SACRAMENT MEETING DEC 18 2011
MY THOUGHTS OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST
I
have pondered and prayed about how I should proceed to put my thoughts
on paper for someone else to read without me being there. It is a
challenge for me, as most always, I relied on the Holy Spirit to direct
me as I prepared any talk that I ever gave. There were times while
speaking, my prepared talk was laid aside and I spoke directly as guided
by that same Spirit. With this in mind, I pray humbly for the Holy
Ghost to direct my thoughts, and that same Spirit will rest upon the
person who will be speaking, and that same Spirit be with you that are
hearing.
When my daughter Debbie called and told me
that the Bishopric had asked her to tell me they wanted me to speak in
Sacrament through a proxy speaker. Tears came rushing to my eyes, and I
couldn't speak for a while. I then asked her to tell me again of their
request. Now several days later, I am facing deep concern about my
ability to express my deepest feelings about Our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ.
As a small boy, I was never able to attend
church; however both my parents were Christians. My mother was a Baptist
and my father a Presbyterian. Since we lived on a farm some eight miles
from town and the closest church, I never had the luxury to attend
church or even hear the gospel, so my knowledge of God and Jesus Christ
were very limited. However, I realized at an early age that there was
something greater than I that I was lacking, especially as I looked
upward into the nighttime sky. Away from the city lights, and saw the
billions of stars and the Milky Way that illuminated the heavens, it was
unbelievable for a young boy to understand. To see a baby chicken break
its way through it's shell, to see a baby pig or calf being born,
helped me realize that I was surrounded by the miracles of nature, and I
was nothing more than an insignificant human being.
When
I was in the 5th grade, I attended a small one-room country school,
where all eight grades were taught by a single teacher, who was also the
janitor, custodian and took care of all the responsibilities of a
school. My teacher was the Baptist Minister's daughter. During the year,
she would read to us after lunch. She read a lot of bible stories as
well as memorizing the Lord's Prayer, the 23rd psalm and other scripture
verses. It didn't mean much at the time, but since then, I can see how
important that one person was in my life, as it opened up a desire to
learn more about God and Jesus Christ. In my sophomore year in High
School, I lived with my grandmother, and every Wednesday night I
attended prayer meeting with her and every Sunday, I attended the local
Presbyterian Church morning and evening services. These small
experiences that I had were planted deep in my heart and never went
away.
Several years later, I found myself in the
Military Service and was stationed at Camp Kearns Utah to begin over
seas training. Camp Kearns was located several miles South of Salt Lake.
While there I had several week ends off, and found myself in Salt Lake
and at Temple Square. I don't know what drew me there, other than the
fact I felt good there, and would take one or two friends with me, and
most always would take the guest tour of the grounds and Tabernacle and
listen to their presentation. The next two years, I saw the ravages of
war, and witnessed the pain and suffering that follows the occupation of
the enemy.
Fast forward a few years, I found myself
dating a beautiful young lady from Southern Utah, she was an inactive
Mormon girl, who soon became my wife. As our children were born, she
made sure that they were blessed into the Church. This opened the door
for the Stake Missionaries to come to our home. Since my children were
becoming members, I thought I should know something about what they were
doing, and a series of discussions followed for almost a year. During
this time the things of the world and I accepting the gospel into my
life tore me apart. As the Missionaries would come each week, they
brought a Spirit into our home that I had felt many times before, and I
wanted to know more, and after reading the Book of Mormon and The
Marvelous Work And A Wonder, there came a time that I finally accepted
baptism, as I knew the things that I had been taught were true. I was
blessed by returned missionaries who taught the adult program. Their
testimonies left a deep impression on my mind of the Savior and of the
Gospel. I was immediately called into the Aaronic Priesthood and the
Scouting program and worked with them for many years. During that time I
was involved with the Stake Leadership and saw how the priesthood
worked.
During this time I was involved in deep prayer,
because of my early life, I had many things to be repentant of. So I
spent many hours talking with the Lord. He became my best friend. I
learned to listen to His promptings. The things that I should do were
always impressed upon me. Later I became involved with genealogy. As I
was led by the spirit, I was prompted to contact many relatives and know
that they were prompted to answer my communications which progressed
our work and deepened our family relationship and provided the way for
their Temple Ordnances to be performed. This in itself has brought many
tears of joy to my family and I.
I was called to many
positions, which have led me to where I am now. My Savior is still my
friend. I still talk to Him every day. I do not always get the answers I
want but I have learned patience, and eventually my desires have been
met in a much better way.
The Christmas Season brings
to our hearts and minds of our Lord and Savior's birth and the knowledge
that the prophets of old foretold of it, as well of His death and
resurrection. Because of this knowledge and the things that have taken
place in my life, have led me to know with a surety, that He lives, that
He is among us and knows you and I personally. That He guides the work
that is going on in the Church, the Temples, the missionary work, and
the preparation for His second coming. President Monson is in direct
communication with Him and if we listen to our prophet, his councilors
and the quorum of the twelve, we too can receive direct guidance in our
lives. Of this I bear solemn witness of and bear testimony of. In the
Holy Name of Jesus Christ Amen
