Talk Given in Sacrament Meeting Oct 2019

Good morning, Brothers and Sisters

We have just been spiritually fed by the preceding speakers. It’s a joy to be here in this comfortable chapel and to be surrounded by friends — brothers and sisters in the gospel. More importantly, we have had the opportunity to renew sacred covenants as we partook of the sacrament.

When I was a young man, I felt that some things were wrong or missing in my parents’ protestant church. One of the things that seemed amiss was that the youth, teenagers, didn’t have any input into their own activities. We were just a bunch of kids that needed to be taught. Our opinions or suggestions were seldom if ever requested. When I found out that 12 and 13 year old young men (and now 11) could be deacons, that men as young as 15 and 16 can administer the most sacred ordinance most of us will participate in each week and that a 14 year old youth had received an open vision from God the Father and Jesus Christ, I knew I had found the home I was looking for.

I am grateful that young women are honored and respected enough to be given the responsibility to teach each other and to plan their own service activities. What a church this is!!

Our topic for today is Serving in the Temple in a Higher and Holier Way. 

Yesterday I talked with President Hall of the temple. I told him what our topic for today is. He said “invite them to come to the temple.” 

Recently I’ve taken a little time to ponder some of the art work in the temple. When we enter the Gilbert temple, there is a painting of the Savior calming the sea. It reminds me that as I enter the temple, I’m leaving behind the storms and troubles of the world, at least for a little while, and entering the presence of the Lord where things are calmer and more serene. Throughout the temple there are scenes of the Savior in many situations, from His baptism to His healing the sick, from teaching in the temple to ordaining his apostles, from establishing the sacrament of the Lord’s supper to His second coming in power and glory. There is no question that the temple is Christ centered. 

As we approach the temple, not just the Gilbert temple, but any temple, we see the words: “Holiness to the Lord. The House of the Lord”. If we are to enter a place dedicated to the Lord, we need to remember the words of the psalmist: “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.” [Psalms 24:3-4] The question for us today is “how do we make sure we have clean hands and a pure heart? How do we live in a higher and holier way?” 

We have a hymn that, I believe, gives us some counsel on how to live in a higher and holier way. I would like to read the words of that hymn:

More Holiness give me, more strivings within

More Patience in suffering, more sorrow for sin

More Faith in my Savior, more sense of his care

More Joy in his service, more purpose in prayer

More Gratitude give me, more trust in the Lord

More Pride in his glory, more hope in his word

More Tears for his sorrows, more pain at his grief

More Meekness in trial, more praise for relief

More Purity give me, more strength to o’er-come

More Freedom from earth stains, more longing for home

More Fit for the kingdom, more used would I be

More Blessed and holy, more Savior like thee [Hymns 131]

So let’s talk about some of those attributes

GRATITUDE

At the end of his reign, King Benjamin gathered his people to give them his final counsel. The people gathered “that they might give thanks to the Lord their God, who had brought them out of the land of Jerusalem, and who had delivered them out of the hands of their enemies, and had appointed just men to be their teachers, and also a just man to be their king…who had taught them to keep the commandments of God.” [Mosiah 2:4]

King Benjamin delivered one of the most moving sermons ever recorded. In his sermon, Benjamin counseled “… If you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess to that God who has created and preserved you … if you should serve him with your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.” [Mosiah 2:19 ff]

We have a responsibility to be grateful, but our gratitude will never be enough to thank Him for what He has done for us. To show our gratitude, do we remember to feed the hungry and clothe the naked? Do we serve those who need our help? Do we recognize that everything we have He has given us.

[Alma 37:37] When thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God.

In the Doctrine and Covenants we’re told “He who receives all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious.” [D&C 78:19]

TRUST IN THE LORD

As the ancient Israelites wandered in the wilderness they had many opportunities to learn to trust in the Lord. When they were at the edge of the Red Sea and the Egyptian army was at their back, they said to Moses “… Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?” Moses responded “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.” The Red Sea parted and the Israelites passed through on dry ground. When the Egyptian army followed, the sea closed in on them and they were drowned. You’re familiar with the rest of that story, so I won’t retell it now.

Later they were plagued with fiery serpents. When they were bitten by those serpents, all they had to do was to look at the brass serpent held aloft on Moses’ staff. If they didn’t look they would die. It was a simple thing to do, but many died. Those who looked were saved from the venom of the snakes.

When the disciples were on the sea and they saw the Savior walking toward them on the water, Peter said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. Jesus said Come. Then Peter, trusting, got out of the ship and walked on the water. [Matt 14:28-29] Peter took a few steps, then was distracted by the wind and waves. When he looked away from Jesus, he was no longer safe. 

I would like to share another familiar story with you. David asked why the Israelites had allowed Goliath to defy the armies of the Living God. His brothers told him that no one would be able to defeat the giant. Finally, King Saul allowed David to fight the battle. As David approached him, Goliath said “Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.” [1 Samuel 17:44-45]

David put a stone into his sling, and you know the rest of the story. David trusted in the Lord and gained the victory for Israel.

In the scriptures there are many examples of righteous men and women trusting in the Lord and securing rich blessings.

MORE TEARS FOR HIS SORROWS, MORE PAIN AT HIS GRIEF

We have no capacity to understand the depth of his sorrow. We have all experienced pain to some degree, some more than others. All of us have stubbed a toe or sprained an ankle. We know a little about pain. But there are several kinds of pain. How many of us have watched a loved one suffer and wished that we could bear their pain for them? What man has stood by his wife and not wished that he could ease her pain in childbirth? When we love another, we want to take away their pain, or at least give some relief. To me it seems that emotional pain is more severe than physical pain. 

The Savior loves us perfectly and wants to remove all of our suffering. He was able to take on Him all of our pain, all of our sorrow, all of our disappointment. He even experienced the fears and terrors that we face in this life. He Himself described it this way: “Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—” [Doctrine and Covenants 19:18]

How can we not shed tears when we think of his sorrows and sufferings for us?

MORE JOY IN HIS SERVICE

Many years ago when I was a scout master in Montana, we tried to have service activities for the boys. Typically, they would complain. They didn’t want to help the neighbor lady by raking her lawn. They didn’t really want to help that crusty old bald guy weed his garden. We went ahead with the plans (they had to have their service hours for rank advancement), and without exception when they finished, they were glad they had been there and participated. They wanted to know when they could do something like that again. I think we’re created with a desire to help our neighbors, but sometimes we let a little pride get in the way. It may not be convenient right now, or a favorite team is playing tonight. When we set aside those things for a while and help a neighbor in need we’re moving to a higher and holier way. That will bring us real joy. Besides, we can record the game and watch it later, if it’s that important.

MORE USED WOULD I BE

As we accept callings to serve, as we strive to learn more about the Savior we can grow in our abilities, making ourselves more useful. For a moment I would like to refer back to King Benjamin’s sermon. In that sermon King Benjamin said: “I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.

[Mosiah 2:21]. The word “unprofitable” was originally translated into Spanish as “useless”. A more recent translation renders it “unproductive.” We are not useless. God has a purpose for each of us. He cannot accomplish his work without us. He wants us to be partners with Him in that work: to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. He will use us to the degree that we will allow Him. Brothers and Sisters, He needs each of you. As we allow Him to use us, we become more and more fit for his kingdom; we become more blessed and holy.

MORE SAVIOR LIKE THEE

I want to conclude where I began. To serve in the temple in a higher and holier way, we must live in a higher and holier way. I repeat the invitation from Pres Hall: come to the temple. Come to serve in the baptistry or in the sealing room. We are all needed in this great work. In the temple we can draw closer to the Savior than in any other place on earth. If we enter the temple with a determination and a preparation to learn and to hear the whisperings of the Spirit, we will be taught and we will become more what He wants us to be. He said “What manner of men [and women] ought ye to be? … even as I am.” 

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen