Is it possible that God speaks to us today?

General Conference is almost here!!  This is the time of the year when we Mormons gather around and listen to the words of the prophet.  It's a brillant opportunity to receive motivation, inspiration, and instruction from Church leaders.

A prophet, as a righteous and inspired leader, is the mouthpiece of the Lord; a representative of God.  They will always be a special witness of Jesus Christ.  They literally pass on God's words to us, His people, to teach, inspire, refine, and warn us.
So their words will help us come closer to Christ and know God's will.

God has always spoken to prophets.  Always.  And today is no different.
Ever since Adam was roaming around here and here.  Think about it.  Heavenly Father loves us; He's not going to leave us to wander through this mortal life without direction and guidance.  That defeats the purpose of being alive.
It truly is such a simple and wonderful concept - we are God's children, we are in constant need of direction and advice, and so regardless of the era we live in, God will always speak to us via prophets (see Amos 3:7 in the Old Testament).
(this is, of course, in addition to personal answers to prayers and personal inspiration)

The teachings of our Heavenly Father are not the ordinary, predictable, run-of-the-mill kind you can pick up in paperback at the local bookstore.  They are the wisdom of an all-powerful, all-knowing celestial Being who loves His children.  Encompassed in His words is the secret of the ages—the key to happiness in this life and in the world to come.  [1]

To anyone who may wonder if this is possible ... I invite you to come and see.

Read the word of God as found in the scriptures.  Listen to general conference with an ear willing to hear the voice of God given through His latter-day prophets.  ...  For if you seek “with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, [God] will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost” (Moroni 10:4).  [2]

Remember .. we believe he is God's spokesperson for everyone, not just Mormons.
Which means you can all tune in to listen or read copies of the address.  Perhaps the answers to your questions will be found somewhere over this weekend.

Visit lds.org/study/prophets-speak-today to learn more about prophets and apostles speaking today.


"General conference is intended to be a revelatory experience as participants learn from living prophets and apostles through the power and influence of the Holy Ghost.  Proper preparation will help ensure that you get the most out of your conference experience." [3]

How can I possibly prepare for this event?
Here are three basic concepts to help us to better receive, remember, and apply the words spoken by the Lord’s servants: [4]

1. Members of the Church are entitled to personal revelation as they listen to and study the inspired words spoken at general conference.
So think of questions you need to have answered. Weall have some challenges to face, and we all need direction and guidance to face them.

2. Don’t discount a message merely because it sounds familiar.
God isn't going to introduce a new commandmentor teaching now.  His laws are eternal, and have always been around.  Which means His prophets have always taught by repetition.  It's how we learn.

So you and I will probably continue to hear messages on similar issues from time to time ... because the Lord is teaching and impressing upon minds and hearts certain foundational principles of great eternal importance that must be understood and acted upon before we can move on to other things.

Sometimes we just ain't listening, so He'll try again ...

3. The words spoken at general conference should be a compass that points the way for us during the coming months.Ever heard of a Liahona?  How about a compass?

The Holy Ghost, like a compass, will guide us ... but we need to listen and then apply the messages the Lord provides for us.

For this is no ordinary blessing.

In preparation for General Conference this October, Stephanie at Diapers and Divinity is doing a little series about the 14 Fundamentals in Following the Prophet.

If you need an alternative, or are on the road, you can download this app here and watch conference live.

[1] Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Why Do We Need Prophets?", Liahona, March 2012

[2] ibid

[3] source

[4] Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "General Conference - No Ordinary Blessing", Liahona, Sept. 2001

What does a Mormon temple look like?

The Mormon temple is different to a regular meeting house.  And you're welcome to have a look:

How wonderful these holy houses are.
As a Mormon, I can go to the Adelaide Australia temple from time to time.  I went recently to witness the sealing of our good friends.  That family is going to be together forever.
Most of the times I attend the temple, I go to commune with God personally, to bring some particular questions and seek personal revelation and inspiration.

Sometimes we just need to set aside the things of the world, put our day-to-day havoc on hold, and seek silent solace.

So there is a different between our church building and our temple building.
And neither of them are a secret.  We desire all to come unto Christ.

(source)

Testimony meeting.

This is a topic I have been wanting to write about for a long, long time.  It is a topic close to my heart - what not to do during testimony meeting.

Seriously,  I become an overly anxious soul during testimony meetings.  The potentially-ever-painful monthly thank-timony meeting.  And having these meetings coinciding with Fast Sunday doesn't help either.

We have been instructed what this meeting is for, and how to appropriately speak during it.  We have also been instructed on the importance of brevity and conciseness when bearing testimony.  [1] 
Elder Jensen once told us (and I summarise):  [2]

A testimony is not an exhortation. And it’s not a sermon or a talk. Don’t you be banging your fist and calling me to repentance. That just offends me and the spirit.
A testimony is not an experience. Sure you can share a short experience to illustrate your belief. But don’t be giving me the long-winded version of what you did that week.
A testimony is not an expression of gratitude or love. Are you shocked? Again, it may be appropriate to include some gratitude or love in there, but that is not the point of a testimony or the meeting.
A testimony is not a public confession. Enough said.
A testimony is not a long explanation of how you know, but rather what you know.

And yet, this is what I regularly hear:
1. I'd like to thank that mystery person for delivering cookies to my door when I really needed them.  I like cookies.
2.  I love this ward.  You guys are great.  My last ward wasn't nearly as friendly, but you guys are great.  And I love my family - I don't tell them nearly as often as I should. 
[Elder Bednar once said these comments make him silently squirm in his seat.]
3. I'm so grateful for the birds in my backyard.  They are nice and chirpy, and remind me of the time ...
4. I really like Young Women's.  Yeah, it's way fun.  But I don't like getting up for seminary much.
5. This week I did this, and this; and then this happened; and then my grandson called and this happened; and then I planted a tree, and watched it grow.  I like trees.


I remember being taught by my parents (now translated) that I should get up and say one or all of the following only. 
I now pass this on to you. 
When you share, bare, or even expose** your testimony to others, you should say one or all of the following only:

1. Your belief in God, our Heavenly Father.  You could extend this to your belief in the Godhead - God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost.
2. Your belief in Jesus Christ and His atonement for us.
3. Your belief in Joseph Smith being a true prophet of God, and in his role in restoring Christ's church.
4. Your belief in the current-day prophet, leading and guiding Christ's church.
5. Your belief in the Book of Mormon, being scripture alongside the Bible.

Some also teach that a belief in Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon is actually the same, allowing for a belief in the temple as number five on the list.

** I once heard a special someone get up and say:  I don't just want to bare my testimony.  I want to expose myself.  No joke.


These five basic principles should be the foundation of your testimony, and what you say during testimony meeting.  They are the foundation of a testimony.  We should say the things which set us apart from others, the things we believe to be true.  We can expand on other principles of the gospel we know to be true and our appreciation for them, e.g. your knowledge that Heavenly Father loves you and how you appreciate that love;  your knowledge that Jesus Christ lives;  your knowledge that tithing is a principle from God because you exercised it and now understand it.

This parental advice was echoed by Bruce R. McConkie, who wrote the three great truths that must be included in every valid testimony were:
1. That Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Saviour of the world (D&C 46:13);
2. That Joseph Smith is the Prophet of God through whom the gospel was restored in this dispensation; and
3. That The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the ‘only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth.’ (D&C 1:30). [3]


Note:  I understand that testimony grows through experiences.  Our knowledge of what is true will gradually increase as we exercise faith and practice what we know, but the pulpit is not the time and place to elaborate for 5-30 minutes.  We do have other opportunities to share our testimony - usually during Relief Society meetings, Sunday School meetings, etc.  If you don't have those opportunities to share your testimony-building experiences, ask for them.  Or hold a Family Home Evening dedicated to testimonies.


The following are examples of how testimonies should sound like from the pulpit:
1. "I know the Book of Mormon is true."
2. "I believe in God.  I know that President Monson is our prophet today."
3. "I know Jesus Christ died for me.  I understand the atonement more fully from my recent scripture study, and I know it to be true."
4. "I know Joseph Smith was a prophet of God.  I know he restored the fullness of the gospel, and that the church is the same as it was in the days of Christ.  I also know we are led by a living prophet today, and that we are able to know of these things for ourselves."


Do I need to bring out the Testimony Glove?  (Oooh! It's currently on sale ....)

Want to know what puts me on edge in Sacrament talks? 
Read my post on what not to do when giving a talk in Sacrament meeting.


[1] First Presidency letter, May 2, 2002; see also M. Russell Ballard, “Pure Testimony,” Ensign, Nov. 2004, 40–43
[2] Jay E. Jensen, ‘Bearing Testimony’, Ensign, Oct. 2005
[3] Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [1966], 785–86

How to not break the Sabbath.

I have just returned from a weekend away with half of my sister-in-laws and some of their cousins.  I have many women floating around in my life now, and so when a crafty-quilting-getaway weekend was proposed, I decided to take the chance of getting to know these women better.  And watch them be all crafty-quilty-like.

Whenever travelling, I like to try my best to keep the Sabbath day holy.  It should always be a reverent day, set apart from the rest, no matter where we are.  I have travelled a lot - both with family and by myself - and I always think the following when compiling my ‘What to Pack’ list:  

• Where will I be on the Sundays I’m away, and is there a chapel close by?
  I always use lds.org to look up and print the meeting times and location details
• What can I take with me (whether physically attend church or not) to keep the Sabbath day holy?

For this particular weekend getaway, knowing that attending church wasn’t an option, I chose to pack my scriptures and study journal.

And so we sat in the sun, next to ducks and running water, and read our scriptures for a while.  I felt happier, knowing that I had still remembered the Sabbath.


I feel it is so important to remember the Sabbath Day.  It needs to be set apart from the rest. 

All of us have a birthday.  It’s a day for us to eat cake.  To be remembered.  It’s your day.  Simply put, that is what the Sabbath day is – it is Heavenly Father’s day, and so on that day we treat it differently to other days of the week.

There’s a story about Eli Herring, an offensive lineman at BYU, in the October 1997 New Era magazine.  Eli was a very big guy - according to John Bytheway, he looked “like a major appliance with legs”.  And everyone was sure he would be picked in the first round in the NFL draft. But as the time approached, Eli announced he didn’t want to enter the draft.  The media didn’t understand that decision at all.  Eli explained to the media it was because the games were on a Sunday, and he didn’t want to play on Sundays.

The media still didn’t get it.

“Now I have to tell you, I know some people personally, professional athletes, that play on Sunday” said Bytheway in this great clip.

“They have made that decision.  They have been prayerful about it, fasted about it I’m sure.  My point is not that some people have to work on Sunday, some do.  My point is what Eli Herring’s father said.  … ‘Our great-grandfathers called it the Holy Sabbath Day; our grandfathers called it Sabbath; our fathers called it Sunday; and now we just call it the weekend.’”

Where is it with me? 
Is it Holy Sabbath, the Sabbath, Sunday, or is it just kinda the weekend?

Sacrament talks.

Just like testimony meetings, sacrament talks can put me on edge when I hear the following:

1. "I’d like to thank Brother So-and-so for the opportunity to speak today … I did see him coming towards me in the corridor, and I tried to avoid eye contact, and push primary children out of my way to run off, and say I might be sick that day ... but here I am."

2. "I hate giving talks in sacrament.  I try to avoid doing it."

3. "I am so nervous ... I’m such a bad speaker."

4. "I was clearly given this topic because I need to work on it."

5. "So I looked up the definition of ‘repentance’ on Wikipedia …"


Okay, I slightly exaggerate, but you've totally heard opening paragraphs like these.

For me, I draft my talk well in advance, and time it several times.  That’s just how I operate.  And I am always well over the time limit - just like how I am always over the word limit for school essays and assignments. 

So why would I waste time in sacrament meeting by telling you how Brother So-and-so asked me to speak?  And then go on and tell you my life story?  And rely on definitions as my opening paragraph?

Remember, this is what NOT to do!