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Isaiah 49:15-16 |
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Isaiah 49:15-16 |
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IN memory of our beloved prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, I post this talk by Elder Russel M. Nelson of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles. It was given in October of 1997 (when I was in the MTC). It is about "spiritual capacity", and uses President Hinckley as an example. In addition to being an incredible tribute to the man, there are some hilarious quips from the prophet after the talk (as he was conducting that particular session of conference). President Hinckley was the only prophet I had known in my 12 years in the church. He was such an example to me of charity, optimism, and an appropriate, pure sense of humor. He was certainly an example in many more ways than this -- such as his incredible love of the Savior that you could see in his eyes when he spoke of the Master -- but it was these three things in particular that I struggle with in my own life, and I would constantly look to him to help me. It is strange, I never even shook his hand, but felt that I knew him, somehow, and I loved him more than words can express. I felt like he was my grandfather, and whenever I would see him speak or on TV, I just would feel this overpowering urge to go up and hug him and tell him how much I loved him. But now he is gone, and if anybody on this planet has earned a rest, it is him. I rejoice in his victory over the world, and in his glorious reunion with his family. I know that he is happy now, and that makes my personal sense of loss diminish. I am so grateful that I was able to grow up in the gospel when he was the Lord's anointed. I will forever be grateful to th Lord for that! |
(All the good links and talks that I have posted are below these personal thoughts of mine.) I used to have some witty words about how it is just impossible that the amazing intricacy of the universe developed by chance. That presentation used to really appeal to me as a young student of the sciences.
But the more I have seen of the world, and the more that I have learned to feel, the more of the Savior I have come to know. The cardinal teachings of the Savior have taken on new meaning."In as much as ye have done it onto the least of these, ye have done it onto me."
Quite honestly, if I did not know of the truthfulness of the gospel of peace, all the evil and pain that I have seen would have left me in despair long ago. Therein lies the miracle of the gospel. Death is not the end. Pain does not reign supreme. There is more, and what is there is perfect goodness and joy beyond our ability to comprehend. Wrongs will be redressed. Hidden acts of goodness will be rewarded. For the pure of heart, all our pain will become a distant memory. Perfect justice. Perfect Mercy. Perfect Hope.
Now I have paired this with human rights at the top of my homepage for a good reason. The more I learn of what really goes on in some areas of the world, the more my heart breaks. The more hungry and tormented eyes of children that I see, the more it drives me to the Savior's waiting arms where I can cry long and hard, and be assured that he will cry with me, He will understand, and His pain is greater than my own.
As I stood before the ruins of the gas chambers and crematoria in Auschwitz with my heart writhing inside my chest, I don't think that the atonement of our Lord ever meant more to me than it did at that moment. It was death beyond all measure and evil beyond reckoning, but it had AN END. I had a good friend in New York on my mission who was an Auschwitz survivor. I thought of him as I walked through the gate that his train had come through over 60 years ago. I thought of him crammed into a cattle car so tightly that people were suffocating, only to arrive where I stood and find that the terror had just began. I thought of all the faces of those I had seen who both did and did not survive in the many documentary movies. I would never know their names, and in many cases, nobody ever would. I thought of all of this pain and cruelty that was so unimaginable to me. And then I thought of my Savior. He knew each and every one of those victims. He was crying with them. Even a sparrow can not fall but be noticed by He who is the Master of all. He knew every face, every story, every cry of pain. None were forgotten in their agony. And He was there to welcome so many of them into the next life. The evil of Hitler had power to take their lives, but there it had an end. The divine love and mercy of the Lord was now around all of those people, and they were freed from pain through His sacrifice, and would one day walk the Earth again in perfect, resurrected bodies. All of that unfathomable pain of each of those millions of victims was taken on the back of Jesus when he died on the cross. My awe for Him grew My heart was comforted that all who did such evil would face divine justice -- there was no getting away and hiding in Argentina. None can escape from the Lord.
These are some of the amazing truths and reasons why I love the Lord so much. His goodness and love defy all description, and I will praise His name forever more!
I am a member of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (you know, one of those crazy Mormons).
I have been so for about twelve years now, and am so grateful that it has been
a part of my life. It has helped me more than I can express. The
Lord is amazing and I love Him and rejoice in His wondrous gospel. One of the
most exciting things that I have done in His service was the two years I spent
as a missionary in the New
York New York South Mission working with the Korean people.
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Items of Coolness |
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"An Instrument of Thy Peace" - St. Francis of Assisi "The Lover of Creation" |
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| My Favorite Talks |
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The fourth completed temple.
I have nothing significant to say
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Filtergate is the absolute best software
I know to block material that is unpleasing to the Lord. It also takes out adds too! I highly recommend it Download it here. |
