Thinking of Fathers

This morning I have been inspired to reflect upon the seminal role fathers have played in our lives here on earth. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all the fathers who have combined to produce our family of The Goates Kids. It matters not to me that some bear the names of other noble families like Wood, Jach, Bayles, Johns, Spencer, Warnick, Mann, Sharp, Venema and Litchfield. I claim you ALL as my own under the banner of GOATES. It takes a “village” to create a teeming posterity, and it’s an astounding array of spirits I cherish.

I treasure all the memories I have this morning of my own father, Lesley Brent Goates. Each of us gets only one biological father, and even though we might wish from time to time we could trade him in for another one, it is well that we honor our fathers who facilitated our birth into mortality. It’s coincidentally Father's Day 2025 tomorrow, hence my musings.

I spend a lot of time in the temples these days. In the endowment particularly we are reminded of our eternal heritage with our Eternal Father, Elohim. He is the Father of our eternal spirits. We knew Him intimately at one point in the pre-existence. It was from Him directly we learned of our potential existence as mortal human beings, someday possessed of a physical body that would house our unique spirit. There’s only ONE us, unless we are an identical twin, and even then those are separate and distinct beings. We longed for that day of our physical birth into this very planet upon which we now live.

Reflecting upon these truths is what I have been engaged with since rising with the sun early this morning. There was a four-hour power outage (still unexplained) last evening, when I was without electricity in my home. Until we are without something, it seems, we cannot fully appreciate or understand how blessed we truly are as children of our loving Father in Heaven. I phoned the toll-free Rocky Mountain Power line to report the outage, and I was reminded again how valuable a seemingly obsolete telephone land line still is even in our digital age.

Human Embryo

Each of you fathers, and even those who are still “fathers in waiting,” is an integral piece in our Father’s plan for the salvation of His children. Life is precious to us, and it is created through the union of a male and a female. While there may be medical “advances” to simulate procreation, the fact remains that mortality requires an egg and a sperm to unite to form a living soul. Those embryos from the moment of inception are separate and distinct human beings, not a mere collection of cells as the abortionists would have us believe. The political debates rage on and on to determine when "life" begins. It begins at conception in my simple mind.

The world today is filled with the minions of a satanic cult of deceivers, who routinely devalue and discount the sacred nature of human worth. Fathers and Mothers stand in stark contrast to these misguided ones by continuing the work of salvation through the sacrifices necessary to produce their living offspring.

Patsy and I were increasingly criticized as our numbers of children increased through the twenty years we were producing children. Indeed, only a matter of months separated the birth of our last child, Adrienne, with the birth of our first grandchild Ashley. For us the “baby business” was a thriving enterprise in which we were ALL IN. Under our doctor’s supervision we experimented with birth control after a miscarriage that happened between Emily and Michael (he told Patsy she needed to “take a break”), but Patsy could never get comfortable with the idea so she quit taking the contraceptives and that was the end of that experiment.

Grandma Patsy

Marriage is a partnership. She couldn’t fulfill her desires for motherhood without a willing companion, and I learned early on to do my best to comply with her wishes. (I have to say she didn’t exactly force me kicking and screaming against my will. Our baby-making days were always enjoyable for me, and I’ll just leave it at that.) ENJOYABLE is what it was always meant to be.

So to all our noble fathers among the Goates Kids, and the ones in my digital family "out there," may I offer my admiration and my undying gratitude for your faithfulness in doing the work of our FATHER. He asks us to call Him that. Your posterity will be the most treasured possession you can imagine when you get to be my age.

Family Temple Outing

I was asked by someone at the Jordan River Temple the other day what gifts I would like for Father's Day. I reflected for a moment and responded, “I don’t want any gifts per se, I just want as many of our children as possible to gather so we can enjoy each others’ company.” In saying that I was seeing all the shirts, suits, socks and Levi’s in my closet - in fact, so many I’ll never get around to wearing them all out. My fuse is growing shorter every day (he said with a knowing smile).

Enjoy your families this Father's Day 2025. I love you all more today than ever before, but not as much as I will tomorrow. My heart and soul are riveted increasingly in eternal increase! I outlived my mortal father, and I miss him, but it is only a temporary separation. We will all be reunited with our fathers one day up ahead, of that I am certain.

“Father’s Day is joyful for most but sorrowful for some. Gratefully, each of us can communicate with our Heavenly Father in prayer. He is never absent but is ever-welcoming. Our Heavenly Father is perfectly loving, perfectly understanding, and perfectly capable of helping us rise to meet any challenge we face. On this day, may we honor Him and strive to emulate His example, doing our very best, day after day.”

— Instagram post by President Russell M. Nelson, June 20, 2021

If you could hold on to just one memory from your life forever, what would that be?

On a periodic basis I receive questions from my family they would like me to answer as I compile my memoirs. This one came to me the other day from eldest daughter Dianne. Here's my response:

You want me to single out a single favorite memory from my whole life? Well, I find that request nearly impossible to fulfill. Why? Because at this stage my memories are flooding my brain almost continually. I look back with great fondness on all the events of my life. I tend to remember all the good things that happened, and I have been blessed with a memory that auto-erases all the bad ones. Call it selective memory if you wish, but that’s reality.

Life is such a blessing to me and to all of us. Mortality is a gift from our loving Father in Heaven. We yearned for it in the pre-existence, and we were in that vast throng of eager spirits who couldn’t wait to be born. I suspect we all knew we would have to wait a little longer than most, since we were selected to come here in the last dispensation.

We were told we were among the “noble and great ones” (see Abraham 3:21-23) who would be tasked with being valiant in preparation for the Lord’s triumphant return in the glorious Second Coming. If you’ve been asleep lately, you may have missed President Russell M. Nelson speaking directly to you as he urges and invites us to prepare for that day. He has done that in EVERY talk he has given since becoming the President of the Church. And he has spearheaded the building of temples worldwide to hasten our preparations spiritually.

I often refer to the writings of Elder Neal A. Maxwell for his perspectives on gospel topics, who offers this in relation to our first and second estates:

“Premortality is not a relaxing doctrine. For each of us, there are choices to be made, incessant and difficult chores to be done, ironies and adversities to be experienced, time to be well spent, talents and gifts to be well employed. Just because we were chosen ‘there and then,’ surely does not mean we can be indifferent ‘here and now.’ …

“In fact, adequacy in the first estate may merely have ensured a stern, second estate with more duties and no immunities! Additional tutoring and suffering appears to be the pattern for the Lord’s most apt pupils. (See Mosiah 3:19; 1 Peter 4:19.) Our existence, therefore, is a continuum matched by God’s stretching curriculum. …

“Agreeing to enter this second estate, therefore, was like agreeing in advance to anesthetic — the anesthetic of forgetfulness. Doctors do not deanesthetize a patient, in the midst of what was previously authorized, to ask him, again, if it should be continued. We agreed to come here and to undergo certain experiences under certain conditions” (“Premortality, a Glorious Reality,” Ensign, Nov. 1985, 17).

William Wordsworth (1770-1850), famous poet, wrote:

Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting;
The Soul that rises with us, our life’s Star,
  Hath had elsewhere its setting
  And cometh from afar;
  Not in entire forgetfulness,
  And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
  From God, who is our home.

(Ode on Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood).

All those memories of our pre-existence were wiped from our memory at birth into this world. We can’t remember them for now, only so that we will learn in our tests of mortality to choose and to serve God. There must be an atmosphere of “entire forgetfulness” to prove our fidelity to God and to ourselves. Moral agency reigns supreme in this world, or the freedom to choose for ourselves without compulsion of any kind.

That said, however, reading and embracing the scriptures over the years has taught me there are brief glimpses through the veil into those pre-mortal realms. I have had persistent impressions, enough to convince me of my origins and the promises made and kept before I was born. I suspect it is the same of all of us if we will admit it to ourselves. So maybe we could say “partial forgetfulness” to open the door to understanding our divine nature.

Okay, good preamble, but you haven’t really answered the question posed to you. What’s that ONE memory you would hold with you forever? Put in those terms it’s really a simple choice for me.

It’s that very first date with Patsy Hewlett I would like to preserve in my mind forever. She was so pure, so radiant, and so filled with hope for the future. Her testimony of her Savior shone in her countenance, and that beauty radiated from her every moment of her life with me for as long as I can remember. Her whole soul, it seems to me, was reflected in her eyes. I felt as though I had always known her. I defined beauty in knowing who she was up close and personal. I reflect on that reality now every moment we are apart temporarily. I cling to that memory and that knowledge we will be together FOREVER.

On a social media platform the other day the question was posed to the community, “Are you happy being alone?” It was prescient, and hit me at one of those moments when I could accurately describe myself as ANYTHING but happy. So I answered with a declaration of my understanding of eternal marriage and my testimony of being together eternally with my companion of a lifetime. Many sent responses to me directly, thanking me for my candor. I will probably never change the world with my digital profile, but maybe I could reach one soul out there in cyberspace, and that would be worth my effort.

Only a few moments before I had noted an entry from a woman who purportedly had sexual intercourse with 1000 men in a 24-four period, and she was boasting of her achievement with her “after” picture. (I had to double-check for accuracy). She claimed to have had 24 abortions in her lifetime, and wasn’t the least bit concerned about her behavior. Instead, she claimed “happiness” had been achieved in her life. Another poster challenged, “Is she happy?” This is the world in which we find ourselves today. Do not be deceived, my dear ones.

Patsy and Melanie

This is the face of pure happiness, and it is a woman fully possessed in her knowledge of her divine purpose. You could substitute any of her children in that snapshot and it would have been the same. Oh, that face!!

This world today in its present state is where we reside physically, however it is NOT our spiritual destination eternally. That ultimate goal for each of us is where Patsy and all our progenitors are beckoning us to come. We live in their spiritual presence, and they are nearby to assist us in whatever extremity we may find ourselves. I feel routinely comforted by that knowledge and testify of their investment in our success.

Resurrection Morning

The Savior has prepared the way ahead for us, and we may trust Him in all we do. His plan is eternal in its nature, even though it appears sometimes to be unachievable. I give you my assurance as one who steps closer to eternity every day now, that it IS possible to live the plan of salvation fully and completely. We walk by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I can feel it reverberating in my aging bones.

Any memories beyond that very first and most endearing one of Patsy for me are merely more frosting on my many-layered chocolate cake of life. I love you all.

Animosity and Angst Among Us All

Yesterday, I attended an endowment session in the Bountiful Utah Temple. I arrived early and perused the scriptures before the session started. I was drawn to the topic "Wars and Rumors of Wars." I turned the pages in the Standard Works for references to the topic, which I will share later in this post.

Then today, I was at lunch in Park City. I was alone, but seated only a few feet away from two couples. The men were engaged in a spirited conversation about the MLB Hall of Fame and who should be in it and who should be excluded. One was wearing a Seattle Supersonics sweatshirt. He was vociferously arguing with his counterpart about Ken Griffey, Jr., who had played for the Mariners, giving all his reasons why that player should be named to the HOF. The other was arguing against his inclusion. 

Ken Griffey, Jr.

I listened casually to the debate, and the thought kept running through my mind, "But isn't he already in the HOF?" I consulted my iPhone for the answer. Sure enough, Griffey was inducted in the class of 2016.

Finally, unable to constrain myself any longer, I sidled over to their table, and cordially introduced myself as a lifelong Yankees fan who couldn't help overhearing their spirited debate. I told them I could put an end to their questions if they were willing, and I said it with a smile on my face. "Would they be willing to entertain SIRI as their final answer?" I wondered. They both sheepishly grinned and said they would.

Taking out my phone, I queried, "Siri, is Ken Griffey, Jr., in the Hall of Fame?" She immediately returned the response I had seen earlier for all at their table to hear together. They all fell into a stunned silence, and I resumed my lunch in peace at last. Their "debate" turned into whispers thereafter and the tensions subsided immediately. I felt rewarded as the arbiter in that exchange.

Now think about similar skirmishes you may have witnessed in your life. Have you, too, been witness to serious and seemingly endless debates and arguments with little or no merit over what were likely meaningless topics? I'm certain you have. What have you done about it?

The world at large is a plentiful playground for regional conflicts. I'm thinking about what has been going on in Ukraine and Russia in recent years. Then you look at Israel and Hamas and the escalation of hostilities in that part of the world. There are other insoluble wars too that could be added to the list. Tensions in the Middle East never seem to subside. The field is fertile for peacemakers if they can be found. 

President Donald Trump

In the middle of these warring parties, peacemakers have been hard to come by, it seems. President Donald Trump has attempted to negotiate between the parties in several conflicts, and has been rebuffed. I credit him for trying to bring the factions together, but his efforts have thus far yielded little fruit. When a country goes to war, when tensions turn violent, and when the parties involved maintain their intransigence, it seems no amenable outcome is possible. We are witnessing much bloodshed and loss of life as a result.

I believe the greatest challenge our world faces today is the animosity and the angst we see among warring nations. There have always been wars and rumors of war since the beginning. Indeed, that reality is a well-documented feature of the prophecies associated with the last days. Here's a sampling for your consideration:

For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matthew 24:5-8, emphasis mine).

Ye say that ye know that the end of the world cometh; ye say also that ye know that the heavens and the earth shall pass away;

And in this ye say truly, for so it is; but these things which I have told you shall not pass away until all shall be fulfilled.

And this I have told you concerning Jerusalem; and when that day shall come, shall a remnant be scattered among all nations;

But they shall be gathered again; but they shall remain until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men’s hearts shall fail them, and they shall say that Christ delayeth his coming until the end of the earth.

And the love of men shall wax cold, and iniquity shall abound. (D&C 45:22-27, emphasis mine).

And now I show unto you a parable. Behold, wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together; so likewise shall mine elect be gathered from the four quarters of the earth.

And they shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars.

Behold I speak for mine elect’s sake; for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

And again, because iniquity shall abound, the love of men shall wax cold; but he that shall not be overcome, the same shall be saved.

And again, this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come, or the destruction of the wicked; (Joseph Smith-Matthew 1:27-31, emphasis mine).

Wherefore, it hath been told them concerning the destruction which should come upon them, immediately after my father left Jerusalem; nevertheless, they hardened their hearts; and according to my prophecy they have been destroyed, save it be those which are carried away captive into Babylon.

And now this I speak because of the spirit which is in me. And notwithstanding they have been carried away they shall return again, and possess the land of Jerusalem; wherefore, they shall be restored again to the land of their inheritance.

But, behold, they shall have wars, and rumors of wars; and when the day cometh that the Only Begotten of the Father, yea, even the Father of heaven and of earth, shall manifest himself unto them in the flesh, behold, they will reject him, because of their iniquities, and the hardness of their hearts, and the stiffness of their necks.

Behold, they will crucify him; and after he is laid in a sepulchre for the space of three days he shall rise from the dead, with healing in his wings; and all those who shall believe on his name shall be saved in the kingdom of God. Wherefore, my soul delighteth to prophesy concerning him, for I have seen his day, and my heart doth magnify his holy name.

And behold it shall come to pass that after the Messiah hath risen from the dead, and hath manifested himself unto his people, unto as many as will believe on his name, behold, Jerusalem shall be destroyed again; for wo unto them that fight against God and the people of his church.

Wherefore, the Jews shall be scattered among all nations; yea, and also Babylon shall be destroyed; wherefore, the Jews shall be scattered by other nations.

And after they have been scattered, and the Lord God hath scourged them by other nations for the space of many generations, yea, even down from generation to generation until they shall be persuaded to believe in Christ, the Son of God, and the atonement, which is infinite for all mankind — and when that day shall come that they shall believe in Christ, and worship the Father in his name, with pure hearts and clean hands, and look not forward any more for another Messiah, then, at that time, the day will come that it must needs be expedient that they should believe these things.

And the Lord will set his hand again the second time to restore his people from their lost and fallen state. Wherefore, he will proceed to do a marvelous work and a wonder among the children of men.

Wherefore, he shall bring forth his words unto them, which words shall judge them at the last day, for they shall be given them for the purpose of convincing them of the true Messiah, who was rejected by them; and unto the convincing of them that they need not look forward any more for a Messiah to come, for there should not any come, save it should be a false Messiah which should deceive the people; for there is save one Messiah spoken of by the prophets, and that Messiah is he who should be rejected of the Jews.

For according to the words of the prophets, the Messiah cometh in six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem; and according to the words of the prophets, and also the word of the angel of God, his name shall be Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

And now, my brethren, I have spoken plainly that ye cannot err. And as the Lord God liveth that brought Israel up out of the land of Egypt, and gave unto Moses power that he should heal the nations after they had been bitten by the poisonous serpents, if they would cast their eyes unto the serpent which he did raise up before them, and also gave him power that he should smite the rock and the water should come forth; yea, behold I say unto you, that as these things are true, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved. (2 Nephi 25:10-20, emphasis mine).

There have been centuries before where the scattering of Israel, including the tribe of Judah, has occurred, and all the prophets have spoken of a day of the gathering of Israel in the last days with signs accompanying that gathering. We are living witnesses of the acceleration of that gathering now happening all over the earth under the direction of living prophets. 

Living Prophets in Rome, Italy

I offer my solemn witness that the wars and rumors of wars, indeed the animosity and the angst among nations and individuals is the preamble to the happy days ahead of us as the gathering of Israel unfolds in the most natural and gratifying result we can imagine. Against the backdrop of chaos swirling around us worldwide, the signs of the Second Coming of the Savior Jesus Christ are unfolding clearly for those with eyes to see and hearts aligned to the scriptures like the ones I've cited herein.

The dedications of temples worldwide are a striking fulfillment of the gathering of Israel, like the picture shown above at the dedication of the Rome Italy Temple where all fifteen of the living prophets attended.

Next time you are party to the tabletop debates like the one I saw today, regardless of how trivial the topic may be, please consider what you can do to be a peacemaker. Then applaud and encourage others to do the same within the sphere of your influence.

May we all find peace and enjoy the spirit of the Holy Ghost as a result, I pray.

What's The One Thing You Wish You Had Known Before Becoming a Parent?

This question comes from eldest daughter Dianne. I haven’t given this much thought until I saw it in my questions this morning. It was intended for internal consumption within our family circle, but without reservation I now share it with the world at large on my blog page. In so doing I trust in your acceptance in advance, and your forgiveness as necessary. 

Let me begin by saying that becoming parents for Patsy and me wasn’t ever a question in our minds. We were married in 1969. We knew instinctively that our marriage would produce offspring, and in Patsy’s case her answer to those who asked how many children we thought we would have was a consistent, “At least twelve.”

I would hear her response made to many people, and when I did I always swallowed hard and merely soldiered on in faith that she was probably right. In fact, she had thirteen live births. I’ve learned in the ensuing years that a woman is born with a certain amount of eggs within her reproductive system, and I’ve wondered if she just instinctively knew she was blessed abundantly with a large number. Whatever the case, this was a woman who was blessed not only with great faith in her Father in Heaven, but also the maturity required to make that instinctive faith a reality in her life.

The miracle of birth is astounding to me. We’ve all learned by our own experiences that there are so many variables in the birth process, and it is such a miracle in each case. Patsy had at least six miscarriages along the way to birthing our thirteen children, and in our youngest Adrienne’s birth we had her with us for only 49 short days in mortality. They are now reunited in the spirit world, and their grave markers lie side by side in the Woodland Cemetery. Two stone slabs in memory:

Woodland Cemetery

The question from Dianne is asking me to disclose the ONE THING I wished I had known before becoming a parent. My answer is simple: I wish I had known just how intricate and how miraculous each subsequent birth would be.

Patsy’s ability to birth babies was relatively straightforward and uncomplicated by comparison to many of our peers. She would have miserable pregnancies with multiple aches and pains along the way. The list of complications is too long to enumerate here on these poor pages, and it would probably only serve to enthrone her on a higher pedestal than the one she currently occupies. Her ability to absorb and overcome her pains and uncertainty in those days was always astounding to me, and I lived with her 24-7 and observed it all up close and personal. You can just take my word for it, okay?

One time we sat down together and estimated the number of years she had spent in a pregnant state during our married lives together. I don’t recall the actual number today as I write, but trust me when I say it was LARGE. By today’s false judgments about marriage she was a miracle worker indeed!

Patsy was routinely criticized by the sisters in our various wards for her “baby-making ability.” For the most part they kept it on the downlow, but occasionally some would confront her face to face with their pejoratives and she would simply smile without offering a rejoinder. She knew who she was, and she was never deterred. The days of “women’s liberation” were just emerging back then.

I wish I had known how blessed I would become as each new infant joined us. I wish I had the capacity to see and know each one before they joined our family circle here on earth. Who were you in the spirit world before you were born? I have no doubt we ALL knew each other then and there.

I believe the most choice of our Father in Heaven’s children have been reserved to come forth in this final dispensation of the fulness of times. I wish I could have had even a peek into the spirit world from whence you all came forth into mortality and have a glimpse of what you were back then. I know I would not be surprised!!

I have attended the patriarchal blessing for each of you, and I have in my possession a copy of each of your blessings from various patriarchs. What is consistent in each one is a hint of your individual greatness. I am humbled by what little I know, but it is enough to assure me of who you were then, who you are becoming here and now, and I believe I am assured we will all be reunited in the spirit world one day up ahead if we remain true and faithful to our covenants. Of that certainty I am assured.

Let me extend my thoughts this morning a little bit further. I do not intend any offense by what is coming up. However, I feel compelled to weigh in a bit.

There is much being said about gender identity in today’s world. Confusion is rampant “out there.” This confusion is largely among those who do not share what we know as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Somewhere in the not too distant past, June became “Pride Month,” to celebrate a satanic notion that transgenderism and other perverse sexual false doctrines were not only acceptable but should be paraded and promoted in the public square. The iconic rainbow for generations was highjacked as a symbol. Pride flags adorned the White House, and eventually found their way into the classrooms of our children in elementary schools. I applaud the home schoolers among you. Even textbooks were produced to promote gay and lesbian agendas among our youngest and most vulnerable.

Mercifully, there is now an informal pushback emerging to replace Pride Month with “Veterans Appreciation Month.” Legislation is being proposed to ban transgender operations among our children. I follow these developments on social media platforms each and every day. I see and witness the ongoing debates in America designed to divide us and prevent us from coming together as a nation over something so simple. The separation between good and evil grows wider each day.

Why do I say “simple?” Because the Bible from the first book of Genesis could not be more plain than it is:

26 ¶ And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; MALE and FEMALE created he them.

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:26-28, emphasis mine).

A male and a female, two sexes only. Manmade allowances for identifying and promoting multiple species are not in harmony with God’s eternal vision for His children. Do not let the confusion of others infect your thinking. Procreation between a man and a woman is the Divine definition of marriage, and the purpose of that marriage is to bring forth children so the posterity of Adam and Eve may continue to prosper and multiply upon the face of the earth. From the beginning until this very moment in time the plan of our Father in Heaven has NEVER been modified by Him and our Savior Jesus Christ.

I noted recently that “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” originated thirty years ago in 1995! It was authored by 15 living Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many of you have a copy hanging on the walls of your homes. I encourage you to study it together routinely. In part it reads:

“All human beings — male and female — are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

“In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

“The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

“We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.” (Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102).

So, Dianne’s question asks, “What’s ONE thing you wish you’d known before becoming a parent?” Having laid out what I have written above, I can now say assuredly that we walked by faith in procreation as a couple in our married life together. We didn’t know much about the mysteries associated with having a family, but we pressed forward in faith anyway. We could not have known in advance that the living prophets in this dispensation would someday make such a comprehensive declaration of doctrine about parenting.

I invite you to learn more and to do as we did. Press forward in faith. As I’ve observed granddaughter Katelyn’s travails right now in her first trimester of pregnancy, I am reminded of her Grandma Patsy and all she suffered to bring forth our family of Goates Kids so valiantly.

Believe me when I observe on this page today that she is surely delighted with each of you who have sprung from her loins as you proceed down life’s path leading toward eternal life with her someday.

I don’t know the end from the beginning as our Father in Heaven surely does. What I do know absolutely is He is with us every step of our journey here in mortality, and He is anxious to bless and sustain us no matter what comes next!

The Law of Consecration

This morning en route to something else, I stumbled over a letter I wrote some twenty-five years ago to two sons, Rich and Joe, serving as missionaries, one in Canada, the other in Brazil. It's worth repeating here:

January 28, 2001

I have been studying in depth this week – the lesson I did not give today – about the foreknowledge of God. This is a concept that blows the minds of most members of the Church, but it is absolutely essential we understand its importance and day-to-day significance in our lives. 

It seems we can accept without reservation the proposition the Lord knew in advance that wicked men in the last days would seek to thwart Joseph’s translation of the Book of Mormon. Because of His foreknowledge of those events, and how those men would exercise their moral agency unrighteously, provision was made by an all-knowing God to have Nephi prepare a second set of records. The value of the small plates of Nephi cannot be overstated, and the provision for their inclusion in the divine record was made centuries in advance. He also knew enough about Nephi and Joseph Smith to know the exercise of their agency would allow truth to triumph. 

God’s desire to bring His words through living prophets to their descendants in the last days would be successful. “The works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught. . .” (D&C 3:1).

God knew in advance about the Flood, and Noah was obedient to the revelations to build an ark on dry ground long before the rain started falling. 

God knows where the world is headed today – that people in the Church and the world at large are filled within darkened minds because of unbelief and vanity. (See D&C 84:54-56). 

“Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments. . .” (D&C 1:17).

All this is true, and we accept it because it is true. When it comes to our own lives, however, it seems we have trouble connecting the dots. He knows you, Rich. He knows you, Joe. There isn’t anything about your missions and their outcomes that He does not know before you even think about what comes next. Because He knows. 

Ask yourself: If I am God and I have created spirit children, how many should I create if I don’t know how big to make the planet upon which they will dwell? Extending that reasoning forward, if I do not know in advance how many of my children will be heirs of the Celestial kingdom, then how shall I make provision for the place in time and space that they will someday occupy? Shall I arrange their lives, pull each and every string, or does my knowing their future choices impede them in any way? The simple answer is "NO."

These are but a few of the questions that this line of reasoning will take you down, but it is an underlying and integral piece of the truth of our existence. 

Let me take you on a short scriptural journey to underscore His knowing, then we’ll discuss the implications and how His knowing intersects with our doing. Relax, this isn’t fatalism, and it’s certainly not predestination, as the conventional wisdom of the Reformers Calvin and Luther would have it. Instead, we are given the gift of moral agency to exercise in this life. God is not on trial in our lives – we are. There isn’t anything you can do to prove yourself “worthy” to God (remember, remember – always and forever – “worthy” equates to repenting). 

We had a lesson this morning urging us to “qualify” for the gift of the Holy Ghost in our lives. And the instructor (who shall remain nameless) never, not once, in the course of the lesson even mentioned repentance as the one and only qualifier for obtaining and keeping the Spirit in our lives to guide us. Last time I checked (and I do that frequently these days) the scriptures are replete (meaning they are full to overflowing) with references about the only thing we must do to be “worthy” of the Spirit in our lives is to repent and come unto Christ. We are promised He will fill us up with His Spirit if we repent. But that’s a story for another day.

God already knows you and all your choices, because He created you. There should be great comfort in this idea, but it seems to cause more angst than joy. It should not be so. Come with me, and we shall learn together:

But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. (2 Nephi 2:24).

O how great the holiness of our God! For he knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it. (2 Nephi 9:20).

And this I do [meaning, Mormon is including the small plates of Nephi in the record he is abridging] for a wise purpose; for thus it whispereth me, [notice, only the whisperings of the Spirit at work here – no open visions of the future] according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me.  And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will. (Words of Mormon 1:7).

And when the time cometh when all shall rise, then shall they know that God knoweth all the times which are appointed unto man [meaning that God even knows the exact moment in time that we will each depart this mortal probation, since this chapter is all about Alma’s teachings on the resurrection].  (Alma 40:10).

And if there be faults [in the writings contained in the Book of Mormon] they are the faults of a man.  But behold, we know no fault; nevertheless God knoweth all things; therefore, he that condemneth, let him be aware lest he shall be in danger of hell fire. (Mormon 8:17).

By these things [the preceding verses in section 20] we know that there is a God in heaven, who is infinite and eternal, from everlasting to everlasting the same unchangeable God, the framer of heaven and earth, and all things which are in them; And that he created man, male and female, after his own image and in his own likeness, created he them. . . (D&C 20:17-18). Note: Only two sexes, but that's a story for another day.

Thus saith the Lord your God, even Jesus Christ, the Great I AM, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the same which looked upon the wide expanse of eternity, and all the seraphic hosts of heaven, before the world was made; The same which knoweth all things, for all things are present before mine eyes. (D&C 38:2).

He comprehendeth all things, and all things are before him, and all things are round about him; and he is above all things, and in all things, and is through all things, and is round about all things; and all things are by him, and of him, even God, forever and ever. (D&C 88:41 – also read vs. 5-13). 

And I have a work for thee, Moses [or you could say, Joe or Rich], my son; and thou art in the similitude of mine Only Begotten; and mine Only Begotten is and shall be the Savior, for he is full of grace and truth; but there is no God beside me, and all things are present with me, for I know them [antecedent of “them” is “all things”]. (Moses 1:6).

But they [angels] do not reside on a planet like this earth; But they reside in the presence of God, on a globe like a sea of glass and fire, where all things for their glory are manifest, past, present, and future, and are continually before the Lord. (D&C 130:7). [Meaning that time simply collapses for God – there is no past, present, future – it is all the same for Him – everything is in the present tense, and that’s how He is enabled to know all things.  And it’s just that simple.]

So what are the implications of these things on our lives here and now? Simply, that God knows the end from the beginning. He knows what will happen, what choices we will make, who we will marry, how many children we will have, where we will live, whether or not we will be faithful, how we will rebel, how we will repent, when, where, who, what – everything. None of it is shrouded in mystery for Him. He knows. But here is the key element - His knowing does not alter our doing, except to give us perspective. 

Knowing what we know about His knowing should give us a beacon. If we know He knows, if we know that nothing is hidden, that He even knows the thoughts and the intents of our hearts before we act in any manner, would not our knowing help us want to please Him and to do what He would have us do?

The key is to willingly submit to His good pleasure – to offer ourselves as an offering, all that we are or ever hope to be – to simply say, “Lord, what would thou have me do?” It is the willful surrender of ourselves. 

Nauvoo Temple

As Elder Neal A. Maxwell once said, it is sacrificing the beast within each of us each day on the altar of consecration. He will neither pull our chain, yank on our strings, coerce us in any way to choose. He offers a choice. The choice is what Christ vouched safe to us in His atonement. We must choose, then He will bless our choices if they are righteous desires. When we ask Him about the things He is interested in – how we can bless others, where He would have us look for lost souls, how we can serve, whom shall we serve – and similar questions, we are led and directed. He does and will intercede in our lives and the lives of those we serve. But it is all based upon our doing, and never altered by His knowing.

Is that so hard? When we ask to consume our asking upon our lusts, or when we ask for signs first before we will believe and exercise our faith, the heavens are as brass over our heads. Those are the active principles of sacrifice and consecration – the very essence of the covenants we make in the temple. 

And, oh by the way, beware of another common so-called "Mormon myth" I learned yet again in sacrament meeting today that we are not yet "worthy" to live the law of consecration, that we are to live the lesser law of tithing until some as yet unidentified event or circumstance in the future will once again usher in the law of consecration. 

Well, that's just so much phooey. The vast majority of the members of the Church have not yet learned this one lesson - that the law of consecration is different than the practice or the policy to implement it through the united order. It is not the current practice or policy of the Church in these last days to live the united order, but will someone please tell me how and when and where the law of consecration was rescinded? Each time I attend an endowment session and listen carefully to the covenant we make to live the law of consecration the words come with no qualifiers. It is NOT a matter of only doing that which we are merely willing to do so when asked. 

It is explained in simplest terms - that we covenant to consecrate ourselves, and everything else for the cause of the establishment of Zion. Some are troubled that we consecrate to the Church and not to God. The Church on earth is God's kingdom on earth. To me they are one and the same. That sounds pretty precise to me, and there are no qualifiers in the words of the covenant that put the covenant in suspension until the practice of the Church returns to some new iteration of the united order. 

Do not be deceived. After all that Joseph learned about the united order, and all that Brigham Young attempted to implement concerning it, I doubt we are going to suddenly start living it again without warning. Rather, it is here and now as an everlasting law, and it is the law of the Celestial kingdom. Those who would have a place in that kingdom must abide the same. It is for each of us to learn for ourselves what God would have us know in how to implement the law into our own individual lives.

Indeed, we are promised that “the Father teacheth him of the covenant. . .” (D&C 84:48), speaking of the oath and the covenant of the priesthood, which is only another example of widely misunderstood doctrines in these last days. 

It was the Savior who taught this principle best. I love the comparative differences and similarities in the JST accounts: Break not my commandments for to save your lives; for whosoever will save his life in this world, shall lose it in the world to come. And whosoever will lose his life in this world, for my sake, shall find it in the world to come. Therefore, forsake the world, and save your souls; for what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?  Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?  (JST Matthew 16:27-29). 

For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; or whosoever will save his life, shall be willing to lay it down for my sake; and if he is not willing to lay it down for my sake, he shall lose it. But whosoever shall be willing to lose his life for my sake, and the gospel, the same shall save it. (JST Mark 8:37-38).

For whosoever will save his life, must be willing to lose it for my sake; and whosoever will be willing to lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and yet he receive him not whom God hath ordained [that would be Christ], and he lose his own soul, and he himself be a castaway? (JST Luke 9:24-25).

Each rendition of those verses, while slightly different, contains the same enigmatic and seemingly impossible saying – to gain your eternal life, you must be willing to sacrifice for my sake while in your mortal probation. 

Salt Lake Temple

Father really does know best. The message for missionaries is simple – give it all up for my kingdom in this world, invest in faith and I will sustain you in whatever righteous desires you may have. There is never going to be a time when life will be as simple, as concentrated, as consecrated, and as Spirit-directed as your time in the mission field, and you have both seen the witness of that truth again and again. 

Along those lines, I thought about your older brother Steve and the thoughts he shared with me recently about how he has only now had time to write about his experiences of the last year. I remember him sobbing in my arms only hours after his return from his mission in Mexico. He longed to be free from the contradictions, the challenges and the world into which he had been thrust upon his release from his mission. He was so immediately caught up in the need for a car, for employment, for school, and wonderment about his future prospects in marriage, that whatever respite from the cares of the world he had enjoyed while serving a mission quickly vanished. It took him a year to even get his journal caught up! And so it is – treasure each moment, for they are fleeting. How I wish I could impress that truth upon each missionary when I hear your stories about wasted time and energies spent on trivial pursuits in the mission field among some of your acquaintances. 

Now, Rich, I said most of this for your benefit. There will never be a time of greater temptation for you. I know you find that hard to believe, but Satan would like nothing more than to discredit all that you have done up to this point in your mission. [He had just been called serve as an Assistant to the President in his mission]. We have seen this in the cases of some of your friends who have returned. Your position in the mission does little to insulate you from danger. You must be ever watchful. You still have much to do before you hit the finish line. Hit the tape running full stride. Don’t let up. Give it renewed determination, renewed Spirit, renewed enthusiasm for the work, and rededicate yourself to the goals and the programs of the President. Do all you can in these remaining months to lift and to inspire those around you. Help them to catch the vision, to serve with an eye single to His glory, and to never look back. 

Just as you were once the young one in the field, now others will look to you as never before for an example of how to do it the right way. Once again, you are in a position of rare trust and accountability. Cherish these remaining days. Too soon, they will all be gone, and you will be homeward bound. The goal is to sit in that plane seat contented and satisfied that you did all, that you sacrificed your all, that you withheld nothing in the service that still awaits you. 

And that, good son, is peace and joy unlike anything there is. Trust in God to lead you to that end result.

Today Begins Holy Week

Temple with Angels

I spent some time this week in the temple, as is my customary pattern these days. I read in 3 Nephi 11:1-17, while I was waiting for the session to begin:

And now it came to pass that there were a great multitude gathered together, of the people of Nephi, round about the temple which was in the land Bountiful; and they were marveling and wondering one with another, and were showing one to another the great and marvelous change which had taken place.

And they were also conversing about this Jesus Christ, of whom the sign had been given concerning his death.

And it came to pass that while they were thus conversing one with another, they heard a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard; and it was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn.

And it came to pass that again they heard the voice, and they understood it not.

And again the third time they did hear the voice, and did open their ears to hear it; and their eyes were towards the sound thereof; and they did look steadfastly towards heaven, from whence the sound came.

And behold, the third time they did understand the voice which they heard; and it said unto them:

Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name — hear ye him.

And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw a Man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe; and he came down and stood in the midst of them; and the eyes of the whole multitude were turned upon him, and they durst not open their mouths, even one to another, and wist not what it meant, for they thought it was an angel that had appeared unto them.

And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people, saying:

Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.

And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.

And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words the whole multitude fell to the earth; for they remembered that it had been prophesied among them that Christ should show himself unto them after his ascension into heaven.

And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto them saying:

Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world.

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.

And when they had all gone forth and had witnessed for themselves, they did cry out with one accord, saying:

Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God! And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus, and did worship him. (Emphasis mine.)

The words “GREAT multitude” jumped off the page at me. A multitude of eye witnesses of the resurrected Savior Jesus Christ!! The Book of Mormon is the unimpeachable and true record of the reality of Christ’s resurrection. It’s why we refer to it as “Another Testament of Jesus Christ.”

Today is known as “Palm Sunday,” commemorating Christ’s triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem when palm fronds were strewn before Him as He rode on the back of a donkey into the city.

Christ's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

His true believers were hailing Him as the Son of God, but it would also mark the beginning of the end of His mortal life.

My brief study in the temple this week also prompted me to turn to 2 Nephi 10, where the reasons for His coming to Jerusalem are spelled out:

Jacob explains that the Jews will crucify their God — They will be scattered until they begin to believe in Him - America will be a land of liberty where no king will rule - Reconcile yourselves to God and gain salvation through His grace. About 559–545 B.C.

And now I, Jacob, speak unto you again, my beloved brethren, concerning this righteous branch of which I have spoken.

For behold, the promises which we have obtained are promises unto us according to the flesh; wherefore, as it has been shown unto me that many of our children shall perish in the flesh because of unbelief, nevertheless, God will be merciful unto many; and our children shall be restored, that they may come to that which will give them the true knowledge of their Redeemer.

Wherefore, as I said unto you, it must needs be expedient that Christ. . . should come among the Jews, among those who are the more wicked part of the world; and they shall crucify him - for thus it behooveth our God, and there is none other nation on earth that would crucify their God.

For should the mighty miracles be wrought among other nations they would repent, and know that he be their God.

But because of priestcrafts and iniquities, they at Jerusalem will stiffen their necks against him, that he be crucified.

Wherefore, because of their iniquities, destructions, famines, pestilences, and bloodshed shall come upon them; and they who shall not be destroyed shall be scattered among all nations.

But behold, thus saith the Lord God: When the day cometh that they shall believe in me, that I am Christ, then have I covenanted with their fathers that they shall be restored in the flesh, upon the earth, unto the lands of their inheritance.

And it shall come to pass that they shall be gathered in from their long dispersion, from the isles of the sea, and from the four parts of the earth; and the nations of the Gentiles shall be great in the eyes of me, saith God, in carrying them forth to the lands of their inheritance. (2 Nephi 10:1-8, emphasis mine).

He came to Jerusalem among the Jews because “there is none other nation on earth that would crucify their God.” Their degree of wickedness had reached its zenith and found expression, sadly, in the crucifixion of our Lord. The events leading up to His betrayal by Judas Iscariot and subsequent crucifixion are well-documented in the New Testament. It’s only in the Book of Mormon, however, that we learn the answer to the “why” question.

I will encourage each of you to spend some time in your family circles this week, the Holy Week, reviewing the events that culminated in the happy conclusion of resurrection morning. I have loved seeing this portrait prominently featured in the temple film:

Mary Greets Christ in the Garden

She was the first of many witnesses, including the multitude in the New World, to see the Savior in His resurrected body. All of us who embrace the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon are likewise witnesses of that reality. The promises we will someday stand in His glorified presence and share eternal with the Father and the Son are astounding and comforting beyond my ability to describe them.

As one continues reading in 2 Nephi 9-10, the glorious and eternal promises that are held out for the Jews who crucified Him are perhaps the ultimate expression of forgiveness that we have in Holy Writ. As I grow older in my mortal probation there is little left on earth that stimulates me more than the HOPE of eternal life with Patsy and all my progenitors who have preceded me. It is a door through which I will someday pass, and I am filled with eager anticipation of its fulfillment even as I continue to revel in my joy among my family here in the flesh. Truly, I can say I am living in the best of times in my life.

Never doubt that you are loved and cherished by your Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ. They have made ample provision for each of us despite our weaknesses and imperfections in the generous plan of salvation that includes the possibility of repentance and forgiveness.

My memories of what Patsy did to emphasize her testimony of the Savior’s resurrection on Easter morning are always fresh in my mind. The glorious Easter feast she always provided with her lace tablecloths, crystal goblets, best chinaware and sterling silverware, were emblematic of her belief that her best was never good enough in exchange for what her Savior had done for her and for each of us. It was her way to say “Thank You,” and so it must be for each of us. 

When we do our best to emulate the goodness of God as we act in service and love for our fellowmen, we are demonstrating our love for Him and our Father in Heaven in the best way we know how.

I love you too. I love the newness of Spring. I have seen the sandhill cranes, the mallard ducks, the rock chucks and pot guts, even the deer, and the snow is nearly all gone this week. The river is rising, the sky today is a radiant azure blue overhead, and the temperatures are almost balmy.

What a glorious time in which we live! And it’s Holy Week too!

Favorite Quotes from April 2025 General Conference

 

This was an historic General Conference. I know we always say that with each iteration, but they seem to get better with each edition, don’t they? I had several memorable moments and noted my favorite quotes from each speaker, which I am sharing this morning. We are truly a Christ-centered Church these days, a development for which I yearned all those many years ago in my earlier life. These quotes will attest to that reality.

President Jeffrey R. Holland:

“Is there anything sweeter, more pure, more humble than a child at prayer? It is as if heaven is in the room. God and Christ are so real, but for others the experience can become more superficial.”

“Children really do love Him, and that love can carry over into their other relationships in the playground of life.”

“I testify that they are images of the kingdom of God flourishing on earth in all of its strength and beauty.”

President Camille N. Johnson:

“I can be whole, while I wait for healing, if I am wholehearted in my relationship with Him.”

“Faith in Him increases my hope for healing, and that hope reinforces my faith in Jesus Christ. It is a powerful cycle.”

“Through our faith in Jesus Christ, we can seek to be spiritually whole while we wait and hope for physical and emotional healing.”

Elder Ronald A. Rasband:

“I marvel at what President Nelson calls the ‘majesty of this moment’ and express profound gratitude to the Lord for His work. I encourage us to stand tall as his disciples, eyewitnesses of the fulfillment of prophecy, both ancient and modern.”

“The Lord commanded in the early days of the Restoration to ‘seek learning, even by study and also by faith.’ That is happening today and is worthy of a resounding ‘Hurrah.‘”

“I recognize that in the midst of the good news of the gospel, there are those who struggle, who have faith challenges, doubts and questions that seem to have no answers. Brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ is the answer. Start with Him. Look for His hand in your life. Listen to Him.”

Elder Quentin L. Cook:

“In a world of great beauty, there are also enormous challenges. As we turn to Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, He rescues us from the storms of life through His Atonement in accordance with the Father’s plan.”

“In His eternity-shaping Atonement and Resurrection, the Savior broke ‘the bands of death, having gained the victory over death’ (Mosiah 15:8) for everyone.”

“I testify that the key to the Father’s plan of happiness is the Atonement wrought by our Savior Jesus Christ. He lives and guides His Church. The Atonement of Jesus Christ provides the ultimate rescue from the trials we face in this life.”

Elder Ricardo P. Gimenez:

“I hope you will consider my words as a sincere invitation to seek to understand the opportunity to link everything we do with our love for the Savior.”

“The more we can connect the reason with our love for the Savior, the more we will be able to receive what we need or are seeking.”

“I love the Savior, and my love for Him is my ‘why.‘”

President Henry B. Eyring:

“Jesus Christ loves each of us. He offers the opportunity to draw closer to Him.”

“As you bind up the wounds of those in need, the Lord’s power will sustain you.”

“Every covenant servant of Jesus Christ will receive His direction from the Spirit as they bless and serve others for Him. Then they will feel the Savior’s love and find joy in being drawn closer to Him.”

Elder Neil A. Anderson:

“The diminishing love for unborn children worldwide is a grave concern. God cherishes life. … As disciples of Jesus Christ, we cherish life.”

“Life is a most precious part of our Father’s perfect plan and by His decree we cherish life and preserve life; and we choose the continuation of life once conceived.”

“Nurturing and protecting life that is yet unborn is not a political position. It is a moral law confirmed by the Lord through His prophets.”

President Steven J. Lund:

“Serious expectations require serious preparation.”

“[Priesthood holders] will find themselves in consequential times and places where their presence and prayers and the powers of the priesthood of God they hold will profoundly matter.”

“The Aaronic Priesthood is called the preparatory priesthood partly because its ordinances allow them to experience the weight and joy of being on the Lord’s errand preparing them for future priesthood service.”

Elder S. Mark Palmer:

“To all who recognize what you have lost, we invite you to come back so you can once again taste the joyous fruit of the gospel.

“To all who are longing for faith, we invite you to come back.”

“He will never give up on you. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ all that is broken can be healed.”

Elder Sandino Roman:

“When we have faith in Christ, we recognize His blessings and develop a relationship of trust with Him.”

“Pray to your Heavenly Father as if it were the first time. … If you are sincere and humble, you will hear His answer and begin a personal and lasting relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.”

“So, faith in Jesus Christ is a bond of trust, forged in loyalty and love. In other words, in gratitude for God’s merciful love, we show our loyal love by keeping His commandments.”

Elder Dale G. Renlund:

“If we are wise, we receive the truth by accepting the gospel of Jesus Christ through priesthood ordinances and covenants.”

“Indeed, God will be disappointed if we do not rely upon the merits, mercy and grace of the Savior to magnify the God-given talents we have received.”

“Rely on those who love you and who love the Savior. Seek God’s guidance to develop your unique abilities and help others, even when it is not easy.”

Elder Hans T. Boom:

“To those of the rising generation … please learn and receive strength from the faith and testimonies of those that came before you.”

“All of us, whether we are the first generation in the gospel or the fifth, should ask ourselves, ‘What stories of faith, strength and celestial commitment will I pass on to the next generation?‘”

“Let us be, ‘True to the faith that our parents have cherished.‘”

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf:

“The Lord invites us not just to join His kingdom but also to be anxiously engaged in building it.”

“We are one, not because of where we’ve been but where we are striving to go, not because of who we are but who we seek to become.”

“Our love for God and His children is a powerful testimony to the world that this is truly the Savior’s Church.”

Elder Gary E. Stevenson:

“We rejoice that because of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice, we can be forgiven and cleansed of our sins as we repent. This brings us peace and hope while making it possible for us to return to God’s presence.”

“Living prophets in our day — who receive revelation from God to teach and lead us — are increasingly inviting us to come unto Christ.”

“I testify that all who accept the invitations from our living Prophet and his counselors to more intentionally commemorate the holy events that Easter represents will find that their bond with Jesus Christ grows ever stronger.”

Sister Amy A. Wright:

“If we are not testifying to the veracity of His premortal godhood, His divine mission and His prison-bursting Resurrection in our homes and in every single meeting of this Church, then our messages of love, service, honesty, humility, gratitude and compassion can become nothing more than a jaunty pep talk of thoughtful living.”

“If we become casual in our discipleship of Jesus Christ, it could be catastrophic for our children.”

“When we tell our children we love them, are we also telling them that their Father in Heaven and Savior Jesus Christ love them? Our love may comfort and inspire, but Their love can sanctify, exalt and heal.”

Elder James R. Rasband:

“It might be said that the plan of salvation is a plan of happiness precisely because it is a ‘plan of mercy.‘”

“For those who sometimes struggle to feel answers to prayer, seeking the Lord’s mercy is one of the most powerful ways to feel the witness of the Holy Ghost.”

“In sum, is the Father’s plan as taught in the Book of Mormon really this merciful? I testify that it is.”

Elder Sergio R. Vargas:

“I invite all of us today to center our lives on Jesus Christ and His teachings.”

“Our divine nature and covenant relationship with God entitle us to receive divine help.”

“Ask for help. Jesus Christ understands and is always eager to share our burdens.”

Elder D. Todd Christofferson:

“True worship means loving God and yielding our will to Him — the most precious gift we can offer.”

“Worshipping together, as the ‘body of Christ’ has unique power and benefits as we teach, serve and sustain one another. … As a community of Saints, we strengthen each other in worship and in faith.”

“Those who reject God as the source of truth, or disavow any accountability to Him, in effect substitute themselves as their god. One who places loyalty to a party or cause ahead of divine direction worships a false god.”

Elder David A. Bednar:

“Joseph [Smith] did not pray merely to know what was right. Rather, he prayed to know what was right so he could do what was right.”

“The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, confirms the truthfulness of the Bible and restores plain and precious truths that were lost from the Bible.”

“Ancient prophets and apostles personally conferred priesthood authority upon Joseph Smith and committed priesthood keys to him.”

Elder Steven D. Shumway:

“When we say yes to serving, we are saying yes to Jesus Christ. And when we say yes to Christ, we are saying yes to the most abundant life possible.”

“We engage in God’s work, not because God needs us, but because we need God and His mighty blessings.”

“Callings are sacred gifts from a loving Father to help bring others with us to Jesus Christ.”

Sister Tamara W. Runia:

“I testify that while God cares about our mistakes, He cares more about what happens after we make a mistake. Are we going to turn to Him again and again? Are we going to stay in this covenant relationship?”

“The invitation to repent is an expression of God’s love. Saying yes to that invitation is an expression of ours. … Yes, your repentance doesn’t burden Jesus Christ; it brightens His joy.”

“We don’t stay on the covenant path by never making a mistake. We stay on the path by repenting every day. And when we’re repenting, God forgives without shaming us, comparing us to anyone else or scolding us because this is the same thing we were repenting of last week.”

Bishop Gerald Causse:

“The Lord loves you personally. He knows your circumstances and the door to His blessings remains wide open to you no matter the challenges you face.”

“What matters to the Lord is not merely whether we are able, but whether we are willing, to do all we can to follow Him as our Savior.”

“The Lord’s compensating blessings often come through the kindness and service of others who help us accomplish what we cannot do on our own.”

Elder Gerrit W. Gong:

“This is Easter in Jesus Christ: He answers the longings of our hearts and the questions of our souls. He wipes away our tears, except our tears of joy.”

“He reunites us, whole and holy, with each other and God. In all good things, Jesus Christ restores abundantly — not only what was but also what can be.”

“Each Easter season we celebrate, as a symbolic whole, eternity’s great gifts through Jesus Christ — His Atonement; His (and the promise of our) literal Resurrection; Restoration of His latter-day Church with priesthood keys and authority to bless all God’s children.”

Elder John A. McCune:

“In Christ, we can understand better the perfect attributes of the Father and His plan. Through Christ, we are given the enabling power to overcome the tendencies of natural men and women so that we might become more like the Father.”

“As we make and keep covenants, we will naturally turn outward and have a desire to help others feel the measure of joy and love we feel in our covenantal relationships.”

“We can be part of the greatest cause on the earth today, the gathering of Israel. We can help to bring God’s children to Christ.”

President Dallin H. Oaks:

“By far God’s strongest mortal help was His provision of a Savior, Jesus Christ, who would suffer to pay the price and provide forgiveness for repented sins.”

“The plan of a loving Father in Heaven provides many other gifts to protect us, including protecting us from sinning in the first place.”

“Our part in this divine plan is to trust in God and seek divine helps, most notably the Atonement of His Beloved Son, our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ.”

Elder Ulisses Soares:

“Reverence is not just an aspect of spirituality; it is the essence of it — the foundation upon which spirituality is built, creating a personal connection to the divine.”

“Showing reverence for sacred things gives meaning to much of what we do every day and strengthens our feeling of gratitude-inspiring awe, respect and love for higher and holier things.”

“The absence of respect for the sacred produces an increasing casualness in attitude and carelessness in conduct, which can rapidly spiral one generation into apathy and catapult the next generation into misery.”

Elder Michael B. Strong:

“To be the Lord’s disciples, we must intentionally imitate His thoughts and actions every day — for example, His obedience, humility and patience.”

“Compassion is that portion of charity that seeks to alleviate all suffering.”

“Discipleship of Jesus Christ … is a path filled with deliberate and purposeful acts of love towards others.”

Elder Scott D. Whiting:

“To those who may be in hiding, we implore you to come back.”

“Through the matchless power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, you can be made whole again.”

“As His Saints, each of us must foster a culture of belonging in the Church that is loving, accepting and encouraging of all who desire to progress along His path.”

Elder Christopher H. Kim:

“When we harden our hearts, we are blinded, and good things cannot come into our hearts or our minds.”

“We want to become humble before the Lord, like as a little child who obeys their father. We will then always have the Holy Spirit with us, and our hearts will soften.”

“We can choose to harden our hearts, or we can choose to soften our hearts. In our daily lives, we can choose to do the things that invite the Lord’s Spirit to come into and dwell in our hearts.”

Elder Patrick Kearon:

“I invite you to receive either for the first time, or to a greater extent than ever before, the magnificent realisation that you truly are God’s beloved child. You must undo the bow, tear off the wrapping paper, open the box and actively receive with grateful humility a true, pure understanding of this foundational truth.”

“You may be wondering, ‘What do I have to do to receive this gift from God?’ Well, actually, nothing. It is a gift from the Giver. That is simply a fact. Just let it in. You are His child. You are beloved of Him. Do not complicate it. Do not block the receiving of this gift with thoughts that you are somehow undeserving.”

“You are a child of God. This is not just a nice song we sing. Will you please accept, open, and receive this gift of knowledge and understanding from Him? Will you hold it close as the precious treasure it is? Re-receive this gift, or perhaps truly receive it for the very first time, and let it transform every aspect of your life.”

Elder Benjamin M. Z. Tai:

“When we exercise faith in God and His Son, Jesus Christ, we receive clear assurance of their reality and of their concern for us.”

“Our opportunity is to love, share and invite in a way that those we love can feel the love of God.”

“Please know that your every effort matters and, as certain as the stars above us, that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know, hear and love you.”

President Russell M. Nelson:

“When I speak of having confidence before God, I am referring to having confidence in approaching God right now.”

“Two years ago, I called upon us, as covenant followers of Jesus Christ, to be peacemakers. … I thank those of you who took my previous counsel to heart. But we can still do better.”

“As we go to our Heavenly Father, with increasing confidence, we will be filled with more joy, and your faith in Jesus Christ will increase. We will begin to experience spiritual power that exceeds our greatest hopes.”

What Think Ye of the Resurrection?

I have been pondering this question all night and again into this morning, so I decided to summarize my thoughts for this entry today. I was impressed with what President Oaks had to say in this recently released video as he explained he was speaking for the First Presidency:

https://youtu.be/CzPZ9PRE0WE

In Alma 11:42 when Amulek is speaking with Zeezrom, he says, “Now, there is a death which is called a temporal death; and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that ALL shall be raised from this temporal death.” (Emphasis mine).

I don’t know of a more ennobling thought than this - Everyone who ever lived on this planet will one day be raised from the dead. It is a miracle of astounding proportions. ALL really means ALL, without exception. Jesus Christ was willingly crucified in Jerusalem, His body placed in a borrowed tomb, then on the morning of the third day following arose in a glorified body of flesh and bones, opening the way for everyone else thereafter. Think of it! It is a miracle of profound magnitude.

"Handle Me and See. . ."

There were many witnesses of Christ’s resurrected body, among them His ordained Twelve Apostles and others. Even “Doubting Thomas” became a living witness. Add to them the multitudes in the Book of Mormon when the Savior appeared to them and all of them went forward to touch the marks in his hands and wrists. Beyond those living witnesses we have the inspired teachings of the prophets.

I often look at Alma 40 for a complete explanation from this inspired prophet:

Behold, there is a time appointed that ALL shall come forth from the dead. Now when this time cometh no one knows; but God knoweth the time which is appointed.

Now, whether there shall be one time, or a second time, or a third time, that men shall come forth from the dead, it mattereth not; for God knoweth all these things; and it sufficeth me to know that this is the case - that there is a time appointed that ALL shall rise from the dead.

Now there must needs be a space betwixt the time of death and the time of the resurrection.

And now I would inquire what becometh of the souls of men from this time of death to the time appointed for the resurrection?

Now whether there is more than one time appointed for men to rise it mattereth not; for all do not die at once, and this mattereth not; all is as one day with God, and time only is measured unto men.

Therefore, there is a time appointed unto men that they shall rise from the dead; and there is a space between the time of death and the resurrection. And now, concerning this space of time, what becometh of the souls of men is the thing which I have inquired diligently of the Lord to know; and this is the thing of which I do know.

And when the time cometh when ALL shall rise, then shall they know that God knoweth all the times which are appointed unto man.

Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection - Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of ALL men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of ALL men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.

And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.

And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil - for behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of their house - and these shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil.

Now this is the state of the souls of the wicked, yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they remain in this state, as well as the righteous in paradise, until the time of their resurrection.

Now, there are some that have understood that this state of happiness and this state of misery of the soul, before the resurrection, was a first resurrection. Yea, I admit it may be termed a resurrection, the raising of the spirit or the soul and their consignation to happiness or misery, according to the words which have been spoken.

And behold, again it hath been spoken, that there is a first resurrection, a resurrection of ALL those who have been, or who are, or who shall be, down to the resurrection of Christ from the dead.

Now, we do not suppose that this first resurrection, which is spoken of in this manner, can be the resurrection of the souls and their consignation to happiness or misery. Ye cannot suppose that this is what it meaneth.

Behold, I say unto you, Nay; but it meaneth the reuniting of the soul with the body, of those from the days of Adam down to the resurrection of Christ.

Now, whether the souls and the bodies of those of whom has been spoken shall ALL be reunited at once, the wicked as well as the righteous, I do not say; let it suffice, that I say that THEY ALL SHALL COME FORTH; or in other words, their resurrection cometh to pass before the resurrection of those who die after the resurrection of Christ.

Now, my son, I do not say that their resurrection cometh at the resurrection of Christ; but behold, I give it as my opinion, that the souls and the bodies are reunited, of the righteous, at the resurrection of Christ, and his ascension into heaven.

But whether it be at his resurrection or after, I do not say; but this much I say, that there is a space between death and the resurrection of the body, and a state of the soul in happiness or in misery until the time which is appointed of God that the dead shall come forth, and be reunited, both soul and body, and be brought to stand before God, and be judged according to their works.

Yea, this bringeth about the restoration of those things of which has been spoken by the mouths of the prophets.

The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but ALL things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame.

And now, my son, this is the restoration of which has been spoken by the mouths of the prophets -

And then shall the righteous shine forth in the kingdom of God.

But behold, an awful death cometh upon the wicked; for they die as to things pertaining to things of righteousness; for they are unclean, and no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of God; but they are cast out, and consigned to partake of the fruits of their labors or their works, which have been evil; and they drink the dregs of a bitter cup. (Alma 40:4-26, emphasis mine).

I ponder a lot these days on what my dear companion Patsy is doing as a glorified spirit in a state of happiness known as paradise. I know that’s where she is, but I confess I am clueless as to all that she might be doing for the joy and benefit of others. That was always her inclination in her mortal life, and it is logical to assume she would still be doing it there too. I just can’t articulate the particulars.

Wedding Day, 1969

Along with all of you in our family, I stood at the side of the casket that held her mortal remains and gazed upon her still and lifeless body, her flesh and bones, but absent her spirit that once inhabited it. I thought of Mary who visited the tomb of Jesus, thinking she was going to anoint His body with precious ointments and spices, and discovered an empty tomb instead. He had taught the disciples of His literal resurrection, surely, but to be confronted with the actual evidence must have been a shocking reality nonetheless. I have found peace, certainly, in the knowledge of the plan of salvation giving me the assurances that all is well with her. It is that peace of knowing that continues to sustain me.

When the holidays like Christmas and Easter come and go each year, I am comforted in their Christ-centered themes. I am so grateful for living prophets among us like President Oaks who remind us of the significance of those calendar days. We have become a Christ-centered Church at last, and now forevermore. The days of “programs” in the past have given way, mercifully, to an unfiltered emphasis on the scriptural documentation of His reality in our lives now, and for that eventuality I am most grateful.

I am forever grateful that the glorious vision of President Joseph F. Smith was canonized as D&C 138. He also pondered the same things I have pondered in the death of his loved ones, as he explains here:

And as I wondered, my eyes were opened, and my understanding quickened, and I perceived that the Lord went not in person among the wicked and the disobedient who had rejected the truth, to teach them;

But behold, from among the righteous, he organized his forces and appointed messengers, clothed with power and authority, and commissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that were in darkness, even to ALL the spirits of men; and thus was the gospel preached to the dead.

And the chosen messengers went forth to declare the acceptable day of the Lord and proclaim liberty to the captives who were bound, even unto ALL who would repent of their sins and receive the gospel.

Thus was the gospel preached to those who had died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth, or in transgression, having rejected the prophets.

These were taught faith in God, repentance from sin, vicarious baptism for the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands,

And ALL other principles of the gospel that were necessary for them to know in order to qualify themselves that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

And so it was made known among the dead, both small and great, the unrighteous as well as the faithful, that redemption had been wrought through the sacrifice of the Son of God upon the cross.

Thus was it made known that our Redeemer spent his time during his sojourn in the world of spirits, instructing and preparing the faithful spirits of the prophets who had testified of him in the flesh;

That they might carry the message of redemption unto ALL the dead, unto whom he could not go personally, because of their rebellion and transgression, that they through the ministration of his servants might also hear his words.

Among the great and mighty ones who were assembled in this vast congregation of the righteous were Father Adam, the Ancient of Days and father of ALL,

And our glorious Mother Eve, with many of her faithful daughters who had lived through the ages and worshiped the true and living God.

Abel, the first martyr, was there, and his brother Seth, one of the mighty ones, who was in the express image of his father, Adam.

Noah, who gave warning of the flood; Shem, the great high priest; Abraham, the father of the faithful; Isaac, Jacob, and Moses, the great law-giver of Israel;

And Isaiah, who declared by prophecy that the Redeemer was anointed to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that were bound, were also there.

Moreover, Ezekiel, who was shown in vision the great valley of dry bones, which were to be clothed upon with flesh, to come forth again in the resurrection of the dead, living souls;

Daniel, who foresaw and foretold the establishment of the kingdom of God in the latter days, never again to be destroyed nor given to other people;

Elias, who was with Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration;

And Malachi, the prophet who testified of the coming of Elijah - of whom also Moroni spake to the Prophet Joseph Smith, declaring that he should come before the ushering in of the great and dreadful day of the Lord - were also there.

The Prophet Elijah was to plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to their fathers,

Foreshadowing the great work to be done in the temples of the Lord in the dispensation of the fulness of times, for the redemption of the dead, and the sealing of the children to their parents, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse and utterly wasted at his coming.

ALL these and many more, even the prophets who dwelt among the Nephites and testified of the coming of the Son of God, mingled in the vast assembly and waited for their deliverance,

For the dead had looked upon the long absence of their spirits from their bodies as a bondage.

These the Lord taught, and gave them power to come forth, after his resurrection from the dead, to enter into his Father’s kingdom, there to be crowned with immortality and eternal life,

And continue thenceforth their labor as had been promised by the Lord, and be partakers of ALL blessings which were held in reserve for them that love him.

The Prophet Joseph Smith, and my father, Hyrum Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and other choice spirits who were reserved to come forth in the fulness of times to take part in laying the foundations of the great latter-day work,

Including the building of the temples and the performance of ordinances therein for the redemption of the dead, were also in the spirit world.

I observed that they were also among the noble and great ones who were chosen in the beginning to be rulers in the Church of God.

Even before they were born, they, with many others, received their first lessons in the world of spirits and were prepared to come forth in the due time of the Lord to labor in his vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men.

I beheld that the faithful elders of this dispensation, when they depart from mortal life, continue their labors in the preaching of the gospel of repentance and redemption, through the sacrifice of the Only Begotten Son of God, among those who are in darkness and under the bondage of sin in the great world of the spirits of the dead.

The dead who repent will be redeemed, through obedience to the ordinances of the house of God,

And after they have paid the penalty of their transgressions, and are washed clean, shall receive a reward according to their works, for they are heirs of salvation.

Thus was the vision of the redemption of the dead revealed to me, and I bear record, and I know that this record is true, through the blessing of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, even so. Amen. (D&C 138:29-60, emphasis mine).

So, we learn that ALL will be given many opportunities to repent, whether in this mortal life or in the spirit world. It is our pleasure and our joy to provide ample opportunities to ALL of them to accept our vicarious offerings in the temples now dotting the expanse of planet Earth. Those vicarious ordinances assure them of every opportunity to advance as we are advancing day by day toward our ultimate destiny of exaltation in the highest degree of the Celestial Kingdom.

And that is a JOY to which I eagerly subscribe each time I attend the various temples nearby.

I believe in the literal resurrection of the physical bodies we each possess. 

At this Easter season 2025, I am filled with renewed hope in its reality. I envision her looking much as she did on that glorious morning of December 19, 1969, when we made promises to one another that would last for eternity. 

I trust in those promises now and forever.