One clear theme in our recent Conference was on following the living prophet. That so many speakers were inspired on this topic makes me feel that in our future there will be increasing difficulty in following the words of the prophets, whether due to our own weaknesses or increased pressure from the world, and recent protests against President Packer seem to confirm that.
This should not be surprising. The scriptures are full of admonitions to not be deceived, warning about efforts to deceive, especially in the last days. There will be many messages, that can sound very reasonable, but they will lead you astray if you listen. Fortunately, the scriptural warnings are also full of lessons on how we can stay grounded in the truth.
Consider the parable of the Ten Virgins. They are all virgins, and invited to the wedding—they are covenant people—but some do not have a store of oil, and so they fall short, and miss what should have been theirs.
The oil is frequently identified as representing the Spirit, and this makes sense. Like oil in a lamp, the Spirit is a source of light, and warmth. People are easily able to feel the Spirit, and this is where they obtain testimonies, but if they start giving in to temptations, and other messages, they turn off their ability to hear and feel. This makes a testimony as easy to lose as it is to gain. Clearly, we need to stay close to the Spirit.
One familiar image is that of people clinging to the iron rod in Lehi’s dream (1st Nephi 8). The mists of darkness come, so they cannot see what is right, but if they are clinging to the rod they continue to feel what is right and know the path. The iron rod is the Word of God. This can mean the scriptures, so one part of not being deceived is regular scripture study. Not only does this strengthen our knowledge of what is right, doing so gives us time to concentrate on the spiritual, keeping the Holy Ghost nearby.
The word of God is also that spoken by modern prophets, so scripture study can and should include conference talks, and those talks should be taken just as seriously. Whether your study method is underlining, or cross-referencing, or some other method that helps you take things to heart, apply it to living prophets as well as past ones—as last conference reminded us, they are worth more because they are speaking directly to us, now.
The Word of God is also a name for the Savior, and we certainly must cling to him. It may not always be obvious how, but one clear way would be through repenting, asking for forgiveness and healing as we need it. Sin separates us from God, so throwing off our sins is important, but also these gifts come through the Atonement, so as we use them, we should be growing in gratitude and closeness to Christ.
Casting off our sins would also indicate righteousness and obedience. That means that we are attending our church meetings, and the temple, and fulfilling our callings—especially home and visiting teaching as a natural extension of the charity that we are seeking after.
As you can see, much of what helps to avoid deception ends up falling under the typical answers given so frequently in Sunday school, but I would like to suggest two other things.
One is keeping your own personal record. Even very good people struggle with consistency sometimes, and most of us struggle often. The scriptures function as a collective spiritual record, but individual records are important too. Recording your testimony when it is strong will help you when your testimony suffers, as you can look back and remember, and find that knowledge again.
Record how you got your testimony, experiences that strengthened it, times when it struggled and how it recovered. Also, record your knowledge of prophecy being fulfilled, whether from past or present prophets. The act of recording will deepen your knowledge and understanding first, but there may be many additional blessings as going back and re-reading reinforces your testimony. Your record may at times even be a blessing to others, as there may be times when it is appropriate to share.
The other advice I would give is to remember that things can and will be hard. Again, the scriptures tell us this many times—opposition will come, and other people have their agency, and we need to be tested—but still, when hard times come we frequently take it personally. This can lead to self-doubts, doubts about our understanding of the world, and even doubt about God or His love for us.
There is no scriptural guarantee that being righteous will result in you never dying, losing your job, struggling with money, getting caught in the rain, losing people you love, being picked on by mean people, having your heart broken, or ever getting sick. All of those things will happen. There are promises of comfort, resurrection, healing, having needs met (but not always wants), forgiveness, and exaltation, and the knowledge that families can be together forever. Don’t let temporary hardships cause you to lose your focus on eternal truths.
And that leads to one last thought. In Doctrine & Covenants 38, as wars and wickedness are predicted, we are told “if ye are prepared ye shall not fear”. One thing that will help you feel safe and comforted, and one way to be obedient, is to work on your personal and family preparedness.
This may be the last newsletter, as I am moving to another ward, and your next preparedness person may use different methods to motivate and teach you. There are many ways to learn more about preparedness, though, and I will leave you with some other good sources.
First of all, based on the “All is Safely Gathered In” pamphlets, we see a clear priority by the Church on food storage and finances. If you do nothing other than gather a three-month food supply and pay off your debts, you will have done a lot. These pamphlets, and other information, can be found at www.providentliving.org.
One thing about the Church, however, is that they know that there are many different methods to achieve different goals, so they often focus on guiding principles, rather than step-by-step instructions. You should definitely start with www.providentliving.org, but may find that you want more. Some good additional sites on emergency preparedness are www.ocem.org, and http://www.oregonredcross.org/.
For good practical experience, consider taking the Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT, training. Hillsboro, Beaverton, and Portland all have programs, though Portland is called NERT (for Neighborhood):
http://www.hillsborocert.org/
http://www.beavertonoregon.gov/departments/emergency/cert/
http://www.portlandonline.com/oem/index.cfm?c=31667
Usually you are eligible whether you live or work in the city limits or school districts (in my experience, they hate turning people away).
Also, sometimes there is knowledge in books. Here are some I have found especially helpful.
Food storage: Food Storage for the Clueless, by Clark and Kathryn Kidd
Personal Finance: The Only Investment Guide You’ll Ever Need, by Andrew Tobias
Earthquakes: Living With Earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest by Robert S. Yeats (especially chapters 10-12)
Attitude: The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes – and Why, by Amanda Ripley
Certainly, there are many other sources, and not all can be included, but if you will set goals for preparedness and stay aware, you will find rich resources everywhere. Also, you can find all of these newsletters archived at http://preparedspork.blogspot.com/.
