user: anaraism [Timestamp: 2024/12/08 11:31:41]
ai: It looks like you might be referring to “anarchism.” Anarchism is a political philosophy that advocates for a society organized without hierarchies or coercive institutions, particularly the state. Anarchists believe in self-governed societies based on voluntary institutions, often emphasizing individual freedom, mutual aid, and direct democracy.
If you meant something else or would like more specific information about a particular aspect of anarchism, please let me know! [Timestamp: 2024/12/08 11:31:43]
user: God’s Favourite By Elder Karl D. Hirst
Of the Seventy
Being filled with God’s love shields us in life’s storms but also makes the happy moments happier.
Before I begin, I should tell you that two of my children have passed out whilst speaking at pulpits, and I have never felt more connected to them than in this moment. I’ve got more on my mind than just the trapdoor.
Our family has six children, who sometimes tease one another that they are the favourite child. Each has different reasons for being preferred. Our love for each of our children is pure and fulfilling and complete. We could not love any one of them any more than another—with each child’s birth came the most beautiful expansion of our love. I most relate to my Heavenly Father’s love for me through the love that I feel for my children.
As they each rehearse their claims to be the most loved child, you might have thought that our family had never had an untidy bedroom. The sense of blemishes in the relationship between parent and child is diminished with a focus on love.
At some point, perhaps because I can see that we are heading toward an inevitable family riot, I’ll say something like, “OK, you have worn me down, but I am not going to announce it; you know which one of you is my favourite.” My goal is that each one of the six feels victorious and all-out war is avoided—at least until next time!
In his Gospel, John describes himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” as if that arrangement were somehow unique. I like to think that this was because John felt so completely loved by Jesus. Nephi gave me a similar sense when he wrote, “I glory in my Jesus.” Of course, the Saviour isn’t Nephi’s any more than He is John’s, and yet the personal nature of Nephi’s relationship with “his” Jesus led him to that tender description.
Isn’t it wonderful that there are times when we can feel so fully and personally noticed and loved? Nephi can call Him “his” Jesus, and so can we. Our Saviour’s love is the “highest, noblest, strongest kind of love,” and He provides until we are “filled.” Divine love never runs dry, and we are each a cherished favourite. God’s love is where, as circles on a Venn diagram, we all overlap. Whichever parts of us seem different, His love is where we find togetherness.
Is it any surprise that the greatest commandments are to love God and to love those around us? When I see people showing Christlike love for one another, it feels to me as if that love contains more than just their love; it is love that also has divinity in it. When we love one another in this way, as completely and fully as we can, heaven gets involved too.
So if someone we care about seems distant from a sense of divine love, we can follow this pattern—by doing things that bring us closer to God ourselves and then doing things that bring us closer to them—an unspoken beckoning to come to Christ.
I wish I could sit down with you and ask you what circumstances cause you to feel God’s love. Which verses of scripture, which particular acts of service? Where would you be? What music? In whose company? General conference is a rich place to learn about connecting with heaven’s love.
But perhaps you feel a long way from the love of God. Maybe there is a chorus of voices of discouragement and darkness that weighs into your thoughts, messages telling you that you are too wounded and confused, too weak and overlooked, too different or disoriented to warrant heavenly love in any real way. If you hear those ideas, then please hear this: those voices are just wrong. We can confidently disregard brokenness in any way disqualifying us from heavenly love—every time we sing the hymn that reminds us that our beloved and flawless Saviour chose to be “bruised, broken, [and] torn for us,” every time we take broken bread. Surely Jesus removes all shame from the broken. Through His brokenness, He became perfect, and He can make us perfect in spite of our brokenness. Broken, lonely, torn, and bruised He was—and we may feel we are—but separated from the love of God we are not. “Broken people, perfect love,” as the song goes.
You might know something secret about yourself that makes you feel unlovable. However right you might be about what you know about yourself, you are wrong to think that you have put yourself beyond the reach of God’s love. We are sometimes cruel and impatient toward ourselves in ways that we could never imagine being toward anyone else. There is much for us to do in this life, but self-loathing and shameful self-condemnation are not on that list. However misshapen we might feel we are, His arms are not shortened. No. They are always long enough to “[reach our] reaching” and embrace each one of us.
When we don’t feel the warmth of divine love, it hasn’t gone away. God’s own words are that “the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but [His] kindness shall not depart from [us].” So, just to be clear, the idea that God has stopped loving should be so far down the list of possible explanations in life that we don’t get to it until after the mountains have left and the hills are gone!
I really enjoy this symbolism of mountains being evidence of the certainty of God’s love. That powerful symbolism weaves into accounts of those who go to the mountains to receive revelation and Isaiah’s description of “the mountain of the Lord’s house” being “established in the top of the mountains.” The house of the Lord is the home of our most precious covenants and a place for us all to retreat and sink deeply into the evidence of our Father’s love for us. I have also enjoyed the comfort that comes to my soul when I wrap myself more tightly in my baptismal covenant and find someone who is mourning a loss or grieving a disappointment and I try to help them hold and process their feelings. Are these ways that we can become more immersed in the precious covenantal love hesed?
So if God’s love does not leave us, why don’t we always feel it? Just to manage your expectations: I don’t know. But being loved is definitely not the same as feeling loved, and I have a few thoughts that might help you as you pursue your answers to that question.
Perhaps you are wrestling with grief, depression, betrayal, loneliness, disappointment, or other powerful intrusion into your ability to feel God’s love for you. If so, these things can dull or suspend our ability to feel as we might otherwise feel. For a season at least, perhaps you will not be able to feel His love, and knowledge will have to suffice. But I wonder if you could experiment—patiently—with different ways of expressing and receiving divine love. Can you take a step back from whatever is in front of you and maybe another step and another, until you see a wider landscape, wider and wider still if necessary, until you are literally “thinking celestial” because you are looking at the stars and remembering worlds without number and through them their Creator?
Birdsong, feeling the sun or a breeze or rain on my skin, and times when nature puts my senses in awe of God—each has had a part in providing me with heavenly connection. Perhaps the comfort of faithful friends will help. Maybe music? Or serving? Have you kept a record or journal of times when your connection with God was clearer to you? Perhaps you could invite those you trust to share their sources of divine connection with you as you search for relief and understanding.
I wonder, if Jesus were to choose a place where you and He could meet, a private place where you would be able to have a singular focus on Him, might He choose your unique place of personal suffering, the place of your deepest need, where no one else can go? Somewhere you feel so lonely that you must truly be all alone but you aren’t quite, a place to which perhaps only He has travelled but actually has already prepared to meet you there when you arrive? If you are waiting for Him to come, might He already be there and within reach?
If you do feel filled with love in this season of your life, please try and hold on to it as effectively as a sieve holds water. Splash it everywhere you go. One of the miracles of the divine economy is that when we try to share Jesus’s love, we find ourselves being filled up in a variation of the principle that “whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”
Being filled with God’s love shields us in life’s storms but also makes the happy moments happier—our joyful days, when there is sunshine in the sky, are made even brighter by the sunshine in our souls.
Let’s become “rooted and grounded” in our Jesus and in His love. Let’s look for and treasure experiences of feeling His love and power in our lives. The joy of the gospel is available to all: not just the happy, not just the downcast. Joy is our purpose, not the gift of our circumstances. We have every good reason to “rejoice and be filled with love towards God and all men.” Let’s get full. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Charity The highest, noblest, strongest kind of love, not merely affection; the pure love of Christ. It is never used to denote alms or deeds of benevolence, although it may be a prompting motive (1 Cor. 8:1; 13:1–4, 8; 13; 14:1; Moro. 7:47). In the Holy Land: Matthew 14:15–20. And in the Americas: 3 Nephi 27:16. Matthew 14:15–20 New Testament **15 **¶ And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. **16 **But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. **17 **And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. **18 **He said, Bring them hither to me. **19 **And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. **20 **And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. 3 Nephi 27:16 Book of Mormon **16 **And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world. See Matthew 22:35–40. Matthew 22:35–40 New Testament **35 **Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, **36 **Master, which is the great commandment in the law? **37 **Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. **38 **This is the first and great commandment. **39 **And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. **40 **On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
President Russell M. Nelson explained: “Just prior to [the Savior’s] crucifixion, He said that on ‘the third day I shall be perfected’ [Luke 13:32; emphasis added]. Think of that! The sinless, errorless Lord—already perfect by our mortal standards—proclaimed his own state of perfection yet to be in the future. His eternal perfection would follow his resurrection and receipt of ‘all power … in heaven and in earth’ [Matthew 28:18; see also Doctrine and Covenants 93:2–23]” (“Perfection Pending,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 87). The prophet Moroni invited all to “come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ” (Moroni 10:32).
Luke 13:32 New Testament
32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.
Matthew 28:18 New Testament
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Doctrine and Covenants 93:2–23 Doctrine and Covenants
2 And that I am the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world;
3 And that I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one—
4 The Father because he gave me of his fulness, and the Son because I was in the world and made flesh my tabernacle, and dwelt among the sons of men.
5 I was in the world and received of my Father, and the works of him were plainly manifest.
6 And John saw and bore record of the fulness of my glory, and the fulness of John’s record is hereafter to be revealed.
7 And he bore record, saying: I saw his glory, that he was in the beginning, before the world was;
8 Therefore, in the beginning the Word was, for he was the Word, even the messenger of salvation—
9 The light and the Redeemer of the world; the Spirit of truth, who came into the world, because the world was made by him, and in him was the life of men and the light of men.
10 The worlds were made by him; men were made by him; all things were made by him, and through him, and of him.
11 And I, John, bear record that I beheld his glory, as the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, even the Spirit of truth, which came and dwelt in the flesh, and dwelt among us.
12 And I, John, saw that he received not of the fulness at the first, but received grace for grace;
13 And he received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness;
14 And thus he was called the Son of God, because he received not of the fulness at the first.
15 And I, John, bear record, and lo, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove, and sat upon him, and there came a voice out of heaven saying: This is my beloved Son.
16 And I, John, bear record that he received a fulness of the glory of the Father;
17 And he received all power, both in heaven and on earth, and the glory of the Father was with him, for he dwelt in him.
18 And it shall come to pass, that if you are faithful you shall receive the fulness of the record of John.
19 I give unto you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness.
20 For if you keep my commandments you shall receive of his fulness, and be glorified in me as I am in the Father; therefore, I say unto you, you shall receive grace for grace.
21 And now, verily I say unto you, I was in the beginning with the Father, and am the Firstborn;
22 And all those who are begotten through me are partakers of the glory of the same, and are the church of the Firstborn.
23 Ye were also in the beginning with the Father; that which is Spirit, even the Spirit of truth;
Perfection Pending October 1995 general conference
Moroni 10:32 Book of Mormon
32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
The Everlasting Covenant By President Russell M. Nelson
President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
President Russell M. Nelson All those who have made a covenant with God have access to a special kind of love and mercy.
portrait of Jesus Christ The Lord Jesus Christ, by Del Parson
In this world torn by wars and rumors of wars, the need for truth, light, and the pure love of Jesus Christ is greater than ever. The gospel of Christ is glorious, and we are blessed to study it and live according to its precepts. We rejoice in our opportunities to share it—to testify of its truths wherever we are.
I have spoken frequently about the importance of the Abrahamic covenant and the gathering of Israel. When we embrace the gospel and are baptized, we take upon ourselves the sacred name of Jesus Christ. Baptism is the gate that leads to becoming joint heirs to all the promises given anciently by the Lord to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their posterity.1
“The new and everlasting covenant”2 (Doctrine and Covenants 132:6) and the Abrahamic covenant are essentially the same—two ways of phrasing the covenant God made with mortal men and women at different times.
The adjective everlasting denotes that this covenant existed even before the foundation of the world! The plan laid out in the Grand Council in Heaven included the sobering realization that we would all be cut off from God’s presence. However, God promised that He would provide a Savior who would overcome the consequences of the Fall. God told Adam after his baptism:
“Thou art after the order of him who was without beginning of days or end of years, from all eternity to all eternity.
“Behold, thou art one in me, a son of God; and thus may all become my sons” (Moses 6:67–68).
Adam and Eve accepted the ordinance of baptism and began the process of being one with God. They had entered the covenant path.
When you and I also enter that path, we have a new way of life. We thereby create a relationship with God that allows Him to bless and change us. The covenant path leads us back to Him. If we let God prevail in our lives, that covenant will lead us closer and closer to Him. All covenants are intended to be binding. They create a relationship with everlasting ties.
A Special Love and Mercy Once we make a covenant with God, we leave neutral ground forever. God will not abandon His relationship with those who have forged such a bond with Him. In fact, all those who have made a covenant with God have access to a special kind of love and mercy. In the Hebrew language, that covenantal love is called hesed (חֶסֶד).3
Hesed has no adequate English equivalent. Translators of the King James Version of the Bible must have struggled with how to render hesed in English. They often chose “lovingkindness.” This captures much but not all the meaning of hesed. Other translations were also rendered, such as “mercy” and “goodness.” Hesed is a unique term describing a covenant relationship in which both parties are bound to be loyal and faithful to each other.
A celestial marriage is such a covenant relationship. A husband and wife make a covenant with God and with each other to be loyal and faithful to each other.
Hesed is a special kind of love and mercy that God feels for and extends to those who have made a covenant with Him. And we reciprocate with hesed for Him.
newly married couple outside a temple Once you and I have made a covenant with God, our relationship with Him becomes much closer than before our covenant. Now we are bound together.
Photograph by Jerry L. Garns
Because God has hesed for those who have covenanted with Him, He will love them. He will continue to work with them and offer them opportunities to change. He will forgive them when they repent. And should they stray, He will help them find their way back to Him.
Once you and I have made a covenant with God, our relationship with Him becomes much closer than before our covenant. Now we are bound together. Because of our covenant with God, He will never tire in His efforts to help us, and we will never exhaust His merciful patience with us. Each of us has a special place in God’s heart. He has high hopes for us.
You know of the historic declaration the Lord gave to the Prophet Joseph Smith. It came by revelation. The Lord said to Joseph, “This promise is yours also, because ye are of Abraham, and the promise was made unto Abraham” (Doctrine and Covenants 132:31).
Thereby, this everlasting covenant was restored as part of the great Restoration of the gospel in its fulness. Think of it! A marriage covenant made in the temple is tied directly to that Abrahamic covenant. In the temple a couple is introduced to all the blessings reserved for the faithful posterity of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
As did Adam, you and I personally entered the covenant path at baptism. Then we enter it more completely in the temple. The blessings of the Abrahamic covenant are conferred in holy temples. These blessings allow us, upon being resurrected, to “inherit thrones, kingdoms, powers, principalities, and dominions, to our ‘exaltation and glory in all things’ [Doctrine and Covenants 132:19].”4
In the closing text of the Old Testament, we read of Malachi’s promise that Elijah will “turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers” (Malachi 4:6). In ancient Israel, such reference to the fathers would have included fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This promise is clarified when we read the different version of this verse Moroni quoted to the Prophet Joseph Smith: “He [Elijah] shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers” (Joseph Smith—History 1:39). Those fathers surely include Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (See Doctrine and Covenants 27:9–10.)
image of Jesus Christ Those who make sacred covenants and keep them are promised eternal life and exaltation. Jesus Christ is the guarantor of those covenants.
Detail from Christ and the Rich Young Ruler, by Heinrich Hofmann
Jesus Christ: The Center of the Covenant The Savior’s atoning sacrifice enabled the Father to fulfill His promises made to His children. Because Jesus Christ is “the way, the truth, and the life,” it follows that “no man cometh unto the Father, but by [Him]” (John 14:6). The fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant becomes feasible because of the Atonement of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is at the center of the Abrahamic covenant.
The Old Testament is not only a book of scripture; it is also a book of history. You remember reading about the marriage of Sarai and Abram. Because they were childless, Sarai gave her handmaid, Hagar, to be Abram’s wife also, in accordance with the Lord’s direction. Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.5 Abram loved Ishmael, but he was not to be the child through whom the covenant would pass. (See Genesis 11:29–30; 16:1, 3, 11; Doctrine and Covenants 132:34.)
As a blessing from God, and in response to Sarai’s faith,6 she conceived in her advanced years so that the covenant would pass through her son, Isaac (see Genesis 17:19). He was born in the covenant.
God gave Sarai and Abram new names—Sarah and Abraham (see Genesis 17:5, 15). The bestowal of those new names marked the beginning of a new life and a new destiny for this family.
Abraham loved both Ishmael and Isaac. God told Abraham that Ishmael would be multiplied and become a great nation (see Genesis 17:20). At the same time, God made it clear that the everlasting covenant would be established through Isaac (see Genesis 17:19).
All who accept the gospel become part of the lineage of Abraham. In Galatians we read:
“For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
“… Ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
“And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:27–29).
Thus, we can become heirs to the covenant either by birth or by adoption.
people gathered for baptismal service Once we make a covenant with God, we leave neutral ground forever. God will not abandon His relationship with those who have forged such a bond with Him.
Isaac and Rebekah’s son Jacob was born in the covenant. In addition, he chose to enter of his own accord. As you know, Jacob’s name was changed to Israel (see Genesis 32:28), meaning “let God prevail” or “one who prevails with God.”7
In Exodus we read that “God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob” (Exodus 2:24). God told the children of Israel, “If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me” (Exodus 19:5).
The phrase “peculiar treasure” was translated from the Hebrew segullah, meaning a highly valued possession—a “treasure.”8
The book of Deuteronomy recounts the importance of the covenant. Apostles of the New Testament knew of this covenant. After Peter had healed a lame man on the temple steps, he taught onlookers about Jesus. Peter said, “The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus” (Acts 3:13).
Peter closed his message by telling his audience, “Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed” (Acts 3:25). Peter made it clear to them that part of Christ’s mission was to fulfill God’s covenant.
The Lord gave a similar sermon to the people of ancient America. There, the resurrected Christ told the people who they really were. He said:
“Ye are the children of the prophets; and ye are of the house of Israel; and ye are of the covenant which the Father made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham: And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
“The Father having raised me up unto you first, and sent me to bless you in turning away every one of you from [your] iniquities; and this because ye are the children of the covenant” (3 Nephi 20:25–26).
Do you see the significance of this? Those who keep their covenants with God will become a strain of sin-resistant souls! Those who keep their covenants will have the strength to resist the constant influence of the world.
man partaking of the sacrament Those who keep their covenants with God will become a strain of sin-resistant souls! Those who keep their covenants will have the strength to resist the constant influence of the world.
Missionary Work: Sharing the Covenant The Lord has commanded that we spread the gospel and share the covenant. That is why we have missionaries. He wishes for every one of His children to have the opportunity to choose the Savior’s gospel and embark upon the covenant path. God wants to connect all people to the covenant He made anciently with Abraham.
Thus, missionary work is an essential part of the great gathering of Israel. That gathering is the most important work taking place on earth today. Nothing else compares in magnitude. Nothing else compares in importance. The Lord’s missionaries—His disciples—are engaged in the greatest challenge, the greatest cause, the greatest work on earth today.
But there is even more—much more. There is a huge need to spread the gospel to people on the other side of the veil. God wants everyone, on both sides of the veil, to enjoy the blessings of His covenant. The covenant path is open to all. We plead with everyone to walk that path with us. No other work is so universally inclusive. For “the Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name” (Helaman 3:27).
Because the Melchizedek Priesthood has been restored, covenant-keeping women and men have access to “all the spiritual blessings” of the gospel (Doctrine and Covenants 107:18; emphasis added).
A week after the dedication of the Kirtland Temple in 1836, under the direction of the Lord, Elijah appeared. His purpose? “To turn … the children to the fathers” (Doctrine and Covenants 110:15). Elias also appeared. His purpose? To commit to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery “the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, saying that in us and our seed all generations after us should be blessed” (Doctrine and Covenants 110:12). Thus, the Master conferred upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery priesthood authority and the right to convey the unique blessings of the Abrahamic covenant to others.9
In the Church, we travel the covenant path both individually and collectively. Just as marriages and families share a unique lateral bond that creates a special love, so does the new relationship formed when we bind ourselves by covenant vertically to our God!
This may be what Nephi meant when he said that God “loveth those who will have him to be their God” (1 Nephi 17:40). This is exactly why, as part of the covenant, a special mercy and love—or hesed—is available to all who enter this binding and intimate relationship with God, even “to a thousand generations” (Deuteronomy 7:9).
Making a covenant with God changes our relationship with Him forever. It blesses us with an extra measure of love and mercy.10 It affects who we are and how God will help us become what we can become. We are promised that we, also, can be a “peculiar treasure” unto Him (Psalm 135:4).
Promises and Privileges Those who make sacred covenants and keep them are promised eternal life and exaltation, “the greatest of all the gifts of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 14:7). Jesus Christ is the guarantor of those covenants (see Hebrews 7:22; 8:6). Covenant keepers who love God and allow Him to prevail over all other things in their lives make Him the most powerful influence in their lives.
In our day we are privileged to receive patriarchal blessings and learn of our connection to the ancient patriarchs. Those blessings also provide a glimpse into what lies ahead.
Jesus talking with Peter Because of our covenant with God, He will never tire in His efforts to help us, and we will never exhaust His merciful patience with us.
Lovest Thou Me More Than These? by David Lindsley
Our calling as covenant Israel is to make sure every member of the Church realizes the joy and privileges associated with making covenants with God. It is a call to encourage every covenant-keeping man and woman, boy and girl, to share the gospel with those who come within their sphere of influence. It is also a call to support and encourage our missionaries, who are sent forth with instructions to baptize and help to gather Israel, so that together we may be God’s people and He will be our God (see Doctrine and Covenants 42:9).
Every man and every woman who participates in priesthood ordinances and who makes and keeps covenants with God has direct access to the power of God. We take the Lord’s name upon ourselves as individuals. We also take His name upon us as a people. Being passionate about using the correct name of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a vital way that we as a people take His name upon us. Truly, every benevolent act of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members is an expression of God’s hesed.
Why was Israel scattered? Because the people broke the commandments and stoned the prophets. A loving but grieving Father responded by scattering Israel far and wide.11
However, He scattered them with a promise that one day Israel would be gathered again into His fold.
The tribe of Judah was given responsibility to prepare the world for the first coming of the Lord. From that tribe, Mary was called upon to be the mother of the Son of God.
The tribe of Joseph, through his and Asenath’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh (see Genesis 41:50–52; 46:20), was given the responsibility to lead in the gathering of Israel, to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord.
In such a timeless hesed relationship, it is only natural that God wants to gather Israel. He is our Heavenly Father! He wants each of His children—on both sides of the veil—to hear the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
A Path of Love The covenant path is a path of love—that incredible hesed, that compassionate caring for and reaching out to each other. Feeling that love is liberating and uplifting. The greatest joy you will ever experience is when you are consumed with love for God and for all His children.
Loving God more than anyone or anything else is the condition that brings true peace, comfort, confidence, and joy.
The covenant path is all about our relationship with God—our hesed relationship with Him. When we enter a covenant with God, we have made a covenant with Him who will always keep His word. He will do everything He can, without infringing on our agency, to help us keep ours.
The Book of Mormon begins and ends with reference to this everlasting covenant. From its title page to the closing testimonies of Mormon and Moroni, the Book of Mormon makes reference to the covenant (see Mormon 5:20; 9:37). “The coming forth of the Book of Mormon is a sign to the entire world that the Lord has commenced to gather Israel and fulfill the covenants He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”12
My dear brothers and sisters, we have been called at this pivotal time in the history of the earth to teach the world about the beauty and power of the everlasting covenant. Our Heavenly Father trusts us implicitly to do this great work.
This message was also delivered at a general conference leadership meeting on March 31, 2022.
Think Celestial! By President Russell M. Nelson
President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Your choices will determine where you will live throughout eternity, the kind of body with which you will be resurrected, and those with whom you will live forever.
My dear brothers and sisters, I am deeply grateful to speak with you today. At my age, each new day brings wonderful as well as challenging surprises. Three weeks ago, I injured the muscles of my back. So, while I have delivered more than 100 general conference addresses standing, today I thought I would do so sitting. I pray that the Spirit will carry my message into your hearts today.
I recently celebrated my 99th birthday and thus commenced my 100th year of living. I am often asked the secret to living so long. A better question would be “What have I learned in nearly a century of living?”
Time today does not allow me to answer that question fully, but may I share one of the most crucial lessons I have learned.
I have learned that Heavenly Father’s plan for us is fabulous, that what we do in this life really matters, and that the Savior’s Atonement is what makes our Father’s plan possible.1
As I have wrestled with the intense pain caused by my recent injury, I have felt even deeper appreciation for Jesus Christ and the incomprehensible gift of His Atonement. Think of it! The Savior suffered “pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind”2 so that He can comfort us, heal us, rescue us in times of need.3 Jesus Christ described His experience in Gethsemane and on Calvary: “Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore.”4 My injury has caused me to reflect again and again on “the greatness of the Holy One of Israel.”5 During my healing, the Lord has manifested His divine power in peaceful and unmistakable ways.
Because of Jesus Christ’s infinite Atonement, our Heavenly Father’s plan is a perfect plan! An understanding of God’s fabulous plan takes the mystery out of life and the uncertainty out of our future. It allows each of us to choose how we will live here on earth and where we will live forever. The baseless notion that we should “eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us”6 is one of the most absurd lies in the universe.
Here is the great news of God’s plan: the very things that will make your mortal life the best it can be are exactly the same things that will make your life throughout all eternity the best it can be! Today, to assist you to qualify for the rich blessings Heavenly Father has for you, I invite you to adopt the practice of “thinking celestial”!7 Thinking celestial means being spiritually minded. We learn from the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob that “to be spiritually-minded is life eternal.”8
Mortality is a master class in learning to choose the things of greatest eternal import. Far too many people live as though this life is all there is. However, your choices today will determine three things: where you will live throughout all eternity, the kind of body with which you will be resurrected, and those with whom you will live forever. So, think celestial.
In my first message as President of the Church, I encouraged you to begin with the end in mind. This means making the celestial kingdom your eternal goal and then carefully considering where each of your decisions while here on earth will place you in the next world.9
The Lord has clearly taught that only men and women who are sealed as husband and wife in the temple, and who keep their covenants, will be together throughout the eternities. He said, “All covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, connections, associations, or expectations, that are not made and entered into and sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise … have an end when men are dead.”10
Thus, if we unwisely choose to live telestial laws now, we are choosing to be resurrected with a telestial body. We are choosing not to live with our families forever.
So, my dear brothers and sisters, how and where and with whom do you want to live forever? You get to choose.11
When you make choices, I invite you to take the long view—an eternal view. Put Jesus Christ first because your eternal life is dependent upon your faith in Him and in His Atonement.12 It is also dependent upon your obedience to His laws. Obedience paves the way for a joyful life for you today and a grand, eternal reward tomorrow.
When you are confronted with a dilemma, think celestial! When tested by temptation, think celestial! When life or loved ones let you down, think celestial! When someone dies prematurely, think celestial. When someone lingers with a devastating illness, think celestial. When the pressures of life crowd in upon you, think celestial! As you recover from an accident or injury, as I am doing now, think celestial!
As you focus on thinking celestial, expect to encounter opposition.13 Decades ago, a professional colleague criticized me for having “too much temple” in me, and more than one supervisor penalized me because of my faith. I am convinced, however, that thinking celestial enhanced my career.
As you think celestial, your heart will gradually change. You will want to pray more often and more sincerely. Please don’t let your prayers sound like a shopping list. The Lord’s perspective transcends your mortal wisdom. His response to your prayers may surprise you and will help you to think celestial.
Consider the Lord’s response to Joseph Smith when he pleaded for relief in Liberty Jail. The Lord taught the Prophet that his inhumane treatment would give him experience and be for his good.14 “If thou endure it well,” the Lord promised, “God shall exalt thee on high.”15 The Lord was teaching Joseph to think celestial and to envision an eternal reward rather than focus on the excruciating difficulties of the day. Our prayers can be—and should be—living discussions with our Heavenly Father.
As you think celestial, you will find yourself avoiding anything that robs you of your agency. Any addiction—be it gaming, gambling, debt, drugs, alcohol, anger, pornography, sex, or even food—offends God. Why? Because your obsession becomes your god. You look to it rather than to Him for solace. If you struggle with an addiction, seek the spiritual and professional help you need. Please do not let an obsession rob you of your freedom to follow God’s fabulous plan.
Thinking celestial will also help you obey the law of chastity. Few things will complicate your life more quickly than violating this divine law. For those who have made covenants with God, immorality is one of the quickest ways to lose your testimony.
Many of the adversary’s most relentless temptations involve violations of moral purity. The power to create life is the one privilege of godhood that Heavenly Father allows His mortal children to exercise. Thus, God set clear guidelines for the use of this living, divine power. Physical intimacy is only for a man and a woman who are married to each other.
Much of the world does not believe this, but public opinion is not the arbiter of truth. The Lord has declared that no unchaste person will attain the celestial kingdom. So when you make decisions regarding morality, please think celestial. And if you have been unchaste, I plead with you to repent. Come unto Christ and receive His promise of complete forgiveness as you fully repent of your sins.16
As you think celestial, you will view trials and opposition in a new light. When someone you love attacks truth, think celestial, and don’t question your testimony. The Apostle Paul prophesied that “in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.”17
There is no end to the adversary’s deceptions. Please be prepared. Never take counsel from those who do not believe. Seek guidance from voices you can trust—from prophets, seers, and revelators and from the whisperings of the Holy Ghost, who “will show unto you all things what ye should do.”18 Please do the spiritual work to increase your capacity to receive personal revelation.19
As you think celestial, your faith will increase. When I was a young intern, my income was 1.50 in monthly tithing.
Was the Church any different because we increased our tithing? Of course not. However, becoming a full-tithe payer changed me. That is when I learned that paying tithing is all about faith, not money. As I became a full-tithe payer, the windows of heaven began to open for me. I attribute several subsequent professional opportunities to our faithful payment of tithes.20
Paying tithing requires faith, and it also builds faith in God and His Beloved Son.
Choosing to live a virtuous life in a sexualized, politicized world builds faith.
Spending more time in the temple builds faith. And your service and worship in the temple will help you to think celestial. The temple is a place of revelation. There you are shown how to progress toward a celestial life. There you are drawn closer to the Savior and given greater access to His power. There you are guided in solving the problems in your life, even your most perplexing problems.
The ordinances and covenants of the temple are of eternal significance. We continue to build more temples to make these sacred possibilities become a reality in each of your lives. We are grateful to announce our plans to build a temple in each of the following 20 locations:
Savai’i, Samoa
Cancún, Mexico
Piura, Peru
Huancayo, Peru
Viña del Mar, Chile
Goiânia, Brazil
João Pessoa, Brazil
Calabar, Nigeria
Cape Coast, Ghana
Luanda, Angola
Mbuji-Mayi, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Laoag, Philippines
Osaka, Japan
Kahului, Maui, Hawaii
Fairbanks, Alaska
Vancouver, Washington
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Roanoke, Virginia
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
The Lord is directing us to build these temples to help us think celestial. God lives. Jesus is the Christ. His Church has been restored to bless all of God’s children. I so testify in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.
make into a mermaid mind map the includes sources [Timestamp: 2024/12/08 11:36:55]
ai: Creating a mind map for the text “God’s Favourite” by Elder Karl D. Hirst, including sources and key themes, can be a helpful way to organize and visualize the information. Here’s a structured outline that you can use to create a mind map in your note-taking application like Obsidian:
Main Topic: God’s Favourite - Elder Karl D. Hirst
1. Introduction
- Personal connection to speaking at pulpits.
- Family dynamics and teasing about being the favourite child.
2. Concept of Divine Love
- Comparison of parental love to God’s love.
- Reference to John and Nephi feeling uniquely loved by Jesus.
3. Personal Nature of God’s Love
- Everyone can feel personally noticed and loved by God.
- God’s love as the highest form of love.
4. Commandments to Love
- Greatest commandments: Love God and love others.
- Christlike love involves divinity.
5. Experiencing and Sharing God’s Love
- Encouragement to bring others closer to God.
- Personal reflections on feeling God’s love.
6. Challenges to Feeling Loved
- Dealing with discouragement and feelings of unworthiness.
- Assurance that brokenness does not disqualify from God’s love.
7. Universal Reach of God’s Love
- God’s love remains even when not felt.
- Symbolism of mountains and steadfastness of God’s love.
8. Sources and References
- Scriptures:
- John (Disciple whom Jesus loved)
- Nephi (Book of Mormon: Expressing personal relationship with Jesus)
- Hymns and Music:
- Mention of hymns reinforcing the message of love and redemption.
- General Conference Talks:
- Insights from church leaders on divine love and personal worth.
9. Conclusion
- Encouragement to remain rooted in Jesus and His love.
- Invitation to rejoice and be filled with love towards God and all men.
Tools and Techniques for Mind Mapping
- Software: Use Obsidian for creating and linking notes.
- Visual Elements: Use different colors for each main topic.
- Links: Create internal links in Obsidian to scriptures, hymns, and other references for quick access.
- Tags: Tag related notes like other talks or scriptures for thematic study.
This structured outline serves as a blueprint for your mind map, helping you organize the key points and themes from Elder Karl D. Hirst’s talk in a visually engaging way. You can expand each section with quotes, personal insights, or additional resources as you study deeper or prepare to share or teach the concepts discussed. [Timestamp: 2024/12/08 11:37:13]
user: make a mermaid diagram [Timestamp: 2024/12/08 11:37:37]
ai: Creating a Mermaid diagram from the text “God’s Favourite” by Elder Karl D. Hirst involves structuring the content into a flowchart or similar diagrammatic form. Below, I’ll provide a simple example of how you might represent this using Mermaid syntax, which you can use in tools that support Mermaid diagrams like Obsidian.
Here’s a basic Mermaid diagram to illustrate the structure of the talk:
graph TD; A[God's Favourite - Elder Karl D. Hirst] --> B[Concept of Divine Love] A --> C[Personal Nature of God's Love] A --> D[Commandments to Love] A --> E[Experiencing and Sharing God's Love] A --> F[Challenges to Feeling Loved] A --> G[Universal Reach of God's Love] A --> H[Conclusion] B --> B1[Parental love as a metaphor for God's love] B --> B2[References to John and Nephi feeling loved by Jesus] C --> C1[Personal and individual nature of divine love] C --> C2[God's love as the highest form of love] D --> D1[Love God and love others as key commandments] D --> D2[Christlike love involves divinity] E --> E1[Encouragement to bring others to God] E --> E2[Reflections on personal experiences of God's love] F --> F1[Dealing with discouragement and unworthiness] F --> F2[Brokenness does not disqualify from God's love] G --> G1[God's love remains constant] G --> G2[Symbolism of mountains and steadfast love] H --> H1[Stay rooted in Jesus and His love] H --> H2[Invitation to rejoice and be filled with love]
How to Use This Diagram:
- Copy the Mermaid code: Select and copy the provided Mermaid code.
- Paste in Obsidian: In an Obsidian note, paste the Mermaid code into a code block specifically formatted for Mermaid.
- Visualize: Obsidian will render the Mermaid diagram, allowing you to visualize the structure of Elder Karl D. Hirst’s talk.
This diagram organizes the main topics of the talk into a flowchart, showing how each section connects back to the main topic and branches into subtopics. Adjustments and expansions can be made to this basic structure to include more details or additional insights as needed. [Timestamp: 2024/12/08 11:37:52]
user: make the diagram horizonal [Timestamp: 2024/12/08 11:45:17]
ai: To create a horizontal Mermaid diagram, you can modify the direction in which the graph flows by changing the graph type from graph TD (top-down) to graph LR (left-right). Here’s how you can adjust the diagram to flow horizontally:
graph LR; A[God's Favourite - Elder Karl D. Hirst] --> B[Concept of Divine Love] A --> C[Personal Nature of God's Love] A --> D[Commandments to Love] A --> E[Experiencing and Sharing God's Love] A --> F[Challenges to Feeling Loved] A --> G[Universal Reach of God's Love] A --> [Timestamp: 2024/12/08 11:45:24] **user**: make the diagram more vertical [Timestamp: 2024/12/08 11:45:33] **ai**: To create a more vertically oriented Mermaid diagram, you can adjust the direction to flow from top to bottom using `graph TB` (top-bottom). Here's the adjusted Mermaid diagram code for a vertical layout: ```mermaid graph TB; A[God's Favourite - Elder Karl D. Hirst] --> B[Concept of Divine Love] A --> C[Personal Nature of God's Love] A --> D[Commandments to Love] A --> E[Experiencing and Sharing God's Love] A --> F[Challenges to Feeling Loved] A --> G[Universal Reach of God's Love] A --> H[Conclusion] B --> B1[Parental love as a metaphor for God's love] B --> B2[References to John and Nephi feeling loved by Jesus] C --> C1[Personal and individual nature of divine love] C --> C2[God's love as the highest form of love] D --> D1[Love God and love others as key commandments] D --> D2[Christlike love involves divinity] E --> E1[Encouragement to bring others to God] E --> E2[Reflections on personal experiences of God's love] F --> F1[Dealing with discouragement and unworthiness] F --> F2[Brokenness does not disqualify from God's love] G --> G1[God's love remains constant] G --> G2[Symbolism of mountains and steadfast love] H --> H1[Stay rooted in Jesus and His love] H --> H2[Invitation to rejoice and be filled with love]
How to Use This Diagram:
- Copy the Mermaid code: Select and copy the provided Mermaid code.
- Paste in Obsidian: In an Obsidian note, paste the Mermaid code into a code block specifically formatted for Mermaid.
- Visualize: Obsidian will render the Mermaid diagram, allowing you to visualize the structure of Elder Karl D. Hirst’s talk in a more vertical format.
This layout will display the main topic at the top and each subsequent topic will flow directly beneath it, making it easier to follow the progression vertically. Adjustments and expansions can be made to this basic structure to include more details or additional insights as needed. [Timestamp: 2024/12/08 11:45:53]
user: did moses have kids? [Timestamp: 2024/12/08 12:03:41]
ai: Yes, Moses had children. According to the biblical narrative, particularly in the book of Exodus, Moses was married to Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro (also called Reuel), who was a priest of Midian. Together, Moses and Zipporah had at least two sons. Their names were Gershom and Eliezer.
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Gershom: His name is mentioned in Exodus 2:22. Moses named him Gershom because he was a sojourner in a foreign land. The name Gershom is derived from the Hebrew words meaning “stranger there” or “foreigner there,” reflecting Moses’ life in Midian away from his native Egypt.
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Eliezer: His name is mentioned in Exodus 18:4. The name Eliezer means “God is help” or “my God is help.” Moses named him Eliezer as a testament to God’s assistance in saving him from the sword of Pharaoh.
These references provide insight into Moses’ family life, which is an aspect less emphasized compared to his leadership and prophetic roles in delivering the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. [Timestamp: 2024/12/08 12:03:49]