Knowing who we are will help us fulfill our missions in life

I spoke in Sacrament in June. I've had some people ask me for copies of my talk so I tried to recreate what I said here. It might be missing a few personal stories that I peppered in but these were essentially my thoughts. I do not read my talk over the pulpit so what I said could be a little different than what I've recreated here:

In the Pearl of Great Price, Abraham is honored to be visited by the Lord many times. Each time the Lord visits he teaches Abraham different things. Abraham shares his experience with having the Lord appear before him. At one point, in Abraham 3:22-23, the Lord introduces the concept of foreordination. Abraham writes:

22 Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;

23 And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born.

 This is not the only time in the scriptures that the Lord tells someone they were chosen for a mission before they were born. In Jeremiah 1:5, the Lord tells the prophet Jeremiah he was ordained to be a prophet before he was even formed in the belly. 

In Luke, the angel tells John the Baptist’s parents that they will bear a son named John that will prepare the people for the Savior to come and teach them. On the church website, under the Church library topic of “Foreordination,” we learn that "In the premortal spirit world, God appointed certain spirits to fulfill specific missions on earth. This is called foreordination.” We also learn from this reference that "The doctrine of foreordination applies to all members of the Church, not just to the Savior and His prophets.”

That means that all of us were given specific missions for our mortal life on this earth. In our last General Conference, Elder Steven R. Bangerter explained, “Before you were born, God appointed each of you to fulfill specific missions during your mortal life upon the earth.¹¹ If you remain worthy, the blessings of that premortal decree will enable you to have all kinds of opportunities in this life, including opportunities to serve in the Church … Those premortal promises and blessings are called your foreordination." ("Foreordained to Serve" by Elder Steven R. Bangerter)

For our Primary kids, I know I just used a bunch of big words … what this means is that as we try to follow Jesus Christ, we will be able to help others in the ways that Lord planned for us before we even came to this earth. It means we each have been blessed with different talents and gifts for our missions in life. It means that the Lord knows and loves each of us so much that he also knew how we could help one another. It means that you are important. I think sometimes people become discouraged that maybe they haven’t or aren’t following the Lord well enough for promises like these but the atonement of Christ gives us grace. In October 2021 General Conference, Susan H. Porter, who is now our General Primary President, ("God’s Love: The Most Joyous to the Soul") shared the story of a family member who stepped away from the Church for 20 years because of questions that bothered him.When he finally turned to friends with his questions and to the Lord in prayer, Sister Porter said, “The feeling he received was that God honored his questions and that not having clear answers should not stop him from moving forward.⁶ He should share God’s love with all while he continued to contemplate.” He returned to activity in the Church and Sister Porter says, “Remarkably, a few short months later, this family member received the same calling he had held 20 years before. The first time he held the calling, he performed his responsibilities as a dutiful member of the Church. Now the question for him became not “How can I fulfill this calling?” but “How can I show God’s love through my service?” With this new approach, he felt joy, meaning, and purpose in all aspects of his calling.”When I re-read that story recently after studying about foreordination, I was touched to see how the Lord truly has a mission for each one of us and our unique talents.In July 2022, President Nelson wrote on his Instagram account: “I believe that if the Lord were speaking to you directly, the first thing He would make sure you understand is your true identity. My dear friends, you are literally spirit children of God. … “… Make no mistake about it: Your potential is divine. With your diligent seeking, God will give you glimpses of who you may become.”¹ So, how do we diligently seek to discover our identity?

As I pondered this, I have four suggestions: 1. First, as Elder Bangerter stated in General Conference, we need to protect our quiet places. 

This was very special advice given to him by his father when he was 13 that his father prayed that he would never forget. Elder Bangerter’s father said to him, “Son, protect the private times of your life.” “You know, those times when you’re the only one around and no one else knows what you’re doing? Those times when you think, ‘Whatever I do now doesn’t affect anyone else, only me’?”

“More than any other time in your life, what you do during the private times of your life will have the greatest impact on how you confront challenges and heartache you will face; and what you do during the private times of your life will also have a greater impact on how you confront the successes and joy you will experience than any other time in your life.”

“Foreordained to Serve” by Elder Steven R. Bangerter, October 2021 general conferenceWhat does Elder Bangerter mean about private times? He says:

“as you protect the private times of your life with wholesome recreation; listening to uplifting music; reading the scriptures; having regular, meaningful prayer; and making efforts to receive and ponder your patriarchal blessing, you will receive revelation.”2. Second, we can learn our identities by turning our hearts to our fathersCenturies ago, the prophet Malachi said that in a coming day, God would send Elijah to “turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers” (Malachi 4:6).As we seek to study our family history, to take names to the temple and perform their temple work for them, we serve our ancestors, and in turn, they teach us. For instance, a mother shared that her young daughter suffers from anxiety. One day, while this daughter was reading an ancestor’s journals, she read that this ancestor also suffered from anxiety. Knowing that she had an ancestor that knew what it felt like gave her an important sense of connection and comfort. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/callings/temple-and-family-history/sunday-lesson/stories-that-bind? lang=eng

In a New York Times article called, “The Stories that Bind,” published in 2013 by author Bruce Feiler, Feiler shared some interesting research findings. He shared that:

Children who knew a lot about their families:

• Tended to do better than other children when they faced challenges.
• Proved to be more resilient and able to moderate the effects of stress.
• Had a stronger sense of control over their lives.
• Had higher self-esteem.
• Believed that their family functioned successfully.
• Felt that they belonged to something larger than themselves.

I want to add that our Heavenly Father put us here on the earth for each other, and to find each other, so that sometimes means our families are a mix of adopted family members and step-siblings and step-parents and foster family. Their history is now part of your identity, part of your family. Just as a person who is of non-Israelite heritage becomes a member of the house of Israel when they are baptized in faith, our families can expand and new members become part of our heritage.  This comes up in the section of scriptures that we are in for this week, too. In Mosiah 15:10-13 Abinadi talks about how those that choose to listen to the prophets and follow Jesus Christ become part of his seed. And why we all study our Book of Mormon history. In a similar way, when our families form in a new configuration, we become one with our new families, and their stories becomes your stories. ALL of your family histories are important to understanding who you are and your identity.

3. The third way we can discover our identities is as we use and learn our talents. You will identify new talents and gifts as you explore the ones you know about.

Elder Marvin Ashton said, from D&C 46:11–12, we have this truth: “For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God. “To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby.” … It is up to each of us to search for and build upon the gifts which God has given. We must remember that each of us is made in the image of God, that there are no unimportant persons. Everyone matters to God and to his fellowmen.” - October 1987 General Conference, Elder Marvin J. AshtonFor example, some of the less-conspicuous gifts that Elder Ashton lists are: the gift of asking, the gift of listening, the gift of avoiding contention, the gift of avoiding vain repetition, the gift of not passing judgment, the gift of caring for others, the gift of being able to ponder; the gift of offering prayer; the gift of bearing a mighty testimony; and the gift of receiving the Holy Ghost. I have seen this gift in my life as I have served in my callings. I grew more comfortable and skilled as a teacher first by teaching a five-year-old class in Primary, then, in an eleven-year-old class. By the time I was called to be Primary Chorister I was more comfortable and skilled, and that comfort and skill has continued to grow as I accepted other callings that improved these new skills and talents, and helped me discover new ones.

4. The fourth way we can discover our identities is through our patriarchal blessings.

In April 2023 General Conference, Elder Randall K. Bennett shared that his parents’ failing marriage caused him great anxiety, and led him to desire his patriarchal blessing at an early age, age 12. He says:“My patriarchal blessing was critically important to me when I was young for numerous reasons. First, through the power of the Holy Ghost, my patriarchal blessing helped me understand my true eternal identity—who I really was and who I could become. It helped me know, as President Nelson has taught, that I was “a son of God,” “a [child] of the covenant,” and “a disciple of Jesus Christ.”⁵ I knew that I was known and loved by my Heavenly Father and my Savior and that They were personally involved in my life. This helped me desire to draw closer to Them and increase my faith and trust in Them. … Knowing who I really was helped me understand and desire to do what God expected of me.⁶

This led me to study the covenants I had made and the promised blessings in God’s covenant with Abraham.⁷ It gave me an eternal perspective that inspired me to more fully keep my covenants.” (Your Patriarchal Blessing - Inspired Direction from Heavenly Father, April 2023, Randall K. Bennett).

In my own life, I was 14 when I developed a strong desire to receive my patriarchal blessing. I have a printed copy taped to the inside of my scriptures. I also have a copy on my phone. Reading it has given me confidence throughout the callings that I have held.

II. Conclusion: I want to end with a quote by Susan H. Porter. She stated, “When you know and understand how completely you are loved as a child of God, it changes everything. It changes the way you feel about yourself when you make mistakes. It changes how you feel when difficult things happen. It changes your view of God’s commandments. It changes your view of others and of your capacity to make a difference.” (God’s Love: The Most Joyous to the Soul. By Susan H. Porter) That is the conclusion of my talk. I ended with my testimony and want to share that here as well, that I know that we are children of a Heavenly Father. That we are siblings to the Savior Jesus Christ. That we are more closely connected to each other than we even realize. I know that Heavenly Father sees and loves each one of us, that even though our trials may be heavy, he is watching over us. And I’m grateful to know that I am needed. That there are things I have been foreordained to accomplish as I seek to learn his will.

The Creation: The Miracle of Adam and Eve, and the true meaning of sacrifice

I love the parallel of starting a new study of the Old Testament with the start of the new year because Genesis has so many new beginnings. In fact, have you ever thought about just how new it truly was?

The Miracle of the Creation

 In Genesis 1:2, it says: 

2 And the earth was without aform, and void; and bdarkness was upon the face of the deep. And the cSpirit of God dmoved upon the face of the waters.

The Bible dictionary for Genesis talks about how many beginnings we find in this account, “the introduction of sin, the revelation of the gospel to Adam, the beginning of tribes and races, the origin of various languages at Babel …”  

As we read Genesis, it takes us through the creation and the priority in which the Lord created the earth:

1. Day 1 - He made Light, and divided Day and Night.

2. Day 2 - He made the firmament, creating a sky for the earth.

3. Day 3 - He made land and seas and plants.

4. Day 4 - He made the stars and the moon

5. Day 5 - He made the birds that flew through the air and the whales and animals that swam in the sea.

6. Day 6 - He made creatures on land, like deer, including Adam and Eve.

7. Day 7 - He rested.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson said, “Whatever the details of the creation process, we know that it was not accidental but that it was directed by God the Father and implemented by Jesus Christ.” (“Why Marriage, Why Family,” D. Todd Christofferson, April 2015 General Conference)

This brings to mind a talk about sequential patterns and how the Lord teaches through sequential order:

"The sequential order in which the earth was created gives us a glimpse not only of what is most important to God but also why and for whom He created the earth." ("A House of Sequential Order," Vaiangina Sikahema, October 2021 General Conference) 

Of course, even for many that don’t follow Christianity, next comes one of the most famous stories in the scriptures. For after the world was created, the Lord made Adam and put him in the garden of Eden, and then made Eve, so that man would not be alone. 

Adam and Eve eventually partook of the forbidden fruit and were kicked out of the garden. 

The Blessing of Adam and Eve Leaving Eden

Now, the piece I take for granted in the Creation story, because I grew up learning this, is the teachings from the Book of Mormon and the Pearl of Great Price about this story.  In 2 Nephi 2:25, It says, “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.”

Think about this from two perspectives: For those that grew up studying the Book of Mormon, how has that truth impacted your life? And for those that have never heard this before, what exactly does that mean? 

2 Nephi 2:26 goes on to clarify: “And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.”

Our Come Follow Me Study guide reminds us that when we study the Fall of Adam and Eve we should “focus not on the seeming tragedy but on the possibilities - not on the paradise Adam and Eve lost but on the glory their choice allows us to receive.”

Many years ago, before President Nelson became the prophet of our church, he reminded us, “The very purpose of creation was to provide bodies, to enable these eagerly awaiting spirits to enjoy mortal life and experiences.” He then said, “Adam did his part. He became the first man. But, in spite of the power and glory of creation to that point, the final link in the chain of creation was still missing. 

All the purposes of the world and all that was in the world would be brought to naught without woman—a keystone in the priesthood arch of creation.” (“Lessons from Eve,” Russell M. Nelson, October 1987 General Conference).

We learn this insight further in Moses 5:10-11:

Pearl of Great Price

10 And in that day Adam blessed God and was filled, and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.

11 And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.

The True Meaning of Sacrifice

There are so many beautiful things to glean from the opening chapters of Genesis, and the Moses account of this story. One of the biggest ones for me was the focus on sacrifice. 

When Adam and Eve left Eden they were asked to make a sacrifice.

Moses 5:7 says:

“7 And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth.” 

It seems harsh that the Lord so thoroughly rejected Cain’s offering of produce from his field, but not when you realize what an insult it was, because of what the sacrifice was intended to represent. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, came down to this earth and suffered the worst agonies, he bled from every pore while he poured out his soul in prayer for us. All that he did, was for us, and to honor his Father. And this sacrifice represented that.

However, note that even the sacrifice that Abel made wasn’t that big in the scheme of things. The Lord didn’t ask Abel to sacrifice his entire livestock and have nothing to eat. He asked “for the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord.” (Moses 5:5)

Bishop L.Todd Budge explains this beautiful insight:

In modern usage, the term sacrifice has come to connote the concept of “giving up” things for the Lord and His kingdom. However, in ancient days, the meaning of the word sacrifice was more closely tied to its two Latin roots: sacer, meaning “sacred” or “holy,” and facere, meaning “to make.”2 Thus, anciently sacrifice meant literally “to make something or someone holy.”3 Viewed as such, sacrifice is a process of becoming holy and coming to know God, not an event or ritualistic “giving up” of things for the Lord. (“Give Holiness to the Lord,” L. Todd Budge, October 2021 General Conference)

He later states:

“Sacrifice is less about ‘giving up’ and more about ‘giving to’ the Lord. (“Give Holiness to the Lord,” L. Todd Budge, October 2021 General Conference)

I close with these scriptures references in the Come Follow Me manual:

Psalm 4:5 - Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.

2 Corinthians 9:7

7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver

Omni 1:26

26 … I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel …

Moroni 7:6–11

11 … a bitter fountain cannot bring forth good water; neither can a good fountain bring forth bitter water; wherefore, a man being a servant of the devil cannot follow Christ; and if he follow Christ he cannot be a servant of the devil.

Hearken and Prepare (Doctrine and Covenants 133-134)

Here are some of the main slides we used in our discussion last week about hearkening and being prepared. Click on each image to view it at a larger size. 

                   

Five of Them Were Wise painting

Captain Moroni Raises the Title of Liberty painting

We also had a discussion in class about things we do in our personal study to study and learn from the scriptures. Here how Elder Bednar studies here: 

Doctrine and Covenants 121-128: Sacrifice, Affliction, Baptism for the Dead, and Turning to Christ.

We lightly covered a little bit of the last three sections of our Come Follow Me study on Sunday:

1. Doctrine and Covenants 121-123, when Joseph Smith and others were unfairly imprisoned for four months. 

2. Doctrine and Covenants 124, when Joseph Smith continued to build temples.

3. Doctrine and Covenants 125-128, which talks about doing work for those that have gone before us.

I wish we had been able to cover more material but we had a great discussion. This is a highlight of some of the main quotes and videos focused mainly around the topic of adversity, some that we covered and some that we did not. If you were in my class, these slides are not in the order of our class discussion, but instead in chronological order of the sections. 

Highlights from Doctrine and Covenants 121

Joseph Smith and several other men were imprisoned for four months in a small, dark, space. Quentin L. Cook (Quentin L. Cook, "Personal Peace in Challenging Times, October 2021) shared his thoughts about this in our last General Conference:

"I was recently assigned to dedicate a portion of historic Nauvoo. As part of the assignment, I was able to visit Liberty Jail in Missouri. As I viewed the jail, I contemplated the events that make it such a significant part of Church history. The lives of the Saints were threatened as the result of an extermination order issued by the governor of Missouri. In addition, the Prophet Joseph and a few choice associates had been unjustly imprisoned in Liberty Jail. blessings. I was deeply moved as I read what the Prophet Joseph Smith declared as he was confined in Liberty Jail:"  

Our own desires, rather than a feeling of “Thy will be done,”2 create the feeling of a pavilion blocking God. God is not unable to see us or communicate with us, but we may be unwilling to listen or submit to His will and His time.

Our feelings of separation from God will diminish as we become more childlike before Him. That is not easy in a world where the opinions of other human beings can have such an effect on our motives. But it will help us recognize this truth: God is close to us and aware of us and never hides from His faithful children.

Henry B. Eyring, “Where is the Pavilion?” October 2012

When we become humble enough to submit ourselves to the will of Heavenly Father, we reflect the light of Jesus Christ, who always submitted Himself to the will of the Father (see John 6:38; 3 Nephi 27:13).

Adrian Ochoa, “The Choice of Humility,” Ensign, July 2020

The test a loving God has set before us is not to see if we can endure difficulty. It is to see if we can endure it well. We pass the test by showing that we remembered Him and the commandments He gave us.

Henry B. Eyring, “In the Strength of the Lord,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2004, 17.

Elder Hales suffered greatly, with health problems and major surgeries. About adversity he said:

This excerpt was taken from the talk, "“The Covenant of Baptism: To Be in the Kingdom and of the Kingdom.”

Highlights from Doctrine and Covenants 126

The Lord tells Brigham Young that his offering is acceptable to the Lord. He had served several missions far from his family and it was more important for him at that point to be with his family.

This reminds me of 3 Nephi 17, which was the time when the Savior had been crucified, and then resurrected, visited the people in the Americas, after many signs, including darkness for three days. The people had gone to the temple in the land of Bountiful when the Savior appeared. Of that time period, Bruce C. Hafen says: 

"The people in 3 Nephi 17 [3 Ne. 17] had survived destruction, doubt, and darkness just to get to the temple with Jesus. After listening to Him for hours in wonder, they grew too weary to comprehend Him. As He prepared to leave, they tearfully looked at Him with such total desire that He stayed and blessed their afflicted ones and their children. They didn’t even understand Him, but they wanted to be with Him more than they wanted any other thing. So He stayed. Their almost was enough.

Almost is especially enough when our own sacrifices somehow echo the Savior’s sacrifice, however imperfect we are. We cannot really feel charity—Christ’s love for others—without at least tasting His suffering for others, because the love and the suffering are but two sides of a single reality. When we really are afflicted in the afflictions of other people, we may enter “the fellowship of his sufferings”27 enough to become joint-heirs with Him.

Bruce C. Hafen, “The Atonement: All for All,” General Conference, April 2004

Highlights from Doctrine and Covenants 127 
Joseph Smith had been falsely accused, and to avoid imprisonment, was hiding out in friends' homes. In the meantime, he wrote letters, much like Paul did as he traveled around preaching and teaching the gospel, often with what he called "a thorn in his side." He starts his letter to members in this section as follows:

Joseph himself draws parallels to Paul. We can gain further insight from this observation by Seely:

The Prophet Joseph Smith must have felt a deep kinship with the Apostle Paul.

•  Both began their service to the Lord through a life-changing vision. 

• Both were true to the vision they received and acted with unrelenting faith and courage to fulfill their missions, bearing testimony to a skeptical world (see JS—H 1:24–25). 

• And both sealed their testimonies with their blood as witnesses to the gospel they had so fervently preached throughout their lives.  

    "Paul, Untiring Witness of Christ," by David Rolph Seely and Jo Ann H. Seely

Some observations about affliction:

When faced with unfairness, we can push ourselves away from God or we can be drawn toward Him for help and support. For example, the prolonged warfare between the Nephites and the Lamanites affected people differently. Mormon observed that “many had become hardened” while others “were softened because of their afflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God.”25

Dale G. Renlund, “Infuriating Unfairness,” April 2021 General Conference

Do not let unfairness harden you or corrode your faith in God. Instead, ask God for help. Increase your appreciation for and reliance on the Savior. Rather than becoming bitter, let Him help you become better.26 Allow Him to help you persevere, to let your afflictions be “swallowed up in the joy of Christ.”27 Join Him in His mission “to heal the brokenhearted,”28 

strive to mitigate unfairness, and become a stonecatcher.29

Dale G. Renlund, “Infuriating Unfairness,” April 2021 General Conference

Doctrine and Covenants 124:4 also has a focus on temple work:

When I was serving as the Executive Director of the Temple Department, I heard President Gordon B. Hinckley refer to this scripture spoken by the Lord about the Nauvoo Temple: “Let the work of my temple, and all the works which I have appointed unto you, be continued on and not cease; and let your diligence, and your perseverance, and patience, and your works be redoubled, and you shall in nowise lose your reward, saith the Lord of Hosts.”12 (D&C:127:4)

Our work in the temple is tied to our eternal reward. Recently we have been put to the test. The Lord has called us to work in the temples with “diligence, … perseverance, and patience.”13 Being “recommended to the Lord” requires those qualities. We must be diligent in living the commandments, persevere in our attention to our temple covenants, and be grateful for what the Lord continues to teach about them and be patient as we wait for temples to reopen in their fulness. 

Ronald A. Rasband, “Recommended to the Lord,” October 2020 General

Highlights from Doctrine and Covenants 128

In Doctrine and Covenant 128, the Saints learned about Baptism for the Dead, that work could be done for those that died without learning about the gospel. This was a huge relief for Joseph Smith, who had struggled and worried about his brother Alvin, that had died. There is a great video about it here, called Glad Tidings: The History of Baptisms for the Dead. 

Here are some thoughts about temple work:

“Jesus’s Atonement in behalf of all represents a great vicarious sacrifice. He set the pattern under which He became a proxy for all mankind. This pattern under which one man can act in behalf of another is carried forward in the ordinances of the house of the Lord. Here we serve in behalf of those who have died without a knowledge of the gospel. Theirs is the option to accept or reject the ordinance which is performed. They are placed on an equal footing with those who walk the earth. The dead are given the same opportunity as the living. Again, what a glorious and wonderful provision the Almighty has made through His revelation to His Prophet”

(Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Great Things Which God Has Revealed,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2005, 82

83). 

Many of your ancestors did not receive those ordinances. But in the providence of God, you did. And God knew that you would feel drawn to your ancestors in love and that you would have the technology necessary to identify them. He also knew that you would live in a time when access to holy temples, where the ordinances can be performed, would be greater than ever in history. And He knew that He could trust you to accomplish this work in behalf of your ancestors.

Henry B. Eyring, “Gathering the Family of God,” April 2017 General Conference

There are quite a few videos in the Come Follow Me for Sunday School manual related to Baptisms for the Dead. This is just a few of the ones I considered highlighting for the class. I wish we had time to watch them.

A Visit from Father - President Russell M. Nelson shares a personal family history story that bears testimony of the importance of temple and family history work for all families."

Connected to Eternal Families

If We Put God First

Redeeming the Dead Redeemed Me