October 2014 General Conference Summary/Talk

(The following is a talk I gave in Sacrament Meeting in my ward.  It is a compilation of all 39 conference talks. Some are exact quotes (in quotations; linked with paragraph number) and some are not, because I may have combined thoughts or statements from different speakers in order to summarize.  All Italics or underlining are for emphasis and have been added by me. This summary does not represent an official statement by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but the things that stood out to me. I encourage you to read and study the talks for yourself.)

Sacrament Meeting Talk – Parkview Ward – November 9,2014

                                   Topic: “ SPIRITURAL WHILRLWINDS” by Neil A. Anderson

 
Elder Anderson stated, “the world will not glide calmly toward the Second Coming of the Savior.” It not a coincidence or a small thing then,  that Helaman 5:12 was quoted three times in April Conference, at Girls Camp in June, Stake Conference in September and three more times in October Conference. 

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

The Spiritual Whirlwinds are the temptations of the adversary to be tossed about by the tests, distractions and challenges that surround us. Circumstances and events are not the whirlwinds themselves; they just create the opportunity for us to choose if we will yield to the temptations of the adversary to respond incorrectly. These temptations are the whirlwinds that we need to be prepared to withstand. And because "all things are spiritual" unto God, the effect of our response to the circumstances we face, whether temporal or spiritual, will always have a spiritual consequence.  Being anchored to Christ and His revealed truth is our only protection from responding to these challenges in a way that does not drag us down to the "gulf of misery and wo".  Our loving, merciful Father in Heaven has provided us with 15 prophets, seers, and revelators whom he has called to warn and forewarn us about the challenges we now face and that yet lie ahead and to teach us how to be prepared to respond to them with truth.

My sole purpose in the next few minutes is to give you a concentrated dose of the truths and counsel we just received from them.  I won’t take the time to give names since they are a compilation of 39 talks;  just know that until I say the words, “in closing”, that all the following counsel is not mine, but theirs. And God would tell you that that whether by His voice or of the voice of His servants…it is the same.  I pray the Spirit will testify to you that they are true, and current, and Heavenly Father wants us to hear them and heed them. 

We live in troubled times.

"We are at war with the forces of the adversary"... (28)but we will"move into the future with quiet confidence, His Spirit will be with us."(31)

We are preparing a people for the coming of the Lord to His Church. 

We certainly have been warned of events that we will be facing in our day.  Our challenge will be how we prepare for the events the Lord has said are surely still to come.  Prophets have warned and forewarned about the inevitable and destructive consequence of a deterioration of family values.

We need unequivocal commitment to the commandments and strict adherence to sacred covenants to be prepared for the physical, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual challenges we will face. 

Your personal experiences with the Lord will prepare you for the adversity and challenges you will soon face. 

 

We are being taught at this conference about changes that will help us all be better prepared. 

 

Where much is required, more will be given. 

That day lies ahead, when you are going to need more and more the blessings of the Lord, when the judgments are poured out without mixture upon the whole earth.

We will be judged harshly if the “spoil of the needy is in our houses”. If we do not hear the cry of the poor, we shall not be heard by God when it is our turn to cry. Open your hand wide to your brother, to the poor and the needy. It is a divinely appointed responsibility.

We must all serve others to have our sins forgiven and be prepared to see God.

Mercy cannot rob justice.  Only when we repent  is mercy permitted to perform its labor without trampling justice.

Rate your spiritual confidence before God. Take responsibility for yourself to do what is necessary to increase it.

Peace and power and protection come as you make and keep sacred covenants.

In every age the lord gives us the direction we need at the moment of our peril and danger.  Surely in the days ahead there will be times when nothing but the wisdom of God as spoken by the prophet will be able to save us.  Consistently studying the teachings of the prophets, ancient and modern will sustain you during strenuous and exhausting times. 
 
The value of a revelation depends on those who are being led receiving confirming revelation.  In the days ahead, leaders will need continuing revelation to lift them above their own wisdom and capacities, and we will need to receive a confirming witness that their commands come from God through the Holy Ghost to an imperfect being.

Carefully review the information available about the common and hidden hazards in life. They may be physical or mental health issues, death, dashed dreams and hopes, or a crisis of faith when faced with life’s problems, questions, and doubts.   Review important safety instructions to insure safe travel through the rapids ahead.  Stay in the boat!  Wear a life jacket! The Scriptures and teaching of apostles and prophets will teach you how to always hold on with both hands!  Listen to these experienced guides.  If you leave the Church you will not make it. Do not leave it when things seem calm.  The Church will carry you safely into harbor; you need not be concerned.  God is at the helm of the Church.  All is right. He dictates, guides and directs.  Have implicit confidence in God, never forsake your covenants or your God and He will guide you right.
 

Through the Atonement we can overcome every difficulty we may experience in life.   

We live in trying times.  We are here to be tried, tested, and stretched.  We will face the evils of the adversary.  

You are a child of God. He loves you and has a plan for you.  You are not here to just waste your time, grow old, and die.  Not having this broader view may cause you to murmur. Having it will help you overcome the challenges of your journey and lead your family away from danger when necessary.  The journey is easier when all share the same vision and share the same conviction.  Carefully discuss your plans until all feel comfortable and become committed.  Shared vision will provide support and become essential to your success.  Even if things are going well, consider if they could be going better. 

Greed, envy, & disobedience jam the rudder that guides us to safety and exaltation.  Our determination to steer a steady course yields divine protection and provides a sanctuary of safety in a time of critical need. The problems of our day loom ominously before us.  If we yield to Satan we will lose our rudder which guides us to safety.

Christ was disappointed that Israel rejected the safety of His protecting wing which He offered them before the city was to be destroyed.  Obedience will not always be easy, but it brings liberty and eternal life while disobedience brings captivity and death. Choose to accept His discipline and become His disciple.

Practice the virtue of obedience day by day.  Do the small and simple things and it will become astonishing preparation.
 
Knowing we are children of God fills us with a sense of origin, purpose and destiny.  Remember this always; it will carry you through the most difficult times in your life and inspire you to accomplish remarkable things.  You are here to prepare for a future greater than anything you can imagine. 

 

The beginning of wisdom and the path to conversion and lasting change is the ability to see ourselves clearly. Have we disengaged from gospel principles, appearing on the outside to be disciples of Christ, but turning our hearts from the things of the Spirit? Do we excuse ourselves from regular prayer, scriptures study, church meetings, family home evening, tithing and fast offerings because of our busy life or unique circumstances? The scriptures and conference talks are an effective mirror to hold up for self-examination.  Be willing to learn and to change. Seek with all your might to bring your thoughts and actions into harmony with God and you will experience the miracle of the Atonement.

It is crucially important that we prepare for eternal life by repenting and preparing to meet God.

Be willing to change.  Frequent small corrections are less painful and disruptive than large course corrections. 
 
Understand the significance of the Sacrament. Make it a truly spiritual, healing and cleansing experience
and partake of it with reverence and faith. It is one of the most holy and sacred ordinances in the Church.  It needs to become more holy and sacred to each of us.

Love is the very essence of the gospel. Contention is of the devil. Do not compromise or dilute your commitment to the truth or surrender your positions or your values to avoid contention.  There is no middle ground in the contest between truth and error.  Be kind but also firm in the truth. Live peacefully with others who do not share your values or beliefs. As difficult as it is to live in the turmoil surrounding us, our Savior’s command to love one another as He loves us is probably our greatest challenge.
 

You are accountable for your own sins. Do not blame others or God.  Neither God, nor His Prophet seek to control you like a puppet.  Know and understand for yourself, through revelation, what God or His prophet ask.

We must all seek personal revelation to accept the word of God through our leaders.  It does not come easily or simply for the asking.  We will be asked to accept counsel that is hard. We will be tempted to take offense and to doubt his calling is from God.  But the Holy Ghost can touch a softened heart to protect a humble disciple with confirming revelation. Pray for a confirming revelation of all those who have been called to speak for God.  You will need it to find your way on the journey home.

We need to give heed to ALL the words of the prophet and the commandments and receive them with patience and faith so the gates of hell will not prevail against us.  We need never be deceived about where to look for answers to our questions or uncertain about which voice to follow.  We need not be “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine.”  Heed prophetic word even when it may seem unreasonable, inconvenient, and uncomfortable.  It may be unpopular, politically incorrect, or socially unacceptable.  But it is always right.  Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding.  God’s thoughts and ways are not your ways.  God will honor and favor you if you heed prophetic direction.  Your obedience can save your life and the life of your family.  The Lord will feed those who trust Him, so partake of the words of the prophets and be blessed, protected and preserved both temporally and spiritually.  Learn how to come unto Christ and live.
Keep your eyes on the leaders of the Church.  They will not and cannot lead you astray. 

Decisions determine destiny.  Decisions determine destiny.  Rise above rationalizations that prevent you from making the righteous every day decisions consistent with the eternal goals you profess to live.

We will all experience moments of great decision.  A small change of direction can have significant future consequences.  Avoid these small errors in calculation by making the best decisions with a broad view of who you are, why you are here, and what the Lord expects from you.  It will help you endure if you are called, like Lehi , to endure many years of tribulation, leave your home, gold and precious things, and your comfortable life.  The best path is rarely the easiest.  Be willing to pay the price for your decisions.  Be prepared to leave your comfort zone to reach a better place.
 
There are powerful forces in your life like the unseen current of the ocean.  They are real. Never ignore them.  Embrace the current that would bring you to Christ.  Act for yourself and do not forsake your agency to others who provide opposition.  Set aside unanswered questions for a season, trusting the Lord’s time table to reveal all things.  You cannot bear all things now. You must grow in grace and knowledge.  Do not forsake what you know to be true by following an unknown and questionable current.  Accept the simple truths of the gospel and accept by faith those things you cannot understand.

God will speak to those who approach Him with a sincere heart and real intent in dreams, visions, thoughts, and feelings. In a way that is unmistakable and that transcends human experience, he will give you divine direction and answers for your personal life.

Never let the noise of the world overpower and overwhelm the still, small voice

You will not be deceived if you pause to pray and listen to the still, small voice

Human judgment and logical thinking will not be enough to get answers to questions that matter most in life. We need revelation from God.  Not just one, but a constantly renewed stream of light and comforting communication from God.  God will answer the questions that are beyond your power to resolve.  Revelation can be continuous through the Holy Ghost.  Seek confirming revelation of those who speak for God so you can say, “I will go and do the things which THE LORD hath commanded.” 

Do not delay the moment to seek and strengthen your own personal testimony.

Now is the time to adjust your own spiritual oxygen mask.

Always follow the promptings of the Spirit.  Live the gospel more fully. Seek for and strengthen your own personal testimony so as to be strong and withstand all the forces pulling you in the wrong direction. You must have your own testimony. It is essential.  Hunger and thirst after it. Be believing and give diligent effort.  

Do not neglect your testimony.  Seek this knowledge NOW.  

Our homes must be holy places in order to stand against the pressures of the world.  Carefully evaluate your performance as parents.

Instill in your children an ever stronger reliance on the teaching of Christ so they can withstand the devils shafts in the whirlwind.

Live in moderation, balance, wisdom and greater discipline when it comes to your use of the internet, television, movies. We lose blessings and protection when we rationalize wrong choices. Guard against being obsessed with “every new thing.”

 

Arm your family with prayer morning and nights.  It should be a nonnegotiable priority in your daily life. Study the scriptures and the words of the living prophets.  God often talks back to us through the written word. Read His words, study the scriptures, and ponder them and you will know what the voice of the Divine sounds like.  Study with your children so they will recognize, understand, and act on the promptings of the spirit.  It is more important than sleep, school, work, TV, Video games or social media.  You will have peace radiate out from you to influence others; peace in turmoil and strength to resist temptations; Have planned weekly FHE. Be home for the evening. It is more important than work, sports, extracurricular activities, homework, etc. Teach the gospel formally and informally.  Make it meaningful for each person.  It will bring direction, protection and take away stress.  Gain a testimony of these.  Go to the temple.  There is peace there.  Schedule a regular time. Don’t let anyone or anything prevent you from going.  Satan will be even more anxious to harm you if you develop these habits, but will have less power to do so.  

Our success, individually and as a Church, will largely be determined by how faithfully we focus on living the gospel in the home.  Temple and family history work should be a family activity.  Respond to the call to do it and it will increase your individual and family joy and happiness. Few are regularly involved in finding and doing temple ordinances for their family.  Change your priorities. Go to work.  Embrace the change. Change is part of the great plan of happiness.  The work needs to be done. You need it. Your ancestors need it.  Everyone can do this.  Tangible blessings will come.  You will be protected against the intensifying influence of the adversary.  Love this holy work and you will be safeguarded.  Do not sacrifice your exaltation or your families for less important interests.

Is your home sacred? Can you feel the Spirit there? Prepare your home to be a place where the Spirit is welcome and you will feel more at home in the temple. 

 

The best way to strengthen your home is to keep your covenants. 

How we learn to adjust to the changes which come along depends on the foundation on which we build. The gospel is our sure and solid foundation.

 

Following the prophets is how we build on a sure foundation that will survive the devil and all his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind…You have a choice.  Ignore, trifle with, trample on or rebel against the words of Christ spoken by His ordained servants and you will be cut off from the covenant people of God.  We need a foundation that cannot fail when the devil shall send for his mighty winds.  The rains of the latter days will descend, the floods will come, the winds will blow, but we will not fall if our home and family are founded upon Christ.

Ordinances are more than just events. Go to the temple for inspiration, peace, to feel  love, & to gain power to cope with trials. Go to the temple to feel the Lord’s power, to grow up in Him, to receive a fullness of the Holy Ghost, to be prepared to obtain every needful thing.  

You are loved and dear to your heavenly parents.  He knows you and is mindful of you and loves you this very day and always.  Reach up to Him in heartfelt and hopeful prayer; believe even in the midst of growing darkness.  Place selfish desires and unworthy ambitions on the altar of sacrifice and service.  Trust in the saving power of Jesus; keep His laws and commandments.  Live the Gospel joyfully. 

The great day of the Lord is at hand.

In closing I would like to quote Pres. Ezra Taft Benson whom we will study  in 2015; A prophet who certainly forewarned us for the days in which we live. In one of our lessons for next year he is quoted, saying:

“The scriptural parable of the five wise and the five foolish virgins is a reminder that one can wait too long before he attempts to get his spiritual and temporal house in order. Are we prepared?⁸

We encourage you to be more self-reliant so that, as the Lord has declared, “notwithstanding the tribulation which shall descend upon you, … the church may stand independent above all other creatures beneath the celestial world  The Lord wants us to be independent and self-reliant because these will be days of tribulation.

… The revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah. …

Too often we bask in our comfortable complacency and rationalize that the ravages of war, economic disaster, famine, and earthquake cannot happen here. Those who believe this are either not acquainted with the revelations of the Lord, or they do not believe them. Those who smugly think these calamities will not happen, that they somehow will be set aside because of the righteousness of the Saints, are deceived and will rue the day they harbored such a delusion.

The Lord has warned and forewarned us against a day of great tribulation and given us counsel, through His servants, on how we can be prepared for these difficult times. Have we heeded His counsel? …May
God bless us to be prepared for the days which lie ahead, which may be the most severe yet.”

I will end with Pres. Monson’s most recent message that should have reached the ears of every member of the church, active or not, by way of their Home Teachers. He said,

“Latter-day Saints have been counseled for many years to prepare for adversity. We encourage you wherever you may live in the world to prepare for adversity.

Are we prepared for the emergencies in our lives?
Are our skills perfected?
Do we live providently?
Do we have our reserve supply on hand?
Are we obedient to the commandments of God?
Are we responsive to the teachings of the prophets?
Are we prepared to give of our substance to the poor, the needy?
Are we square with the Lord?

We live in turbulent times. Often the future is unknown.  It behooves us to prepare for uncertainties. When the time for decision arrives, the time for preparation is past.”

Brothers and Sisters, the Lord is hastening His work. And that work is not just about missionary work. It’s about your life and your family. Some whirlwinds are just life and some have been prophesied, which means they will soon become our life.  My testimony is that the way to face them with faith and not fear, is to respond to them and grow from them by anchoring our thoughts, feelings, and actions to the Savior and Redeemer of the world.  We do that by listening to and living by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God, whether by His own voice or the voice of His servants.  I am so grateful to live in this day and bear testimony that the words you have just heard, if heeded will anchor you to that sure foundation that only Christ and His love and truth can provide.  They are worthy of study and review and application so that we may be prepared to call the Lord’s coming a Great Day and not a Dreadful one.    

Our safety truly does lie in our obedience. Decisions really do determine destiny.  May we all choose to accept the Savior’s invitation to gather under His protective wing, I pray in His name, Amen.