Courage to do what is right

I read a story from a talk given by Elder Dallin H. Oaks in 1987 today called Priesthood Blessings.

It reminded my of the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego found in Daniel chapter 3, where Shadrack, Meshack, and Abed-nego stood for what was right.  Although they were commanded by the decree of the king to worship a golden image, they stood and did not bow down and worship this false god.  Because of it they were thrown in a fire and their God saved them.

This story I read happened back just before Joseph Smith Jr. was martyred.

As a boy, I was inspired by a story of courage in Nauvoo, which involved my grandfather’s uncle. In the spring of 1844, some men were plotting against the Prophet Joseph Smith. One of the leaders, William Law, held a secret meeting at his home in Nauvoo. Among those invited were nineteen-year-old Dennison Lott Harris and his friend, Robert Scott.Dennison’s father, Emer Harris, who is my second great-grandfather, was also invited. He sought counsel from the Prophet Joseph Smith, who told him not to attend the meeting but to have the young men attend. TheProphet instructed them to pay close attention and report what was said.

The spokesmen at this first meeting denounced Joseph Smith as a fallen prophet and stated their determination to destroy him. When the Prophet heard this, he asked the young men to attend the second meeting. They did so, and reported the plotting.

A third meeting was to be held a week later. Again the Prophet asked them to attend, but he told them this would be their last meeting. “Be careful to remain silent and not to make any covenants or promises with them,” he counseled. He also cautioned them on the great danger of their mission.Although he thought it unlikely, it was possible they would be killed. Then,the Prophet Joseph Smith blessed Dennison and Robert by the power of the priesthood, promising them that if their lives were taken, their reward would be great.

In the strength of this priesthood blessing, they attended the third meeting and listened to the murderous plans. Then, when each person was required to take an oath to join the plot and keep it secret, they bravely refused.After everyone else had sworn secrecy, the whole group turned on Dennison and Robert, threatening to kill them unless they took the oath also. Because any refusal threatened the secrecy of their plans, about half of the plotters proposed to kill these two immediately. Knives were drawn,and angry men began to force them down into a basement to kill them.

Other plotters shouted to wait. Parents probably knew where they were. If they didn’t return, an alarm would be sounded and a search could reveal the boys’ deaths and the secret plans. During a long argument, two lives hung in the balance. Finally, the group decided to threaten to kill the young men if they ever revealed anything that had occurred and then to release them. This was done. Despite this threat, and because they had followed the Prophet’s counsel not to make any promises to the conspirators, Dennison and Robert promptly reported everything to the Prophet Joseph Smith.

For their own protection, the Prophet had these courageous young men promise him that they would never reveal this experience, not even to their fathers, for at least twenty years. A few months later, the Prophet JosephSmith was murdered.

Many years passed. The members of the Church settled in the West. While Dennison L. Harris was serving as bishop of the Monroe Ward in southern Utah, he met a member of the First Presidency at a Church meeting in Ephraim. There, on Sunday, 15 May 1881, thirty-seven years after the Prophet Joseph Smith had sealed his lips to protect him against mob vengeance, Dennison Harris recited this experience to President Joseph F.Smith (see Verbal Statement of Bishop Dennison L. Harris, 15 May 1881,MS 2725, Historical Department, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City; the account was later published in the Contributor,Apr. 1884, pp. 251–60). Dennison Harris’s posterity includes many notable Latter-day Saints, including Franklin S. Harris, long-time president of Brigham Young University. 

Come what may, and love it!

 "Come what may and love it!" was a talk given by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin in 2008.

Here is a couple of thoughts I pulled out that are great to ponder:

"If we approach adversities wisely, our hardest times can be times of great growth, which in turn can lead toward times of greatest happiness."

"Learning to endure times of disappointment, suffering, and sorrow is part of our on-the-job training.  These experiences, while often difficult to bear at the time, are precisely the kinds of experiences that stretch our understanding, build our character, and increase our compassion for others."

To the women in my life....

I've been so blessed in my  life to have wonderful women be there for me.  My wife, Stacie, you are simply the best thing that has ever happened to me.  My mother, thank you for all you do and continue to do in my life.

There is joy in doing good

"We should have before us a strong desire to do good to others.  Never mind so much about ourselves.  Good will come to us all right if we keep our  minds outside of ourselves to a certain extent, and try to make others happier and draw them a little nearer to the Lord.  We have been sent into the world to do good to others;  and in doing good to others we do good to ourselves.  We should always keep this in view, the husband in reference to his wife, the wife in reference to her husband, the children in reference to their parents, and the parents in reference to their children.  There is always opportunity to do good to one another.  When you find yourselves a little gloomy, look around you and find somebody that is in a worse plight than yourself; go to him and find out what the trouble is, then try to remove it with the wisdom which the Lord bestows upon you; and the first thing you know, your gloom is gone, you feel light, the Spirit of the Lord is upon you, and everything seems illuminated."  Lorenzo Snow Apr. 1899

How do I retain knowledge?

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was starting to memorize things, and as I get older how hard it is.  I wrote down this question down a couple of days ago: "How do I retain what I learn?"  This morning I read in John 14:26 which states:

26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

There lies the answer to my question.  As I heed to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, it is by the Holy Ghost who will "bring all things to (my) remembrance."

The Touch of the Masters Hand

Lately I've started this goal of memorizing things.  I can't believe how difficult it is for me to memorize. I remember it being so much easier when I was younger.   I've been studying the Atonement the past month, and lately more specifically the principle of repentance.  Repentance is the second principle of the gospel... "We believe the first principles and ordinances of the gospel are first faith in the Jesus Christ, second repentance..."  When you first hear the word sometimes you can have negative thoughts around it because it can be associated with awful sin.  What a blessing it is!  We are all imperfect and sin, can you imagine if we did not have such a marvelous gift.  This gift is given to us by a loving Savior, our Master.  As I've been studying this topic I remember a poem that touches me deeply.  It is called "The Touch of the Masters Hand" by Myra 'Brooks' Welch.  So, I've decided to commit it to memory.  We are all like the old violin in this poem, and with repentance and the "Touch of the Master's Hand" we are beautiful and perfect.

  Twas battered and scarred and the auctioneer
  thought it scarcely worth his while to waste much timo on the old violin.
  but held it up with a smile:  "What am I bidden, good folks."  he cried.
  "Who'll start the bidding for me?"  "A dollar, a dollar"; then two!"  "Only
  two?  Two dollars, and who'll make it three?  Three dollars, once; three
 dollars twice; going for three.."  But no, from the room, far in the back, a 
  gray-haired man came forward and picked up the bow;  Then, wiping the dust
  from the old violin, and tightening the loose strings, he played a melody
  pure and sweet as caroling angel sings.

  The music ceased, and the auctioneer, with a voice that was quiet and low,
  said;  "What am I bid for the old violin?"  And he held it up with the bow.
  A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?  Two thousand!  And who'll make
  it three?  Three thousand, once three thousand, twice, and going 
  and gone," said he.  The people cheered, but some of them cried, "We do not
  quite understand what changed its worth."  Swift came the reply: "The touch
  of the master's hand."

  And many a man with life out of tune, and battered and scared with sin.
  Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd, much link the old violin.  A
  "mess of pottage," a glass of wine; a game - and he travels on.  "He is 
  going" once, and "going twice, He's going and almost gone."  But the Master
  comes, and the foolish crowd never can quite understand the worth of a soul
  and the change that's wrought be the touch of the Master's hand.

Don't expect to be perfect all at once

Lorenzo Snow made a statement back in 1901 that applies just the same today:

"Do not expect to become perfect at once.  If you do, you will be disappointed.  Be better today than you were yesterday, and be better tomorrow than you are today.  The temptations that perhaps partially overcome us today, let them not overcome us so far tomorrow.  Thus continue to be a little better day by day; and do not let your life wear away without accomplishing good to others as well as to ourselves."