Elder Gerrit W. Gong, “Come to the Lord in His Holy House”
“First doctrinal foundation: Heavenly Father’s work and glory is for us to return to Him, united as families, happy and forever.”
“Temple marriages are meant to last forever. Covenant belonging unites a husband, wife, and children, not until death do we part, not until convenience or attraction fade, but by covenant commitment, sacrifice, and consecration.”
“Second doctrinal foundation: moral agency.”
“As the Prophet Joseph Smith saw in vision, every person, except a very few, is saved in a kingdom of glory.”
“Agency means we choose, directly and indirectly, our relationships. God will not require a woman or man to be sealed or live in an eternal relationship he or she does not choose.”
“We find hope and healing when we perform temple ordinances for family members with whom we may earlier have had difficult relationships. Jesus Christ can help us mend, forgive, move forward.”
“As we honor our covenants, the Holy Spirit of Promise seals our relationships with ‘efficacy, virtue, [and] force.’ They are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
“Second, over the years, when temples were distant, faithful members sacrificed to be sealed in the temple. Some members could come to the temple only once or twice in their lives. In some cases, once in a year.”
“I once heard, ‘Elder Gong, we are happy to have a temple but sorry it is a small temple.’
“I said, ‘Dear brother, dear sister, ordinances are not big or small. Covenants are not big or small. Please let us never speak of a temple as big or small, elaborate or plain. Let us always only speak with love and gratitude for “Holiness to the Lord, the House of the Lord.”’”
“sisters, come worship and rejoice with the Lord in the house of the Lord, in temple doctrine and in your own personal temple culture.”
Sister Tamara W. Runia, “The Sculpting of Our Souls”
Doctrine and Covenants 122:7
7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.
“C. S. Lewis explained, “God intends to give us what we need, not what we now think we want.” But sometimes we’re puzzled when we get what we need, aren’t we? How can our loving Father in Heaven watch as we go through heartbreaking experiences? I’ve wrestled with this, and maybe you have too.”
“And a godlike life is carved from the very things that make it hard—the gut-wrenching things that happen and the righteous desires that haven’t.”
“God is shaping us into something only He knows we can become.
“Still, like Nephi, I do not know the meaning of all things.”
“Your story is personal. So you don’t need to look sideways and ask, ‘How come my life doesn’t look like theirs?’”
“But what if you had a beautiful story you thought your life was going to tell, and instead you’ve had to surrender that story? That sting is real, and that wound is wide.”
“We all have a choice right now. Let’s choose Christ, who can heal the wounds of this world while carving out room for joy!”
“I don’t pretend to know how it works, but it feels like a sort of divine mending that changes what’s happening to you into something happening for you!”
“And one day, when all the suffering and loneliness have ended and our pain is gone, we will be able to step back and look into the mirror of our own soul. Then we will ‘stand all amazed’ and feel to fall at the Savior’s feet and thank Him. We will thank Him for all of it—the molding, the shaping, the pain, and the adversity that have helped us become more like Him.”
Elder Gérald Caussé, “The Gift of Testimony”
Doctrine and Covenants 68:6
6 Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come.
“That scripture brought peace to my heart. I realized that my primary responsibility was simply to bear witness of the Savior. Everything else would be in His hands.”
Acts 1:8
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Chapter 3: Jesus Christ, the Divine Redeemer of the World
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith
“The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it. But in connection with these, we believe in the gift of the Holy Ghost, the power of faith, the enjoyment of the spiritual gifts according to the will of God, the restoration of the house of Israel, and the final triumph of truth.”
“Each Apostle is called of God and endowed with priesthood keys to be a ‘special [witness] of the name of Christ in all the world.’ Apostles bear a unique, authoritative, divinely empowered witness of the living Christ—of His divine reality, His gospel, His Atonement, and His Resurrection.”
“Yet the sacred responsibility to bear witness of Jesus Christ is not limited to prophets and apostles. It extends to all His disciples.”
Mosiah 18:9
9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—
“Like many of you, I have often wondered, ‘Why me? Why was I so privileged to receive a testimony of the restored gospel?’ I never found a fully satisfying answer. Over time, however, I came to ask a better question: ‘What does the Lord expect me to do with this gift?’”
“Whenever we express Christlike love to those around us, we bear witness of Him, the source of all perfect love.”
“In turn, saying ‘I love you’ with a pure and sincere heart is a way of bearing testimony of Jesus Christ. Whenever we express Christlike love to those around us, we bear witness of Him, the source of all perfect love.”
“The truth of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is manifest in the lives of millions of His followers throughout the world. Through your testimonies, in word and deed, you demonstrate the reality of a loving Savior and of the blessings that come through His gospel.”
“Brothers and sisters, do you realize that your testimony can literally change lives—your own and the lives of others?”
“At a moment of deep anguish, the young Alma remembered having “heard [his] father prophesy … concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ … to atone for the sins of the world.” That remembered witness from his father became the spark of hope that led him to repent and completely change his life.
“How many ‘Almas’ are there around you waiting to hear your witness and discover, or rediscover, the hope that is found in Jesus Christ?”
Elder Vaiangina Sikahema, “Prophets, Seers, and Revelators”
Doctrine and Covenants 90:5
5 And all they who receive the oracles of God, let them beware how they hold them lest they are accounted as a light thing, and are brought under condemnation thereby, and stumble and fall when the storms descend, and the winds blow, and the rains descend, and beat upon their house.
Joseph Smith—History 1:17
17 It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!
“In the years that followed this momentous event, greater truths, priesthood authority, sacred ordinances, additional scriptures, and knowledge of God’s plan of salvation would all be restored or rediscovered through the Prophet Joseph Smith.”
“What a blessing it is to live in a time when apostles and prophets are on the earth. As we begin this opening session of the 196th Semiannual General Conference of the Church, let us not be guilty of holding ‘the oracles of God … as a light thing’”.
“It is interesting to note that when the Church was only about one and a half years old, some early Church leaders opposed the idea of publishing the Lord’s revelations through the Prophet Joseph that would eventually become the Doctrine and Covenants. Some of them were embarrassed by the young prophet’s poor writing skills.”
Doctrine and Covenants 1:38
38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.
Elder Kevin J. Hathaway, “Jesus Christ Is the Great Deliverer!”
“Jesus Christ Is the Great Deliverer!”
“Several weeks later I called to ask how she was dealing with her father’s passing, and she said: ‘The past few weeks have been the most awful and the most sacred time in my life. I have never clung so tightly to my covenants. I know that Jesus knows what this feels like, and He will heal me.’”
“This grace does not remove the pain and difficulty of affliction; it is an enabling power that allows us, after all we can do, to receive divine strength beyond our own and lay hold on eternal promises through Jesus Christ.”
“As we wait upon the Lord and exercise faith in Him, needed growth and spiritual stretching come, and the Savior delivers us from our afflictions and consecrates them for our gain. He does this in His time and way.”
“To Kenzie and all who wait for divine deliverance, I testify that the Lord is not delayed, distracted, or derelict in His deliverance. He has not forgotten you. He does not take joy in your suffering. However, He knows that lessons learned while waiting can bring converting growth that an earlier rescue might not produce.”
“Jesus specializes in the seemingly impossible. He came here to make the impossible possible, the irredeemable redeemable, to heal the unhealable, to right the unrightable, to promise the unpromisable. And He’s really good at it. In fact, He’s perfect at it.”
“Some miracles are immediate, some come after long waiting, and some await the Resurrection.”
Elder Ulisses Soares, “A Higher and Holier Fast”
“The Lord’s call to fast in these latter days is an echo of the message He gave through the Old Testament prophet Isaiah—a message of healing, covenant power, and divine blessing that continues to be offered to all of God’s children. In Isaiah chapter 58, the Lord lifted the vision of His covenant people beyond the outward observance of this law. He also revealed its divine purpose as an act of worship that shapes and refines our discipleship and draws us closer to Him.”
Isaiah 58:8–9
8 ¶ Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward.
9 Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
“President Joseph F. Smith taught that proper fasting ‘would … place the body in subjection to the spirit, and so promote communion with the Holy Ghost’ and that ‘this law would bring [us] nearer to God.’”
“A sincere and faithful fast is accompanied by earnest and intentional prayer. As we lift our hearts to the Lord in humility, fasting becomes an expression of our desire to draw near to Him, communicate the true desires of our hearts, and understand His will for us. Through the union of fasting and prayer, our faith, love, and devotion to Him deepen. We become more humble and more aware of our complete dependence upon the Lord. Our hearts are softened, our souls become more receptive to the influence of the Holy Ghost, and we are better prepared to receive personal revelation and move forward along the covenant path.”
“Father. He was the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh, and of all the things He could have done to prepare for His sacred mission, He chose to seek complete alignment with His Father’s will through earnest fasting and prayer.”
“His example teaches us that fasting and prayer may not remove every burden from our path, but they draw heaven near and endow us with divine power to overcome or endure whatever circumstances we may face, giving us the spiritual fortitude to remain faithful to the Father’s will.”
“Adopting this holy pattern of fasting is more than a physical test of restraint or a petition for specific blessings. It is an elevating expression of faith and trust in the Lord through which our hearts can be filled with rejoicing as we commune with Him more deeply. It is a way to align our desires with His purposes, and our expectations with His wisdom.”
“Through this holy law, the Lord also invites us to look beyond ourselves and turn our hearts toward His children. Isaiah taught that an acceptable fast helps us “to let the oppressed go free” and to “break every yoke.” The Prophet Joseph Smith once taught, “A man filled with the love of God, is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race.” Thus, our fast becomes not only a personal act of devotion to God but also an outward expression of Christlike charity and love.”
Alma 7:11, 12
11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.
“Though our fast offerings may seem small and simple, they become consecrated expressions of compassion, concern, and service. As we give generously—not only for the benefit of those in need but also as an expression of our love for the Lord and our commitment to His work—we consecrate both our means and our time to Him. In doing so, we give more fully of ourselves to the building of the kingdom of God. As we embrace this spirit of consecration, the Lord guides and strengthens us to become instruments in His hands.”
“My dear friends, I invite you to prayerfully ponder Isaiah’s teachings and more intentionally embrace the divine purpose of the law of the fast in a higher and holier way as part of our worship.”
“I bear my solemn testimony that as we remember, restore, and more fully honor the sacred purpose of the law of the fast with sincere hearts, the Lord will fulfill the promises declared by Isaiah: our ‘light [shall] break forth as the morning’; our ‘health shall spring forth speedily’; then shall we ‘call, and the Lord shall answer’; we shall cry, and He shall say, ‘Here I am.’”
Bishop Sean Douglas, “The Hour of Your Mission Is Come”
“As President Dallin H. Oaks teaches: ‘We invite all [of God’s children] to come unto Christ by repentance and baptism and confirmation in order to open the doors of the celestial kingdom to the sons and daughters of God. No one else can do this.’”
“You are an army of righteousness with the doctrine of Christ as your purpose. You are a force of faith, power, love, and joy. ...You are not only the messengers but also living examples of the message.”
“They reminded me of the sons of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon, who ‘were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish.’”
“President Russell M. Nelson taught, ‘Nothing else compares in magnitude, nothing else compares in importance, nothing else compares in majesty.’”
“I conclude with the words of our Savior given through Joseph Smith to Thomas B. Marsh, who was called to preach the gospel in 1830. I invite each of you to substitute your name for Thomas’s:
‘Thomas, my son [or daughter], …
‘Lift up your heart and rejoice, for the hour of your mission is come; and your tongue shall be loosed, and you shall declare glad tidings of great joy unto this generation. …
‘Therefore, thrust in your sickle with all your soul, and your sins are forgiven you, and you shall be laden with sheaves upon your back. … Wherefore, your family shall live.
‘Behold, … go from them only for a little time, and declare my word, and I will prepare a place for them.
‘… I will open the hearts of the people, and they will receive you. And I will establish a church by your hand.’”
President D. Todd Christofferson, “O Be Wise”
“Today I feel a bit like the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob, when he felt compelled by the Spirit to address subjects that were not particularly edifying, having to use ‘boldness of speech,’ as he put it, instead of feasting on ‘the pleasing word of God.’ So, with a sense of duty, I turn to the subject of gambling.”
“The smartphone has transformed gambling from an occasional activity requiring a trip to a casino, racetrack, or lottery kiosk into an activity available continuously, privately, and almost anywhere. This has led to an explosion in gambling.”
“Youth and young adults are disproportionately affected. For this demographic, impulsivity and peer influence are compounded by early exposure, easy online access, and intense marketing. Widespread social acceptance only adds to the enticement. Sports betting is especially rampant among teenagers and young adults. It easily becomes consuming and often compulsive. It robs time from studies, relationships, and career development. It crowds out things of value and in their place fosters greed.”
“But the central risk of gambling is not merely that customers lose money on individual wagers. The larger concern is that continuous, mobile access can transform occasional entertainment into repeated behavior that displaces saving, increases debt, and creates far-reaching family and social costs. I have to agree with George Washington when he said of gambling, “It is the child of avarice—the brother of inequity—and father of mischief” (although calling it “mischief” may be too mild).”
“At different times, President Dallin H. Oaks has reminded us that ‘as we make current decisions, we should always be asking, “Where will this lead?” … What is the effect on our future of the decisions we make in the present?’ President Oaks points out that each choice has an ‘opportunity cost, that is, ‘if we spend time doing one thing, we lose the opportunity to do another.’ What is the opportunity cost of gambling? What do you forgo in terms of money, time, relationships, and worthwhile pursuits? Where does it lead?”
“If your moral standing is secure, then undoubtedly there are others who look to you as a guide for upright living. That would certainly be true for your children but also others that you may or may not know who are watching and learning from what they see in you. They may be newer or weaker in the faith. A little gambling that seemingly has only a minor impact in your life may be more costly to them if they take license from your example.”
1 Corinthians 8:9–11
9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;
11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
“For us as Latter-day Saints, overarching all other concerns is the fact that gambling is morally wrong. Gambling is built on the desire to obtain something for nothing. Its structure requires that any gain comes at others’ expense.”
“In the end, gambling produces nothing of value and enriches only its purveyors.”
“President Oaks clearly stated the moral case against gambling some years ago in these words: ‘What does gambling do to its participants? The attitude of taking something from someone else in order to enhance our own position—[which is] the essence of gambling—leads us away from the giving path of Christ and toward the taking path of the adversary. The act of taking or trying to take something from someone else without giving value in return is destructive of spiritual sensitivities.’”
“A key part of a life well-lived is contributing to the well-being of others. It is being productive in worthy endeavors. It is being and doing better without others doing worse. It comes by supporting and rewarding work rather than idle pursuits. Work leads to prosperous, just, and equitable societies. Gambling, even for fun, leads in the opposite direction.”
Doctrine and Covenants 58:27
27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;
3 Nephi 12:6
6 And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost.
“If we hunger and thirst after righteousness, there are many good things we will pursue and other things that, because they are incompatible with righteousness, we will put out of our lives entirely.”
“I pray that you will not treat gambling lightly. Having begun these remarks quoting the prophet Jacob, I end with another of his statements: ‘O be wise; what can I say more?’”
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