Sunday, December 20, 2015

My Christmas Farewell Talk December 20th

Taking the Saviors Name upon us as we partake of the sacrament and what this means

Introduction

Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

During this month every year, individuals in society put down their pitchforks of politics and controversy and greet each other with warm hugs and friendship. We sing carols of joy and happiness, exchange gifts to one another and forget our differences as we enjoy the spirit of Christmas. During this unique time of year we commemorate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. This is a time of meditation, of gratitude and commitment.

In the 2011 Christmas Devotional, President Monson declared, “There is no better time than now, this very Christmas season, for all of us to rededicate ourselves to the principles taught by Jesus Christ. Because He came to earth, we have a perfect example to follow. As we strive to become more like Him, we will have joy and happiness in our lives and peace each day of the year. It is His example which, if followed, stirs within us more kindness and love, more respect and concern for others.”

I want you to imagine being one of the shepherds or wise men who traveled across the lands to behold the Christ child, “wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” Imagine the joy you felt as you returned to your home land, “glorifying and praising God for all the things that [you] had heard and seen, as it was told unto [you].”How marvelous the experience, how joyful your testimony!

President Uchtdorf, in the same devotional quoted from previously, stated, “Christmas and some of the cherished traditions of the season remind us that we, like the Wise Men of old, should seek the Christ and lay before Him the most precious of gifts:” Now please take note the gifts that he points out here: “a broken heart and a contrite spirit. We should offer Him our love. We should give Him our willingness to take upon ourselves His name and walk in the path of discipleship. We should promise to remember Him always, to emulate His example, and to go about doing good”.


The meaning of taking His name upon us

One of these gifts is our “willingness to take upon ourselves His name”. What exactly does that mean, and how do we do this? The scripture you may have first thought of was just recently read during the blessing of the Sacrament. In D&C 20: 77 one part of the prayer for the bread reads, “that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son…”

Something interesting I hadn’t noticed until preparing this talk was the specific phrase “willing” to take upon them. Dallin H. Oaks expanded on this in the April 1989 Ensign, stating, “It is significant that when we partake of the sacrament we do not witness that we take upon us the name of Jesus Christ. We witness that we are willing to do so. The fact that we only witness to our willingness suggests that something else must happen before we actually take that sacred name upon us in the most important sense.” That someone else, he later clarifies is our “willingness to take upon us the authority of Jesus Christ. According to this meaning, by partaking of the sacrament we witness our willingness to participate in the sacred ordinances of the temple and to receive the highest blessings available through the name and by the authority of the Savior when he chooses to confer them upon us.”

This concept isn’t new to just the Latter-day Saints. In Alma 46: 15 it reads, “And those who did belong to the church were faithful; yea, all those who were true believers in Christ took upon them, gladly, the name of Christ, or Christians as they were called, because of their belief in Christ who should come.”

Some verses in Mosiah 5 state,

“And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this shall be found at the right hand of God, for he shall know the name by which he is called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ.

10. And now it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall not take upon him the name of Christ must be called by some other name; therefore, he findeth himself on the left hand of God.

12. I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts, that ye are not found on the left hand of God, but that ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be called, and also, the name by which he shall call you.

John Tanner in the same Ensign Article quoted previously, states, “We who have taken upon ourselves the name of Christ, first at baptism and then weekly with the sacrament, may also be worthy to be embraced by the Lord. But first we will have to make an accounting of what we have done with his name, the only name under heaven through which salvation comes.”


How we take His name upon us

Christmas time is a great opportunity to take His name upon us! The LDS Youth article about covenant keeping gives us many examples of ways to do this! They present a list of ideas, including: “Find[ing] opportunities to serve others for Him, Fulfill[ing] your callings and Church assignments, Ponder[ing] what it means to be a Christian and mak[ing] your faith known by sharing your testimony with friends and family and posting gospel-related messages on social media.”

Finding service opportunities is one of the more popular ways we can take His name upon us. A well-known phrase in Matthew 25:40 declares, “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” I wish to further emphasize the significance of this concept.

One issue I have noticed in the church is this idea that the type of calling we have represents how righteous or prepared we are, or how much the Lord loves us vs others. Your calling may seem insignificant, like the librarian or relief society greeter. This thought process can be heard in some Conference talks that share amazing stories of how someone converted to the church, but then emphasizes how they later got married and became a Bishop or Stake President. I am not discrediting those in leadership callings at all, because as Elder Wong in the November 2014 General Conference stated, “In order to assist the Savior, we have to work together in unity and in harmony. Everyone, every position, and every calling is important. We have to be united in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

But what I am saying is that we should not judge each other based off of our callings in the Church. My friend [name removed], a return missionary, suggested, “I always believe God does things for more than one reason. Yes, we are given certain callings because we need to learn. But I also believe that no matter what, someone else can learn from us in our callings. No matter how "good" or "bad" you do it. ...always do your best of course, but no matter the total outcome, people are effected. Lives are touched. That is how God works.”

So the next time someone says “oh, you’re the Assistant Librarian?” point them to Sister Bonnie Oscarson’s talk in the 2014 Christmas Devotional, where she boldly stated, “The Savior of the world did not come to earth at that time with a great show of power and majesty—He came as a helpless baby. This Christ child was certainly one of “the greatest forces in the world,” and yet He was born in a simple stable with straw in a manger for His bed. “Through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.” And yet, according to tradition, He shared His birthplace with sheep and oxen. He would become the Savior of all mankind, yet there was no room for His expectant mother and her anxious husband in the inn. He is the Redeemer of us all, yet His first visitors were humble shepherds”.

You can also reference D&C 122: 8, which says “The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?”

Sharing your faith and beliefs on social media has been another popular way to take His name upon us. We can see in the past decade members of the church including Lindsey Stirling proclaiming their love for their Savior by using their talents on the Internet. While most of us may never become a YouTube sensation, just remember, if you have done “it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

I do not have time to cover all the suggestions provided for us in great detail, but a few others mentioned included “Mourn with those that mourn.”, “Have a determination to serve Him to the end.”, “Stand as a witness.” and “Always remember Him.”


Staying faithful when others are not

After we witness our willingness to take upon us His name, do we feel ashamed? President Monson in the October 2011 Conference, warned “In Lehi’s vision of the tree of life, found in 1 Nephi 8, Lehi sees, among others, those who hold to the iron rod until they come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree of life, which we know is a representation of the love of God. And then, sadly, after they partake of the fruit, some are ashamed because of those in the “great and spacious building,” who represent the pride of the children of men, who are pointing fingers at them and scoffing at them; and they fall away into forbidden paths and are lost. What a powerful tool of the adversary is ridicule and mockery! Again, brethren, do we have the courage to stand strong and firm in the face of such difficult opposition”?

Matthew 6: 24 states: “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

Part of Mosiah 18: 9 reminds us that we need 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”.

Feeling a bit worried about not being perfect enough to fulfill this expectation? Take comfort in President Uchtdorf’s message in the 2011 Christmas devotional, where after sharing a story of how he set his family’s living room curtains on fire, he said, “We cannot offer Him the gift of perfection in all things because this is a gift beyond our capacity to give—at least for now. The Lord does not expect that we commit to move mountains. But He does require that we bring as gifts our best efforts to move ourselves, one foot in front of the other, walking in the ways He has prepared and taught”.

We may not be able to do everything perfectly right now, but we can do our best, “line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little” as taught in 2nd Nephi 28.


Conclusion

Brothers and Sisters, don’t be a Scrooge, rejoice! Monson reminds us in the 2011 Christmas Devotional, “Because He came, there is meaning to our mortal existence. Because He came, we know how to reach out to those in trouble or distress, wherever they may be. Because He came, death has lost its sting, the grave its victory. We will live again because He came. Because He came and paid for our sins, we have the opportunity to gain eternal life.”

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

The Doctrine of Christ - Talk given May 2015

I was asked to give a talk earlier this year about the Doctrine of Christ. Now, I think we all are familiar with the steps being faith, repentance, baptism, holy ghost and enduring to the end. We have different levels of understanding of these steps, but we have all heard them at one point or another.

So I didn't want to be yet another person who simply read the steps and pointed out doctrine about it. I wanted to twist it up and focus on aspects of it that perhaps people don't think about, perhaps even sensitive to talk about. Below is the talk I ended up preparing in under 5 hours the night before due to school all week. Hope you enjoy!

The Doctrine of Christ

In the October 2013 General Conference, President Utchdorf starts his talk out with a story,

“Once there was a man who dreamed that he was in a great hall where all the religions of the world were gathered. He realized that each religion had much that seemed desirable and worthy.

He met a nice couple who represented The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and asked, 
“What do you require of your members?”

“We do not require anything,” they replied. “But the Lord asks that we consecrate all.”

The couple went on to explain about Church callings, home and visiting teaching, full-time missions, weekly family home evenings, temple work, welfare and humanitarian service, and assignments to teach.

“Do you pay your people for all the work they do?” the man asked.

“Oh, no,” the couple explained. “They offer their time freely.”

“Also,” the couple continued, “every six months our Church members spend a weekend attending or watching 10 hours of general conference.”

“Ten hours of people giving talks?” the man wondered.

“What about your weekly church services? How long are they?”

“Three hours, every Sunday!”

“Oh, my,” the man said. “Do members of your church actually do what you have said?”

“That and more. We haven’t even mentioned family history, youth camps, devotionals, scripture study, leadership training, youth activities, early-morning seminary, maintaining Church buildings, and of course there is the Lord’s law of health, the monthly fast to help the poor, and tithing.”

The man said, “Now I’m confused. Why would anyone want to join such a church?”

The couple smiled and said, “We thought you would never ask.””

Why would anyone want to join such a church? Some people might view such a list as just another organized community activity, charity or righteous cause. What makes us different? It is our belief in the Doctrine of Christ, the teachings of Gospel Principles as taught by our Savior Jesus Christ that sets us apart. That is our foundation. That is why we do all the things we do as members of the church!

Because of the faith and hope that if we follow Jesus Christ to the best of our ability, “that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.” Helaman 5: 12

As members of the church, we have been taught countless times the basic fundamentals of the gospel. It’s in our articles of faith! The first says, “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.” And the fourth says, “We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Elder Ronald E. Poelman  in the November 1984 Ensign states, “Understanding the proper relationship between the gospel and the Church will prevent confusion, misplaced priorities, and failed expectations and will lead to the realization of gospel goals through happy, fulfilling participation in the Church. Such understanding will avoid possible disaffection and will result in great personal blessings” I wish to examine specifically these five points, or steps in the fourth article of faith.


Faith

I’m sure we are all familiar with each principle listed in the fourth article of faith in some degree or another. To have faith means to believe in something we cannot see or prove is there. Primary children will recognize the lyrics, “Faith is like a little seed: If planted, it will grow. Faith is a swelling within my heart. When I do right, I know”.  Jesus has promised us in Matthew 17:20 that “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”

I haven’t been successful in moving any mountains yet. And a mustard seed is really, really small. Does that make my faith nearly non-existent? I sure have felt that way before. In the April 2013 Conference, Elder Holland counsels, “Let me be clear on this point: I am not asking you to pretend to faith you do not have. I am asking you to be true to the faith you do have. Sometimes we act as if an honest declaration of doubt is a higher manifestation of moral courage than is an honest declaration of faith. It is not!”

While on the topic of faith, I want you to focus for a second on what calling or callings you have in the church. Bishop. Stake President. Sunday school teacher. Primary Pianist. Choir director, just to name a few. Maybe you don’t have a calling yet. Regardless, I want you to think about why God gives us callings. Are we to learn something or make a weakness become strong?

My friend Liesl Andersen, a return missionary, suggested, “I always believe God does things for more than one reason. Yes, we are given certain callings because we need to learn. But I also believe that no matter what, someone else can learn from us in our callings. No matter how "good" or "bad" you do it. ...always do your best of course, but no matter the total outcome, people are effected. Lives are touched. That is how God works.” What a fantastic opportunity to put forth faith and let God help us to learn, help others, and change.


Repentance

And how do we change? The second principle of the gospel; repentance. To ask for forgiveness of our sins. This requires using the Savior’s Atonement, for He suffered for all our sins and is the only one we can look to for full and perfect forgiveness. For some, it’s an easy process to go through. For others, it takes years of hard work and dedication. And it’s never ending. We all make mistakes, and asking for and receiving forgiveness can be a blessing or a burden to us.

D. Todd Christofferson, in the October 2011 Conference, says, “When prophets come crying repentance, it “throws cold water on the party.” But in reality the prophetic call should be received with joy. Without repentance, there is no real progress or improvement in life. Pretending there is no sin does not lessen its burden and pain. Suffering for sin does not by itself change anything for the better. Only repentance leads to the sunlit uplands of a better life. And, of course, only through repentance do we gain access to the atoning grace of Jesus Christ and salvation. Repentance is a divine gift, and there should be a smile on our faces when we speak of it. It points us to freedom, confidence, and peace. Rather than interrupting the celebration, the gift of repentance is the cause for true celebration.”


Baptism

And what better way to celebrate change in our life, than though accepting opportunity to get baptized. Many churches believe and perform this ordinance in different ways, but we all seem to agree that it is an essential ordinance in order to enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus Christ Himself was baptized as an example for us to follow.

In the new testament, Mark 1, it says,

“9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.

10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”.


Holy Ghost

God is well pleased when each of us covenant with Him and are baptized. Simply put, when we are baptized, we promise God we will remember Jesus Christ and obey His commandments. In return, God promises us that He will forgive us and provide us with the Holy Ghost. This is critical because Baptism is but part of the process to entering the gate of heaven. We must also receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

John 3:5 confirms saying, “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” We receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, or in other words, a worthy Melchizedek Priesthood holder places his hands on our head and in a special prayer states, “receive the Holy Ghost”.

In the October 2010 conference, Elder Bednar notes, “The Holy Ghost does not become operative in our lives merely because hands are placed upon our heads and those four important words are spoken. As we receive this ordinance, each of us accepts a sacred and ongoing responsibility to desire, to seek, to work, and to so live that we indeed “receive the Holy Ghost” and its attendant spiritual gifts.”


Endure to end

How should we take advantage of the Gift of the Holy Ghost? We will need to depend on it as we endure to the end. A very short phrase that can be interpreted, expounded on and studied in multiple ways.

In the October 2007 conference, President Uchtdorf said, “When I was a young boy, “endure to the end” meant to me mainly that I had to try harder to stay awake until the end of our Church meetings. Later as a teenager I progressed only slightly in my understanding of this scriptural phrase. I linked it with youthful empathy to the efforts of our dear elderly members to hang in there until the end of their lives.

“Enduring to the end is a process filling every minute of our life, every hour, every day, from sunrise to sunrise. It is accomplished through personal discipline following the commandments of God. The restored gospel of Jesus Christ is a way of life. It is not for Sunday only. It is not something we can do only as a habit or a tradition if we expect to harvest all of its promised blessings.”

Baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost are essential to enter the kingdom of God. Yet many have died without a chance to physically get baptized and have hands laid on their head. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe that when we die, our body and spirit separate and we go into the spirit world. Here on Earth we can enter one of the Lord’s Temples to perform work for those in the spirit world.

Having done some family history on my Mission, I had brought family names that needed the work done. As we entered the baptistery, I recognized a difference in the spirit. Having been in the Temple multiple times, I knew what it normally felt like. But this time, with my own family names ready, I saw the physically empty looking room, but could literately feel that it was filled with the presence of many individuals from the other side of the veil, all excited and ready for someone to perform the ordinances for them. It was a very unique experience that I will never forget.


Is it enough?

I have but scratched the surface. I have found so much information from past prophets and apostles. So many scriptures that expound so much on each principle mentioned. It seems like it requires a lot from us to follow Christ and live with Him again.

In the April 2013 conference, Elder Oaks warned, “Following Christ is not a casual or occasional practice but a continuous commitment and way of life that applies at all times and in all places.”

In the October 2008 conference, Elder Andersen said, “Our spiritual journey is the process of a lifetime. We do not know everything in the beginning or even along the way. Our conversion comes step-by-step, line upon line.” “We then remain steady and patient as we progress through mortality. At times, the Lord’s answer will be, “You don’t know everything, but you know enough”—enough to keep the commandments and to do what is right. Remember Nephi’s words: “I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.””

And final counsel from Elder Holland, “Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead—It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come.--Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come.”

Sunday, December 6, 2015

My Priesthood lesson: Taylor Swift and our relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ


Note: I like Taylor Swift, so I used her for my lesson. You can replace her with literately any artist you like, the concept will stay the same.

Having only four Sundays left in my current YSA Ward, my Elder's Quorum President decided to take advantage of Fast Sunday, normally reserved for himself to teach the quorum, and asked me to teach instead. So while the lesson I taught, what was said and where I went with it is still fresh in my head, I will transcribe my lesson below.

I started out by informing the quorum that I was going to embarrass myself to introduce the lesson. I mentioned how those who were in attendance to our ward's talent variety show a few weeks ago might remember my performance of signing to the song "Shake it Off" by Taylor Swift.


Well, with that shell opened I am more willing to talk about my celebrity crush. Now, for some strange reason my parents have never seemed to like giving me music from Taylor Swift or posters or anything. They would give me Kelly Clarkson music, and Lindsey Stirling music, even Linkin Park and Greenday, but no Taylor Swift.
(Thank you parents, I love you! Just using this silly coincidence for my example :) )

So after serving a Mission, I got myself an Amazon account and I bought a Taylor swift dvd/cd! It was her Speak Now World Tour Live performance captured in both audio and video. How awesome to see my celebrity crush perform in a live concert! How I wish I were there in person, to see her perform in front of my eyes would be amazing. Yet... as I think about it, if I were realistically there, chances are I'd be near the back or middle, but not up front as that would be so expensive likely that I would be broke afterward. So here I am at her concert, it's awesome! But... I can barley see her! She's so tiny up there on the stage, and I'm filled everywhere with tons of people. No way I'm getting any closer.



So with this random story setup, let's see how this relates to the gospel (and I promise it does!). I had four people open up Preach My Gospel and read out the following (highlighted) from their respected locations:
Lesson 1: The Message of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

God Is Our Loving Heavenly Father

God is our Heavenly Father. We are His children. He has a body of flesh and bone that is glorified and perfected. He loves us. He weeps with us when we suffer and rejoices when we do what is right. He wants to communicate with us, and we can communicate with Him through sincere prayer.

Lesson 2: The Plan of Salvation

Pre-Earth Life: God’s Purpose and Plan for Us

Many people wonder, “Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going?” The plan of salvation gives us the answers to these questions.
God is the Father of our spirits. We are literally His children, and He loves us. We lived as spirit children of our Father in Heaven before we were born on this earth. We were not, however, like our Heavenly Father, nor could we ever become like Him and enjoy all the blessings that He enjoys without the experience of living in mortality with a physical body.

Lesson 3: The Gospel of Jesus Christ

Through Christ We Can Be Cleansed from Sin

God sent His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, into the world so that all of God’s children would have the possibility of returning to live in His presence after they die. Only through the Savior’s grace and mercy can we become clean from sin so that we can live in our Heavenly Father’s presence. Becoming clean from sin is being healed spiritually (see 3 Nephi 9:13; 18:32).

Chapter 6: How Do I Develop Christlike Attributes?

Faith in Jesus Christ

When you have faith in Christ, you believe in Him as the Son of God, the Only Begotten of the Father in the Flesh. You accept Him as your Savior and Redeemer and follow His teachings. You believe that your sins can be forgiven through His Atonement. Faith in Him means that you trust Him and are confident that He loves you.

I had each brethern re-read portions of their quotes.
  • God is our Heavenly Father. We are His children.
  • God is the Father of our spirits. We are literally His children, and He loves us.
  • Only through the Savior’s grace and mercy can we become clean from sin so that we can live in our Heavenly Father’s presence.
  • Faith in Him means that you trust Him and are confident that He loves you.

Then I asked what connections were made with these statements. Comments were made about God being our Father, Christ being our Brother and the love they both have for us. I then had someone read Moses 7:28-29. The background is that Enoch the Prophet was being shown a vision of everyone God has ever made, including His children. Enoch had just literately seen everything, when this occurred:

28 And it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept; and Enoch bore record of it, saying: How is it that the heavens weep, and shed forth their tears as the rain upon the mountains?

 29 And Enoch said unto the Lord: How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?

I then asked, how can Heavenly Father, creator of all things and perfect, look at us and... cry? Why?

Conversation then went about the quorum how God respects our free agency, punishes us but doesn't like it, and how we need to utilize the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Very good comments were made and unfortunately there's no way I can remember all of them in great detail.

But after a few more comments, I concluded the lesson with one final scripture and comparison. I had someone look up 3rd Nephi 11:15 and then I went back to my Taylor Swift analogy. Imagine that concert, every time you see her come closer (if you get lucky and have a spot near the stage) you reach your hand out, hoping for her to touch your hand even for a second. Just any kind of physical contact. Anything. It just seems... hopeless.

But in 3rd Nephi 11, Christ is resurrected and has just made His introductory appearance to the Americas. Everyone is shocked and then this happens:

 15 And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.

The keyword is "one by one" and "all gone forth". Not just the lucky few near Him. Not those who paid tons of money to get a gimps. Every. Single. Person. There. He wanted us to see Him, to touch His side, hands and feet and know of His love for us. Now look at us here today. We weren't there back then. But we are here now, and God and Jesus Christ both live. They are real people who want to communicate with us, they have their hands stretched out right now, waiting patiently and lovingly. We just need to put forth our effort and grab on. If we have a grip, hold on tight. If not yet, repent, talk to the Bishop if you need to. It isn't worth being damned to hell when you can be saved by Jesus Christ and live with God again.

I shared my testimony of the truths of these things. Then my lesson closed.

I hope you enjoyed reading this and perhaps got something from it. Maybe the Taylor Swift example was pushing it, but it was how I could relate and I got a lot of chuckles and laughs from the quorum members. I think they got the message and I hope that they and anyone who reads this, can learn something from the spirit.