Conducting: President Russell M Nelson

Mormon Tabernacle Choir: Christ the Lord is Risen Today

Larry Y Wilson

 

On this Easter Sunday our thoughts turn to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

What an incomparable gift comes to those who put their faith in Jesus Christ. That gift is the Holy Spirit giving us waht the New Testament calles ‘life in Christ’

It is an extraordinary privilege to have the Holy Spirit for our guide.

[Story of Ensign Frank Blair, who served on a troop transport ship stationed in Japan during the Korean War. The captain asked Blair to be the ship’s informal chaplain. During a storm  the ship was in trouble. Ensign Blair finished his watch and was getting into bed when the captain knocked on his door. He asked, ‘Would you please pray for this ship.’ Of course, Ensign Blair agreed to do so. At that point, the young man could have simply prayed for safety, but instead, he prayed to know if there was something he could do to help ensure the safety of the ship. Three times he prayed to know what to do and then followed the promptings of the Spirit. He observed a problem with the propellers. Only one propeller was working fully and it was spinning very fast. He prayed again and suggested to the captain that the propeller be slowed down. This was contrary to what the engineer had recommended. The captain followed Ensign Blair’s advice. By dawn the ship was safely in calm waters. The captain thanked the young LDS officer and said he believed that following Ensign Blair’s spiritual impressions had saved the crew and the ship.]

This story includes three important guidelines three guidelines for individuals to receive the guidance of the Spirit.

1. When it comes to revelation, “we must properly tune our receiver to heaven’s frequency.”

Had [Ensign Blair] not been obedient, he would not have had the spiritual confidence necessary to pray as he did for the safety of his ship and to receive such specific guidance. We must each be making the effort to align our lives with God’s commandments in order to be directed by Him.

The Saviour is eager to guide you

2. Be part of the solution.

Instead of just listing problems in prayer and asking the Lord to solve them, we ought to be seeking more proactive ways of receiving the Lord’s help, and then  commit to act according to the Spirit’s guidance.

3. Follow the pattern of listening to the Holy Ghost.

The arrival of a typhoon is no time to dust off the gift of the Holy Ghost and figure out how to use it. This young man was clearly following a pattern he had used many times before, including as a full-time missionary. We need the Holy Spirit as our guide in calm waters, so His voice will be unmistakable to us in the fiercest storm.

Some may think we shouldn’t expect daily guidance from the scriptures.

Being spiritually self-reliant is being able to hear the Saviour’s voice.

Ensign Blair’s ability to receive revelation saved him and his shipmates from a raging storm.

We must live a guided life

Sister Reyna I Aburto

On a trip to Mexico we visited a butterfly sanctuary where millions of monarch butterflies spend the winter. It was fascinating to see such an impressive sight and for us to reflect on the example of unity and obedience to divine laws that God’s creations demonstrate.

Though delicate and fragile, these butterflies are master navigators that find their way from Canada to fir forests in Mexico every year.

A group of butterflies is called a kaleidoscope. Each butterfly that forms the kaleidoscope, is unique and has been designed to survive, travel, multiply and spread life. And, although each butterfly is different, they work together to make the world a more beautiful and fruitful place.

Like the monarch butterflies, we are on a journey back to our heavenly home where we will reunite with our Heavenly Parents.

In order to reach our sublime destiny, we need each other, and we need to be unified. “The Lord has commanded us, ‘Be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine'” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:27).

Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of unity with His Father  They are one in purpose, in love and in works, with ‘the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father'” (Mosiah 15:7).

How can we follow the Lord’s perfect example of unity with His Father and be more unified with Them and with each other?

An inspiring pattern is found in Acts 1:14: “[The men] all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women.”

I think it is significant that the phrase ‘with one accord’ appears several times in the book of Acts, where we read about what Jesus Christ’s followers did immediately after He ascended to heaven as a resurrected being, as well as the blessings they received because of their efforts. It is also signficant that we find a similar pattern among the faithful on the American continent at the time the Lord visited and ministered to them.

They testified of Jesus Christ, studied the word of God together and ministered to each other with love.

They were blessed with being filled with the Holy Ghost, miracles, seeing the Church grow, and an absence of contention among the people.

We can suppose that the reason why they were so united is because they knew the Lord personally. They had been close to him.

They knew with certainty that he was the promised Messiah.

As we draw closer to Christ and as we seek to receive a personal witness of His divine mission, we will have a better understanding of one’s purpose.

Miracles happen when the children of God work together guided by the Spirit to reach out to others in need.

We hear so many stories of neighbourly love.

The Lord is now giving us the opportunity to counsel together each month.

When we counsel together, guided by the Holy Ghost, we can see where we are and where we need to be,

As we work in unity, our purpose should be to look for and do the Lord’s will; our incentive should be the love we feel for God and for our neighbour; and our greatest desire should be to ‘labour diligently’ so we can prepare the way for the glorious return of our Savior. The only way we will be able to do so is ‘with one accord’.

Like the monarch butterflies let us continue on our journey together with purpose.

Massimo De Feo

[Son asking what job his father does. ‘My father works in an office on a computer. By the way, my father is the Chief of the Universe]

The gospel of Jesus Christ is centered on the love of the Father and the Savior and our love for them and for one another.

Being the foundation stone of our daily life, pure love is a requirement for every true disciple of Jesus Christ.

Love indeed is the true sign of every disciple of Jesus Christ.

True disciples love the Lord more than the world and are steadfast and immovable in their faith.

True disciples love to forgive.

True disciples are quick to forgive and quick to ask for forgiveness.

True disciples love to submit themselves to the Lord.

True disciples love to listen to the voice of the Spirit and of the prophets, and are not confused by the voices of the world. True disciples love to stand in holy places and love to make holy the places where they stand.

True disciples love to obey the Lord’s commandments.

[Sharing an example of his mother, Elder De Feo explained how he recognized the pure love she had for him when she prayed for him and his well being, even while she suffered in great pain from cancer.

“How can someone who is in such great pain, pray for someone else?” Elder De Feo questioned. “Then, the answer came clearly to my mind: Pure love. … She loved me more than herself.”]

Isn’t this what the Saviour did?

He was the one who needed help, suffering in a way that we cannot even imagine or comprehend but, in the end, He forgot about Himself and prayed for us until He paid the full price.

He loved the Father and us more than Himself.

Pure love is the true sign of every true disciple of Jesus Christ.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of love.

I love my Heavenly Father.

May this day be the beginning of a life full of love.

 

Claudio D Zivic

Thomas S Monson – Endure and you shall triumph.

‘Will ye also go away?’

‘Lord, to whom shall we go?/

Let us be faithful to what we have believed and know. If we have not been living according to our knowledge, let us change.

I have heard many justifications from those who have stopped activity in the church.

I believe that no one will be able to make excuses before our Lord Jesus Christ.

Partaking of the Sacrament is the most important thing we do on the Sabbath day.

[Relating a story of when he tried kayaking on the ocean in a craft that had cracks that let in water, which made the craft unstable and impossible to control, Elder Zivic expressed concern for how sin seeps into people’s lives, weighing them down and, eventually, capsizing them unless they repent.]

If we persist in our sins we forget the covenants we have made with the Lord.

The cracks in our life need to be dealt with.

A simple formula that can help members resist temptations and endure to the end.

1. Daily, pray and read scriptures.

2. Weekly, partake of the sacrament with a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

3. Pay our tithing and our monthly fast offerings.

4. Every two years — every year for the youth — renew our temple recommends.

5. Throughout our whole lives, serve in the work of the Lord.

May we keep our life free of the cracks that can impede our safe journey through the sea of this life.

Life is different for each of us, We all have a time of trials, a time for happiness, a time for making decisions, a time for overcoming obstacles, and a time for taking advantage of opportunities.

Whatever our personal situations my be, I testify that our Heavenly Father is constantly saying, ‘I love you, I sustain you, I am with you. Do not give up. Repent and endure in the path that I have shown you.’

President Henry B Eyring

I am grateful to know that He atoned for our sins and rose in the Resurrection. Every day I am blessed to know that, because of His Atonement, I may someday be resurrected to live forever in a loving family.

I know theses things by the only way that any of us can know them. The Holy Ghost has spoken to my mind and heart that they are true — not just once but often. I have needed that continuing comfort. We all experience tragedy during which we need the reassurance of the Spirit.

[President Eyring felt that reassurance as he and his father watched his mother take her last breaths. After a few moments, his father said, “A little girl has gone home.”

“He said it softly,” President Eyring recalled. “He seemed to be at peace, almost joyful. … My father had the companionship of the Holy Ghost at that moment to feel, to know, and to do what he did that day. He had received the promise as many have: ‘That they may have his Spirit to be with them’ ” (Doctrine and Covenants 20:79).]

The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead ………..and a person of spirit. It is your choice whether to receive Him and welcome Him into your heart and mind.

To have the Spirit sent to us we must ‘always remember’ the Savior and ‘keep His commandments’ (Doctrine and Covenants 20:77).

This time of year helps us remember the Saviour’s sacrifice.

[Recalling his experience visiting with his wife a tomb in Jerusalem where many believe the crucified Savior emerged as a resurrected God. Thought of Mary’s experience in the garden].

[Quoted Abide with me tis eventide]

More precious than a memory or a picture of the events of that day, more important is the memory of the Holy Ghost touching our hearts and His continuing affirmation of truth. More precious than seeing with our eyes, or remembering words spoken and read, is recalling the feelings that accompanied the quiet voice of the Spirit. Rarely, I have felt it exactly as the travelers on the road to Emmaus did — as a soft but clear burning in the heart. More often, it is a feeling of light and quiet assurance.

AWe have the priceless promise of the Holy Ghost as a companion.

Our obligation is to choose to open our hearts to receive the ministration of the Spirit, over a lifetime.

The experiences of the Prophet Joseph Smith offers a guide.

The first choice he made was to be humble before God.

The second was to pray with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The third was to obey exactly. Obedience may mean to move quickly. It may mean to prepare. Or it may mean to wait in patience for further inspiration.

And the fourth is to pray to know the needs and the hearts of others and how to help them for the Lord. Joseph prayed for the Saints in distress when he was in prison. It has been my opportunity to observe the prophets of God as they pray, ask for inspiration, receive direction, and act on it.

Inspiration will help individuals minister to others for the Lord.

My bishop once said to me at a time when my wife was under great strain — “Every time I hear of someone in the ward who needs help, when I get there to help, I find that your wife was there ahead of me. How does she do that?”

She was like all who are great ministers in the Lord’s kingdom. Great ministers have qualified for the Holy Ghost as a nearly constant companion. And they have qualified for the gift of charity, which is the pure love of Christ. Those gifts have grown in them as they have used them in serving out of love for the Lord.

I bear my personal witness that the Father is at this moment aware of you, your feelings, and the spiritual and temporal needs of everyone around you. I bear testimony that the Father and the Son are sending the Holy Ghost to all who have that gift, ask for that blessing, and seek to be worthy of it. Neither the Father, nor the Son, nor the Holy Ghost force Themselves into our lives. We are free to choose.

The Lord has said to all – Behold I stand at the door and knock.

I pray with all my heart that you will hear the voice of the Spirit.

God did that for the young Joseph Smith. He does it today for our living prophet, President Russell M. Nelson. He has placed you in the way of other children of God to serve them for Him. I know that not only by what I have seen with my eyes but more powerfully by what the Spirit has whispered to my heart.

I have felt the love of the love of the Father.

I have felt the comfort and direction of the Holy Ghost.

President Dallin H Oaks

The literal resurrection of Jesus Christ is a pillar of our faith.

That resurrection gives us what the apostle Peter called ‘a lively hope.’

‘How great, how glorious, how complete, Redemption’s grand design’

By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.

[On a morning walk, President Dallin H. Oaks was reminded of the power of small and simple things over time when he saw thick and strong concrete sidewalks that were cracked from the force of slow, small growth of roots from adjacent trees.]

The thrusting power that cracked these heavy concrete sidewalks was too small to measure on a daily or even a monthly basis, but its effect over time was incredibly powerful.

So is the powerful effect over time of the small and simple things we are taught in the scriptures and by living prophets. Consider the scripture study we’ve been taught to incorporate into our daily lives. Or, consider the personal prayers and the kneeling family prayers that are regular practices for faithful Latter-day Saints. Consider attendance at seminary for youth or institute classes for young adults. Though each of these practices may seem to be small and simple, over time they result in powerful spiritual uplift and growth. This occurs because each of these small and simple things invites the companionship of the Holy Ghost, the Testifier who enlightens us and guides us into truth.

Another source of spiritual uplift and growth is an ongoing practice of repentance.

Such repentance should precede our weekly partaking of the sacrament.

Those seemingly insignificant private decisions include how we use our time, what we view on television and the internet, what we read, the art and music with which we surround ourselves at work and at home, what we seek for entertainment, and how we apply our commitment to be honest and truthful. Another seemingly small and simple thing is being civil and cheerful in our personal interactions.

Brigham Young: Our lives are made up of little simple circumstances.

We are surrounded by media influences and cultural deteriorations that will carry us downstream in our values if we are not continually resisting. To move upstream toward our eternal goal, we must constantly keep paddling.

It helps if we are part of a team who are paddling together, like a rowing crew in action. To extend that example even further, the currents are so strong that if we ever stop paddling, we will be carried downstream toward a destination we do not seek but which becomes inevitable if we do not constantly try to move forward.

Numbers 21:6 – plague of fiery serpents

That example and that teaching remind us that the simplicity of the way or the easiness of the commanded task cannot mean that it is unimportant to achieve our righteous desire. Similarly, even small acts of disobedience or minor failures to follow righteous practices can draw one downward.

The Word of Wisdom provides an example of this. Likely the effect on the body of one cigarette or one drink of alcohol or one dose of another drug cannot be measured. But over time, the effect is powerful and may be irreversible.

The terrible consequences of partaking of anything that can be addictive — such as drugs that attack our body or pornography that degrades our thoughts — is totally avoidable if one never partakes even once.

‘It is in failing to do the small and simple things that faith wavers, miracles cease and progress toward the Lord and His kingdom is first put on hold, then begins to unravel as seeking after the kingdom of God is replaced with more temporal pursuits and worldly ambitions.’ (Steven C Wheelwright)

Elder David A. Bednar : ‘If you and I are focused and frequent in receiving consistent drops of spiritual nourishment, then gospel roots can sink deep into our soul, can become firmly established and grounded, and can produce extraordinary and delicious fruit.’

President Russell M Nelson

[Story of smashing all of his father’s bottles of liquor]

[Wanted to be sealed to his parents – didn’t happen until his parents were past 80]

[Death of wife in 2005]

Te message of Easter and the promise of resurrection sustained me.

[Sealed to Wendy in April 2006]

The privilege of receiving revelation is one of the greatest gifts of God to his children.

 

Imagine the miracle of it, whatever our Church calling, we can pray to our Heavenly Father and receive guidance and direction, be warned about dangers and distractions, and be enabled to accomplish things we simply could not do on our own.

When I recently faced the daunting task of choosing two counselors in the First Presidency I wondered how I could possibly choose just two from the twelve men he loves and respects.

Because I know that good inspiration is based upon good information, I prayerfully met one-on-one with each Apostle. I then sequestered myself in a private room in the temple and sought the Lord’s will. I testify that the Lord instructed me to select President Dallin H. Oaks and President Henry B. Eyring to serve as my counselors in the First Presidency.

When we convene as a Council of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, our meeting rooms become rooms of revelation. The Spirit is palpably present. As we wrestle with complex matters, a thrilling process unfolds as each apostle freely expresses his thoughts and point of view. Though we may differ in our initial perspectives, the love we feel for each other is constant. Our unity helps us to discern the Lord’s will for His Church.

In our meetings the majority never rules.

By union of feeling we obtain power with God (Joseph Smith)

Brothers and sisters, how can we become the men and women — the Christlike servants — the Lord needs us to be?” How can we find answers to questions that perplex us? If Joseph Smith’s transcendent experience in the Sacred Grove teaches us anything, it is that the heavens are open and that God speaks to His children.

Follow the example of the Prophet Joseph. Find a quiet place where you can regularly go. Humble yourself before God. Pour out your heart to your Heavenly Father. Turn to Him for answers and for comfort.

And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions you are prompted to take. As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will ‘grow into the principle of revelation.’

Does God really wants to speak to you? – yes!

You don’t have to wonder about what is true. You do not have to wonder whom you can safely trust. Through personal revelation, you can receive your own witness that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, that Joseph Smith is a prophet of this dispensation, and that this is the Lord’s Church. Regardless of what others may say or do, no one can ever take away a witness borne to your heart and mind about what is true.

I urge you to stretch beyond your current spiritual ability to receive personal revelation.

Nothing opens the heavens quite like the combination of increased purity, exact obedience, earnest seeking, daily feasting on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon, and regular time committed to temple and family history work.

There is so much more that your Father in Heaven wants you to know.

I promise that as you continue to be obedient, expressing gratitude for every blessing the Lord gives you, and as you patiently honor the Lord’s timetable, you will be given the knowledge and understanding you seek. Every blessing the Lord has for you — even miracles — will follow. That is what personal revelation will do for you.

I am optimistic about the future.

I am also not naive about the challenges ahead.

If we are to have any hope of sifting through the myriad of voices and the philosophies of men that attack truth, we must learn to receive revelation.

My beloved brothers and sisters, I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation. Let this Easter Sunday be a defining moment in your life. Choose to do the spiritual work required to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly.

We are followers of Jesus Christ.

He lives, he is our advocate with the Father.

This is his Church restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith.