Keep All the Commandments

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"Keep All the Commandments", LDS Media Library

Teach of faith to keep all the commandments of God, knowing that they are given to bless His children and bring them joy.4 Warn them that they will encounter people who pick which commandments they will keep and ignore others that they choose to break. I call this the cafeteria approach to obedience. This practice of picking and choosing will not work. It will lead to misery. To prepare to meet God, one keeps all of His commandments. It takes faith to obey them, and keeping His commandments will strengthen that faith. ("Face the Future with Faith", Russell M. Nelson, Apr 2011 General Conference)

Disciplinary Councils

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President Hinckley teaches about disciplinary Councils (D&C 102:9-33)

In times of disciplinary councils, the three brethren of the bishopric, or the three brethren of the stake presidency, or the three brethren of the presidency of the Church, sit together, discuss matters together, pray together, in the process of reaching a decision. I wish to assure you, my brethren, that I think there is never a judgment rendered until after prayer has been had. Action against a member is too serious a matter to result from the judgment of men alone, and particularly of one man alone. There must be the guidance of the Spirit, earnestly sought for and then followed, if there is to be justice. (“In … Counsellors There Is Safety”, Gordon B. Hinckley, GC, Oct 1990)

From “Lesson 107: Doctrine and Covenants 102,” Doctrine and Covenants and Church History Seminary Teacher Manual (2013) President Harold B. Lee tells the following account:

“Some years ago … I served as a stake president. We had a very grievous case that had to come before the high council and the stake presidency that resulted in the excommunication of a man who had harmed a lovely young girl. After a nearly all-night session that resulted in that action, I went to my office rather weary the next morning and was confronted by a brother of this man whom we [met with in council] the night before. This man said, ‘I want to tell you that my brother wasn’t guilty of what you charged him with.’ 

“‘How do you know he wasn’t guilty?’ I asked. 

“‘Because I prayed, and the Lord told me he was innocent,’ the man answered” (Teachings of Harold B. Lee, ed. Clyde J. Williams [1996], 420–21).

President Lee continued the account:

 “I asked him to come into the office and we sat down, and I asked, ‘Would you mind if I ask you a few personal questions?’ 

“He said, ‘Certainly not.’ … 

“‘How old are you?’ 

“‘Forty-seven.’ 

“‘What priesthood do you hold?’ 

“He said he thought he was a teacher. 

“‘Do you keep the Word of Wisdom?’ 

“‘Well, no.’ … 

“‘Do you pay your tithing?’ 

“He said, ‘No’—and he didn’t intend to as long as that … man was the bishop of the Thirty-Second Ward. 

“I said, ‘Do you attend your priesthood meetings?’ 

“He replied, ‘No, sir!’ … 

“‘You don’t attend your sacrament meetings either?’ 

“‘No, sir.’ 

“‘Do you have your family prayers?’ and he said no. 

“‘Do you study the scriptures?’ He said well, his eyes were bad, and he couldn’t read very much. … 

“‘Now, then,’ I said, ‘fifteen of the best-living men in the Pioneer Stake prayed last night. … and every man was united. … Now you, who do none of these things, you say you prayed and got an opposite answer. How would you explain that?’ 

“Then this man gave an answer that I think was a classic. He said, ‘Well, President Lee, I think I must have gotten my answer from the wrong source’” (Teachings of Harold B. Lee, 421–22).

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Sacrifice: give up something good for something of far greater worth

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An acceptable sacrifice is when we give up something good for something of far greater worth. 

Giving up a little sleep to help a child who is having a nightmare is a good sacrifice. We all know this. Staying up all night, jeopardizing our own health, to make the perfect accessory for a daughter’s Sunday outfit may not be such a good sacrifice. 

Dedicating some of our time to studying the scriptures or preparing to teach a lesson is a good sacrifice. Spending many hours stitching the title of the lesson into homemade pot holders for each member of your class perhaps may not be. 

Every person and situation is different, and a good sacrifice in one instance might be a foolish sacrifice in another. 

How can we tell the difference for our own situation? We can ask ourselves, “Am I committing my time and energies to the things that matter most?” There are so many good things to do, but we can’t do all of them. Our Heavenly Father is most pleased when we sacrifice something good for something far greater with an eternal perspective. Sometimes, that may even mean nurturing small but beautiful forget-me-not flowers instead of a large garden of exotic blooms. ("Forget Me Not", Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Oct 2011, Timestamp 5:45, https://youtu.be/6mplF_y-7O8?t=345) 

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A Savior to Fall in Love With

or "Shepherding Hearts" or "Ministering to Souls"

From "Episode 5: From Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord" of the Come Follow Me for Us podcast.

When they are all alone, when they are feeling sad, they can remember our words. Maybe we can remember the words of the scriptures when we are feeling low. That the power and strength (grace) of Jesus is available to us. We can draw on His power.

"For the Love" By Jen Hatmaker

A kid that Melanie knows said, "Jesus doesn't love us all the time...Well, guess if you repent, he does." Melanie said, "What have we (inadvertently) done? ... Maybe we push the rules too hard and not enough about how the Savior love them." From "For the Love" By Jen Hatmaker:

If they don't love Jesus and people, it matters zero if they remain virgins and don't say the f-word, we must shepherd their hearts and not just their hemlines. 

Do we say "You are bad" or "Jesus is amazing"? Jen Hatmaker continues:

Jesus operates beyond the tidy boundaries of good behavior. Rather than simply enforce his rules, we should show our kids His kingdom. That's where they will discover a Savior to fall in love with. 

I love this message. We must do all we can to encourage them (and ourselves) to learn about Jesus and know him.  Show them the Savior, His kingdom. Let them fall in love with him. 

This reminds me of Nephi, he said:

having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father (1 Nephi 2:16)

He asked God to soften his heart. We must act as agents.

"the power of the Spirit carries the message unto but not necessarily into the heart. A teacher can explain, demonstrate, persuade, and testify, and do so with great spiritual power and effectiveness. Ultimately, however, the content of a message and the witness of the Holy Ghost penetrate into the heart only if a receiver allows them to enter." (“Seek Learning by Faith,” David A Bednar, Ensign, Sept. 2007)

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Uprooting The Evil In The Fields That We Know

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“It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not ours to rule." 

- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

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Come and See

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Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
(John 1:45-46)

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Formatting URL to Position the Browser to a Particular Verse

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This is the current format for scripture references:
https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/1-cor/1?verse=21-25&lang=eng#p21

• https://www.lds.org OR gospellibrary://content – LDS.org or the Gospel Library app.

• /scriptures – section of LDS.org or content type.

• /nt – testament / work / volume of scripture (ot / nt / bofm / dc-testament / pgp).

• /1-cor – scripture book.

• /1 – chapter.

• ?verse=21-25 – verse(s) to put a callout box around, optional. If not specified, no callout boxes will be drawn. This can be a single verse, a range, or a series (for example, "2-5,7" is valid).

• &lang=eng – language, optional. If not specified, link will default to the browser/device language (which could give an error if the content doesn't exist in that language).

• #p21 – verse to scroll to, optional. If not specified, chapter will load to the top.

Samuel Bradshaw • If you desire to serve God, you are called to the work.
("Formatting url to search for specific verses", 10 Dec 2017 tech.lds.org)

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A United Voice

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“I have discovered in my ministry that those who have become lost [and] confused are typically those who have most often … forgotten that when the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve speak with a united voice, it is the voice of the Lord for that time. The Lord reminds us, ‘Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same’ [D&C 1:38]” (M. Russell Ballard, “Stay in the Boat and Hold On!” 90).

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See also “Lesson 2: Prophets and Apostles Solemnly Proclaim,” The Eternal Family Teacher Manual (2015)

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Neither the President of the Church, nor the First Presidency, nor the united voice of the First Presidency and the Twelve will ever lead the Saints astray or send forth counsel to the world that is contrary to the mind and will of the Lord. 

An individual may fall by the wayside, or have views, or give counsel which falls short of what the Lord intends. But the voice of the First Presidency and the united voice of those others who hold with them the keys of the kingdom shall always guide the Saints and the world in those paths where the Lord wants them to be. ("Eternal Keys and the Right to Preside", Joseph Fielding Smith, Apr 1972)

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The prophet and President of the Church can receive revelation individually that becomes doctrine when it is sustained by the united voice of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (see Acts 10; Official Declaration 2). ("How Is Doctrine Established?", LaRene Porter Gaunt, Sep 2013 Ensign)

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In trying all matters of doctrine, to make a decision valid, it is necessary to obtain a unanimous voice, faith and decision. In the capacity of a Quorum, the three First Presidents must be one in their voice; the Twelve Apostles must be unanimous in their voice, to obtain a righteous decision upon any matter that may come before them…. Whenever you see these Quorums unanimous in their declaration, you may set it down as true. (Journal of Discourses 9:91-92)

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It is not definitive because it does not purport to declare the doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or even to give any official Church position on the meaning of any particular scripture. Only the President of the Church or the First Presidency can perform those sacred functions. Modern revelation clearly declares that an Apostle can write "by wisdom," but not by commandment (D&C 28:5). (His Holy Name, Dallin H. Oaks, (1998) p. viii-ix)

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The doctrines of the restored gospel are found in the standard works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in the teachings of the living prophets and apostles, and in the authorized declarations and proclamations of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Ultimately, however, only the President of the Church and the Quorum of the First Presidency have the authority to define the doctrines of the Church....
True ... doctrine... comes from God and is correct and accurate. The sources of such doctrine are the authorized teachings of the Lord's anointed servants and the scriptures. (Increase in Learning, David A. Bednar, (2011) p. 152-153)

What Is The Purpose Of The Book Of Mormon?

From Mormon.org

To convince Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ and the Savior of the world

"to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God" ("Title Page of the Book of Mormon")

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the Book of Mormon exists to bear witness of Jesus Christ—who He is, what He taught, why He died, and His resurrection from the dead. There are more than 6,000 verses in the Book of Mormon. Nearly 4,000 of those verses mention Jesus. 

The culminating event in the Book of Mormon is the appearance of Jesus Christ sometime shortly after His Resurrection in the old world to a group of people living in the Americas (3 Nephi 11).  ("What is the Book of Mormon About?", 7 Dec 2017)

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The major mission of the Book of Mormon, as recorded on its title page, is ‘to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations.’ 

“The honest seeker after truth can gain the testimony that Jesus is the Christ as he prayerfully ponders the inspired words of the Book of Mormon.
“Over one-half of all the verses in the Book of Mormon refer to our Lord. Some form of Christ’s name is mentioned more frequently per verse in the Book of Mormon than even in the New Testament. 

“He is given over one hundred different names in the Book of Mormon. Those names have a particular significance in describing His divine nature
(“Come unto Christ”, Ezra Taft Benson,  Oct 1987)

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[Isaiah] verily saw my Redeemer, even as I [Nephi] have seen him.
And my brother, Jacob, also has seen him as I have seen him; wherefore, I will send their words forth unto my children to prove unto them that my words are true. Wherefore, by the words of three, God hath said, I will establish my word. Nevertheless, God sendeth more witnesses, and he proveth all his words.
Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ
(2 Nephi 11:3)

To persuade people to come unto Christ and be saved

"the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved." 1 Nephi 6:4

To show that God fulfills all his promises that he makes to his children. (To increase faith in God)

"to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers" ("Title Page of the Book of Mormon")

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"that they may know the covenants of the Lord" ("Title Page of the Book of Mormon")

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That the readers and their peoples "might not be destroyed" 
See "Title Page of the Book of Mormon"

Moroni has seen two peoples of the Lord be eliminated from the earth. He is warning us on how to not repeat what they did.