Media Choices

This is a talk I gave on October 19th--but I don't know if it was in 2007 or 2008.

Good morning, brothers and sisters. I’d like to to start today by telling you a story that I’ll call “The Parable of the Green Goggles.” Picture, if you will, a pair of green safety gogglese—not just the safety glasses but the safety goggles which cover up about half of your face. They’re ugly, right? Well, I actually have to wear them at work, usually for at least a couple hours every day. When I first found out I had to wear them, as you can imagine, I wasn’t very happy about that because they’re ugly and they don’t look good. But I had to wear them, so I did. And I slowly reached the point where I didn’t’ mind them so much—oh who cares anyway? And hey, green’s my favorite color, so they’re not as bad as they could be.

Then one day, I caught sight of myself in a mirror and realized something was wrong. I looked BAD. So I kept looking, trying to figure out why I looked so bad that day—and I realized what was wrong was that I didn’t have my goggles on. Somehow, over time, I had reached the point where I thought I looked better with the goggles on than I did without them.

So, I was a little upset—and never wanted to wear them again because really, no one should ever think she looks better in those goggles than she does without them. Trust me, they’re ugly and not an improvement to anyone’s looks. Later on, though, I realized that the green goggles had taught me a valuable lesson. Our perceptions of what is normal and what is right are changed by what we are exposed to, and then our desires actually change with our perceptions. I had gone from hating the goggles, to tolerating them, to actually, subconsciously, wanting to wear them.

Like my exposure to the green goggles, our exposure to the media can change our perceptions and our desires. Speaking of the media, President Hinckley said, “Life is better than that which is so frequently portrayed. Nature is better than that. Love is better than that.”

Life is better, nature is better, and love is better than what we see in the media. We need to be incredibly careful about what we watch, listen to, and read, because if we let our perceptions change, we lose sight of what life really can be like. We lose sight of what we’re working for, and we lose our motivation to work for it. We settle for less, and anytime we settle for less than what the Lord wants to give us, we let Satan win. Satan doesn’t need us all to be addicted to pornography or to go commit adultery to destroy us; he just needs us to settle for less than the celestial.

So, how do we keep from settling for less? I think the first thing we need to do is recognize that we are not immune. All of us are affected by the media. The leaders of the Church have warned us repeatedly about the dangers.

President Monson has said, “Whatever you read, listen to, or watch makes an impression on you.”

Elder Ballard warned, “The choices we make in media can be symbolic of the choices we make in life. Choosing the trendy, the titillating, the tawdry in the TV programs or movies we watch can cause us to end up, if we’re not careful, choosing the same things in the lives we live.”

Elder Holland said, “What were in my generation carefree moments of moviegoing, TV watching, and magazine reading have now, with the additional availability of VCRs, the Internet, and personal computers, become amusements fraught with genuine moral danger. I put the word amusements in italics. Did you know that the original Latin meaning of the word amusement is “a diversion of the mind intended to deceive”? Unfortunately that is largely what “amusements” in our day have again become in the hands of the arch deceiver.

“Recently I read an author who said: “Our leisure, even our play, is a matter of serious concern. [That is because] there is no neutral ground in the universe: every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan.” ⁵ I believe that to be absolutely true, and no such claiming and counterclaiming anywhere is more crucial and conspicuous than that being waged for the minds and morals, the personal purity of the young.”

Please notice that none of these quotes condemned all use of media. In all of the reading I did to prepare this talk, I found nothing saying all media is bad. However, our leaders unanimously warn us about making appropriate choices. And they give us several guidelines for making those choices.

One guideline we can go by is Elder Dallin H. Oaks’ counsel from his talk, “Good, Better, Best.” He said, “Most of us have more things expected of us than we can possibly do. As breadwinners, as parents, as Church workers and members, we face many choices on what we will do with our time and other resources.

“We should begin by recognizing the reality that just because something is good is not a sufficient reason for doing it. The number of good things we can do far exceeds the time available to accomplish them. Some things are better than good, and these are the things that should command priority attention in our lives.”

He also added, “As we consider various choices, we should remember that it is not enough that something is good. Other choices are better, and still others are best.”

We’re not just choosing what is good enough; we need to be selecting what is best—both in the content of the media we use and in the amount of time that we devote to it.

Another guideline we can follow is “When in doubt, kick it out.” When I was younger, I played soccer a lot, and that phrase is one that my first soccer coach taught us. “When in doubt, kick it out.” And preferably, kick it a long way out so it takes the other time awhile to get the ball and gives your team some time to reorganize. When we’re making our media choices, if we’re not sure about something, let’s kick it out—and kick it a long way out. We probably won’t miss it anyway, and if we do, we don’t miss it forever. President Monson said, “Don’t be afraid to walk out of a movie, turn off a television set, or change a radio station if what’s being presented does not meet your Heavenly Father’s standards. In short, if you have any question about whether a particular movie, book, or other form of entertainment is appropriate, don’t see it, don’t read it, don’t participate.”

One final guideline I’d like to share comes from Elder Spencer J. Condie of the Seventy in his article The Message: Mushrooms, Music, Movies, and Magazines: “In the very closing verses of the Book of Mormon, Moroni extends the invitation to “come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness” (Moro. 10:32; emphasis added). The real question is not whether heavy metal is worse than hard rock or whether certain TV programs are worse than certain movies. If we wish to avoid being poisoned spiritually, we must ask: Is this music, movie, TV show, or literature ungodly?” We need to deny ourselves of all ungodliness.

Let’s be careful—so careful—in our media choices. Let’s find what’s best and not settle for less. Let’s be aware of how e can and are being affected by the media, and let’s remember what Elder Holland said: our leisure time is a battleground. Satan is fighting against us, so let’s fight back and not let any song, any TV show, any movie, or any book keep us from becoming who the Lord wants us to be and receiving what He wants to give us.

As we seek His help, the Lord will guide us and strengthen us in making our media choices. He loves us, He laid down His life for us, and He will help us to have the sort of life He has—which is way better than anything the world has to offer. As President Hinckley said, life is better, nature is better, and love is better than what we find in the media. If we will follow the Lord, He will show us how beautiful life really is, how beautiful love really is, and how to have that beauty in our lives. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Be of Good Cheer

I gave this lesson to my Relief Society in April 2009, the last lesson I taught in Relief Society, since I got married shortly afterwards and left my YSA ward for a married ward and haven't been called to be a Relief Society instructor since then.

Be of Good Cheer—President Thomas S. Monson

Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith.

President Monson starts off his talk by mentioning some of the calamities in the world—the problems with the economy, moral decline, wars, etc. Then he reminds us that we are to have joy.

As we look at these next few quotes, let’s see if we can pick out HOW we can have joy even in troubled times.

President Monson said, “It would be easy to become discouraged and cynical about the future—or even fearful of what might come—if we allowed ourselves to dwell only on that which is wrong in the world and in our lives. Today, however, I’d like us to turn our thoughts and our attitudes away from the troubles around us and to focus instead on our blessings as members of the Church. The Apostle Paul declared, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” ¹

What stood out to me here were the words “allowed” and “turn.” We need to remember that it is our choice. We can make a conscious decision what to focus on.

President Monson also said, “How might we have joy in our lives, despite all that we may face? Again from the scriptures: “Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you.” ³

For me, that scripture is about recognizing that the Lord is with us; He is the source of our joy, and if we don’t focus on Him and realize His love for us, we’re not going to have joy in our lives.

President Monson also said, “The history of the Church in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times, is replete with the experiences of those who have struggled and yet who have remained steadfast and of good cheer as they have made the gospel of Jesus Christ the center of their lives. This attitude is what will pull us through whatever comes our way. It will not remove our troubles from us but rather will enable us to face our challenges, to meet them head on, and to emerge victorious.”

What struck me here was the phrase “they have made the gospel of Jesus Christ the center in their lives.” We need to make sure that the Gospel isn’t an afterthought but instead that it is the core of who we are and how we live. In order to have happiness, we have to follow the plan of happiness, and that means that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is in our hearts and minds, that it’s central to our entire existence.

President Monson went on to share three stories from church history with us.

First:

“My maternal great-grandparents Gibson and Cecelia Sharp Condie lived in Clackmannan, Scotland. Their families were engaged in coal mining. They were at peace with the world, surrounded by relatives and friends, and were housed in fairly comfortable quarters in a land they loved. Then they listened to the message of the missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and, to the depths of their very souls, were converted. They heard the call to gather to Zion and knew they must answer that call.

“Sometime around 1848, they sold their possessions and prepared for the hazardous voyage across the mighty Atlantic Ocean. With five small children, they boarded a sailing vessel, all their worldly possessions in one tiny trunk. They traveled 3,000 miles (4,800 km) across the waters—eight long, weary weeks on a treacherous sea, watching and waiting, with poor food, poor water, and no help beyond the length and breadth of that small ship.

“In the midst of this soul-trying situation, one of their young sons became ill. There were no doctors, no stores at which they might purchase medicine to ease his suffering. They watched, they prayed, they waited, and they wept as day by day his condition deteriorated. When his eyes were at last closed in death, their hearts were torn asunder. To add to their grief, the laws of the sea must be obeyed. Wrapped in a canvas weighed down with iron, the little body was consigned to a watery grave. As they sailed away, only those parents knew the crushing blow dealt to wounded hearts. ⁴ However, with a faith born of their deep conviction of the truth and their love of the Lord, Gibson and Cecelia held on. They were comforted by the words of the Lord: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” ⁵

What does this story teach us about being of good cheer?

The fact that they “to the depths of their very souls, were converted” stood out to me. Again, I think this relates to making the Gospel the center of our lives. We need to let the message of the Gospel penetrate our souls.

Another thing I got out of the story was a reminder of what the Lord has done for us. He has overcome the world. Every trial, every struggle, that comes our way, He knows the solution for. He has paid the price so that all things can work together for our good.

The second story is about Meli Mulipola, a blind Polynesian man:

“Brother Mulipola’s vision had been normal until a fateful day when, while working on a pineapple plantation, light turned suddenly to darkness and day became perpetual night. He was depressed and despondent until he learned the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. His life was brought into compliance with the teachings of the Church, and he once again felt hope and joy.

“Brother Mulipola and his loved ones had made a long voyage, having learned that one who held the priesthood of God was visiting among the islands of the Pacific. He sought a blessing, and it was my privilege, along with another who held the Melchizedek Priesthood, to provide that blessing to him. As we finished, I noted that tears were streaming from his sightless eyes, coursing down his brown cheeks and tumbling finally upon his native dress. He dropped to his knees and prayed: “O God, Thou knowest I am blind. Thy servants have blessed me that my sight might return. Whether in Thy wisdom I see light or whether I see darkness all the days of my life, I will be eternally grateful for the truth of Thy gospel, which I now see and which provides the light of my life.”

“He rose to his feet and, smiling, thanked us for providing the blessing. He then disappeared into the still of the night. Silently he came; silently he departed. But his presence I shall never forget. I reflected upon the message of the Master: “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” ⁶

What does this story teach us about being of good cheer?

I think we learn that we need to be able to recognize the blessings that we have because of the Gospel, rather than demanding blessings from the Gospel. He did come seeking a blessing, but then, whether or not he ever received his sight again, he knew that he already was blessed because he had the Gospel in his life. And we all have that blessing as well, and when we realize that, we can be of good cheer.

The last story:

“In about March 1946, less than a year after the end of the war, Ezra Taft Benson, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, accompanied by Frederick W. Babbel, was assigned a special postwar tour of Europe for the express purpose of meeting with the Saints, assessing their needs, and providing assistance to them. Elder Benson and Brother Babbel later recounted, from a testimony they heard, the experience of a Church member who found herself in an area no longer controlled by the government under which she had resided.

“She and her husband had lived an idyllic life in East Prussia. Then had come the second great world war within their lifetimes. Her beloved young husband was killed during the final days of the frightful battles in their homeland, leaving her alone to care for their four children.

“The occupying forces determined that the Germans in East Prussia must go to Western Germany to seek a new home. The woman was German, and so it was necessary for her to go. The journey was over a thousand miles (1,600 km), and she had no way to accomplish it but on foot. She was allowed to take only such bare necessities as she could load into her small wooden-wheeled wagon. Besides her children and these meager possessions, she took with her a strong faith in God and in the gospel as revealed to the latter-day prophet Joseph Smith.

“She and the children began the journey in late summer. Having neither food nor money among her few possessions, she was forced to gather a daily subsistence from the fields and forests along the way. She was constantly faced with dangers from panic-stricken refugees and plundering troops.

“As the days turned into weeks and the weeks to months, the temperatures dropped below freezing. Each day, she stumbled over the frozen ground, her smallest child—a baby—in her arms. Her three other children struggled along behind her, with the oldest—seven years old—pulling the tiny wooden wagon containing their belongings. Ragged and torn burlap was wrapped around their feet, providing the only protection for them, since their shoes had long since disintegrated. Their thin, tattered jackets covered their thin, tattered clothing, providing their only protection against the cold.

“Soon the snows came, and the days and nights became a nightmare. In the evenings she and the children would try to find some kind of shelter—a barn or a shed—and would huddle together for warmth, with a few thin blankets from the wagon on top of them.

“She constantly struggled to force from her mind overwhelming fears that they would perish before reaching their destination.

“And then one morning the unthinkable happened. As she awakened, she felt a chill in her heart. The tiny form of her three-year-old daughter was cold and still, and she realized that death had claimed the child. Though overwhelmed with grief, she knew that she must take the other children and travel on. First, however, she used the only implement she had—a tablespoon—to dig a grave in the frozen ground for her tiny, precious child.

“Death, however, was to be her companion again and again on the journey. Her seven-year-old son died, either from starvation or from freezing or both. Again her only shovel was the tablespoon, and again she dug hour after hour to lay his mortal remains gently into the earth. Next, her five-year-old son died, and again she used her tablespoon as a shovel.

Her despair was all consuming. She had only her tiny baby daughter left, and the poor thing was failing. Finally, as she was reaching the end of her journey, the baby died in her arms. The spoon was gone now, so hour after hour she dug a grave in the frozen earth with her bare fingers. Her grief became unbearable. How could she possibly be kneeling in the snow at the graveside of her last child? She had lost her husband and all her children. She had given up her earthly goods, her home, and even her homeland.

“In this moment of overwhelming sorrow and complete bewilderment, she felt her heart would literally break. In despair she contemplated how she might end her own life, as so many of her fellow countrymen were doing. How easy it would be to jump off a nearby bridge, she thought, or to throw herself in front of an oncoming train.

“And then, as these thoughts assailed her, something within her said, “Get down on your knees and pray.” She ignored the prompting until she could resist it no longer. She knelt and prayed more fervently than she had in her entire life:

“Dear Heavenly Father, I do not know how I can go on. I have nothing left—except my faith in Thee. I feel, Father, amidst the desolation of my soul, an overwhelming gratitude for the atoning sacrifice of Thy Son, Jesus Christ. I cannot express adequately my love for Him. I know that because He suffered and died, I shall live again with my family; that because He broke the chains of death, I shall see my children again and will have the joy of raising them. Though I do not at this moment wish to live, I will do so, that we may be reunited as a family and return—together—to Thee.”

“When she finally reached her destination of Karlsruhe, Germany, she was emaciated. Brother Babbel said that her face was a purple-gray, her eyes red and swollen, her joints protruding. She was literally in the advanced stages of starvation. In a Church meeting shortly thereafter, she bore a glorious testimony, stating that of all the ailing people in her saddened land, she was one of the happiest because she knew that God lived, that Jesus is the Christ, and that He died and was resurrected so that we might live again. She testified that she knew if she continued faithful and true to the end, she would be reunited with those she had lost and would be saved in the celestial kingdom of God. ⁸

If we’re going to be of good cheer, we have to learn to submit our will to the Father’s even when it’s heartbreaking. We have to trust that His plan works and that He will keep His promises.

One thing that I noticed as I listened to President Monson give this talk was that he didn’t tell us the end—he didn’t tell us about some glorious blessing these people received as a result of their faithfulness, something that happens to help them be of good cheer. We don’t find out happens to the family once they reach Zion, or if the man received his sight again, and we don’t know what happened to the poor widow and mother. I think that was intentional—because it’s not about the end. It’s about the journey, about having faith now, about letting that faith grow and sustain us so that we can be of good cheer now. It’s about knowing now that the Atonement is bigger than anything that can happen to us. Yes, it will be glorious later, but the Lord wants us to learn how to be of good cheer now.

President Monson is the Lord’s prophet on the earth, and this message is the Lord’s will for all of us. The Lord has provided the way; He has overcome the world, not just so we can have joy someday but so that our lives can having meaning now and we can be of good cheer now. I also want to testify that the Lord loves us beyond our understanding. He will be with us, and as we will put our faith in Him, that faith will buoy us up and our futures will be bright. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Prophets and the Family Proclamation

It looks like there is a new theme for the Visiting Teaching Messages, and that they will be focused on “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” (You can find the January message here.)

Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson said this about this proclamation: “We were grateful for and valued the clarity, simplicity, and truth of this revelatory document. … The proclamation on the family has become our benchmark for judging the philosophies of the world, and I testify that the principles set forth … are as true today as they were when they were given to us by a prophet of God nearly 20 years ago.”1 I really liked how she reminded us that it was given by a prophet of God.

The additional scriptures listed at the end of the VT message also emphasize the role of prophets.

D&C 1:38
What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.

Mosiah 8:16-17
16 And Ammon said that a seer is a revelator and a prophet also; and a gift which is greater can no man have, except he should possess the power of God, which no man can; yet a man may have great power given him from God.
17 But a seer can know of things which are past, and also of things which are to come, and by them shall all things be revealed, or, rather, shall secret things be made manifest, and hidden things shall come to light, and things which are not known shall be made known by them, and also things shall be made known by them which otherwise could not be known.


I think it’s important to remember who is speaking, who the Proclamation came from. It came from the LORD, through His prophet, to us. It’s not just a bunch of good ideas put together by the prophet or a group of smart men; it is revelation from the Lord, and as we heed it, we will be blessed and strengthened and protected.

Pray Always

This is a Relief Society lesson I taught back in March 2009.

Pray Always—Elder David A. Bednar

Elder Bednar says, “Prayer becomes more meaningful as we counsel with the Lord in all our doings, as we express heartfelt gratitude, and as we pray for others.”

He then goes on to discuss those three principles in his talk. So what I’d like to think about and discuss today is how we do those things and why they make our prayers more meaningful.

I.            Counseling with the Lord

1.       How do we counsel with the Lord?

First of all, what does it mean to counsel?

I looked up a couple definitions, and I think some of what I found gives good insights into what we’re supposed to be doing.

(noun) 1. Interchange of opinions as to future procedure; consultation; deliberation

(verb) 2. To get our take counsel or advice

A couple things that stood out to me here are that there is an interchange of opinions—this is two-way communication. We need to make sure that when we counsel with the Lord, we actually talk to Him and we let Him talk as well. And then we need to take the advice He gives us.

2.       What should we counsel with the Lord about?

Elder Bednar quotes Alma 37:36-37:

“36 Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.

 “37 Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.”

He emphasizes counseling with the Lord in ALL our doings. I think I have a tendency to only pray about something if I’m having a problem with it. If work is going well, I don’t pray about it. If school is going well, I don’t pray about it. But the instruction isn’t just to counsel with the Lord about the things that are going wrong; it’s to counsel with Him in ALL things. Certainly we should counsel with Him about our problems, but we should also talk to Him about the things that are going well.

Another thought that I had is that we can involve the Lord in the whole process. We’ve probably all heard that we need to study things out in our minds and make a decision and then take it to see if the decision is right—and that is true. We need to make the decisions. However, we need to realize at the same time that we’re not alone in the decision-making process. I was in a class once, and the teacher asked at what point of the decision-making process we prayed, and may answer was that I pray the whole way through. We can pray for guidance, we can pray for discernment, we can pray to know how to make the decision, etc. For me, I don’t always study things out the same way; sometimes I make a pros and cons list, sometimes I fast and pray, sometimes I need to talk to a particular person and gets some insight. So sometimes, my prayers start out with just asking for help in making the decision, in knowing which approach to take. The Lord doesn’t only help us at the end, either by confirming our decision or letting us know that it’s wrong. He will help us the whole way through, and I think that’s an important part of counseling—to involve the Lord in the whole process.

3.       How does counseling with the Lord make our prayers more meaningful?

Elder Bednar quotes a passage from the Bible Dictionary:

“As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are His children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part.”

For me, counseling with the Lord teaches me about that relationship. As I counsel with Him, I receive promptings, I get guidance, and I receive divine help; this makes me aware that God is working in my life, that my Father does hear my prayers, and that He will help me. It shows me that I really am His daughter and He loves me, and then that in turn changes how I pray. When you know that you’re praying to your Father, prayer is more meaningful.

II.            Gratitude

Elder Bednar’s second principle for making prayer more meaningful is to pray for others.

1.       How do we express gratitude?

Elder Bednar gives one suggestion:

“Let me recommend that periodically you and I offer a prayer in which we only give thanks and express gratitude. Ask for nothing; simply let our souls rejoice and strive to communicate appreciation with all the energy of our hearts.”

So one thing Elder Bednar says we can do is to have a prayer in which we only express gratitude.

He also gives us some insights into how to express gratitude in general; he says to let our souls rejoice and strive to communicate appreciation with all the energy of our hearts. Even if we’re going to ask God for something in our prayers, we can still express our gratitude with our whole hearts. I was taught that when you pray, you express gratitude first, and you ask for things after, so sometimes there’s a temptation to rush through the gratitude portion and get to what we think we need. But that’s probably not true gratitude; we need to put our hearts into it and express real gratitude.

2.       Why does expressing gratitude make our prayers more meaningful?

Sister Parkin, former Relief Society General President, gave an awesome talk a few years ago, called “Gratitude: A Path to Happiness”, and she had some great insights in there. One thing she mentioned was:

“Gratitude requires awareness and effort, not only to feel it but to express it. Frequently we are oblivious to the Lord’s hand. We murmur, complain, resist, criticize; so often we are not grateful. In the Book of Mormon, we learn that those who murmur do not know “the dealings of that God who … created them.” ³ The Lord counsels us not to murmur because it is then difficult for the Spirit to work with us.

“Gratitude is a Spirit-filled principle. It opens our minds to a universe permeated with the richness of a living God. Through it, we become spiritually aware of the wonder of the smallest things, which gladden our hearts with their messages of God’s love. This grateful awareness heightens our sensitivity to divine direction. When we communicate gratitude, we can be filled with the Spirit and connected to those around us and the Lord.” (emphasis added)

To me, again, this helps me see that Father-daughter relationship with god. It lets me know that He is aware of me and that He loves me, and that always makes my prayers more meaningful. When we are grateful, the Spirit has the opportunity to show us God’s love.

Sister Parkin also talked about the story of the 10 lepers:

“Luke chapter 17 records the experience of the Savior when He healed 10 lepers. As you recall, only one of the cleansed lepers returned to express his appreciation. Isn’t it interesting that the Lord did not say, “Your gratitude has made you whole”? Instead, He said, “Thy faith hath made thee whole.” ⁷

“The leper’s expression of gratitude was recognized by the Savior as an expression of his faith. As we pray and express gratitude to a loving but unseen Heavenly Father, we are also expressing our faith in Him. Gratitude is our sweet acknowledgment of the Lord’s hand in our lives; it is an expression of our faith.”

When we express gratitude, we express faith—and how meaningful can a prayer be if there isn’t any faith in it?

III.            Pray for Others

1.       How?

Elder Bednar says we need to “pray for others with real intent and a sincere heart.”

I think that means we say more than just a casual “Please bless…” It means we really think about others’ needs. It also means we’re willing to help them.

Alma 34:27-28 says,

“27 Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.

 “28 And now behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, do not suppose that this is all; for after ye have done all these things, if ye turn away the needy, and the naked, and visit not the sick and afflicted, and impart of your substance, if ye have, to those who stand in need—I say unto you, if ye do not any of these things, behold, your prayer is vain, and availeth you nothing, and ye are as hypocrites who do deny the faith.”

This tells us that we need to pray for others, and then, if we don’t help them, our prayer is in vain.

2.       Why does praying for others make prayer more meaningful?

I think there are several different ways that this can make prayer more meaningful.

In praying for our enemies, I think we need the Lord’s help to do it, and anytime He helps us, then we feel His love and prayer becomes more meaningful when you know you’re praying to someone who loves you.

Also, in praying for others, I think we’re blessed with a sense of His love for others, but that also testifies to use of how much He loves us.

I remember one time, the girl I visit taught was going through a really rough time, and I was sitting in my room one night, and I was going to write her a note just to try to be supportive, and I prayed for you, probably one of the most sincere prayers I’ve ever prayed, and I felt so strongly how much God loved her. There was just this feeling of charity—of pure love—that just filled my entire body. And even though He was letting me see how much He loved her, I also knew that was how much He loves me, too.

God is our Father and He does hear our prayers. He wants us to know about the relationship described in the Bible Dictionary so that prayer will become natural and instinctive on our part. As we counsel with Him, as we express gratitude, and as we pray for others, the Spirit will truly testify to us of that relationship and of how much our Father loves us, and our prayers will be more meaningful. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.