family planned to take a Saturday trip to the church history site in Harmony, Pennsylvania, where Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery received the Aaronic Priesthood. I was in Cub Scouts at the time and one of the skills I was trying to learn was how to read and follow a map. My dad sat down with me before our trip and told me I was going to be his navigator. He told me I would be sitting in the front seat of our 1968 Buick Station Wagon. In our large family, and at my age, sitting in the front seat was a pretty big deal!
My father showed me a map marked with the route we would take. I can still picture it in my mind. He taught me what the symbols on the map meant, how to read the numbers of the roads, and the distances between different waypoints. I felt very important and I learned a lot.
Because of his instruction, I was able to follow our route, know when we needed to turn, and know how far it was to our destination, etc.
One of the many blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is the clear understanding that we are unique children of a loving Father in Heaven who has provided this earth and a customized plan for our growth and eventual return to Him.
I can imagine each of us having a similar kind of conversation in our premortal life with a loving Father in Heaven in which He gave us instruction and reassurance before we came to this earth.
Not only did our Father in Heaven give us instruction and guidance BEFORE we came, but He also offers many sources of inspiration, guidance, comfort, and refreshment DURING our journey.
A partial list of these sources might include: the scriptures, the temple, uplifting music, counsel from parents or leaders, and the Holy Ghost. Today I wish to discuss briefly three important sources:
Personal Prayer
Patriarchal Blessings
Words of Living Prophets
Personal Prayer
In a talk given by the current Utah Area President, Elder Kevin W. Pearson, he made the observation that,
“you can tell a lot about a person by listening to their prayers.”
What do you think our Father in Heaven learns about you from listening to your prayers?
In religious settings, especially when we are offering counsel to someone, it is common to ask,
“Are you saying your prayers?”
While this is a legitimate question, it presumes too much and evaluates too little. It presumes all prayers are alike or that we all pray for the same reasons or that we all know HOW to pray. It does not accurately evaluate what actually happens when we pray.
I believe it would be much more helpful to ask these kinds of questions…
What do you say to Heavenly Father when you pray?
How or What do you FEEL when you pray?
What questions do you ask Him?
What answers does He give you?
How do you remember the things you have learned while praying?
What kind of effort have you made and are you making to create a connection with our Heavenly Father?
If I may, I’d like to share some key factors that can help make our prayers a more effective source of guidance and instruction from our Father in Heaven…
The first significant factor that can affect our connection through prayer is…
What we say
When we pray, are we speaking words and phrases that have been repeated time after time and have lost their significance? Or, are we really thinking about what is happening in our lives and discussing it with our Father in Heaven? Are we asking Heavenly Father questions that allow Him to teach us rather than simply asking Him to bless us with the things we want?
President Henry B Eyring taught that we should ask in prayer at the end of each day,
“What have I done or not done today, that pleases thee?”
Where we pray
The Savior admonished us to “pray in secret”, “in [our] closet” (Matthew 6:6)
Do we have a place where we can pray without interruptions or distractions?
How long we pray
Do we set aside the time to really have a conversation? How long might that be? 5 minutes…10 minutes…20 minutes? What might we ask the wisest person in the universe if we spent 20 or 30 minutes visiting with Him? What might He share with us if we gave Him enough of our time and the “energy of our hearts”? (3 Nephi 18:19)
How well we listen and remember
President Nelson recently taught,
“In whatever place constitutes your personal "closet," you may wish to keep a notepad and pencil handy so you can capture any promptings that come to your heart and mind. As you reserve this precious time of preparation each day, the Holy Ghost can reach you and teach you.” (refer to Isaiah 40:31)
Patriarchal Blessings
Another wonderful source of encouragement, comfort, and heavenly wisdom is our patriarchal blessing. Every worthy, baptized member is entitled to and should receive a patriarchal blessing, which provides inspired direction from the Lord. Patriarchal blessings include a declaration of your lineage in the house of Israel and contain personal counsel from the Lord. As you study your patriarchal blessing and follow the counsel it contains, it will provide guidance, comfort, and protection.
A patriarchal blessing includes a declaration of lineage, stating that the person is of the house of Israel—a descendant of Abraham, belonging to a specific tribe of Jacob.
It does not matter if a person’s lineage in the house of Israel is through bloodlines or by adoption. Church members are counted as a descendant of Abraham and an heir to all the promises and blessings contained in the Abrahamic covenant
Those who have received a patriarchal blessing should read it humbly, prayerfully, and frequently. It contains personal revelation and instructions from Heavenly Father, who knows our strengths, weaknesses, and eternal potential.
We should not assume that everything mentioned in our patriarchal blessing will be fulfilled in this life. A patriarchal blessing is eternal, and its promises may extend into the eternities. If one is worthy, all promises will be fulfilled in the Lord’s due time. Those promises and blessings that are not realized in this life will be fulfilled in the next.
Patriarchal blessings are sacred and may be shared with immediate family members, but should not be read aloud in public or read or interpreted by others. Not even the patriarch or bishop or branch president should interpret it.
Those who have received a patriarchal blessing should treasure its words, ponder them, and live to be worthy to receive the promised blessings in this life and in the life to come.
To find out how you can receive a patriarchal blessing, speak with your bishop.
Elder Don R. Clarke recently taught,
“We can learn more about Heavenly Father and His plan for us when we receive a patriarchal blessing. Sometimes when I want to know more about what Heavenly Father wants me to do in my life, I read my patriarchal blessing and it helps me.
The Church counsels members to receive their patriarchal blessing when it’s right for them. You will know by the Spirit, and your leaders and parents will help you to know when the time is appropriate.
Your patriarchal blessing is written down so you can read it over and over again. Let your blessing serve and guide you. The Lord has the opportunity to talk to you as you think about your blessing often. Through prayer and your patriarchal blessing, you can know God’s plan for you.”
Words of the Prophets
Since Gutenberg invented the moveable type printing press, the words of prophets have been available to an ever-increasing audience. Thanks to the restoration of the gospel through living prophets, we have the benefit of additional scripture including the Pearl of Great Price, The Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants. These canonized sources of instruction and inspiration are supplemented further by the words of living prophets and apostles in the form of the Liahona magazine and talks from General Conference every six months.
We truly live in a day when the word of the Lord is flooding the earth. (Habakkuk 2:14) There has never been a time when it has been easier to access and understand the teachings of living prophets. Perhaps this is because there has never been a time when Satan has had more influence over the people of the world.
The ideas and concepts put forward by popular culture are often contrary to the teachings of history and principles of righteousness. As the Savior prepares the world for His Second Coming, it is important that we study the words of the prophets and follow them to avoid confusion and stay focused on the precious truths of eternity.
Conclusion
I invite all of us to recognize and use the sources of inspiration and guidance that have been given to us as precious gifts from God so we can return to Him.
Specific to today’s message, though, may we each pray more sincerely and effectively, receive or re-read our patriarchal blessing, and seek the words of living prophets…especially in the General Conference sessions coming up in less than two weeks.
As we do, we will feel His power and influence in our lives more abundantly and feel His joy and His strength to accomplish our missions on this earth.
I share with you my witness of the love and glory of our Savior and of our Father in Heaven who want us to return to Them.
I love you all,
President Gardner
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