Christ is My One and Only Foundation

Smithfield YSA Stake Conference

23 September 2018

Good morning! My name is Jordan Falslev and I’m from the 4th Ward. I’m grateful for this opportunity to share my testimony on building a strong foundation with the most powerful and durable cement known throughout all eternity, The Rock, Jesus Christ. 

I love the focus of this Conference, Helaman 5:12.

“And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

The late Boyd K. Packer touched on some of the storms we face; “It was meant to be that life would be a challenge. To suffer some anxiety, some depression, some disappointment, even some failure is normal. There is great purpose in our struggle in life.” 

It is critical to our success in mortality that we learn about the Savior & His role as CONTRACTOR of SECURE FOUNDATIONS.

It is not a matter of if the devil will attack but only a matter of when. Those storms and winds may take the form of death, contention, sin, divorce, disappointment, letdowns, and anything else that would weigh heavily upon us.

When buying or selling a home, there are two words you don’t want to hear. They are ‘foundation issues’. The reason is if there is an issue in the foundation there’s a problem with everything else. 

The point that Helaman is trying to make to his sons and us today, is that a foundation is extremely important because they are the things we build our lives upon. 

Our foundation determines our future. If you have a unstable, weak foundation, at some point a great fall will take place.

There’s a choice we get to make; which type of foundation we are going to build our lives on. The world and satan know all about this. They know that our personal foundations are up for grabs. They know we are looking to build our lives on something. And they want to be the ones to tell us what that something is. 

Don’t build your foundation on things that are not built to last. And there are a lot of them in these latter days. 

Ask yourself: What is my foundation?
What have I built my life upon?
What do I find being drawn to, attracted to, and pulled by?

Jesus is offering to be your foundation. Jesus Christ is saying His teachings and His life can be your foundation today and forever.

Often times, we, including myself, have used Jesus as just a wall. We think, ‘Alright, Jesus is my wall. None of the storms can touch me. I’m safe. Life is an easy street from this moment on because I have Jesus.’

But if you look at the parable Jesus tells in Matthew 4:24-27 both men built a house, and a storm came to both of them. The difference was the type of foundation they had. We cannot have a testimony of Christ like unto a single weak wall. We need that rock solid foundation in Christ in order for a wall to even stand.

What is the process to build this foundation in Christ?
I thought of 3.

1- Know What Jesus Knows: Read the scriptures and the words of living Prophets. Christ has so much to tell us. In His Restored Church, we have the most revealed Word of God and it’s still pouring in like a flood today!

2- Do What Jesus Did: Live the Gospel. Follow His example on how we are supposed to live with one another. How we are to forgive and love and serve and actually put ourselves second. To humble ourselves. To show grace and compassion. We have to do what Jesus asks us to do.

3- We Have to Desire to be Like Christ Each and Every Day

This isn’t a choice you make once and you’re good. This is something you commit to each morning and night. That in every way possible you want to be like Christ. The great news is you don’t have to do this alone. The Atonement of Christ exists in our lives to help us in this process. But it has to come with an inner desire to change, so that your life transforms and looks like Christ’s life. 

It doesn’t matter where you are in your life today, what foundation you have previously built your life upon. You might even be in a middle of a storm today, and if that’s the case we have Christ and Leaders who are willing and wanting to walk with you through those storms, to help you navigate your way through them.

You might have already past through a storm, and all you see when you look around is debris and clutter and destruction and you say ‘What now, I’m too far gone.’

You’re not. Jesus invites us to build our lives on Him each and every day. And it is never too late to rebuild. A life that sticks to the Rock, is a life that can weather through the storms, because God in His Infinite love wants us to survive them. 

If your life is centered on the Savior no matter what the devil throws at you, your life cannot fall apart if you are with Him.

I bear testimony that as natural men and women we make life so much more complicated than it needs to be. The world and the devil try to give us all these weak things to distract us from building this critical foundation. I know that if you just put Jesus Christ and His Gospel above all else, life is much easier to handle and so much more enjoyable. I love my Savior and am so grateful for the daily construction He provides to my soul every minute so I can withstand the storms of life. 

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Sunday Is Best

JORDAN FALSLEV

20 October 2019

Smithfield YSA 6th Ward

Good afternoon, Brothers and Sisters. My name is Jordan Falslev, and I am from beautiful downtown Benson. Thank you for being here today, I’m glad to be amongst fellow comrades, as I like to call you. You’ve made a great choice, for which the Lord will greatly bless you. Thank you for your reverence during the passing of the Sacrament. Thank you for dedicating this day to the Lord and recommitting yourself to Him and His Gospel.

Today I would like to talk to you about what we are all here doing; worshiping Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ on this holiest of days, the Sabbath.

Back in 2015, President Russell M. Nelson gave a wonderful talk on the Sabbath. He asked us, “Is the Sabbath really a delight for you and for me?” Today, I would like to echo that question to all of us. Ask yourself these questions as well, “Do I delight when Saturday ends and Sunday begins? Am I delighted to sit in this chapel and rededicate myself to serving God and His children? How will I make the rest of this day a delight?”

For as long as I can remember, I have always looked forward to the Sabbath and attending Sunday services. Even on my mission, when every day was full of worshiping, I looked forward to this separate, holy, dedicated day of renewal and rejuvenation no other day could truly provide.

I strongly believe there is powerful blessings given to us when we honor the Sabbath Day. I believe it can improve the quality of one's life, family life, and the life of our society and world.

Many people, inside and outside the Church, do not think that the Fourth Commandment, the Sabbath Day, is particularly important, and consider it ‘just another day’.

Once we understand it, however, we will recognize how both life changing and world changing it can be.

The Fourth Commandment reads: “Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work…” Exodus 20:8-11

For nearly all of human history, mortal life has always overwhelmingly consisted of work. In effect, we are beasts of burden.

No matter what our circumstances are, we must remind ourselves at least one day a week that we are sacred beings; we have a soul to feed, not just a body. Our spirit needs just as much nutrition and attention, if not more, than our physical.

More than any other commandment, keeping the Sabbath holy reminds us that they are meant to be free. Moses reminded the Israelites, as recorded in the Book of Deuteronomy 21:15, “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt.” In other words, remember that slaves cannot have a Sabbath; only free men and women can.

Unless it is necessary for survival, people who choose to work seven days a week are essentially slaves – slaves to work or money, but slaves nonetheless. The millionaire who works seven days a week is simply a rich slave.

Just as faith in God brings people to the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath brings people to faith in God. In our secular world, very few activities bring people to a relationship with God as effectively as does devoting a day each week to the spiritual, not just the material.

During the Paris Olympics in 1924, Scotsman Eric Liddell, a celebrated sprinter, was expected to win gold in the 100 meters. However, he discovered that the time trials for his event were going to fall on a Sunday, which he believed to be the Lord’s Day. Even though he had relentlessly trained and his country had invested in him, he refused to run. This decision put him under immense pressure from politicians, teammates, and even some family. “God will understand,” they said. “Your country is counting on you! Do it just this one time!” But he said, “No. I can’t do it—not even once.”

Well, it turned out that Liddell could run in another event that did not conflict with his beliefs—the 400 meters. During the time trials, he didn’t perform well. Teammates wondered about his ability to secure a medal. But Liddell believed the results were in God’s hands, and just prior to running the final, he was handed a slip of paper from an American with a profound message on it: “Those who honor me, I will honor.” When the gun sounded, Liddell ran and broke the then standing record to finish first!

Eric Liddell firmly believed in obeying God no matter the cost.

For him the Sabbath commandment was no less important than the ones that say, “Do not murder” and “Do not commit adultery.” Many see the commandment to keep the Sabbath Holy as a “personal preference” or an optional choice. But it’s not just a recommendation from prophets and apostles; it’s the law of the Almighty, of which even He obeys.

The devil doesn’t care whether your sin is adultery or lying or Sabbath breaking, just as long as he can get you to sin and separate you from God.

He knows that in God’s view the Sabbath commandment is not any less important than the others. That’s why I believe it is satan’s plan to erode our convictions through procrastination and excuses so that when the big tests of the last days come, when we must choose whom we will worship, many people will have been so trained to compromise that they won’t be prepared to take a stand when it matters most. That’s why it is important now to be faithful in keeping the Sabbath holy; it’s all about preparation.

God says there is holy time; what does He mean? The word “holy” means “dedicated, set apart, or consecrated to God.” 

It’s clear from the scriptures that some things are holy and should not be profaned or treated as common.

For one, marriage is called holy. You can date someone for years, but it’s not a holy relationship until you seal the covenant. Profaning that holy relationship is a violation of the commandment. Tithing is also called holy. (Leviticus 27:30) It can be hard to grasp that among the ten $1 bills in your pocket, one of them is considered holy, but nonetheless, using that dollar to make a car payment profanes something sacred.

We live in such a relentlessly busy culture that it takes thought, planning, and effort to rest.

President Nelson shared, “When Isaiah described the Sabbath as “a delight,” he also taught us how to make it delightful. He said:

“If thou turn away … from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, … and shalt honour [the Lord], not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:

“Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord.”

“Not pursuing your “own pleasure” on the Sabbath requires self-discipline. You may have to deny yourself of something you might like. If you choose to delight yourself in the Lord, you will not permit yourself to treat it as any other day. Routine and recreational activities can be done some other time.”

“Think of this: In paying tithing, we return one-tenth of our increase to the Lord. In keeping the Sabbath holy, we reserve one day in seven as His. So it is our privilege to consecrate both money and time to Him who lends us life each day.”

Does Heavenly Father want us to dread the Sabbath? No! He wants it to be a blessing. But if we don’t have a strong relationship with Jesus Christ, we’ll be watching the clock. When the Sabbath approaches, we’ll be thinking, “Oh, great! I’ve got all this stuff to do. Why is it already Sunday? Now I don’t have time to do it.” That’s not the attitude God wants us to have. The Sabbath should never be a burden.

In Amos 8:5, we read about people saying, “When will the New Moon be past, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may trade wheat?” They were waiting for the sun to go down and the Sabbath to be over so they could do their own thing.

We want the Lord to have our hearts, and when He has our hearts we won’t be asking those kinds of questions about the Sabbath. God wants the Sabbath to be a delight. And I believe the more we come to know God, the more delightful the Sabbath will become.

President Nelson continued, “What did the Savior mean when He said that “the sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath”? I believe He wanted us to understand that the Sabbath was His gift to us, granting real respite from the rigors of daily life and an opportunity for spiritual and physical renewal. God gave us this special day, not for amusement or daily labor but for a rest from duty, with physical and spiritual relief.”

He continues, “In Hebrew, the word Sabbath means “rest.” The purpose of the Sabbath dates back to the Creation of the world, when after six days of labor the Lord rested from the work of creation … Perhaps most important, the Sabbath was given as a perpetual covenant, a constant reminder that the Lord may sanctify His people.”

“In addition, we now partake of the sacrament on the Sabbath day in remembrance of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Again, we covenant that we are willing to take upon us His holy name.”

“The Savior identified Himself as Lord of the Sabbath. It is His day! Repeatedly, He has asked us to keep the Sabbath or to hallow the Sabbath day. We are under covenant to do so.”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland gave a powerful talk last April Conference titled, Behold The Lamb of God, that I strongly encourage all of you to review. He closes with powerful pleading and counsel of the importance of partaking of the Sacrament on this Holy day.

“This hour ordained of the Lord is the most sacred hour of our week. By commandment, we gather for the most universally received ordinance in the Church. It is in memory of Him who asked if the cup He was about to drink could pass, only to press on because He knew that for our sake it could not pass. It will help us if we remember that a symbol of that cup is slowly making its way down the row toward us.

“When the sacred hour comes to present our sacrificial gift to the Lord, we do have our own sins and shortcomings to resolve; that’s why we’re there. But we might be more successful in such contrition if we are mindful of the other broken hearts and sorrowing spirits that surround us. Seated not far away are some who may have wept—outwardly or inwardly—through the entire sacramental hymn and the prayers. Might we silently take note of that and offer our little crust of comfort and our tiny cup of compassion—might we dedicate it to them? One way to “always remember him” would be to join the Great Physician in His never-ending task of lifting the load from those who are burdened and relieving the pain of those who are distraught.

Beloved friends, as we unite each week in what we hope is an increasingly sacred acknowledgment of Christ’s majestic atoning gift to all humankind, may we bring to the sacramental altar “more tears for His sorrows [and] more pain at His grief.” And then, as we reflect, pray, and covenant anew, may we take from that sacred moment “more patience in suffering, … more praise for relief.”

Like Elder Holland shared in that talk as well, we all have some kind of ox in the mire. If it is taking us away from worshiping the Lord fully on the Sabbath, it is due time we sell the ox or fill the mire.

Our situations are all different, and that is the beauty of personal revelation. The Lord can help us find, through revelation, the activities that are appropriate for the Sabbath and the things that will bring us closer to Him and help us worship Him on His holy day. All the effort you give to keep the Sabbath day holy, I know the Lord will bless you.

The Sabbath day isn't a day to deprive us of "fun" things – it is a day for us to practice putting our will in line with the Lord's will, finding the things that He would have us do, and growing closer to Him in the process.

What a blessing it is that the Lord would set aside an entire day so that we can devote all that time to growing closer to Him without having to worry about all our worldly cares!

So this Sunday, as you plan activities for yourself or with others, ask yourself, "Does it bring me closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?"

Observing the Sabbath will bring you closer to the Lord and to your family. It will give you an eternal perspective and spiritual strength.

John H. Groberg offered this promise to those who honor the Sabbath:

"Does the Lord love and bless those who keep the Sabbath day holy? I testify that He does in eternally meaningful ways. I further testify that when we eventually see things through the proper perspective of eternal truth, we will be amazed at how much we were blessed in important-though often unperceived-ways through keeping the Sabbath holy; and to our sorrow we may sense how many blessings we kept from ourselves by not consistently keeping the Sabbath day holy.”

President Kimball shared some powerful truths about the importance of Sunday:

"To many, Sabbath-breaking is not important, but to our Heavenly Father it is disobedience to one of the principal commandments. Moses came down from the quaking, smoking Mount Sinai and brought to the wandering children of Israel the Ten Commandments, which are fundamental rules for the conduct of life. These commandments, however, were not new. They had been known to Adam and his posterity, who had been commanded to live them from the beginning, and were merely reiterated by the Lord to Moses. These commandments even antedated earth life and were part of the test for mortals established in the council in heaven "to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them." (Abr. 3:25.)

We do live in a day of much Sabbath-breaking.  If we heed prophetic counsel we will have promised blessings.  If we live after the manner of the world - we're not promised the same.

Although this commandment was given long ago, it has not been revoked or changed by God – its observance has been changed by men. Keeping the Sabbath day holy is just as important for us as it was for ancient Israel. 

Elder H. Aldridge Gillespie, said in October 2000: "The promises of the Lord to those who keep the Sabbath day holy are so wonderfully clear in the scriptures that they leave one asking, 'Why would anyone throw away such blessings for the tawdry, temporary pleasures of the world?' I know you will be happier, enjoy greater peace, and find your lives made glad as you witness the miracles that come to each person and family who make the sacrifice of keeping this eternal covenant."

I love the Sabbath day. It provides rest and relief from long, hard weeks, and a time to rest from the cares of the world. It's a time for reflection, renewing and rejuvenation. I don’t know how I’d manage life’s pace without knowing Sunday was coming. It’s more than just a day of rest for me, it’s a time to really feed the soul.

Divide Your Light from the Darkness

JORDAN FALSLEV

22 September 2019

Smithfield YSA 4th & 5th Ward

Light is amazing! Yet it is one of those daily gifts that we take for granted, at least until our power goes out and we find ourselves fumbling in the darkness. 

Without natural light, we are unable to see without some type of manmade device.

Our eyes are made to find light. In fact, to do their job they need light. Stand in a windowless room and turn off the light. At first, you will see nothing but rather quickly your eyes do a miraculous thing. They actually adjust so that they can see using small amounts of light. It’s an incredible process.

We need light to see. Both physically and spiritually. 

We can go back to the beginning of recorded Biblical history to see how much Jesus Christ, under the direction of the Father valued light for His creation. In the very first chapter of Genesis, we find the introduction of light to an earth immersed in darkness, without shape or purpose. In the beginning, God began the process of creation and new life with light.

Moses 2:2-5 share the same truth and similar wording;

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and I caused darkness to come up upon the face of the deep; and my Spirit moved upon the face of the water; for I am God.

3 And I, God, said: Let there be light; and there was light.

4 And I, God, saw the light; and that light was good. And I, God, divided the light from the darkness.

5 And I, God, called the light Day; and the darkness, I called Night; and this I did by the word of my power, and it was done as I spake; and the evening and the morning were the first day.

You may notice that God knew how good light was for the earth and all creation. You may also notice in the sequence of creation found in the rest of the chapter, this light is not the same as the sun and moon mentioned as created on the fourth day.

So what was this light that God called good and chased away the darkness from creation? We find clues as we read from the Gospel of John 1:3-5; 

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 

If we continue to read, we see that the Apostle John tells us that John the Baptist testified that Jesus was the true light who has come to live among us. Just as the “Premortal light” chased away the darkness of the newly created earth, the “mortal light” of Jesus was needed to dispel the darkness of sin which had found its way into the human heart.

John 1: 9-11 reads;

9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

Just as John records, the people of that day did not welcome Jesus, The Light of the World. We continue today to see others close the light out and prefer, in their ignorance, to live in darkness. The natural man and woman builds walls and closes doors to the light that would reveal Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ’s goodness and Their purpose for our lives.

Jesus said, as recorded in Matthew 5:14-16;

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 

I believe there are small openings and cracks in those walls and doors that we build around ourselves. Cracks that are just right for the light of Jesus to shine in and make a difference in our lives, and make us want more and more light until all the darkness has been chased away.

Daily, open those doors and let the fullness of Jesus’ light shine into our dark places. Just as the sun and moon give off light to this earth, we can give our light, gained by the light of Christ, to this dark world.

It’s amazing to think that without light, there is complete darkness. Every morning we should express sincere gratitude to Heavenly Father that He provided the sun and His Son to provide us light and direction. Another exciting reality is that no amount of darkness can extinguish even the tiniest light, and confirms that as Creator, His authority is greater than any other power.

When we are small, it’s common to be afraid of the dark because our natural instinct does not trust the unknown. We imagine creatures that can see us and are waiting in the shadows to grab us. We laugh at how silly this sounds, but fear is associated with our fallen human nature, and even as adults we are still faced with the temptation to be anxious and worried about what we cannot understand. It is only when our mind has been renewed by the Word and Spirit of the Lord that by faith we can trust Him and know there is nothing to fear as long as we are with Him.

Psalms 27:1; The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Sister Sharon Eubank gave a powerful talk this last General Conference titled, Christ: The Light That Shines in Darkness. I encourage all of you to read, re-read, watch or listen to that talk when you have free time this week. 

She said, “One of the fundamental needs we have in order to grow is to stay connected to our source of light—Jesus Christ.”

Throughout the rest of this Sabbath day I encourage you to ask yourself, “How can I stay connected to Jesus Christ, my true source of light?”

Sister Eubank continues, “He is the source of our power, the Light and Life of the World. Without a strong connection to Him, we begin to spiritually die. Knowing that, satan tries to exploit the worldly pressures we all face. He works to dim our light, short-circuit the connection, cut off the power supply, leaving us alone in the dark. These pressures are common conditions in mortality, but satan works hard to isolate us and tell us we are the only one experiencing them.”

Ponder also these self-reflection questions;

How has Christ been a source of light and power in my life?

In what ways does satan “dim our light” or “leave us alone in the dark?”

The word “light” occurs hundreds of times in the scriptures. Our Father in Heaven and his Son Jesus Christ are frequently described in terms of Their light.  John 1:5 teaches us that “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” The Savior describes Himself, saying “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12

Light is frequently tied with truth. The Doctrine and Covenants teaches us that “the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” To increase in light is to increase in knowledge of the truth, to become increasingly filled with the Spirit.

President Hinckley shared; “People sometimes ask me, “What is your favorite verse of scripture?” I tell them that I have many, but among these is one for which I feel a particular love. It is found in the fiftieth section of the Doctrine and Covenants and reads as follows:

 “That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day” (D&C 50:24). I ask you to ponder those words: “That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.” For me, in those few words there is encompassed the marvelous concept of the eternal plan of God in behalf of his sons and daughters whom He loves. That statement speaks of learning. It speaks of the now and the forever. It speaks of growth and development. It is positive and affirmative and wonderful.”

That which is of God is light. This is key.  By revealing doctrines, principles, commandments, and covenants unto us, our Father in Heaven strives to bless us with light. The adversary, on the other hand, strives to take light out of our lives. Consider the warning in D&C 93:39; “And that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth.” Satan will try to take away light and truth from you by twisting your perception of God’s doctrines, principles, commandments, and covenants and by distorting your response to them.  

In an address given in February 2006, Elder Bednar emphasized satan’s distorting efforts, teaching us that satan, “distorts the doctrines that matter most to us individually, to our families, and to the world.”

When our choices distort our vision, we grieve God and give satan cause to celebrate. He smiles when scripture study bores us, he cheers when prayer is words from the mouth rather than communion from the heart, and he laughs when the counsel of prophets and apostles, and our local leaders offend us. By leading you along his dangerous path, satan can turn the bright sunlit day of your life into darkness. You make it easy for him when you make choices that distort your vision. Be on your guard.

I know that we can find light by diligently searching the scriptures, by communing with our Heavenly Father, and by obeying inspired counsel carefully and promptly.

D&C 50:23; “That which doth not edify is not of God, and is darkness.” If there is anything in your life that turns off your light, you know where it comes from.  If it does not strengthen and encourage you, it cannot be of God. It is darkness. Chase it away with light. 

When I wear my contact lenses, I have a clearer vision. Without them, everything is blurry. Satan would have you believe that spiritual blurriness is normal. Where there is simple, he will offer complication. Where there is clarity, he will offer exceptions to the rule. Where there is sharpness, he will offer blurriness. Among other ways, he blurs our vision by inviting and enticing us to sin.

When we sin, we immediately begin to lose focus, but the change occurs in such tiny increments that it can be unnoticeable. To further blur the difference between right and wrong, light and darkness, the enemy dismisses, mocks, and attacks divine standards, offering in their place his own phony standards. 

Doctrine and Covenants 93:28 teaches us how to receive light. “He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light.” We receive light when we take God’s doctrines, principles, commandments, and covenants deeply into our hearts and then obey them. 

Our Father in Heaven has blessed us with abundant opportunities to receive light, but we must choose to receive it.  If I receive light by accepting and living according to truth, I increase my spiritual safety. If I reject light, ignore it, or if I fail to take it seriously, light will do me no more good than a seat belt that I leave unfastened.

Elder Robert D. Hales gave a powerful illustration of this principle.  He said,

“When I was a boy, I used to ride my bicycle home from basketball practice at night. I would connect a small pear-shaped generator to my bicycle tire. Then as I pedaled, the tire would turn a tiny rotor, which produced electricity and emitted a single, welcome beam of light. It was a simple but effective mechanism. But I had to pedal to make it work! I learned quickly that if I stopped pedaling my bicycle, the light would go out. I also learned that when I was “anxiously engaged” in pedaling, the light would become brighter and the darkness in front of me would be dispelled.”

“Spiritual light comes from daily spiritual pedaling. It comes from praying, studying the scriptures, fasting, and serving—from living the gospel and obeying the commandments.”

Are you pedaling with both feet? 

We are truly blessed to live during the great dispensation of the fullness of times.  

We have an outpouring of light contained in the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ! We literally have Prophets and Apostles who speak the love and the will of God to us on the daily, if we choose to, with the gift of technology. This month alone we have been blessed to hear from a handful of them. Tonight we have the opportunity to hear from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland at the USU Spectrum. 

As much light as there is available at our fingertips, more than anytime in the history of humankind, there is also the opposite. Deep down everyone yearns for light! Make sure you are constantly feeding your physical and spiritual needs with God’s light. 

My fellow comrades, as I like to call you, however bright or dim your light may be, start pedaling. It may be weak at first, but the light that you generate through your obedience will become strong as you pedal with all your heart, might, mind and strength. 

I close with the words of our dear Prophet, Russell M. Nelson, that he gave this Tuesday at BYU. Each time he says the word truth, think of the word light. Remember they are the tied together; 

“Some things are simply true. The arbiter of truth is God—not your favorite social media news feed, not Google, and certainly not those who are disaffected from the Church.”

“President Spencer W. Kimball taught that absolute truth cannot be “altered by the opinions of men. . . . If men are really humble, they will realize that they discover, but do not create, truth.”

“Many now claim that truth is relative and that there is no such thing as divine law or a divine plan. Such a claim is simply not true. There is a difference between right and wrong. Truth is based upon the laws God has established for the dependability, protection, and nurturing of His children. Eternal laws operate in and affect each of our lives, whether we believe them or not.”

“You may know for yourself what is true and what is not by learning to discern the whisperings of the Spirit. For the “Spirit speaketh truth and lieth not. . . . [I]t speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be.””

“My dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to seek earnestly a confirmation from the Spirit that what I [teach] is true and is from the Lord. He has declared that we may seek knowledge from heaven and expect to receive it: “If thou shalt ask,” the Lord promised, “thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge.”

“Ask your Heavenly Father if we truly are the Lord’s Apostles and Prophets. Ask if we receive revelation.”

I bear testimony of these things and pray that we may all walk in the light of Jesus Christ daily.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.