This summer our family had the
opportunity of visiting the Mormon Battalion Historic Church Site in
San Diego. Just like every other historic site the church owns, the
Mormon Battalion has been restored in such a way, that you are able
to put yourself right there in that moment of time. Not only was I
able to catch a glimpse of what the early saints had experienced but
I felt my heart turn in love and gratitude for what they had
accomplished.
At this time in church history, the
saints had endured extreme, on-going persecution. Their homes had
been burned, their temple destroyed and their prophet murdered. An
extinction order had been placed on their heads and once again, angry mobs
had driven them out of their communities, leaving the
saints scattered over the plains of Iowa in makeshift encampments.
With just the clothes on their back and what few personal items they
could carry, the cold nights and the shortage of food left many ill
and some died. It was at this time that the US Army approached
the saints with the order to enlist the able men as soldiers to
march 2000 miles and fight in the Mexican- American war. This was the
very same government that stood by as they were driven out of their
homes and persecuted. These saint-soldiers would actually march
under the command of a military officer, who, a decade earlier had
led a mob to run them out of state of Missouri. Now, consider for
a moment not just the physical state of the saints, but also their
emotional state. Would they not have every reason and right to stop
in the plains of Iowa and say: “We will do no more. We are done!”
But they didn't. And this is why. ( 1)
They trusted in the counsel of their prophet, Brigham Young. (2)
They knew that they were armed with power from on high because of the
covenants they had made and because of this power, they could do hard
things.
President Young did ask the
saints to comply with the demands of the army, promising the
soldiers that they would not loose their lives in battle and that
their families would be blessed. Five hundred men, and about
twenty women enlisted with the army, leaving behind wives and
mothers with families to pick us the pieces of their shattered lives,
and also the tremendous challenge of making their way west without
their husbands. The soldiers marched 2000 miles in extremely
difficult conditions and endured the demanding work of forging new
roads. These saints, both those who enlisted and those who were
left behind, did extraordinary hard things for their families to be spiritually and temporally self reliant. The soldiers received
wages and money for a uniform allowance,and sent it back to their
families to help buy food and supplies for their trek west with the
rest of the saints. Although it had been an tremendous trial, the
unmeasurable blessings of self-reliance and freedom were manifest
when soldiers were finally reunited with their families in the Salt
Lake Valley.
The circumstances may be different, but
the effects of our trials are much the same today. Some have lost
homes and jobs; others suffer from ailing health and troubled minds.
We may find ourselves in a physical and emotional state where we
want to say: “No more, we are done!” In these crisis
situations, we are grateful for the help of church assistance,
government programs, and aid from extended family. But that
assistance and help must be short-termed and temporary.
The Lord wants and needs self reliant families.
President Henry B. Eyring
stated:
“...All people are happier and feel more self-respect when they
can provide for themselves and their family and then reach out to
take care of others.”
Elder
Robert D Hales adds: “The purpose of both temporal and
spiritual self-reliance is to get ourselves on higher ground so that
we can lift others in need.”
The
Lord hasn't left us alone to figure out how to do this. Just
as the early saints, (1) we have been blessed with a prophet and
leaders who have given direction and counsel on provident living
(2) And we too have made covenants and been
endowed with power from on high so we can do hard and difficult
things.
We have been taught
much about the bondage of credit card debt, the dangers of idleness,
and the suffocating grasp of addictions; all which take away our
spiritual and temporal self reliance. Elder Hales describes
these things as: “Patterns of thought and action that diminish
one's sense of worth. All of these excesses affect us individually
and undermine our family relationships.”
In his
recent general conference address, Elder
Hales teaches about the
power of our covenants and it's relationship to being self reliant
and he issues us this simple challenge: “Have a talk
with [yourself] in the mirror and ask, “Where do I stand on living
my covenants?”
He emphasizes the importance of two things: 1. Preparing ourselves
to partake of the sacrament each week and 2. The importance of being
worthy to makes covenants in the temple.
Speaking of the
sacrament he says:
“ As we sing the sacrament hymn,
participate in the sacrament prayers, and partake of the emblems of
His flesh and blood, we prayerfully seek forgiveness for our sins and
shortcomings. We think about the promises we made and kept during
the previous week and make specific personal commitments to follow
the Savior during the coming week.”
It is easy to get
caught up in the “hoopla” of our church meetings and callings and
miss the most important reason why we assemble on the Sabbath day.
A couple of months
ago Sis. Muhlestein asked me to fill in for her as music director
while she was out of town. I was happy to do that and didn't give it
much though until Sunday morning came and I remembered my commitment.
Usually,
I love my Sunday mornings. I am at a point in my life where they are
quiet and I have the opportunity to be reflective and prepare myself
for the sacrament. But this Sunday, my focus wasn't what it should
be. I needed to get to church early so I could put the hymn numbers
on the wall, get the stand and hymnal set up, and make sure I knew
how to lead the songs that had been selected. My mind was
preoccupied and very busy.
The
opening hymn was a very upbeat and fast paced “Called
To Serve”
and I could hear my primary children sing out. The
sacrament hymn was “I
Stand All Amazed”
and the tempo was much slower. I began to beat the time and Sis.
Lyon played the organ exactly according to how fast I was waving my
arm. As we completed the first verse, I was a little embarrassed by how slow we were singing. With that in mind, when we
began the second verse, I lifted my arm to pick up the pace but as
hard as I tried, I could not lead the song any faster. I literally
felt a physical resistance on my arm and even glance over to Sis.
Lyon as if to motion to her to play faster. But she didn't. Being the amazing accompanist that she is, she followed my weighted arm and we continued to sing at a very slow
tempo.
Not
sure what to do and confused by what was happening with my arm, I
started to focus on what I was singing. “I
marvel that he would descend from His throne divine to rescue a soul
so rebellious and proud as mine, that he should extend his great love
unto such as I, sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.”
As
the words passed through my mind and found place in my heart, I became very
aware of my Savior's love for me. At the realization that I was worth rescuing, owning,
redeeming and justifying, tears flooded my eyes and I could no
longer see the hymn book; a huge lump formed in my throat and I could
no longer sing.
Through this sweet, tender mercy I was now prepared to partake of sacred emblems and focus on the redeeming
sacrifice of the Lord. I felt renewed, endowed with power to go
and do better and be better.
We need that power each week in our
desire to overcome habits of dependency and exercise principles of
self reliance.
Just as important
as it is for us to return every week prepared to partake of the
sacrament, we must return often to the temple to be reminded of the
covenants we have made there. Although stake and ward temple
nights are good incentives, and ordinances of family and friends are
joyous to witness, our temple attendance should not be dependent on
such events. Understanding and remembering that “the temple
endowment is a gift that provides perspective and power” should
be reason enough for us to attend regularly and often.
Regarding this
power of the endowment, Elder Hales states: “As endowed temple
recommend holders, we establish patterns of Christlike living.
Through the Savior's Atonement and by following these basic patterns
of faithfulness, we receive power from on high to face the challenges
of life. We need this divine power today more than ever. It is power
we receive only through temple ordinances.”
Establishing and
maintaining a self reliant family is hard work. It's hard work for
a young father to juggle his schooling, a job, a church calling, and
the needs of a young family. It is hard work, but the power he
receives through the covenants he has made, and his desire for a
self-reliant family, gives him faith to act, and do hard things.
Consider the single
sister, working full-time, facing the demands of being both father
and mother, while diligently nurturing and teaching her children the gospel. It
is hard work, but the power she receives through the covenants she
had made and her desire for self-reliance, gives her faith to act and do hard things.
How sad it is to be
asked to serve, whether it be in a calling, on a mission, or to
serve another person and have to respond with the words: “I am
sorry. I am not in a position to do that right now.”
Brothers and
sisters, may we have the courage to examine our commitment to
self reliant principles in our own lives. May we have the faith
to act and do hard things.
And may we find joy and peace as we work to establish a self-reliant
family who stands ready and prepared to lift others to higher ground.
