The Prophet Joseph Smith spoke of ancient
prophets being filled with unspeakable joy when, in vision, they viewed our day. They
prophesied, they sang, they praised, and they wrote about this grand culminating clip of
time. Surely God is pouring His Spirit in rich abundance upon His earthly kingdom.
We declare to the world that the Lord’s kingdom is by
no means a closed community. The Lord invites all people to travel this perfecting pathway
of divine truth. He promises joy and everlasting happiness as the reward. The entry fee: a
broken heart, a contrite spirit, and a willingness to continue in His footsteps.
Listen to the Lord’s voice on the matter: "Behold,
I speak unto all who have good desires, and have thrust in their sickle to reap.
"Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I am the
life and the light of the world. …
"… Verily, verily, I say unto you, that as many as
receive me, to them will I give power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe
on my name" (D&C 11:27-28, 30).
Brothers and sisters, thrusting in our sickles to help build
the Lord’s kingdom should be the prime focus of our lives. It seems reasonable to
suggest that we each agreed to that in our premortal life. The key decisions pertaining to
education, career, marriage, the very use of our time, talent, and means should
prayerfully hinge on how best we serve the Master, building His kingdom and becoming
perfected in Him.
Our work in building up Zion takes several forms. In one
context, Zion is geographic, having a center, while enlarging its boundaries to eventually
fill the earth. We enlarge Zion’s borders as we share the gospel with others. That is
part of our job here.
Another context shows Zion as an organization wherein we
work to strengthen its stakes through our callings. Each stake, in turn, pushes deep into
the gospel soil, providing a defense and a refuge so followers of Christ might stand with
confidence against the snares of the adversary. Stakes create the foundation culture for
perfecting God’s people on earth.
The scriptures suggest that Zion has a third context, an
intensely personal one. It is the perfecting process within us. Those willing to serve are
invited to labor in the vineyard of the Lord, steadily transforming themselves to become
the pure in heart.
The symbiosis between Church and member is strikingly
efficient. As we invest our time, talents, and means to build Zion, our hearts are
purified, our wisdom increases, celestial habits begin to form, and the Holy Spirit
prepares us to receive the presence of the Father and the Son. By thrusting in our sickle,
we reap a double portion—for ourselves and for the kingdom.
Therefore, of great eternal significance are the
introspective questions, Can I qualify as being pure in heart? Can I, without reservation,
join the voices of King Benjamin’s congregation who said, "Yea, we believe all
the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth,
because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or
in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good
continually"? (Mosiah 5:2).
If President Hinckley were to ask for our response at the
conclusion of this conference, as did King Benjamin to his people, could we say that we
have felt a mighty change in our hearts? Has our disposition been strengthened
sufficiently to abandon that which displeases God, and changed so that we seek to do good
continually?
The lives of those early Nephite Saints provide powerful
visions of our own potential, as a church and as individuals. The Lord works with us on
both levels.
As we move towards perfection, it is easy to feel that we
fall short. We can take confidence that the Lord knows us intimately; He knows the intent
of our hearts. He will surely show us the way as we humble ourselves, are obedient, and
work toward continual improvement. Even now, He prepares us in ways that we can’t yet
see. The eyes of our understanding will be opened as we keep the commandments and seek to
serve Him. We have the potential to eventually become perfected in Christ. This is a
divine inheritance.
As a guide, President Kimball pointed to three fundamentals
in bringing Zion into our hearts and presence:
"First, we must eliminate the individual tendency to
selfishness that snares the soul, shrinks the heart, and darkens the mind. …
"Second, we must cooperate completely and work in
harmony one with the other. There must be unanimity in our decisions and unity in our
actions. …
"Third, we must lay on the altar and sacrifice whatever
is required by the Lord. We begin by offering a ‘broken heart and contrite
spirit.’ We follow this by giving our best effort in our assigned fields of labor and
callings. We learn our duty and execute it fully. Finally we consecrate our time, talents,
and means as called upon by our file leaders and as prompted by the whisperings of the
Spirit" (in Conference Report, Apr. 1978, 123).
The home serves as the great laboratory for practicing and
teaching selflessness. And I can think of no better prescription than to continually keep
before our eyes the counsel given in the document "The Family: A Proclamation to the
World" by the First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles. Just two sentences
of this profound counsel create a perfecting pathway within our homes.
First, "Parents have a sacred duty to rear their
children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to
teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be
law-abiding citizens wherever they live."
And second, "Happiness in family life is most likely to
be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ." That gives
rise to an almost infinite list of family council and home evening topics (Ensign, Nov.
1995, 102).
Brothers and sisters, this kingdom is like no other
organization on earth. To borrow a business term, it has a vastly superior competitive
edge; it alone will lead us to eternal life. It alone is founded on solid rock, the rock
of revelation. It alone has the fully restored gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. At the
personal level, it instills a purging discipline within us. It pushes us out of our
circles of comfort into growth. It fosters development of great spiritual gifts and
enlightenment which we will take with us in the next life. It provides the baptism of
fire. It personally empowers us in ways that can only come from God.
Gratefully and joyfully, I am a witness that this is the
great kingdom of God on earth as prophesied throughout the ages. It is the only true
pathway leading us in our journey back to a loving Heavenly Father, having been redeemed
through the Atonement of His Only Begotten. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ,
amen.