"Just being a member of this Church is not enough. Nor is merely going through
the motions of membership sufficient."
To those who yearn for spiritual truth, some things become self-evident. I bear
my witness of these things. God is in His heavens. We mortals are His spirit offspring.
Jesus is our Redeemer. Joseph Smith was God's prophet, and Gordon B. Hinckley
is His prophet today. Revelations are pouring forth as in days of old. The kingdom
of God, which is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is once more
upon the earth.
Satan is real and is on the earth as well. He and his legions are wreaking
havoc among the children of men. He speaks no truth, feels no love, promotes
no good, and avows nothing but mayhem and destruction.
Therefore, I raise this day a "voice of warning."1
It is an urgent, sobering reminder and invitation to good men and women everywhere.
Listen to these words of revelation received on November 1, 1831:
"Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants
of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him
from heaven, and gave him commandments; . . .
"For I am no respecter of persons, and will that all men shall know that the
day speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when peace shall
be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion."2
The Lord speaks of calamity to befall the inhabitants of the earth. Calamities
come in different forms. From time to time the forces of nature convulse, and
we are wrenched by their destructive powers.
Even more devastating, however, are the calamitous forces of evil which surfeit
us continually. In accordance with the prophecy of 1831, peace has now been
taken from the earth, and the devil has power over his dominion. His beguiling
ways are mesmerizing the people. Temptation is on every hand. Crassness and
wrangling have become a way of life. What was once considered awful is now considered
tame; what at first titillates, soon captivates and then destroys.
This calamity of evil will continue to spread until "the whole world . . . groaneth . . . under
the bondage of sin."3
Therefore, this "voice of warning":
-
Beware of worldly lusts. They stimulate the senses but enslave
the soul. Those caught in the web of sensuality find that it is not easily
broken.
-
Beware of worldly wealth. Its promises are enticing, but its
happiness is a mirage. Wrote the Apostle Paul, "The love of money is the
root of all evil."4
-
Beware of worldly preoccupation with self. The highs are counterfeit;
the lows are despairing. Love, kindness, personal fulfillment, and genuine
self-worth are found in service to God and others, not in service to oneself.
In the midst of these perils, there is a safe harbor. From the revelation cited
earlier comes this assurance:
"And also the Lord shall have power over his saints, and shall reign in their
midst, and shall come down in judgment upon Idumea, or the world."5
There is safety in being a Saint. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ today
are known as Latter-day Saints. In addition to being the Lord's designation
of those who belong to His Church, this appellation also serves as His invitation
to a better way of life.
This became clear to me some years ago when, as a young father, I needed to
purchase some temple clothing. Upon entering the store, my attention was drawn
to a sign on the counter that read "For Latter-day Saints Only." The message
jolted me. In my mind, an argument ensued. Why does it say "For Latter-day
Saints Only"? I asked myself. Why doesn't it say something like "For
Endowed Church Members"? Why does it raise this issue of being a "Latter-day
Saint"?
The years since have tempered my impetuous nature. That argumentative encounter
of long ago has become a treasured, defining moment. The experience taught me
that just being a member of this Church is not enough. Nor is merely going through
the motions of membership sufficient in this day of cynicism and unbelief. The
spirituality and vigilance of a saint are required.
Being saintly is to be good, pure, and upright. For such persons, virtues are
not only declared but lived. For Latter-day Saints, the kingdom of God, or the
Church, is not a byline; rather, it is the center and the substance of their
lives. Home is "a bit of heaven,"6 not a hotel.
The family is not merely a societal or biological entity. It is the basic eternal
unit in God's kingdom wherein the gospel of Jesus Christ is taught and lived.
Indeed, Latter-day Saints diligently strive to become a little better, a little
kinder, a little nobler in the daily affairs of life.
The Lord sets forth the way in which such progress is made. Said He, "Wherefore,
seek not the things of this world but seek ye first to build up the kingdom
of God, and to establish his righteousness."7
Holding to this course provides Latter-day Saints the means for avoiding the
treacherous shoals of worldliness. Living this way enables members of the Church
to become the covenant people of the Lord. For our time, we have the following
prophetic guidance from President Hinckley on how this can be done. I quote:
"We are a covenant people. I have had the feeling that if we could just encourage
our people to live by three or four covenants everything else would take care
of itself. . . .
"The first of these is the covenant of the sacrament, in which we
take upon ourselves the name of the Savior and agree to keep His commandments
with the promise in His covenant that He will bless us with His spirit. . . .
"Second, the covenant of tithing. . . . The promise
. . . is that He will stay the destroyer and open the windows of heaven and
pour down blessings that there will not be room enough to receive them. . . .
"Three, the covenants of the temple: Sacrifice, the willingness to
sacrifice for this the Lord's work—and inherent in that law of sacrifice
is the very essence of the Atonement. . . . Consecration, which
is associated with it, a willingness to give everything, if need be, to help
in the on-rolling of this great work. And a covenant of love and loyalty one
to another in the bonds of marriage, fidelity, chastity, morality.
"If our people could only learn to live by these covenants, everything
else would take care of itself, I am satisfied."8
Worldly lusts lose their allure as the holy sacrament assumes its
proper place in our lives. This covenant enables the faithful to keep themselves
"unspotted from the world."9
Worldly wealth loses its peril through conscientious adherence to
the Lord's tithe. Returning to Him a tithe of all He provides engenders in the
giver a love of God above all else. It introduces the obedient to the higher
law of giving without command. The fast and fast offerings are embraced and
power comes to loose the bands of wickedness, lift heavy burdens, bless the
less fortunate, and strengthen family ties.10 The
covenant of tithing weans the faithful from the love of money and its attendant
trappings.
Worldly preoccupation with self surrenders to sacrifice, consecration,
and the other holy covenants of the temple. As the Redeemer of the world gave
all that we might be saved, these covenants allow us to give our all in the
accomplishment of Heavenly Father's purposes for His children.
And so, fear not. The things deemed weak by the world overthrow evils that
appear so mighty and strong. Righteous men speak in the name of God the Lord.
Faith increases in the earth. The everlasting covenants blossom in the lives
of Latter-day Saints. The fulness of Christ's gospel is proclaimed by precept
and example unto the ends of the world. And the Lord's covenant people prepare
this earth for His Second Coming.11 This is our
duty. May the Lord sustain us in it is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ,
amen.
NOTES
1. D&C
1:4.
2. D&C
1:17, 35.
3. D&C
84:49.
4. 1
Tim. 6:10.
5. D&C
1:36.
6. David O. McKay, in Conference Report, Apr. 1964, 5.
7. JST,
Matt. 6:38; see Matt.
6:33, footnote a.
8. Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley (1997), 146–47;
emphasis added.
9. D&C
59:9; see also vv. 10,
12–13.
10. See Isa.
58:6–11.
11. See D&C
1:19–23.
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