Speaking in Church

In light of recent feedback in regards to this talk I've chosen to clarify a few points here as to not mislead people to what my beliefs are.  It is never my intention to imply that I live my faith more perfectly than any other person living theirs.  I do not believe that other faiths don't have parts of the truth.  I believe that many church's hold many real truths.  But I also believe that many plain and simple truths about Christ's gospel were lost to the earth due to corruption, mistranslation etc.  If you've studied the history of the Bible then you know that many books that were originally included in sacred writings were thrown out/destroyed. When I refer to the LDS church as the only true and living church it is perhaps language that the world is not used to.  What I mean in layman terms is that I believe the LDS church to be the only church that holds all of the restored truths of Christ's gospel and that there is a prophet who is living today that leads and guides the church under the direction of God.  I also think that it is important to shed light on the fact that people throughout history and all over the world today sacrifice for the greater good.  It is not my intention to imply that members of the LDS church are the only people who make sacrifices.  Indeed there are atrocities perpetrated every day all over the world against people who choose to remain faithful in their belief that the Savior lives.  And with them, I'm sure, the Savior is well pleased.  Part of the reason I share my testimony is because I feel as though I have an infinite treasure and I want so badly to make all those around me as rich as I feel that I am.  I find great joy and peace in the teachings of the LDS church and feel as though people can always use more joy and peace in their lives.  Most of all I just have this intense love for those around me and I feel compelled to share what makes me happy with those that I love.     


I was asked to give a talk in church about a year ago.  Since then I've had the prompting to put it on my blog come to my mind on several occasions.  I'm finally doing it now.  My composition professor would not be pleased with my citations as there aren't any.  But any quotes can be found from talks that are accessible via lds.org.  Also, I know I used a very long quotation but I didn't think I could have written more perfect words for what I was trying to share.  Enjoy.

        I’ve been asked to speak on the topic of Sacrifice.  As I ponder sacrifice and what it means, inevitably the atonement comes to the forefront of my thoughts.  Throughout all of history there can nowhere be found a greater sacrifice than that of the Only Begotten Son.  In the words of Elder Oaks, “The atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ has been called the most transcendent of all events from creation’s dawn to the endless ages of eternity.”  Simply put, from the beginning of time to the end of time there will never come another event that will even compare to the incredible power of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  To know of the atonement and the sacrifice that Christ so willingly made is one thing, but to fully understand all that the atonement entailed is another.  Elder Holland eloquently describes the plight of our Savior saying, “…[the Savior] ventured into the Garden of Gethsemane alone.  Falling on His face in prayer, sorrowful unto death, His sweat came as great drops of blood as He pled with the Father to let this crushing, brutal cup pass from Him.”  Not only did Christ feel the literal weight of the sins of the world crushing down on his spirit he also felt the unimaginable physical pain of bleeding from every pore.  Elder Holland goes on to explain the loneliness that our loving Savior endured in order for the atonement to be complete, “Now I speak very carefully, even reverently, of what may have been the most difficult moment in all of this solitary journey to Atonement. I speak of those final moments for which Jesus must have been prepared intellectually and physically but which He may not have fully anticipated emotionally and spiritually—that concluding descent into the paralyzing despair of divine withdrawal when He cries in ultimate loneliness, 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?' The loss of mortal support He had anticipated, but apparently He had not comprehended this. Had He not said to His disciples, 'Behold, the hour … is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me' and 'The Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him'? With all the conviction of my soul I testify that He did please His Father perfectly and that a perfect Father did not forsake His Son in that hour. Indeed, it is my personal belief that in all of Christ’s mortal ministry the Father may never have been closer to His Son than in these agonizing final moments of suffering. Nevertheless, that the supreme sacrifice of His Son might be as complete as it was voluntary and solitary, the Father briefly withdrew from Jesus the comfort of His Spirit, the support of His personal presence. It was required, indeed it was central to the significance of the Atonement, that this perfect Son who had never spoken ill nor done wrong nor touched an unclean thing had to know how the rest of humankind—us, all of us—would feel when we did commit such sins. For His Atonement to be infinite and eternal, He had to feel what it was like to die not only physically but spiritually, to sense what it was like to have the divine Spirit withdraw, leaving one feeling totally, abjectly, hopelessly alone. But Jesus held on. He pressed on. The goodness in Him allowed faith to triumph even in a state of complete anguish. The trust He lived by told Him in spite of His feelings that divine compassion is never absent, that God is always faithful, that He never flees nor fails us. When the uttermost farthing had then been paid, when Christ’s determination to be faithful was as obvious as it was utterly invincible, finally and mercifully, it was 'finished.'". 

     Having a better understanding of what Christ went through during the process of the atonement gives me a more complete appreciation for its power.  Knowing that a perfect Son of God descended below the most unimaginable depths in order to pay for my sins gives me a profound drive to make myself better.  To give something back.  Though Christ doesn’t require anything of us in order to be eligible to take part in the power of the atonement as a follower of Christ I’m driven to sacrifice my agency to His will in similitude of His incredible gift to me.  I have nothing to give but my agency and as Latter Day Saints we have the duty to show the world through our actions that we are followers of Christ.  Elder Oaks quoted President Hinckley regarding this subject saying, “Prior to the rededication of one of our temples, a Christian minister asked President Gordon B. Hinckley why it did not contain any representation of the cross, the most common symbol of the Christian faith.  President Hinckley replied that the symbols of our Christian faith are 'the lives of our people'.  Truly, our lives of service and sacrifice are the most appropriate expressions of our commitment to serve the Master and our fellow men.”  I love the idea of this.  I love that instead of using a simple symbol to express our dedication to being followers of Christ we put that desire into action and really show the world what drives us every day. 

                Another way we can give our agency to the Lord is through faithful observance of gospel principles and missionary work.   I am reminded of a story I heard that takes place in the preexistence.  There were two friends and when the time came for them to receive their calls to Earth one found out that she would be going to a Latter Day Saint family where she would grow up in the gospel and the other found out that she would be born to a non-member family.  Tearfully the one going to the non-member family turned to her friend and pleaded, “Find me”.  For me I find it incredibly difficult to share the gospel.  Sometimes I find myself holding back because I’m afraid that someone doesn’t want to hear about the gospel or because I don’t want them to think I’m weird, or because I think it will not make a difference.  But if I think about what I’ve been taught about the Plan of Salvation I know that in the pre-existence there was a choice to follow Satan’s plan or Christ’s plan.  I know that 1/3 of the host of Heaven followed Satan and lost the opportunity to have a body here on Earth.  I also know that the other 2/3 chose to follow Christ’s plan.  That 2/3’s  are the people who are here now on Earth.  They have already chosen to follow Christ and those that are not members of the church have simply not had the opportunity to again choose to follow Him in his most perfect gospel and in the only true and living church.  So, being that I believe what I’ve been taught about the plan of salvation I know not just in my heart spiritually but logically that I have a duty to spread the gospel.  As members of this church we are so blessed to have been chosen to be sent to a place where we have received the gospel.  We have been entrusted with the greatest privilege of spreading the gospel.  It is our duty to ensure that we find our friends from the pre existence that have so sweetly asked for us to find them.  And through our dedication to spreading the gospel we make sacrifices along the way and in turn show our Savior that we understand the sacrifice that He made for us.

                As we work to spread the gospel I think it’s important to recognize that Latter Day Saints are definitely not the only ones who sacrifice through the process.  Those who are being taught and who come to the realization that the gospel is true and act on the teachings of missionaries sacrifice a great deal.  Elder Oaks explains one such example, “Many years ago this conference heard of a young man who found the restored gospel while he was studying in the United States.  As this man was about to return to his native land, President Gordon B. Hinckley asked him what would happen to him when he returned home as a Christian. “My family will be disappointed,” the young man answered. “They may cast me out and regard me as dead. As for my future and my career, all opportunity may be foreclosed against me.”  “Are you willing to pay so great a price for the gospel?” President Hinckley asked.  Tearfully the young man answered, “It’s true, isn’t it?” When that was affirmed, he replied, “Then what else matters?” That is the spirit of sacrifice among many of our new members.”  I can testify that the gospel is true and like that young man who was converted to being a faithful follower of Christ I am reminded that because I have a testimony it is my duty to show the world that whatever temporal tribulations come my way I will remain faithful to Christ because in this journey what else truly matters?  Isn’t that why we are all here?  To learn and to be tested and to grow and in the end show that we can and will choose to be followers of Christ.

                I can testify that the power of sacrifice is real.  In my own life I’ve found that through sacrifice and service I find happiness.  In Matthew 16:24-25 it reads, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”  Brothers and Sisters this is so true.  As we sacrifice to spread the gospel, and to raise families, and to serve others we’ll find ourselves.  We’ll progress towards eternal life.  As we learn to forego the passions of mortality in order to serve the Master we progress towards immortality and the greatest blessing of being perfected through Christ.  I can’t tell you how grateful I am to my Savior for giving me the opportunity to become perfected through Him.  I find that my faith in the atonement and its healing powers are often the only glimmer of hope that can pull me out of despair when I find myself subjected to the weakness of mortality and sin.  That I can again become clean is such an incredible blessing. 

                Finally I’ll leave you with one last quote from Elder Oaks regarding sacrifice, “Latter-day Saints look on their sacrifices of time and means as a part of their schooling and qualifying for eternity. This is a truth revealed in the Lectures on Faith, which teach that “a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation. … It [is] through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life.”

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.