Learn how your comment data is processed. The first area presidents outside of the United States and Canada were also set apart. I believe that the Ten Virgins represent the people of the Church of Jesus Christ and not the rank and file of the world. He gave us another parable to try to make clear the importance of being always prepared. We have been commanded to follow the signs of the times and that is all the warning we need or will be given, but the membership is asleep. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be. The great powers warn and threaten. Sometimes people let their hearts get so set upon things and the honors of this world that they cannot learn the lessons they most need to learn. My beloved sisters: I have been looking forward for months to the pleasure of meeting with you dear sisters once again in a worldwide conference of the women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. How good God has been to us all in blessing us with these answers and assuranceseven though these truths place upon us serious and everlasting obligations. Regardless of your particular circumstances, as you become more and more familiar with the truths of the scriptures, you will be more and more effective in keeping the second great commandment, to love your neighbor as yourself. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.8. . Numerous billions we spend on liquor and tobacco. Where it is permitted, though, which is most of the world, we should listen to the counsel of the Brethren and to the Lord." (President Spencer W. Kimball) We call upon priesthood bearers to store sufficient so that you and your family can weather the vicissitudes of life. Mountains of arms and ammunitions will not guarantee safety, for enemies can also build fortifications and missiles and bomb shelters. Like. (See 1Sam. Changes can come best if we take one item at a time.https. For many years, this book has been widely read by the membership and even recommended at general conferences. What is wrong is wrong, and trends do not make something right which is at variance with the laws of God. Your strength will be spent in vain as you plow and plant and cultivate. To them Jesus said, before he ascended, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. (Matthew 13:47-48.) They are boats, cars, and luxuries. I suspect that many people have let their insurance lapse. The knowledge we gain must push us to act, leading us to God and revelation from him. We wish you to pursue and to achieve that education, therefore, which will fit you for eternity as well as for full service in mortality. Immortality is a reality. All kinds of fish were caught, big and little, fat and snakelike. (Matthew 24:29-31, 36. ) If you liked this archived conference talk, you might also like these: 6 Easy Ways Every Latter-day Saint can be an Effective Missionary on Facebook, 7 Ways Latter-day Saints get Following the Prophet Completely Wrong. That faith in Christ is a choice we can make. I was thrilled at their utterances and took their warnings seriously, even as a young man. We have the general warning that comes from these world conditions, but we have no precise timetable. We can transform, but will we? Fasting, family prayer, home teaching, control of bodily appetites, preaching the gospel, studying the scriptureseach act of dedication and obedience is a drop added to our store. I am so grateful that prophets do not crave popularity. I know he is Gods recognized prophet. 29-34 (Click here for a link to read the PDF version in the Conference Archives). They had four children who recall that their home was one of support, encouragement, and appreciation between family members. 13:55.) He gave the parable of the rich young fool who, in the feeling of temporal security, razed his inadequate barns and built greater ones in which to store his fruits and goods. Spencer W. Kimball : biography March 28, 1895 - November 5, 1985 As World War II neared its conclusion, Kimball and other LDS church leaders constantly responded to the needs of the friends and families of LDS war casualties. Granaries and barns will bulge in seed time and harvest. (Luke 12:47-48.) Yet work goes on, merchandise is sold, athletic entertainments, fishing, hunting go forward without regard to commandments. 5 likes. May the Lord continue to bless and prosper the Primary organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, together with all the other organizations who are doing comparable work. We read of those who have yielded to the fashion of the time and lived together without being legally married and wonder why such people do not realize that there can be no finding of their identity nor any real sense of belonging while they trample underfoot the commandments of God. Yet on the corner, in public places, on work projects, at banquet tables, there come ringing into our ears the sacred names of Deity without solemnity. It was baptized by water, and its sins were washed away. He loves. He gave us the parable of the farmer who sowed good seed in his ground but whose enemy planted tares in the field. Of such the Lord said: And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. Do we twentieth century people have reason to think that we can be immune from the same tragic consequences when we ignore the same divine laws? 20:9 italics added). One stroke of his omnipotent hand could make powerless all nations who oppose and save a world even in its death throes. Yet today we worship the gods of wood and stone and metal. Instead of disciplining ourselves, we yield to urges and carnal desires. I ask you: What value is a car without an engine, a cup without water, a table without food, a lamp without oil? . (1 Thessalonians 5:2, 6-7.) For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. As we approach the general conference with its priesthood session, we will be no less loving or direct with the brethren, for our counsel will be similar. The responsibility was each for himself. Yet even when the hardening is swift, it can also be subtle. ), David was a local boy and was ignored until he could no longer be ignored. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. By President Spencer W. Kimball From an address delivered to the Young Presidents organization, Sun Valley, Idaho, 15 January 1977 Spencer W. Kimball, "Jesus: The Perfect Leader," Ensign, Aug. 1979, 5 There are far more things to be said about the Lord Jesus Christ's remarkable leadership than He later became the church's president . Its symptoms are manifested in every corner of the globe. The trouble with rejection because of personal familiarity with the prophets is that the prophets are always somebodys son or somebodys neighbor. . Numerous mothers prefer the added luxuries of two incomes to the satisfactions of seeing children grow up in the fear of God Deut. Spencer Woolley Kimball was born March 28, 1895, in Salt Lake City. Ponder upon these great truths, especially in those moments when (in the stillness of such anxiety as you may experience as an individual) you might otherwise wonder and be perplexed. And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight (see Lev. We note the increasing coarseness of language and understand how Lot must have felt when he was, according to Peter, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked. (2Pet. Can they not see that, pushed by pleasure, they will become more and more distant from joy? "It's not possible that the problems of this world be resolved by the pesimists and sceptics whose horizons are guided by the obvious realities. 5:20 Men have rationalized themselves into thinking that they are not so bad. Are they fully ripe? For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. When the world is full of tribulation and help is needed, but it seems the time must be past and hope is vain, then Christ will come. We have the general warning that comes from these world conditions, but we have no precise timetable. I leave this testimony with you with my love and my blessings. In addition to those basic and vital skills which go with homemaking, there are other skills which can be appropriately cultivated and which will increase your effectiveness in the home, in the Church, and in the community. ROGER K YOUNG EVENTS FOR THE COMING YEAR? Thou shalt not commit adultery Ex. And Paul said to the Thessalonians: For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. Even if the tomato you eat is a $2.00 tomato, it will bring satisfaction anyway and remind us all of the law of the harvest, which is relentless in life. As one jars loose and begins to roll down hill, still another breaks loose, whether it is an increase in homosexuality, corruption, drugs, or abortion. The political physicians through the ages have rejected suggested remedies as unprofessional since they came from lowly prophets. They stand at his mercy which will be extended only if they repent. (Matthew 24:43-44.) The trouble with using obscurity as a test of validity is that God has so often chosen to bring forth his work out of obscurity. The late Elder JohnA. Widtsoe wrote: The place of woman in the Church is to walk beside the man, not in front of him nor behind him. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 8:24-25. His eldest brother was peeved at the presumptuousness of David for even being at the front where Goliath taunted the armies of Israel. You will pay tribute and bondage and fetters shall bind you (see Lev. As a boy I saw how all, young and old, worked and worked hard. It is just a hundred years ago that Bishop Hess, with the approval of the First Presidency, called Aurelia Spencer Rogers to organize the first Primary in Farmington, Utah. It was unlike any other talk Ive ever listened to. Even in the true Church numerous of its people fail to attend their meetings, to tithe their incomes, to have their regular prayers, to keep all the commandments. April 1966 General Conference, Ezra Taft Benson: Our God-given Rights October 1968 General Conference. Experience is a dear teacher but fools will learn by no other. But we continue on in our godlessness. We read of Enoch who was called when but a lad. They knew they should have oil. Primary helps little boys and girls prepare for their future great responsibilities as mothers and fathers and citizens of Zion. What can I do? asks the fearful one. When we know these truths, my sisters and associates in this divine cause, it should help us greatly as we all experience much less than perfect love and perfect justice in the world. They were sealed the following year in the Salt Lake Temple. These are eternal differenceswith women being given many tremendous responsibilities of motherhood and sisterhood and men being given the tremendous responsibilities of fatherhood and the priesthoodbut the man is not without the woman nor the woman without the man in the Lord (see 1Cor. (See Jonah 3:3.) The pioneers thought it would be soon and watched for signs; our grandparents watched for the sprouting of the fig tree; our parents watched for the reddening of the sky; and we ourselves have heard all our lives that the Second Coming is near. I was not a General Authority at that time. While leaders quarrel, and editors write, and authorities analyze and prognosticate, we break the Sabbath as though no command had ever been given. It is the parable of the Ten Virgins, a powerful warning to all men. I can transform my own life till it is perfected and then influence others when thus transformed. Far from freeing those involved, sin is an admission of surrender to the herd. For as the . In this connection, I stress again the deep need each woman has to study the scriptures. (Matthew 24:21-22.) . Remember, too, as we focus on the glories and importance of family life here, that all of us belong to the eternal family of our Father in Heaven. Certainly, the fig tree is shooting forth its leaves and the summer is nigh and the signs of the times presage the harvest with its separation of the righteous and unrighteous. In the parable, oil can be purchased at the market. Decadence which grew in the soil of tolerance and permissiveness soon seeks to drive out all of these. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. We have equality as recipients of Gods perfected love for each of us. Regardless of who is getting the adversarys special attention at any given time, he seeks to make all people miserable like unto himself (2Ne. "Rationalizing is the bringing of ideals down to the level of one's conduct. 25:9 And modern prophets are warning frequently, constantly. How can one witness so many of those who ought to be good examples becoming bad examples and not cry out? And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. . You will be better mothers and wives, both in this life and in eternity, if you sharpen the skills you have been given and use the talents with which God has blessed you. 31:13 Men golf and boat and hunt and fish rather than to solemnize the Sabbath. But real as these challenges are, all of you need to drink in deeply the gospel truths about the eternal nature of your individual identity and the uniqueness of your personality. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 20:7 italics added). . Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain Ex. Throughout my experience in leaving Disney, I pondered and searched this quote from President Spencer W. Kimball: "Security is not born of inexhaustible wealth but of unquenchable faith."1Our true security and peace is born of faith in Jesus Christ. . This is not true, for the decision is ourswe may accept or reject, comply or ignore[However,] we cannot avoid the penalties of disobedience to law (Spencer W. Kimball, The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, pp. With no warning, no last-minute preparation is possible. Still others of you now know the uncertainty of being young as you ponder your place in the eternal scheme of things. He, too, devoted his life to the service of God and his fellow man and influenced thousands of others to do the same. He lives. There is a cure for the earths illness, an infallible one. Eventually, sweating and straining and puffing, we pulled the catch up on the sand. The sun was shining and life moved forward as usual. The Lord said to them: O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they [the slain ones], will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you? 3 Ne. Yet this common sin and idolatry run hand in hand. Now as we conclude this general conference, let us all give heed to what was said to us. The world has been cliniced, and the complex diseases have been cataloged. We have confidence in you. Language is like music; we rejoice in beauty, range, and quality in both, and we are demeaned by the repetition of a few sour notes. Can they not see the gross selfishness that will lead finally to deep loneliness? After serving in stake presidencies and as a stake president, in 1943 Spencer W. Kimball was ordained an apostle. behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. And learning this the bridegroom will relent. He has even said it would be so. In 1957, he had to have some of his vocal cords removed due to throat cancer. Your dead bodies will be piled upon the materialistic things you sought so hard to accumulate and save. (See Moses 6.) I bear testimony to the divinity also of this great work which is the greatest thing in the world, as was said by one of the Brethren. While the iron curtains rise and thicken, we eat, drink, and make merry. 2:20 It has a tragic and bloody past, but a glorious and peaceful future if its inhabitants really learn to serve their God. They were not the gentiles or the heathens or the pagans, nor were they necessarily corrupt and reprobate, but they were knowing people who were foolishly unprepared for the vital happenings that were to affect their eternal lives. This release was followed up in 1981 by a new edition of the triple combination (Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price). "Noah heeded God's command to build an arkthat they might be saved from the flood waters. We bow down to the god of mammon, the god of luxuries, the god of dissipation. Others of the sisters are experiencing the anguish that often goes with aging. He is a white-haired saint whose life has been dealt harshly with by law and justice but who was inspired by a "bishop" to be better. Of course, a one-sided disarmament could be madness if worldliness and materialism continued, but a serious turn of the masses could forestall all military conquests, all tragedies of conflict. But when the cry sounds, there is no time for preparation. Decadence is very demanding and dogmatic, and it is no friend of liberty. Spencer W. Kimball reports that David O. McKay had said "that in his view homosexuality was worse than heterosexual immorality; that it is a filthy and unnatural habit." (20) 1959- Advise and Consent published. Free love and indiscretions and deviations of every nature are common in our day. Six days shalt thou labour Ex. While we do not now remember the particulars, this does not alter the glorious reality of what we once agreed to. Finally, my dear sisters, may I suggest to you something that has not been said before or at least in quite this way. The people have ignored him, disbelieved him, failed to follow him. It seems that we would rather tax ourselves into slavery than to pay our tithes; rather build protections and walls than drop to our knees with our families in solemn prayers night and morning. At only age nineteen, just before he was called to serve in the Swiss-Austrian mission, he was ordained as a general authority seventy. 20:3 italics added). So often the prophets have been rejected because they first rejected the wrong ways of their own society. . Spencer Woolley Kimball was born in Salt Lake City, March 25, 1895, one of 11 children born to Andrew and Olive Kimball. Bombs are detonated. 2:27). It is very ill. Long ago it was born with brilliant prospects. But a controlling majority of the people of this world have relegated them to the past. Both a righteous man and a righteous woman are a blessing to all those their lives touch. It seems that while remedies have been applied, staph infection has set in, and the patients suffering intensified. We had full equality as his spirit children. and our mothers and our fair daughters, and our children . Seek excellence in all your righteous endeavors, and in all aspects of your lives. This ugly deviation is found among youth and married people. Prophets who were not glib, but slow of speech, were esteemed as naught. So long had it been since they began expecting him that they were rationalizing that he would never appear. ), Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), The 3 Simple Words My Grandma Brought Me from the Spirit World. And then he gave the parable of the fish and the net: Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. Rushing for their lamps to light their way through the blackness, half of them found them empty. Spencer Woolley Kimball (March 28, 1895 - November 5, 1985) was an American business, civic, and religious leader who was the twelfth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). I am prepared to live or die and need not fear. We think of Russia and China, of Africa and VietNam, of the Near East and Ireland. Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. Another prophet said, We call evil good, and good evil Isa. 1:7, The prophet exclaims again with fervor: And now we . They had been taught. This I know, for the Lord has so declared it through the ages, and I know he lives and is all powerful. Even though the eternal roles of men and women differ, as we indicated to you a year ago, this leaves much to be done by way of parallel personal developmentfor both men and women. "The statement, "As a man thinketh, so is he," could equally well be rendered "As a man thinketh, so does he." If one thinks it long enough he is likely to do it.". I recall my first trip to Hawaii. (Matthew 25:1-13.) 10:12, He that fighteth against Zion shall perish 2 Ne. Then all the virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. Most of the time there have been pains and aches in some parts of its anatomy, but now that it is growing old, complications have set in, and all the ailments seem to be everywhere. BYU Studies Quarterly Volume 25 Issue 4 Article 14 10-1-1985 Spencer W. Kimball at College Edward L. Kimball Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq We knew that we were taming the Arizona desert. Terror is substituted for reason. We read of sections of this land where abortions outnumber live births, of how illegitimate births outnumber legitimate, and we wonder how long the judgments of God can be stayed. President Spencer W. Kimball spoke frequently at Brigham Young University, encouraging students and faculty to strengthen their testimonies, increase their moral fiber, and rededicate themselves to the principles of education and service. For they have warned that if the inhabitants of this land are ever brought down into captivity and enslaved, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land (see 2 Ne. Thus it will be that female exemplars of the Church will be a significant force in both the numerical and the spiritual growth of the Church in the last days. 2:7.) I have heard President JosephF. Smith and all who have followed him up to now. Too late, too late! But, on the scale of eternity, the missing of these blessings shall be but a small moment (see D&C 121:7). Beloved brothers and sisters, wasnt it a happy moment when we were permitted to be here today to hear that beautiful testimony of Brother LeGrand Richards? The places change but the turmoil continues. He predicted earthquakes and other terrestrial disturbances and we think of earthquakes and landslides in California, Chile and Greece, Japan and Alaska, and unprecedented floods in the United States. Instead of responding to Pauls message, some saw his bodily presence as weak and regarded his speech as contemptible. It is because of their love and integrity that they cannot modify the Lords message merely to make people feel comfortable. And the earth shall be given unto them for an inheritance; and they shall multiply and wax strong, and their children shall grow up without sin unto salvation. Let us assume the counsel given applies to us, to me. It was the most monumental and celebrated revelation in the Church in its time. One cannot read about the prophet Ether, warning the city by day and hiding by night in a cave, without marveling at his capacity to go each day once again into that hostile city. At his first address as prophet of the Church, in April Conference of 1974, President Kimball's talk became the watch cry of his presidency". Spencer W. Kimball was President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints when this devotional address was given at Brigham Young University on 10 October 1975. (1 Thessalonians 5:2-4.) From whom else could you learn of our Father in Heavens glorious plan of happiness? Of course, rejection of the holy prophets comes because the hearts of people are hardened, as people are shaped by their society. His young faith and dedicated family were great sources of strength when Spencers mother, Olive, passed away, Spencer being only eleven years old. How can one share faith or testimony? Defense stockpiles increase. (Matthew 13:30.) (Revelation 21:3-5, 7. If we need a reminder of harsh realities and the dangers of duty which prophets face, Jonah gives us a glimpse in relation to his call to the exceeding great city of Nineveh, which took three days just to walk through, its size was so intimidating. The lamps then make patterns of joy on the hillside, and the procession moves on toward the house of banqueting, and those without lamps or oil are left in darkness. (Luke 12:19-20.) Partly due to his work in Brazil and other South American countries, he was led to question the Churchs policy of restricting priesthood and temple blessings from those of African descent, a practice which had begun during the time of Brigham Young. Because sin is such sadness, the righteous do not stress an attitude of I told you sobecause the righteous, in their love, truly wish they had been more effective in communication and in testifying so that there could be less misery and more happiness in the world. It is the parable of the Ten Virgins, a powerful warning to all men. Time had passed, and he had not come. He oversaw reorganization of the structure of the Church to accommodate extensive growth and globalization. Man being what he is with tendencies such as he has, results can be prognosticated with some degree of accuracy. . . It is not only worth waiting for; it is worth living for! Become scholars of the scripturesnot to put others down, but to lift them up! The Lord has given us this parable as a special warning. Let us assume the counsel given applies to us, to me. True, there are some temporary differences and some constraining circumstances. Their examples helped him gain a testimony of their callings as ministers of Jesus Christ. Many of the Lord's parables and sayings urged men to be prepared for his Second Coming and for the end of this period of the world's existence. These men are among the prophets of God, just as were the prophets of the Book of Mormon and of the Bible. The dignity and self-esteem that honest work produces are essential to happiness. (Hebrews 10:35-37.) Your heaven shall be as iron and your earth as brass. The Morning Breaks; the Shadows Flee, The Primary Enriches the Lives of Children, Grieve Not the Holy Spirit, Lest We Lose It, I Did Not Reach This Place By Myself, Strengthening the Familythe Basic Unit of the Church, Solving Emotional Problems in the Lords Own Way.

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