The Caravan Moves On. . .

President Russell M. Nelson

I have been asked when I would post my comments about the historic events of last weekend, the 188th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Let me state up front that I have participated in many, many of these conferences over my lifetime of 70 years, but few stand out in memory as this one does now and will for years to come.

With a few days to ponder and attempt to absorb what just happened to us, one thought stands above all the rest - the ongoing development of Zion is in full flower.

Elders Soares and Gong

It was, of course, the first opportunity in a Solemn Assembly that members of the Church have had to sustain President Russell M. Nelson, his counselors and the Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers and revelators. Two historic additions to the Quorum of the Twelve, one Chinese-American and one Latin-American, Elders Gerrit Gong and Ulisses Soares have put a stamp forever on the worldwide diversity of the Church population. It seemed that diversity was on full display this year, as reference was made to it throughout the weekend. The selection of speakers highlighted and underscored that reality.

I commented to our family during the break between sessions that it did not appear President Nelson would be a "caretaker" president. Little did I know he was just getting warmed up!

The whole weekend was carefully orchestrated to full effect. It seemed each time President Nelson was at the podium another blockbuster announcement was dropped. To say the effect of each announcement was jaw-dropping would be an understatement.

First, we learned about the new Apostles, then later the addition of seven new General Authority Seventies, many new Area Authority Seventies, and a new Young Women's General Presidency. Those announcements were followed that evening in General Priesthood Meeting with the announcement of "adjustments" in the way the Melchizedek Priesthood Quorums within the stakes and the wards will operate in the future. Explanations were given by Apostles Rasband and Christofferson in that meeting, and the choreography to immediately disable the LDS Tools accounts of the presently-called leaders was stunning. That was followed by detailed instructions after the announcements that were distributed to everyone in the Church for whom the leadership of the Church had an e-mail account. I found the e-mail in my inbox immediately after the conclusion of the session.

More in line now with the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants, the high priest quorums in each stake will include only those high priests in the stake presidency, the high council, the bishoprics and the active patriarchs within each stake. All the rest of the high priests and elders in each ward will meet as one quorum called the elders quorum under the direction of a new elders quorum presidency.

I learned by first-hand experience how quickly these changes were being implemented, when I answered a call from the high counselor assigned to our ward, asking if he could come visit on Saturday morning. He informed me I was being called to be the second counselor in the new elders quorum presidency. The new elders quorum president would be Steve Edmunds (a high priest within five days of my age) and the first counselor would be Ryan Brown (the current elders quorum president). We were sustained and set apart for our new callings yesterday. We will sit down with our bishop on Wednesday night to receive his counsel on how best to proceed. Because Elder Rasband lives in our ward, the stake president told us they wanted to get Woodland taken care of first. So on the caravan rolls in our little Woodland Ward.

Yesterday, before the meeting as I thanked our high priest group leader for his service, his comment was classic. "I think it's the first time I have ever been released without a vote of thanks," he said with a smile. That happened during our quorum meeting.

And the adjustments in priesthood functionality didn't end it. On Sunday morning we learned that home teaching and visiting teaching would be "retired," to be replaced simply with "ministering." And somewhere in the spirit world President Thomas S. Monson is smiling. Again, detailed instructions followed from Church leaders in subsequent talks, illustrating simplicity and less reporting requirements. Those of us who live along the Wasatch Front (and Back) probably have little appreciation for the impact these adjustments will make in the worldwide applications for which they are no doubt designed. What a testament to the ongoing hastening of the the work. It seems that no matter how big the Church grows the flexibility and the nuances of organizational adaptation can be accommodated.

The final announcement came at the very end of the last session, when President Nelson announced the proposed construction of seven new temples around the world, including Russia and India. The audible response of approval from the audience within the Conference Center was elicited with the inclusion of Layton, Utah, and Richmond, Virginia.

To conclude, my mind went back yesterday to a letter from my father, presiding at the time in the California Arcadia Mission in 1978. He had attended the three-hour block of meetings in an East Los Angeles ward earlier that day, and included this comment in his letter: "I can't imagine that I was served the sacrament by a black deacon in a 9:00 a.m. sacrament meeting seated as I was in my two-piece garments. But it actually happened that way!!" He could have added with a new set of scriptures in his hands, but he never migrated to the new set.

A few years later, one of his former assistants, David W. Checketts, was serving as his home ward bishop, who recommended this seventy-something former mission president as the ward elders quorum president with the approval of the stake president. So, rest assured these are not such earth-shattering "adjustments" without precedent as one might suppose.

And we will see more of it as the work of establishing Zion accelerates. . .

The Orderly Transmission of Priesthood Keys

In this political season on Fathers Day, it is refreshing to witness the changing of the guard for leaders in a contrasting system.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stands in stark comparison to the political system we witness in America. Running for the presidency in this country involves billions of dollars, millions of volunteers, thousands of events and years of effort to attract enough attention and voters to win the nomination of your party.

Defenders of the system will tell you it should be this way. The POTUS, after all, is universally viewed as the most powerful office in the world. It should be hard, it should be complex and it should be an endurance test. Mission accomplished. It is.

This weekend we have been in Vancouver, Washington, to participate with one of our families in a sacrament meeting where a son-in-law, Jay Warnick, has been sustained by his congregation as the new bishop of the ward. The process is much simpler, and there has been no lobbying for the position. There are no votes cast, no campaigning for the job, and no popularity contests involved. Rather, a stake president fasts and prays, interviews, carefully ponders and seeks revelation.

Once he has settled on a candidate, he submits his name to the Office of the First Presidency. Often, weeks are involved between the time he submits the name and he receives confirmation back that his choice has been approved, the calling is issued and the congregation learns who the new bishop will be. When all the paperwork, interviews and callings have been completed, the ward is told the bishopric will be reorganized, usually a week in advance. Many members of the Church do not realize that when they finally hear the official announcement that the change is upcoming, all the pieces are already in place.

The names of bishops are all ratified by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve before the calls are issued to the individuals. Once the stake president receives confirmation of his nomination, he is given specific instructions about the questions he is to ask the prospective new bishop. There is little question this process conforms to the requirements of the 5th Article of Faith:

"We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof." 

Following the sustaining vote by the congregation, hands were laid on Jay's head today. His father ordained him to the office of high priest in the Melchizedek Priesthood. Under assignment from the First Presidency, the stake president then laid his hands on his head and bestowed upon him all the "keys" of the priesthood necessary for him to be authorized to do his duty as the bishop of the ward.

Jay will serve for an undetermined period of time without compensation from the Church. He will continue to work at his profession, be a father and now assume additional duties as the "father of the ward." After he is released at some point in the future, he will be called "bishop" throughout his life because of the love and respect that ward members have for him.

A bishop has overall responsibility for all functions of the ward, which are designed to lead each individual member to Christ and eternal life. Jay is admonished by revelation to "watch over the Church" (D&C 46:27). With other ward leaders, he will be concerned for the daily physical needs of each ward member, especially the sick, elderly, and handicapped. In every sense he will be like a father to the ward.

As the presiding high priest, the bishop presides at Sacrament, priesthood, and ward council meetings, and at all other ward services or activities. By these and other means he watches over both the spiritual and temporal affairs of the ward and its individual members and organizes the activities for preaching the gospel, serving in the temple, and helping ward members become more Christlike.

Jay will be the common judge of his ward. He will spend much of his free time visiting with or interviewing ward members. He will be called upon to determine their worthiness to participate in sacred ordinances, to receive the priesthood, to receive calls to serve in the ward and on missions, and to do temple work.

He will spend many hours interviewing and counseling youth as they become prospective missionaries. Besides determining worthiness, the bishop must see that all Church ordinances are performed and recorded correctly. His direction or approval is necessary for baptism, confirmation, administration of the Sacrament, blessing and naming of babies, priesthood ordinations, and all temple ordinances for members of his ward. 

Where there is need, the bishop may be involved in counseling on a regular basis. He may help ward members establish goals for improvement, or he may impose appropriate discipline. In cases of serious transgression, he may initiate formal disciplinary procedures, which can affect membership, and may be necessary to bring some back to full fellowship.

As the president of the Aaronic Priesthood in his ward, a bishop has a specific responsibility to the young men and young women of the ward, ages twelve to eighteen. He is to see that all youth are instructed not only in scriptures and doctrine but also in the principles of charity and honesty, with special training of the young men in the duties of the priesthood, including administration of the Sacrament, home teaching, baptizing, and missionary work.

The bishop is automatically president of the quorum of priests in his ward, which generally consists of young men ages sixteen through eighteen. Bishops have similar responsibility for the young women of the ward. He meets monthly with a Bishop's Youth Committee, composed of adult and youth leaders for the young men and women.

Other duties of the bishop include receiving and accounting for the financial contributions of ward members and caring of the needy through the bishop's storehouse and the fast offering fund. Little Spencer, when he learned of his father's new calling beamed when he said, "Now I can just give my tithing to my Dad." He sees that all necessary supplies are at hand for ward functions. He arranges for and conducts funeral services. When it is appropriate and civil laws permit, he may perform marriages.

The bishop, as a father in his own home, as a family provider with a normal occupation, and as a member of the community in which he lives, has many time demands beyond his ecclesiastical calling. He must organize well and delegate and supervise effectively to accomplish all his duties. The bishop's Sunday schedule usually involves a twelve or more hour day, including attending and conducting organizational meetings, worship services, training sessions; counseling and interviewing ward members; extending invitations or calls to participate in Church service in the ward; visiting the sick in hospitals; and visiting ward members in their homes as needed. He spends many additional hours during the week in meeting ward needs. His counselors and priesthood and auxiliary leaders also spend many hours helping him with these ward responsibilities.

However, the overall responsibility for ward members is his completely. Certain specific duties, such as interviews for first-time temple recommends and tithing settlement are not delegated. However, bi-annual interviewing of individuals for renewal temple recommends have been delegated to the bishop's counselors. Ward members believe that a man called of God, as the bishop is, will be endowed with wisdom, understanding, and spiritual discernment (D&C 46:27). Thus they frequently seek and greatly appreciate his advice and assistance. I know from personal experiences on both sides, as a former bishop and as a congregant, just how true it is.

Bishops come from among the congregations, and when released they return to anonymity within the congregation once again. It is done with very little fanfare in an orderly fashion, and there is no politicking involved. The key to understanding a Mitt Romney presidency is to know that he did all these volunteer services for many years as a bishop and later as a stake president.

It is the way of priesthood keys of authority and true leadership devoted to service to others without compensation. By exercising the priesthood keys of power available to bishops if they control and operate their keys of authority in righteousness, bishops are enabled to unlock the prison doors that enslave the sinners through repentance.

If you're going to understand Mitt Romney, you need to understand from whence he came, and this is one dimension of his life and personality that rarely gets mentioned.

Absolutism and Mormons

I stumbled over a quote from President Boyd K. Packer the other day that set off a series of thoughts about absolutism and Mormons.

C.S. Lewis

There was also another statement Packer's brought to mind.  I will quote first from C.S. Lewis:  "We have not yet had the slightest notion of the tremendous thing He means to make of us."  (Mere Christianity, 205).  Because He can only do His thing in us on His terms, we will invariably encounter just how absolute the sanctification process really is.

Anyone with even a cursory testimony of the truthfulness of The Book of Mormon and the other standard works as divinely inspired scripture must come to an inescapable conclusion without much effort that the book is filled with absolutisms.  (The emphasis in italics below is mine).

Here's an example:  "Zion cannot be built up unless it is by the principles of the law of the celestial kingdom; otherwise I cannot receive her unto myself."  (D&C 105:5).

Another:  "And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end."  (3 Nephi 27:19).

And another:  "And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.  And if they will not repent and believe in his name, and be baptized in his name, and endure to the end, they must be damned; for the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has spoken it."  (2 Nephi 9:23-24).

Yet another:  "And he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not, and is not baptized, shall be damned."  (D&C 112:29).

These are but four examples (there are a myriad more).  It's enough to make the point.  The voice of the Lord comes to us in absolute terms.  How it comes to us takes many forms -- through the whisperings of the Spirit, through reading the Word, through inspired servants and leaders, and through our trusted loved ones who are deeply invested in our success and happiness. 

The Lord Himself as the absolute choice as Savior and Redeemer is fixed and immovable.  "And the Lord said:  Whom shall I send?  And one answered like unto the Son of Man:  Here am I, send me.  And another answered and said:  Here am I, send me.  And the Lord said:  I will send the first."  (Abraham 3:27).  The debate is interesting, whether or not another could have stepped up as the "designated hitter" to replace the Savior had He faltered and withdrawn in Gethsemane and failed to move on to Golgotha in the culmination of His agony, but that's all it is -- a futile and meaningless debate.  How can you subscribe to the notion of a "backup plan" being necessary if you believe our Father in Heaven really absolutely knows the end from the beginning?

The scriptures tell us:  "And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent."  (Mosiah 3:17).

"And under this head [Jesus Christ] ye are made free and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free.  There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives."  (Mosiah 5:8).

"I say unto you, can ye think of being saved when you have yielded yourselves to become subjects to the devil?  I say unto you, ye will know at that day that ye cannot be saved; for there can no man be saved except his garments are washed white; yea, his garments must be purified until they are cleansed from all stain, through the blood of him of whom it has been spoken by our fathers, who should come to redeem his people from their sins."  (Alma 5:20-21).

"And I heard a voice from the Father, saying, Yea, the words of my Beloved are true and faithful.  He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.  And now, my beloved brethren, I know by this that unless a man shall endure to the end, in following the example of the Son of the living God, he cannot be saved."  (2 Nephi 31:15-16).

"For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.  But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him."  (Moroni 7:16-17).

"Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God.  Behold, for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved."  (3 Nephi 22).

I have written about the definition of salvation before.  In the scriptures it is clear we must do something to be saved.  It is no mere profession of faith in Christ that saves us.  We must add to our faith repentance, baptism by immersion for the remission of all our sins, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost; then we must endure and act upon that faith until the end of our mortal life to be saved.

This is all very absolute language, isn't it?  There are many authors in today's politically correct world who assiduously avoid the use of absolute language.  They would never think of using words like absolute, never, forever, cannot, always, and nobody or everybody.  Here's an example of politically correct thinking and writing, even going to the extreme of criticizing the use of such language:

"Overgeneralization creates a shrinking universe in which more and more absolute conclusions make life increasingly confining. You should not take one fact or event and make a general rule out of it. If you have a tendency to overgeneralize, you may interpret one bad experience at an Italian restaurant to mean that all Italian food is bad. Or maybe an art teacher in high school told you that you likely had no talent for watercolor, so you never attempted to express yourself again creatively.

"Clues that you are overgeneralizing are words like never, all, every, everyone, nobody, or always. These kinds of absolute words are your self-critic’s way of closing the door of possibility, inhibiting your access to change or growth."  (Excerpted and paraphrased from The Self-Esteem Companion [1999] by Matthew McKay, Patrick Fanning, Carole Honeychurch, and Catharine Sutker).

There is one fact in the universe that creates the general rule that applies to all:  The atoning sacrifice of the Only Begotten Son.  So one begins to understand why the use of absolute language seems to be so reprehensible in today's world.  When priesthood leaders align themselves and seek to align their congregations to the language of Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, they are often criticized because the use of absolute language just isn't "sensitive," or "progressive," or "growth enabling."  Well, you decide.  Can you submit to the Creator of the universe, the Alpha and Omega, the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind as one who has descended below all things and has risen above all things to save us?  Or do you reject divinely-inspired absolute thinking, writing and revelation?


President Boyd K. Packer

All of this is merely preamble.  Here is President Packer's statement:

"I seldom use the word absolute.  It seldom fits.  I use it now -- twice.  Because of the Fall, the Atonement was absolutely essential for resurrection to proceed and overcome mortal death.  The Atonement was absolutely essential as the means for men to cleanse themselves from sin and overcome the second death, which is the spiritual death, which is the separation from our Father in Heaven."  (Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled, 79, emphasis mine).

I heard Richard Holzapfel once say that when writing about gospel topics faculty members at BYU are cautioned to let the General Authorities make use of the superlative language, not them.  For instance, when one says, "This is the most important something or other," better for those statements to come from prophets rather than professors. 

But one thing is clear to me.  Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ make liberal use of absolute language, and when General Authorities and other priesthood leaders make use of that language in their speeches and sermons, we should be paying attention.  Too often, however, we fail to discern between the man and the mantle, assuming we are listening to the man rather than giving obeisance to the inspired priesthood mantle he wears.

Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge

Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge said it well:  Jesus Christ is the Way. He is Light and Life, Bread and Water, the Beginning and the End, the Resurrection and the Life, the Savior of the world, the Truth, and the Way.

There is only one way to happiness and fulfillment. He is the Way. Every other way, any other way, whatever other way, is foolishness.

He offers a well of living water. Either we drink and never thirst more, or we don’t and foolishly remain thirsty still.

He is the Bread of Life. Either we eat and hunger no more, or we don’t and foolishly remain weak and hungry still.

He is the Light of the World. Either we follow Him and see clearly, or we don’t and foolishly remain blind and in darkness still.

He is the Resurrection and the Life. He said, “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63).  Either we learn of Him and have life more abundantly, (John 10:10) or we don’t and foolishly remain dead still.

He is the Savior of the world. Either we accept the blessings of His Atonement and are made clean and pure, worthy to have His Spirit, or we don’t and foolishly remain alone and filthy still.

He is the Way.  (Emphasis is mine above).

As a bishop giving counsel one day in my office, I felt impressed to share this scripture with one who was shedding buckets of tears because of her sins with little or no hope in sight:  ". . . repentance is unto them that are under condemnation [those who have reached the age of accountability at age eight] and under the curse of a broken law.  And the first fruits of repentance is baptism; and baptism cometh by faith unto the fulfilling the commandments; and the fulfilling the commandments bringeth remission of sins; And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God."  (Moroni 8:24-26). 

Her drooping head came up out of her hands, her tears diminished, she began to walk eventually with more confidence she could be forgiven, all was not lost, she could look forward in faith, reset herself and walk in a newness of life.  Even the most grievous sins can be forgiven, but only upon the conditions Heavenly Father has set in place.  Those conditions involve the individual, the Church through its judges in Israel, and God.  All three elements must and can be addressed by the sinner who can be healed ultimately by the application of the absolute truths God has revealed.  God can and will forgive, the Church can and will forgive, and the individual can and eventually will forgive himself.

When we are feeling crushed beneath what we perceive may be a violated absolute law of the gospel, and when we reject the nature of the absolute requirements prescribed by the scriptures, we have simply not gone far enough down the path of true repentance.  When sitting in a class once under the tutelage of a master teacher who was asking how salvation is obtained, a bright student suggested an answer from a scriptural source, and the teacher merely suggested, "Keep reading."  The answer had not been complete because the student was omitting the absolute language, the part about being "cast off" (in other places "damned") if the absolute conditions prescribed in the passage were not applied. 

Here's the passage:  ". . . Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.  I say unto you, unless this be the case, they must be cast off; and this I know, because I was like to be cast off."  (Mosiah 27:25-27).

It seems to destroy some people who have sinned, to think somehow they can never qualify for eternal life and exaltation because of their sins.  They say, "I can never be worthy enough to. . ."  Pitted against such absolute, authoritarian, heavy-handed expectations, they believe, there can be no hope.  However, properly understood, absolutism is the language of God, His Son, and His prophets.  When we align and put our faith in the Great I AM, who is "the way, the truth, and the life" (see John 14:6), we may rest assured moral absolutism is the requirement of heaven and that "no unclean thing" includes us.  Never believe Satan's lie that you are left alone in your sins to suffer.

All we have to do is submit and align ourselves, then everything is possible in changing.

Joseph Smith

Joseph Smith reasoned this way:

"But if this life is all, then why this constant toiling, why this continual warfare, and why this unceasing trouble? But this life is not all; the voice of reason, the language of inspiration, and the Spirit of the living God, our Creator, teaches us, as we hold the record of truth in our hands, that this is not the case, that this is not so; for, the heavens declare the glory of a God, and the firmament showeth His handiwork; and a moment's reflection is sufficient to teach every man of common intelligence, that all these are not the mere productions of chance, nor could they be supported by any power less than an Almighty hand; and He that can mark the power of Omnipotence, inscribed upon the heavens, can also see God's own handwriting in the sacred volume: and he who reads it oftenest will like it best, and he who is acquainted with it, will know the hand wherever he can see it; and when once discovered, it will not only receive an acknowledgment, but an obedience to all its heavenly precepts. For a moment reflect: what could have been the purpose of our Father in giving to us a law? Was it that it might be obeyed, or disobeyed? And think further, too, not only of the propriety, but of the importance of attending to His laws in every particular. If, then, there is an importance in this respect, is there not a responsibility of great weight resting upon those who are called to declare these truths to men? Were we capable of laying any thing before you as a just comparison, we would cheerfully do it; but in this our ability fails, and we are inclined to think that man is unable, without assistance beyond what has been given to those before, of expressing in words the greatness of this important subject. We can only say, that if an anticipation of the joys of the celestial glory, as witnessed to the hearts of the humble is not sufficient, we will leave to yourselves the result of your own diligence; for God ere long, will call all His servants before Him, and there from His own hand they will receive a just recompense and a righteous reward for all their labors."  (TPJS, 56).

We may be certain in the language of heaven that ample provision has been made for failure in the perfect plan.  In fact, "failure" at the outset in the Garden of Eden put us on the path back to Heavenly Father.

The absolute necessity for a Savior was introduced from that day forward.  Absolute conditions for salvation were set forth.  Prophets were called with absolute authority from heaven to teach and preach the gospel and to administer in the ordinances thereof.  Absolute truth was sent forth, obedience to which would result in absolute absolution and freedom from stain, enabling absolute grace, salvation, exaltation and in time absolute perfection.

So next time President Packer or any other priesthood leader uses absolute language to describe the path one must take to be saved, listen up.  Absolute language is the language of the Gods, and be forewarned it is not, worlds without end, politically correct.

It is, however, enabling and ennobling -- it is the only true path leading to change, growth, progress and exaltation.  And there is no other way.