Tag: general conference

Clarifying Distinctions

The “stone cut out of the mountain without hands” (Dan. 2:44-45) is not a corruptible institution but an incorruptible Gospel.

There is no organization currently ministering the “gift of the Holy Ghost” as a right conferred upon an individual to remain always with them. There is an admonishment directing people to: “receive the Holy Ghost.” That admonishment is directed to the individual as advice, counsel or an objective to seek for, not as a right conferred indelibly upon them. (See, David Bednar, Receive the Holy Ghost, April 2010 General Conference; That We May Always Have His Spirit To Be With Us, April 2006 General Conference.) As recently as the Sunday morning session of the last LDS conference, President Eyring explained the limits of the LDS connection to the Holy Ghost. “We desire it, yet we know from experience that it is not easy to maintain. We each think, say, and do things in our daily lives that can offend the Spirit.” (The Holy Ghost as Your Companion.) Anyone of any faith anywhere in the world can have the same experience as a transitory gift from God. (Moroni 10:4-5.) Remember God gives liberally to all; the wicked and the righteous. People of faith throughout the world have as much access to the Holy Ghost as a latter-day saint. If it were not so, the LDS missionaries could not advise an investigator to pray and ask God – pointing out Moroni 10:4. If it were not so, Joseph could not have asked God relying on the promise of James 1:5. There is nothing special about the LDS admonishment, but it is a good, worthy and correct principle which all mankind ought to follow. If they do, no matter what their faith traditions, they will harvest the same results as those spoken of by President Eyring in the last LDS general conference.

Christ, however, can give the permanent gift of the Holy Ghost by His touch. (3 Ne. 18:36; Moroni 2:1-3.)

There are no “sealing” keys used by any Mormons in their temple rites: “Brothers and sisters, if you are true and faithful the time will come when you will be called up and anointed kings and priests, queens and priestesses, whereas now you are only anointed to become such. The realization of these blessings depends on your faithfulness.” It, like the Holy Ghost, is conditioned on your faithfulness. This same promise is made to all mankind by the Lord. (See, e.g., D&C 14:7; D&C 96:6; Alma 11:40; Moroni 7:41.)

Christ can and does seal a man up to eternal life. (See, e.g., Mosiah 26: 14, 20; Enos 1:5-8; D&C 132:49; 1 John 2:25.)

Institutions who use fear to control the hopes and aspirations of mankind concerning eternal life are in the gall of bitterness. Fear is of the devil. When the final remnant is gathered, they will have shepherds who remove fear. (Jeremiah 23:2-5.) When we are prepared by Christ, and by His word alone, we will not fear. (D&C 38:30.)

If we are warned we should warn others. But the Lord has instructed: “And let your preaching be the warning voice, every man to his neighbor, in mildness and in meekness.” (D&C 38:41.)

Upcoming General Conference

I’ve heard from several sources that Elder Russell M. Nelson has announced to a number of Stake Presidents that President Thomas S. Monson has received a revelation that will affect every man, woman, and child in the church. This revelation is supposed to be announced in the upcoming general conference.

The last great revelatory program introduced in general conference was the Perpetual Education Fund announced by President Gordon B. Hinckley. That program is profoundly Christ-like.

During His ministry, Christ blessed lives in practical ways. He cured lepers; allowing them to return to society. He cured blindness; rescuing the blessed from darkness. He cured the lame; liberating them from physical captivity. His goodness conferred life-changing blessings, making practical changes to the lives of those he blessed.

Similarly, the Perpetual Education Fund has conferred practical, life-changing blessings. It mirrors the way Christ blessed people.

Not all beneficiaries of the Perpetual Education Fund have repaid their interest-free loans. Not all have remained active in the church. That is of no consequence. The goodness of the program is in the giving of the blessing. It does not matter whether those who are blessed are grateful. The church’s (our) acts of Christ-like generosity is unchanged whether the beneficiary ever returns to thank us. Nine of the ten lepers never thanked the Lord. There is little evidence in the scriptures of the many who were healed by the Lord then becoming faithful disciples. The program is Christ-like. Its greatness consists in conferring a blessing. The Lord gives the sunshine and rain to all, the good and the bad. Very few are grateful to Him for that. It does not stop Him from being good and continuing in sustaining us all from moment to moment.

I encourage all to listen to upcoming general conference.

Las Vegas

We returned from Las Vegas. I have an assortment of observations:

They didn’t have a law school there just a few years ago, and lawyers were scarce. They’ve been able to make up for the shortage I can tell from the billboards. Lawyers do traffic tickets for $50 and DUI’s for $700. They get catchy phone numbers like 444-4444; and if you want a “half-priced” one he’s 400-4000. Not sure what a half-priced lawyer amounts to.

Sex still sells, apparently. At least the advertisers think so. I wonder if Lot would live in Las Vegas were he alive today.

I walked through the casino to the hotel elevator carrying my scriptures, baggage and in company with my wife and four daughters. I assume we were as much a spectacle to the patrons as the patrons were to us.

While there must be a few folks for whom gambling offers some sort of glamor, I did not detect much of that. Mostly you could see boredom or desperation on the faces of the typical patron.

They don’t pay the girls who deal on the blackjack tables enough to dress properly. Poor things only have a tiny remnant of a pair of levis on, not enough to cover their underwear. Their exposed garters and fishnet stockings betray a style dating back to the 1960’s. They were practically unclad on top, as well. I assume these hallmarks of poverty betray an employer who is exploiting their labor without appropriate remuneration.

The baseball was fun, but Alta went 2-2. Still searching for the right combination in the batting lineup and trying to fill a gap at 3rd base still, too. They’ll get there. Now we’re back in Salt Lake for some more ‘snowball.

General Conference was broadcast live on the TV, but I couldn’t find either an AM or FM station carrying it on the radio. I wondered why that was.

The LDS Temple is pointed out on the top of the Stratosphere Hotel as a point of interest. I thought that was interesting.

I noticed an older couple wearing newly-wed attire. They both had enough miles on them to make them either eternal optimists about the state of matrimony or habitual about their marital affairs. I like to think them optimists.

General Conference

April General Conference is upon us. I’m hoping to be able to see or hear some of it while at an out-of-state baseball tournament set for this weekend.

We have a tradition of attending General Priesthood meeting at the BYU Marriott Center. I’m worried that I won’t be back in time for that session. I always like to attend with a larger group, and since you don’t need tickets to attend at BYU, I like going there. All my sons grew up with this tradition.

If you’re in Utah County or Salt Lake County, I recommend it. Outside of the Conference Center itself, I think it is the largest single body of priesthood attending that session of conference.