The Lord's Side of the Line - George R. Hill III

The Lord's Side of the Line - George R. Hill III

President George Albert Smith often said that there are two influences in the world. “One is constructive and elevating and comes from our Heavenly Father; the other is destructive and debasing and comes from Lucifer.” When we “live on the Lord’s side of the line Lucifer cannot … influence us, but if we cross the line into his territory we are in his power.” (Improvement Era, May 1935, p. 278.)

A man may choose whether to listen to the Lord or to Satan. If he has a sincere desire to follow in the footsteps of the Master and if he has command of himself, he knows that Satan is unable to force him into evil. Satan may only suggest; he cannot force.  I feel that we can fortify our determination to stay on the Lord’s side of the line if we put into practice the principles below. A side-by-side list of the Lord’s methods and Satan’s schemes provides a clear comparison of the two plans  Because we know that the gospel plan is an all-encompassing, complete way of life, should we not recommit ourselves each day in our prayers to the Lord to keep His commandments? Each daily decision should include the conscious thought, “Is this in accord with gospel principles, or am I slipping across the line into Lucifer’s domain?”

Let us carry out all of our actions in harmony with the principles we know to be true.

The Lord’s Side the Gospel of Jesus Christ	Satan’s Side Lucifer and the World
1. The gospel is magnificent. It encompasses everything that is good and true.	1. Satan’s plan blends partial truths with lies and deception to entrap and destroy.
2. Every principle and law of the gospel, if lived, lifts man and makes him free.	2. The practices advocated by Lucifer degrade, enslave, and bind.
3. Every action we take in harmony with gospel principles improves our lives.	3. Every action we take with selfish goals in mind reduces our capacity to achieve true joy.
4. The gospel explains our eternal destiny as sons or daughters of God.	4. Lucifer’s deception, woven into the existential philosophies of men, proclaims that our short mortal span is all there is.
5. The gospel teaches us that we are free agents being tried and tested during our sojourn on earth.	5. Lucifer’s philosophy holds that our actions are merely responses to hereditary and environmental influences and that we are not responsible for what we do.
6. The gospel explains why good and evil exist in the world.	6. Lucifer teaches that the world and life are purposeless and governed by chance.
7. We enjoy forgiveness when we recognize our sins and choose to repent.	7. Lucifer teaches that there is no sin. We become subject to him when we fail to recognize sin and fail to repent.
8. The gospel teaches that all knowledge and intelligence gained in this life will rise with us in the Resurrection.	8. Satan teaches that death is the end of existence and that the only value of knowledge is to get ahead in this life.
9. We are granted gifts of the Spirit such as peace and joy when we live gospel principles.	9. We rule out the influence of the Spirit, including spiritual gifts, in our lives when we indulge in worldly practices.
10. The gospel teaches a law of health that, if lived, gives us strength, vigor, and reduced susceptibility to disease and illness.	10. Satan teaches, “Eat, drink and be merry! Indulge your passions and your desire for momentary pleasure.” This course is always followed by misery and sorrow.
11. We develop loving relationships and find happiness as we learn to love and to serve joyously.	11. We destroy loving relationships and bring on personal sorrow and loneliness when we follow Lucifer’s urgings.
12. We develop love and harmony among family members and happiness at home when we live gospel principles.	12. We create disharmony, distrust, and unhappiness at home when we live a worldly life-style.
13. The result of following the gospel is that others will develop confidence and trust in us if our actions are in harmony with gospel principles.	13. The result of following Satan is that others become suspicious of our motives and integrity because our actions are out of harmony with gospel principles.
14. We have the opportunity to enjoy an eternal, exalted family through living gospel principles.	14. Lucifer’s plan results in separation from family relationships forever.
15. The Lord has promised to share all that He has with those of His children who qualify themselves for the celestial kingdom.	15. Lucifer’s plan encourages momentary sensual pleasure for which, if there is no repentance, the reward is eternal separation from the celestial kingdom.
16. The Lord’s counsel: Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, and diligence. Qualify for the celestial kingdom where God and Christ dwell.	16. Lucifer’s counsel: Seek evil and indulge in backbiting, vanity, pride, lust, dishonesty, lasciviousness, adultery, pornography, and the use of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs. Qualify to be forever separated from where God and Christ dwell.

Faithful Friends - Henry B. Eyring

Faithful Friends - Henry B. Eyring

Living prophets of God have asked us to be faithful friends to those who come into the Church as converts and to go to the rescue of those who have drifted away. We can do it, and we will do it if we always remember the Savior. When we reach out to give succor and to lift a burden, He reaches with us. He will lead us to those in need. He will bless us to feel what they feel. As we persist in our efforts to serve them, we will more and more be given the gift of feeling His love for them. That will give us courage and strength to reach out again and again in faithfulness.

Reach with a Rescuing Hand - Gordon B. Hinckley

Reach with a Rescuing Hand - Gordon B. Hinckley

I take you back to the general conference of October 1856. On Saturday of that conference Franklin D. Richards and a handful of associates arrived in the valley. They had traveled from Winter Quarters with strong teams and light wagons and had been able to make good time. Brother Richards immediately sought out President Young. He reported that there were hundreds of men, women, and children scattered over the long trail from Scottsbluff to this valley. Most of them were pulling handcarts. They were accompanied by two wagon trains which had been assigned to assist them. They had reached the area of the last crossing of the North Platte River. Ahead of them lay a trail that was uphill all the way to the Continental Divide with many, many miles beyond that. They were in desperate trouble. Winter had come early. Snow-laden winds were howling across the highlands of what is now western Nebraska and Wyoming. Our people were hungry, their carts and their wagons were breaking down, their oxen dying. The people themselves were dying. All of them would perish unless they were rescued.  I think President Young did not sleep that night. I think visions of those destitute, freezing, dying people paraded through his mind.  The next morning he came to the old Tabernacle which stood on this square. He said to the people:  “I will now give this people the subject and the text for the Elders who may speak. … It is this. … Many of our brethren and sisters are on the plains with handcarts, and probably many are now seven hundred miles from this place, and they must be brought here, we must send assistance to them. The text will be, ‘to get them here.’  “That is my religion; that is the dictation of the Holy Ghost that I possess. It is to save the people.  “I shall call upon the Bishops this day. I shall not wait until tomorrow, nor until the next day, for 60 good mule teams and 12 or 15 wagons. I do not want to send oxen. I want good horses and mules. They are in this Territory, and we must have them. Also 12 tons of flour and 40 good teamsters, besides those that drive the teams.  “I will tell you all that your faith, religion, and profession of religion, will never save one soul of you in the Celestial Kingdom of our God, unless you carry out just such principles as I am now teaching you. Go and bring in those people now on the plains” (in LeRoy R. Hafen and Ann W. Hafen, Handcarts to Zion [1960], 120–21).  That afternoon food, bedding, and clothing in great quantities were assembled by the women.  The next morning, horses were shod and wagons were repaired and loaded.  The following morning, Tuesday, 16 mule teams pulled out and headed eastward. By the end of October there were 250 teams on the road to give relief.  Wonderful sermons have been preached from this pulpit, my brethren and sisters. But none has been more eloquent than that spoken by President Young in those circumstances.  Stories of the beleaguered Saints and of their suffering and death will be repeated again and again next year. Stories of their rescue need to be repeated again and again. They speak of the very essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I am grateful that those days of pioneering are behind us. I am thankful that we do not have brethren and sisters stranded in the snow, freezing and dying, while trying to get to this, their Zion in the mountains. But there are people, not a few, whose circumstances are desperate and who cry out for help and relief.  There are so many who are hungry and destitute across this world who need help. I am grateful to be able to say that we are assisting many who are not of our faith but whose needs are serious and whom we have the resources to help. But we need not go so far afield. We have some of our own who cry out in pain and suffering and loneliness and fear. Ours is a great and solemn duty to reach out and help them, to lift them, to feed them if they are hungry, to nurture their spirits if they thirst for truth and righteousness.  There are so many young people who wander aimlessly and walk the tragic trail of drugs, gangs, immorality, and the whole brood of ills that accompany these things. There are widows who long for friendly voices and that spirit of anxious concern which speaks of love. There are those who were once warm in the faith, but whose faith has grown cold. Many of them wish to come back but do not know quite how to do it. They need friendly hands reaching out to them. With a little effort, many of them can be brought back to feast again at the table of the Lord.  My brethren and sisters, I would hope, I would pray, that each of us, having participated in this great conference, would resolve to seek those who need help, who are in desperate and difficult circumstances, and lift them in the spirit of love into the embrace of the Church, where strong hands and loving hearts will warm them, comfort them, sustain them, and put them on the way of happy and productive lives.

A Potato for the Teacher - Bonny Dahlsrud

A Potato for the Teacher - Bonny Dahlsrud

As an elementary schoolteacher of more than 25 years, I have received a lot of interesting things from my young students. Silly notes, drawn pictures, and imaginative crafts are common gifts. Last year, however, was the first time I had ever received a potato.  “A potato for the teacher,” young Emma said proudly when she came to my desk, “because I didn’t have an apple.” It was a medium-sized potato, scrubbed clean, and beautiful as far as potatoes go. I thanked her and placed it on my desk. I saw Emma’s large blue eyes shine with pride whenever she looked at it throughout the day.  After school, when I was working at my desk, I couldn’t help but regard the potato with a tender smile. Children see things so simply, and with that common potato, Emma taught me something important. I left it on my desk for over a week because it served as a reminder to me.  As a visiting teacher and a sister in my ward, I wanted to serve others, but I was always waiting for an “apple” before I took time to help. If I was busy and couldn’t make an extra casserole or if I wanted to give a special flower but didn’t get to the floral shop, I ignored the still, small voice of the Spirit whispering of someone who needed my service.  “I’ll do something this weekend, when I have time,” I would convince myself. “Nobody needs me today.”  But what if someone really did need me? What if I hadn’t ignored the promptings to visit an elderly neighbor or the young widow who had just lost her husband? Could I have helped or served, even with what I could offer then—a “potato”?  I learned a great lesson from Emma that I am trying hard to put into practice. If I don’t have an apple, I give a potato instead, and I do it now. I don’t wait to make a casserole or my special lemon cream pie; I buy a box of cookies instead. I don’t often get to the florist, but I can drop in for a chat without the flower. A homemade card would be great, but so would a quick phone call. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture of service every time. A small gesture of love is just as nice.  I have the potato at home now, but I don’t think I’ll ever eat it. It serves as a constant reminder to serve when I’m prompted. I give what I can now instead of waiting until later. A potato for the teacher really was the nicest gift.

Help Someone Sit in the Sun - Kenneth E. Behring

Help Someone Sit in the Sun - Kenneth E. Behring

Have you ever noticed that only when people become rich do they argue about how poor they were? Believe me, being poor is no great honor. In fact, what initially drove me in life was that I hated being poor.  I mention this because when I was poor, I didn't know what true poverty was. And when I became rich, I didn't know what true riches were. Now I know a little more about true poverty and true riches.I owe this blessing to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Although I'm not a member, about three years ago the Church asked me if I had room on my plane to drop off 15 tons of canned meat for refugees in Kosovo. Then the Church said, "And is there any chance that you might have a little extra room to drop off some wheelchairs in Romania?"  I had never really thought about wheelchairs before. After that trip, I could think of little else.  When we dropped off the chairs, the doctor told me that disabled people in Third World countries are often just discarded, abandoned, or hidden in back rooms. I met a girl who had spent the last 23 years lying on a mattress, looking at the ceiling without the ability to move. Imagine not being able to see the outdoors unless someone carries you.  When we were in North Vietnam, we put an elderly lady in a wheelchair. Speaking through an interpreter, she said, "I'm 85 years old, and I've wanted to die but was not able to." Then she looked at me and said, "But now I don't want to die."  In Zimbabwe, a fellow crawled 17 kilometers on his elbows to get to us. We put him in the wheelchair, and he was going around and around with a big smile on his face. After a while, he pulled himself out of it and sat on the ground. We asked him why. He said, "I've had my turn." He didn't realize he could keep it. This year he came back with his children to show that the chair was just like new.  For millions of people, a wheelchair is not confinement. It is freedom—freedom to move, to go to school, to get a job. A chair is hope. Self-reliance. Independence. It is dignity.  Eleven years ago, a young South American woman who was going to school got hit by a truck. She spent the next 11 years in bed. After we gave her a wheelchair, she came back and said she had reenrolled and was starting her studies the next day.  These people's stories may seem far removed from this beautiful campus. So what do they have to do with you graduates? I think these stories reveal a number of truths about life and how we live it.  There is so much need out there in so many different ways. This wheelchair mission is the greatest thing that's happened to me in my life. I used to give money to good causes because I felt obligated to give back. Many people give because they feel obligated—which is good. But they don't feel the giving with their heart. Giving is not a duty; it is a joy.  I wish every one of you graduates could lift someone into a wheelchair and look into his or her eyes. I want you to feel such joy and humanity. Your lives are going to need similar experiences to be truly rich.  Let me close with one last story. When I was in Yugoslavia, a man told me about his teenage son who had stepped on a land mine and lost both legs up to his hips, an eye, and his hearing. Although they were refugees, they had a house and sufficient food to survive. And now, with this wheelchair, he could take his boy out to sit in the sun.  I don't think that the desire of a human being to sit in the sun is too much to ask.  As you graduates leave here today full of brightness and possibilities, I ask that you not forget those who lie in the lonely depths of darkened rooms—immobilized perhaps physically, mentally, or by poverty or despair.  I don't care how rich you become. I don't care what position of power you someday hold. I don't care what you invent or create or build. I ask only that along life's path you take time now and then to help your fellow man sit in the sun.

Grandpa Wrote a Book - Lynn Clark Callister

Grandpa Wrote a Book - Lynn Clark Callister

When my father, Harold Glen Clark, was young, his grandfather told him stories. So my father, when he became a grandfather, wrote down some of his own stories and gave them to his grandchildren in the form of a ninety-page book. He told of experiences such as this:

“I was thinking about which one thing I had ever done might have pleased the Lord most. Then it came to me what it might be. It was when I was sixteen or seventeen years old. My mother, who often took in the unfortunate, had the care of two grandpas at one time. Someone said to her in jest, ‘Why don’t you put up a sign “Grandpas wanted!”’ But it wasn’t funny, because I was assigned to take care of Grandpa Benjamin Noble, who had to be bathed, dressed, and undressed and helped to the table to eat. Now, I was a fun-loving young man, and here I was too many times, nursing Grandpa while a good game of basketball was going on outside. Once when my pals were calling me, I was inside doing the tedious chore of taking off his wet pajamas. I was impatient and upset. Then I felt Grandpa’s trembling hand on mine. I turned and met his tearful countenance and heard him say, ‘God bless you, my boy. You will never regret doing this for me.’ I was so sorry I had been resentful, but my heart was light and my spirit had eagle’s wings. To this day I have a warm glow about this little service I performed for a quite helpless grandpa. I suppose doing something for someone which they cannot do for themselves brings you close to God, because that’s what he and his Son are doing all the time, out of pure love for us.

“So, when I step up to heaven’s entrance, this little service might be the most precious thing I ever did. I might even hear the words, ‘Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me’ (Matt. 25:40).”

Rise to Your Call - Henry B. Eyring

Rise to Your Call - Henry B. Eyring

I read this talk frequently.  It gives me assurance and peace every time.

And so, to everyone, man or woman, girl or boy, who has been called or who will yet be, I give you my counsel. There are a few things you must come to know are true. I will try to put them in words. Only the Lord through the Holy Ghost can put them deep in your heart. Here they are:

 First, you are called of God. The Lord knows you. He knows whom He would have serve in every position in His Church. He chose you. He has prepared a way so that He could issue your call. He restored the keys of the priesthood to Joseph Smith. Those keys have been passed down in an unbroken line to President Hinckley. Through those keys, other priesthood servants were given keys to preside in stakes and wards, in districts and branches. It was through those keys that the Lord called you. Those keys confer a right to revelation. And revelation comes in answer to prayer. The person who was inspired to recommend you for this call didn’t do it because they liked you or because they needed someone to do a particular task. They prayed and felt an answer that you were the one to be called.

 ...the second thing you need to know. It is that the Lord will guide you by revelation just as He called you. You must ask in faith for revelation to know what you are to do. With your call comes the promise that answers will come. But that guidance will come only when the Lord is sure you will obey. To know His will you must be committed to do it. The words “Thy will be done,” written in the heart, are the window to revelation.

 There is a third thing you need to know: Just as God called you and will guide you, He will magnify you. You will need that magnification. Your calling will surely bring opposition. You are in the Master’s service. You are His representative. Eternal lives depend on you. He faced opposition, and He said that facing opposition would be the lot of those He called. The forces arrayed against you will try not only to frustrate your work but to bring you down. The Apostle Paul described it this way: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world.” ¹

  You can have the utmost assurance that your power will be multiplied many times by the Lord. All He asks is that you give your best effort and your whole heart. Do it cheerfully and with the prayer of faith. The Father and His Beloved Son will send the Holy Ghost as your companion to guide you. Your efforts will be magnified in the lives of the people you serve. And when you look back on what may now seem trying times of service and sacrifice, the sacrifice will have become a blessing, and you will know that you have seen the arm of God lifting those you served for Him, and lifting you.