I was in a dark mood yesterday evening. It had not been a good Sabbath day for me for some reason. Perhaps, I speculated, it was the change of the clocks back to Standard Time and the onset of darkness earlier at the end of the day. Whatever the reason, my mood matched the weather after a rainy day that then changed to snow overnight.
This morning, November 2, 2026, my thoughts led me to reviewing the talk of President Dallin H. Oaks at the recent General Conference. He entitled it “The Gospel of Jesus Christ Is for All.”
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| President Dallin H. Oaks |
I was inspired and edified as I read and studied the footnoted scriptures cited in depth. At times, particularly when we are struggling within ourselves based upon outside influences over which we have absolutely NO control, I often find retreat and rebalancing in the words of the living prophets and the scriptures. Such was my experience this morning. I encourage each of you to follow my lead and see if it doesn’t help you too.
President Oaks reminded us: It is “His Church” for many reasons. As we state in our first article of faith, “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.” God the Father, the great Elohim, is the Father of our spirits, the framer of heaven and earth, and the author of the plan of our salvation. Jesus Christ is His Only Begotten Son, Jehovah, and the Messiah, “the God of the whole earth.” As the Book of Mormon declares, “Salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.”
It’s such a simple declarative statement, I assert, but it’s packed with power in the context of all the other competing voices “out there.” As we embrace its truth, his reminder to me this morning was uplifting and empowering.
“As your President, I pray for what our Heavenly Father wants for each of us — to be active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, proceeding forward on the covenant path into the eternities. We need one another’s prayers. I feel the positive effect of your prayers. I am thankful, and I love you.”
(To read those words, “I love you,” coming as they did from the Prophet gave me great comfort this morning. And I LOVE YOU too, President Oaks.)
“We are all a work in progress. We are all at different places on what President Russell M. Nelson called ‘the covenant path.’ We need to be patient with one another and, occasionally, even with ourselves. Overcoming uncertainty and doubt — which may include resolving conflicts between the evolving understanding of science and the sometimes incomplete teachings of religion — can be a lengthy process. It involves building faith and strengthening humility. Hold on to the first article of faith even if something else is uncertain. And while you wait, wait upon the Lord, which includes trusting in His timing as well as in His promises.” (ibid., emphasis mine).
“We are grateful to know that there are two methods of gaining needed knowledge: (1) the evolving disclosures of man through the scientific method and digital information, which may be inaccurate, and (2) the truths discovered through the spiritual method, which begins with faith in God and relies on scriptures, inspired teaching, and personal revelation. There is no ultimate conflict between knowledge obtained by these different methods because God, our omnipotent Eternal Father, knows all truth and expects us to learn by both methods.” (ibid., emphasis mine).
“Other Book of Mormon teachings contradict the erroneous assertion that the grace of God saves only a chosen few. The Book of Mormon teaches that our Savior inviteth ‘all to come unto him … ; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.’ His grace is for all. Similarly, the Book of Mormon tells us that the children of God in ‘every nation’ have His promise that He ‘manifesteth himself unto all those who believe in him, by the power of the Holy Ghost.’ (2 Nephi 26:13).
“These promises from the Book of Mormon are true. Millions believe them and have had experiences to affirm their truth. I invite all to believe them. (2 Nephi 29:13).
“We believe that the Lord will eventually cause the inspired teachings He has given to His children in various nations to be brought forth for the benefit of all people. This will include accounts of the visit of the resurrected Lord to what we call the lost tribes of Israel and His revelations to all the seed of Abraham. (Moses 7:62).
“We live in the day foretold when righteousness is sent forth out of heaven and truth out of the earth ‘to sweep the earth as with a flood, [and] to gather out [the] elect from the four quarters of the earth.’” (ibid., emphasis mine).
I have intentionally cited direct quotes from this address by President Oaks. There is renewed hope within me this morning as I have studied, and the spirit of the Holy Ghost has affirmed within me these words are heaven-sent for each of us to ponder and consider in our own individual circumstances.
I lit a fire in the wood-burning stove this morning when I came downstairs. It is now burning brightly, adding warmth to that side of the home. It reminds me symbolically of what studying the words of President Oaks has also done for me spiritually this morning. It would be easy to lie in bed all morning on a day such as today, but I am so grateful now that I followed the prompting to throw off the covers and try to do something to overcome those gross and unwelcome feelings of self-pity.
President Dallin H. Oaks was indeed my antidote for that simple one-hour change on my clock that most probably was the source of my dark mood. I offer the remedy here for each of you too with my blessing and all my love.
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ADDENDUM
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| Patsy is Now in the Arms of Her Savior |
I drove away after posting this entry to pick up a prescription at the pharmacy. When the music started in the car, here’s what I heard from Michael Buble. His song clarified further in my mind the source of my mood - I was missing Patsy terribly too:
“You And I”
On earth together
It’s you and I
God has made us fall in love
It’s true
I’ve really found
Someone like you
The love you feel for me
Will it say
That you will be by my side
To see me through
Until my life is through
We can conquer the world
In love you and I
You and I, you and I
At least in my life
I’ve found someone
That may not be here forever
To see me through
But I found my strength in you
You will stay here always
In love you and I
You and I, you and I
You and I
In my mind
We can conquer the world
In love you and I
You and I, you and I
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She has now departed this world. Nevertheless, I love my eternal companion Patsy, and I know she loves me. I can feel her comforting influence on me every day of my life. I’m facing the final curtain now, and I have no fear of what lies beyond this life. I pray I may live in such a way as to merit her company beyond my grave where our mortal bodies will lie side by side when my time comes.
