MMM Sermons: Two Lines of Communication

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by Saint Mark:

This is a series of sermons that many Latter-day Saints love and believe. I hope these sermons promote and perfect your faith as they do mine. Read or watch this sermon here, or read previous MMM Sermons.

Is this a GQ shot or what? I don't know if they knew they would be Apostles of Jesus Christ one day but it makes me feel better about some of the photos you and I took in Japan, Seattle Jon.

At any rate, having discussed the issue of priesthood and patriarchy before, I thought Elder Dallin H. Oaks' October 2010 General Conference address would shed more light on the issue:

Our Heavenly Father has given His children two lines of communication with Him—what we may call the personal line and the priesthood line. All should understand and be guided by both of these essential lines of communication.

But how do these two lines of communication co-exist? One principle that emerges from this sermon is that the two lines never contradict each other. Under the Banner of Heaven is a perfect example of how one person goes outside this principle and obviously acts contrary to the priesthood line of communication with deity. Jim Jones and the Kool-aid suicides is another.

MMM Sermons: Courageous Parenting

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by Saint Mark:

This is a series of sermons that many Latter-day Saints love and believe. I hope these sermons promote and perfect your faith as they do mine. Read or watch this sermon here, or read previous MMM Sermons.

Afraid that if you tell your child "no," they will stop loving you? Fearful that if you kick your son out of the house even though he's in his late-20's he won't make it on his own? Scared to ruin your relationship with your child by being authoritative? Then, Elder Larry R. Lawrence's sermon is for you.

Elder Lawrence laid out how we need to be courageous parents in October 2010 General Conference. Here is some of his counsel:

Imagine for a moment that your daughter was sitting on the railroad tracks and you heard the train whistle blowing. Would you warn her to get off the tracks? Or would you hesitate, worried that she might think you were being overprotective? If she ignored your warning, would you quickly move her to a safe place? Of course you would! Your love for your daughter would override all other considerations. You would value her life more than her temporary goodwill.

Challenges and temptations are coming at our teenagers with the speed and power of a freight train. As we are reminded in the family proclamation, parents are responsible for the protection of their children. That means spiritually as well as physically.

I love this train analogy. It gives me courage when I sometimes would rather keep silent than discipline my child. Elder Lawrence's sermon is in line with family studies. It seems that there are at least four parenting styles: Permissive, Authoritarian, Apathetic, and Authoritative. The first three lack the requirements of being a good parent, namely love AND discipline. Permissive has all love and no discipline. Authoritarian has all discipline and no love. And, Apathetic has no love and no discipline. You can imagine or have lived scenarios of each, I'm sure.

MMM Sermons: Moral Discipline

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by Saint Mark:

This is a series of sermons that many Latter-day Saints love and believe. I hope these sermons promote and perfect your faith as they do mine. Read or watch this sermon here, or read previous MMM Sermons.

After President Monson shared that in a recent study two-thirds of young people could not give an example of a moral dilemma, it brought to mind Elder D. Todd Christofferson's 2009 October sermon in General Conference. If the definition of morality is challenging for the rising generation, how challenging will it be for them and us to gain moral discipline?

I'm glad you asked:

By "moral discipline," I mean self-discipline based on moral standards. Moral discipline is the consistent exercise of agency to choose the right because it is right, even when it is hard. It rejects the self-absorbed life in favor of developing character worthy of respect and true greatness through Christ-like service (see Mark 10:42–45). The root of the word discipline is shared by the word disciple, suggesting to the mind the fact that conformity to the example and teachings of Jesus Christ is the ideal discipline that, coupled with His grace, forms a virtuous and morally excellent person ...

MMM Sermons: A Matter of a Few Degrees

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by Saint Mark:

This is a series of sermons that many Latter-day Saints love and believe. I hope these sermons promote and perfect your faith as they do mine. Read or watch this sermon here, or read previous MMM Sermons.

Who's our favorite pilot apostle? That's right. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf can't help himself from sharing his love of aviation and his 2008 April General Conference talk is no exception. Women swoon over his good looks and men want to transplant his healthy locks to their own shiny heads. I personally love President Uchtdorf because he is the only apostle in the quorum who is not a native to America. He's originally from Czechoslavakia and grew up in East Germany. Like me, he's a convert and I admire his approach to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As President Uchtdorf points out, it only is a matter of a "few degrees" that can separate us from God's kingdom and mislead us to Satan's:

Small errors and minor drifts away from the doctrine of the gospel of Jesus Christ can bring sorrowful consequences into our lives. It is therefore of critical importance that we become self-disciplined enough to make early and decisive corrections to get back on the right track and not wait or hope that errors will somehow correct themselves.

President Uchtdorf's words hit home for me. I have a friend who years ago struggled with the law of chastity. He was older and was finding himself slowly being moved out of the singles ward scene. He was lonely and worked with his bishop in trying to overcome his struggles. But, alas, months would go by and he would be disciplined and then he would give in to his carnal appetites. Because he couldn't give up on his vices, he slipped away from the rod of iron, impregnated a girl and now has nothing to do with the LDS church. It brings me great sorrow when I talk to this friend and know what could have been if he had not strayed away from the path just "a few degrees." I know that peace and happiness come from staying on the path and only eventual misery and pain await us if we stray off of it.

Have you known anyone you care for that has strayed away?


Saint Mark is one of those oxymorons: a Mexican who speaks fluent Japanese, a bibliophile even though he did not grow up with a book, pen or paper in his home, and a mormon who grew up in the casino lights of Las Vegas. After becoming a modern-day Ammon in Kyushu, Japan, he returned to the States to become a lifelong student, literally. He has a bachelors from Brigham Young University, a masters from Georgetown University, and a juris doctor from Boston University School of Law. Mark is a husband of a wonderful woman who is done with Mark being a student, a father of two intelligent and rambunctious boys who beat him at chess and football, and an active participant in his ward and community. He identifies himself as someone who quickly tires of chit chat and wants to know "the five things you want to do before you die" when he first meets you.

MMM Sermons: Honorably Hold a Name and Standing

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by Saint Mark:

This is a series of sermons that many Latter-day Saints love and believe. I hope these sermons promote and perfect your faith as they do mine. Read or watch this sermon here, or read previous MMM Sermons.

With additional temples announced in Africa, Wyoming and Provo in a recent General Conference, the announcement and proliferation of temples made me ponder this sermon by David A. Bednar in April 2009.

Just the first paragraph alone teaches a sermon:

Shortly after I was called to serve as a stake president in 1987, I talked with a good friend who recently had been released as a stake president. During our conversation I asked him what he would teach me about becoming an effective stake president.

As a fellow "questioner," I love his thoughtful inquiry of a stake president. My wife tells me I have "Mark questions" that are always a little deeper than the shallow waters people like to tread in social conversations. For example, "What are five things you want to do before you die?" or "What would you rate your school day on a scale of 1 to 10?" (what I ask my 6 year-old every day) or "If you could ask God one question, what would it be?" It's comforting to know that there is at least one more person out there who seeks meatier interactions.

Check out the rest of the talk and see what the stake president said.

For you bishops, bishopric members, stake presidents, stake presidency members, temple presidents, and temple presidency members out there, past or current, what advice would you add?

MMM Sermons: Sacred Homes, Sacred Temples

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by Saint Mark:

This is a series of sermons that many Latter-day Saints love and believe. I hope these sermons promote and perfect your faith as they do mine. Read or watch this sermon here, or read previous MMM Sermons.

This is a little-referenced General Conference talk by Elder Gary Stevenson from April 2009 but it resonated with me. My wife and I have had a long-standing discussion regarding the decor of our home. We both grew up in homes that lacked religious iconography but for different reasons. Her family chose to not have pictures of Jesus Christ and my family were atheists and didn't really believe in a Savior. Thus, my wife is not a fan of the Americanized Redeemer adorning the walls of our home while I, on the other hand, feel that I need reminders to "remember Him always" and like for my home to be my family's own mini-temple.

Let the debate begin. As you can imagine, we've had many colorful, intelligent dialogues about this issue. We've compromised by having symbolic images, photographs of trees (the Sacred Grove), pictures of family, and a limited number of LDS Church distribution-type of pictures on our walls.

Not that it necessarily scored me any points in the on-going debate between my wife and me on this issue, but when I heard Elder Stevenson's sermon I smiled a little inside.

MMM Sermons: As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten

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by Saint Mark (bio)

This is a series of sermons that many Latter-day Saints love and believe. I hope these sermons promote and perfect your faith as they do mine. Read or watch this sermon here, or read previous MMM Sermons.

Maybe it's because I'm a convert, but I love this talk. Don't get me wrong. I am as stubborn and proud as the next guy when it comes to my wife or a boss correcting me, especially when I think I've done the best that I could ever do. But, after you change your entire lifestyle (i.e. the way you think, the way you speak, the way you act, etc.) and have amazing results, you understand that change or repentance is good. You realize that maybe I don't know everything or do everything as perfectly as I think I do.

When I left my very hedonistic life behind and decided to become a disciple of Jesus Christ, there were a lot of growing pains. I felt like everything I read and every talk I heard was directed at me and included a litany of characteristics and behaviors that I needed to change to become more like the Savior. Not that I am anywhere near where I need to be, but the distance between who I am and who I need to become has decreased. I'm not at the base of the mountain any more, I guess you could say, and it's all because of the law of chastening that Elder D. Todd Christofferson addresses in his April 2011 General Conference sermon.

Here are some choice nuggets:

Our Heavenly Father is a God of high expectations ...

In all of this, God's purpose is that we, His children, may be able to experience ultimate joy, to be with Him eternally, and to become even as He is. Some years ago Elder Dallin H. Oaks explained: "The Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become."

Sadly, much of modern Christianity does not acknowledge that God makes any real demands on those who believe in Him, seeing Him rather as a butler "who meets their needs when summoned" or a therapist whose role is to help people "feel good about themselves." It is a religious outlook that "makes no pretense at changing lives." "By contrast," as one author declares, "the God portrayed in both the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures asks, not just for commitment, but for our very lives. The God of the Bible traffics in life and death, not niceness, and calls for sacrificial love, not benign whatever-ism." ...

Remember that if we resist correction, others may discontinue offering it altogether, despite their love for us. If we repeatedly fail to act on the chastening of a loving God, then He too will desist ...

All of us can meet God's high expectations, however great or small our capacity and talent may be.

Marriage seems to foster these chastening experiences. I'm grateful to my wife when she lets me know that I have bad breath while fasting or if I should approach a relationship problem in a different manner. She has amazing insights and sees me better than I see myself sometimes. Unfortunately, I don't know if my wife is as receptive to correction from me. Perhaps it is my approach.

How do you approach your spouse when he/she needs some words of correction? I like Elder and Sister M. Russell Ballard's approach. When one of them needs correction, the other spouse says, "Dear, I have a suggestion." If the spouse is ready to hear it then they say "okay." If not, then the correcting spouse doesn't share the correction. What do you do?

MMM Sermons: Repentance and Forgiveness in Marriage

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by Saint Mark (bio)

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints call them "talks," but most (non)Christians call them sermons. This is a series of sermons that many Latter-day Saints love and believe. I hope these sermons promote and perfect your faith as they do mine. Read previous MMM Sermons or read this specific sermon here.

"When couples get married, their love is deep, and they joyfully anticipate the prospect of spending the eternities together. They enjoy having endless talks, going for long walks, and spending time together. It is a wonderful feeling being with someone you love so deeply.

Unfortunately, for many couples the bliss of deep love and immensely satisfying companionship that was present when they first got married doesn’t last. Long talks become replaced with frequent arguments, and when not spent fighting, their time together is characterized by angry silence."

I don't know about you but sometimes my relationship with my wife feels like the former paragraph, and at other times my marriage has the look of the latter paragraph. How do you and I help our marriage become more like the first paragraph and less like the second one?

I had a great friend who shared Repentance and Forgiveness in Marriage by Professor Rick Miller, who teaches in the School of Family Life at BYU, with me. The sermon was given at a BYU Devotional on January 19th, 2010. Professor Miller's words spoke to me about the roadblocks that were hindering my wife and my journey on the road to marital bliss. Don't get me wrong. My wife and I have a good marriage. But, we, as all couples, have impediments to becoming truly "one heart and one mind." Reading and applying this talk together, my wife and I removed some of those impediments.
 

Elder Dallin H. Oaks gives his "Amen" to Professor Miller's sentiments here.

What is your take on Prof. Miller's and Elder Oaks' words?

MMM Sermons: The Merciful Obtain Mercy

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by Saint Mark (bio)

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints call them "talks," but most people call them sermons. This is a series of sermons that many Latter-day Saints love and believe. I hope these sermons promote and perfect your faith as they do mine. Read previous MMM Sermons or watch this specific sermon.

I remember growing up with a Mormon friend. He was the only Mormon friend I had that I knew of. I hated spending the night at his house because he didn't have any Coke in the fridge and his family only ate wheat bread, which was an abomination in my home. But, despite the non-Coke, non-white bread home, his home was peaceful and clean and terrifically white. I always remember a large amount of sunlight coming through the windows and bathing the inner rooms and hallways. Further, I remember a poem on the wall of my friend's room. It had the words, of course, but behind the text was a beach scene: a sunrise rising over the waves and an unblemished beach save one set of footprints in the sand. All the years of visiting my friend and staying the night at his house, I never once read that poem. I remember the picture but not one word of it passed by my eyes.

It wasn't until much later, after having joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and becoming a Mormon myself that I finally read my friend's poem known as "Footprints."

One night a man had a dream.
He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonging to him, and the other to the Lord.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints.
He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it.
"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me."
The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.

Knowing that I had seen this poem for a decade and not read it, I was overwhelmed by its powerful message. In simple terms, this poem by Mary Stevenson touched my soul. But, beyond that generic yet true phrase, I felt an inner understanding that I had searched for my whole life. Why had I survived so many horrors of my youth and could still smile and still feel peace? How could I forgive those who had abused, harmed, or even tried to murder me? How could I be merciful to those who were so unmerciful to me?

My answer lay in this poem's explanation: It was Christ who carried me through the trials of life, not because I merited such service but because he showed me mercy. I was not a Christian as a youth. Far from it. In fact, I was a hedonist and grew-up in a hedonistic household. There was very little that was godly in my home, that praised God, that reinforced His commandments.

MMM Sermons: More Diligent and Concerned at Home

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by Saint Mark (bio)

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints call them "talks," but most (non)Christians call them sermons. This is a series of sermons that many Latter-day Saints love and believe. I hope these sermons promote and perfect your faith as they do mine. Read or watch it here.

Coming from two broken homes, I am deeply grateful for Elder David A. Bednar's General Conference sermon in October 2009 regarding family and being "more diligent and concerned at home." The counsel is necessary. The world, through media messages and lifestyle, tries to cajole, seduce, drag, pull, push, and persuade us away from what matters most: our marriages and our families.

When I was learning about the LDS Church, two of the first quotes from a prophet I can remember learning were Presidents Harold B. Lee's and David O. McKay's resonating statements: "The greatest work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own home." and "No success can compensate for failure in the home."

Now, choosing to become a lawyer and take on the time demands of such a profession can be counter intuitive to President McKay's counsel. But, I am not interested in working for a "white shoe" gigantic law firm where I will be grounded to associate dust after years of 90-hour work weeks. I'm looking for a job that is more in line with Presidents Lee's and McKay's points, for at the end of my days on this earth I really won't lament the fact that I didn't spend one more hour in a meeting or at my desk at work. What I will lament, if I don't become "more diligent and concerned at home," is not playing with my boys more or going on more dates with my wife. Those are the things of "wailing and gnashing of teeth." Regret.

Here are some thought provoking interrogatories by Elder Bednar:

Brethren and sisters, when was the last time you took your eternal companion in your arms and said, “I love you”? Parents, when was the last time you sincerely expressed love to your children? Children, when was the last time you told your parents that you love them?

Brethren and sisters, when was the last time you bore testimony to your eternal companion? Parents, when was the last time you declared your witness to your children about the things you know to be true? And children, when was the last time you shared your testimony with your parents and family?

Elder Bednar also shares some personal stories that helped me to feel better about the many times I feel as though I am "failing" within the walls of my own home and not succeeding:

As our sons were growing up, our family did what you have done and what you now do. We had regular family prayer, scripture study, and family home evening. Now, I am sure what I am about to describe has never occurred in your home, but it did in ours.

Sometimes Sister Bednar and I wondered if our efforts to do these spiritually essential things were worthwhile. Now and then verses of scripture were read amid outbursts such as "He’s touching me!" "Make him stop looking at me!" "Mom, he’s breathing my air!" Sincere prayers occasionally were interrupted with giggling and poking. And with active, rambunctious boys, family home evening lessons did not always produce high levels of edification. At times Sister Bednar and I were exasperated because the righteous habits we worked so hard to foster did not seem to yield immediately the spiritual results we wanted and expected.

The title of Elder Bednar's talk makes me think that there may be more than the three ways Elder Bednar suggests for us to be "more diligent and concerned at home." How are you "more diligent" at home? How are you "more ... concerned" at home?

MMM Sermons: The Eternal Blessings of Marriage

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by Saint Mark (bio)

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints call them "talks," but most (non)Christians call them sermons. This is a series of sermons that many Latter-day Saints love and believe. I hope these sermons promote and perfect your faith as they do mine. Read or watch it here.

Have you ever wondered how an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ acts as a husband and a father? Elder Richard G. Scott, in General Conference of April 2011, reveals many personal and exceptional experiences he had with his late wife and children.

Someone once interviewed Elder Scott and asked him if he would ever remarry. He responded, "If you did it right the first time, why would you do it again?"

Through sickness and health, pain and joy, Elder Scott chronicles his marriage and his fatherhood in this sermon. Even though death took one of his children, he and his wife pulled together and drew closer to the Lord.

After finishing listening to this talk, I knew that I needed to repent and improve. It reaffirmed President Monson's counsel to "Choose Your Love. Love Your Choice."

Now, where can I find a hole punch? (read the talk or you won't get this)

MMM Sermons: Temple Worship: The Source of Strength and Power in Times of Need

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by Saint Mark (bio)

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints call them "talks," but most (non)Christians call them sermons. This is a series of sermons that many Latter-day Saints love and believe. I hope these sermons promote and perfect your faith as they do mine. Read or watch it here.

"Look into my eyes. You are getting repentant. Repentant!" Elder Christofferson referenced Elder Richard G. Scott's indomitable eye contact in April 2011 General Conference and it's true what he said; Elder Scott does have a penetrating gaze. Can't you feel it right now? And this is just a picture!

In April 2009 General Conference, Elder Scott told Saints like you and me, in so many words, to get our butts to the temple more often. He is a little less frank than I but here's a sample:

Because I love you, I am going to speak to you heart to heart, without mincing words. I have seen that many times individuals have made great sacrifices to go to a distant temple. But when a temple is built close by, within a short time, many do not visit it regularly. I have a suggestion: When a temple is conveniently nearby, small things may interrupt your plans to go to the temple. Set specific goals, considering your circumstances, of when you can and will participate in temple ordinances. Then do not allow anything to interfere with that plan. This pattern will guarantee that those who live in the shadow of a temple will be as blessed as are those who plan far ahead and make a long trip to the temple.

Fourteen years ago I decided to attend the temple and complete an ordinance at least once a week. When I am traveling I make up the missed visits in order to achieve that objective. I have kept that resolve, and it has changed my life profoundly. I strive to participate in all the different ordinances available in the temple.

I encourage you to establish your own goal of how frequently you will avail yourself of the ordinances offered in our operating temples.

After I gave the eulogy and buried my Aunt Esther, I went to the temple. It wasn't for an endowment session or to do baptisms for the dead. It was to just sit in the foyer with my non-member mom and "be still." I was emotionally drained and my heart was full. My wife was not in attendance and I had only the Lord to pour my feelings out to. After ten minutes, I began to feel better. Comfort came to me and energy returned to my body. I felt recharged and refreshed and ready to go to the family gathering scheduled following the funeral.

If you are suffering or feel loss or pain or any other feeling that weighs you down, go to the temple. It is heavenly real estate and will be a Mt. Sinai to you, elevating your spirit closer to God.

MMM Sermons: Gospel Teachings About Lying

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by Saint Mark (bio)

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints call them "talks," but most (non)Christians call them sermons. This is a series of sermons that many Latter-day Saints love and believe. I hope these sermons promote and perfect your faith as they do mine.

You can find this talk in its entirety here.

As a former law clerk of Chief Justice Earl Warren, a professor at the University of Chicago Law School, an expert on the exclusionary rule and a former judge of the Utah Supreme Court, Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles knows a thing or two about liars, I mean lawyers.

In this talk, Elder Oaks strives to remind a group of lawyers-in-training how important it is to "be honest with their fellow man." Not only is this a requirement to enter the temple but it is one of the ten commandments God gave to Moses: "thou shalt not bear false witness."

Elder Oaks pulls no punches on topics he addresses and is as comprehensive a speaker as you will find.

Lying is sinful, as it has always been, and there is no exempt category for
so-called “lying for the Lord.” Lying is simply outside the range of permitted
or condoned conduct by Latter-day Saints - members or leaders.

A lie is also furthered when one remains silent in a circumstance where he or she has a duty to speak and disclose. In other words, a person lies by concealing when he
or she has a duty to reveal. Some relationships and some circumstances create
such a duty ... In contrast, when there is no duty to reveal all and when one
has not made an affirmative statement implying that all has been revealed, it is
simply incorrect to equate silence with lying.

What do you think about lying? Is silence lying to you?

MMM Sermons: What Thinks Christ of Me?

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by Saint Mark (bio)

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints call them "talks," but most (non)Christians call them sermons. This is a series of sermons that many Latter-day Saints love and believe. I hope these sermons promote and perfect your faith as they do mine.

Read or watch the sermon.

What thinks Christ of me? I think that is the most defining interrogatory we could ask ourselves. What thinks Jesus Christ about me, about how I live my life, about how I treat my wife, my children, my friends, my enemies? What thinks Christ of the tone and topic of my conversation, with what I write and share and "like?" What thinks Christ of the things that course through my mind minute by minute? What thinks Christ of me at this moment in my progression, in my coming unto Him?

When I am honest in my self-reflection, I recognize many holes in my becoming like Christ. I sometimes feel like a Swiss cheese Mormon, working on this weakness or that failing.

Thankfully, Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shares an Apostle's insight about spiritual progression:

Jesus's call "Come, follow me" is not only for those prepared to compete in a spiritual Olympics. In fact, discipleship is not a competition at all but an invitation to all. Our journey of discipleship is not a dash around the track, nor is it fully comparable to a lengthy marathon. In truth, it is a lifelong migration toward a more celestial world.

The road to discipleship is a long and winding one but a worthwhile path to be on. As Elder Andersen notes:

Wherever you now find yourself on the road of discipleship, you are on the right road, the road toward eternal life. Together we can lift and strengthen one another in the great and important days ahead. Whatever the difficulties confronting us, the weaknesses confining us, or the impossibilities surrounding us, let us have faith in the Son of God, who declared, "All things are possible to him that believeth."

When I was first baptized, I remember striving to jump from living a very telestial-type of life to a celestial change. Unfortunately, trying to leap frog progressive steps on the road of discipleship left me frustrated and feeling weak many times as I failed to keep little and big commandments.

MMM Sermons: Come What May, and Love It

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by Saint Mark (bio)

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints call them "talks," but most (non)Christians call them sermons. This is a series of sermons that many Latter-day Saints love and believe. I hope these sermons promote and perfect your faith as they do mine. Read or watch this sermon here.

Just prior to his death, Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught us how to laugh at life. In the October 2008 General Conference, Elder Wirthlin shared personal anecdotes of how he approached the challenges and awkward moments of life. Whether driving to the wrong state or having his daughter mistaking a husband for her date, Elder Wirthlin knew how to laugh at life where others might have cried in embarrassment or anger.

I haven't come close to laughing at all of life's trials, but when a trial comes I often think of Elder Wirthlin.

Because of the timing of this sermon, there is more weight to his words of "Come What May and Love It."

How have you learned to laugh at life and love it?

MMM Sermons: The Tender Mercies of the Lord

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by Saint Mark (bio)

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints call them "talks," but most (non)Christians call them sermons. This is a series of sermons that many Latter-day Saints love and believe. I hope these sermons promote and perfect your faith as they do mine. Read or watch the entire sermon here.

Anyone who has heard Elder David A. Bednar speak knows that Elder Bednar has a unique delivery. From his "you and I" phrasing to his ability to dive beneath the surface of the scriptures, Elder Bednar became an Apostle of Jesus Christ and sent a positive ripple throughout the LDS membership. That sanctifying ripple began with The Tender Mercies of the Lord, a talk given in April 2005 General Conference.

Staring at us the entire time, this phrase in the introduction of the Book of Mormon was never fleshed out as meaningfully as it was when Elder Bednar walked us layer by layer through the meaning and implication of what exactly are the tender mercies of Jesus Christ. Our thought process and lexicon have never been the same since.

Elder Bednar's words helped me to expand my paradigm of the workings of God in my life and to recognize His tender mercies. Gratitude is more a part of my life and I have Elder Bednar and God to thank for that.

MMM Sermons: Receive the Holy Ghost

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by Saint Mark (bio)

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints call them "talks," but most (non)Christians call them sermons. This is a series of sermons that many Latter-day Saints love and believe. I hope these sermons promote and perfect your faith as they do mine. Watch or read it here.

You think you understand one of the first principles and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ and then Elder David A. Bednar comes along and flips the script on you. Who would have thought that there could be so much in those four little words, "Receive the Holy Ghost."

In October 2010 General Conference, Elder Bednar shared a telling teaching that Joseph Smith taught while visiting Washington D.C. to meet with the then-President of the United States Martin Van Buren.

In December of 1839, while in Washington, D.C., to seek redress for the wrongs done to the Missouri Saints, Joseph Smith and Elias Higbee wrote to Hyrum Smith: “In our interview with the President [of the United States], he interrogated us wherein we differed in our religion from the other religions of the day. Brother Joseph said we differed in mode of baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. We considered that all other considerations were contained in the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 97).

This sermon by Elder Bednar expanded my view of the Gift of the Holy Ghost and the import of immersing myself in the things of the Spirit as often as possible. At first, I preferred things of the world a little more and became easily bored with hymns, Primary songs, church videos and such. But I finally realized that Heaven or the Celestial Kingdom is not "of the world"; it is of the Spirit. And it dawned on me that Heaven wasn't going to change its "tastes" for me so if I wanted to go to Heaven I needed to be the one who changed his tastes.

The account of Brigham Young returning from beyond the grave to educate a prophet and us sealed the decision in my heart to truly "receive the Holy Ghost" every day. My marriage, my family, and my life has been happier and more peaceful ever since.

MMM Sermons: A Prayer for the Children

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by Saint Mark (bio)

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints call them "talks," but most (non)Christians call them sermons. This is a series of sermons that many Latter-day Saints love and believe. I hope these sermons promote and perfect your faith as they do mine. Read previous MMM Sermons or watch this specific sermon.

When I was eight years-old, my parents had their last child, my only other sibling with whom I grew-up. He was baptized into the Lutheran church. I asked my parents why they didn't baptize me and they said because they wanted me to make my own decision regarding religion. Unfortunately, my brother's baptism was the only time that my family spoke of Christianity. I believe my parents baptized my brother more out of Catholic-remnants of fear of hell fire rather than a sincere desire to follow the Christ.

At any rate, I grew up a hellion. With no real moral compass, morality was like Mandarin Chinese to me: I did not understand a (moral) word. I eventually found my way to Christ but at what cost? Until I got baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, my life was more Rated-R when I would rather it had been PG.

MMM Sermons: Continue in Patience

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by Saint Mark (bio)

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints call them "talks," but most (non)Christians call them sermons. This is a series of sermons that many Latter-day Saints love and believe. I hope these sermons promote and perfect your faith as they do mine. Read previous MMM Sermons or watch this specific sermon.

It probably was not President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's intention that I take his sermon so much to heart and experiment on my own children with marshmallows ... but I did. And I had some surprising results.

In April 2010 General Conference, President Uchtdorf used a scientist's experiment to illustrate the import of patience:

In the 1960s, a professor at Stanford University began a modest experiment testing the willpower of four-year-old children. He placed before them a large marshmallow and then told them they could eat it right away or, if they waited for 15 minutes, they could have two marshmallows.

MMM Sermons: Good, Better, Best

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by Saint Mark (bio)

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints call them "talks," but most non-Christians call them sermons. This is a series of sermons that many Latter-day Saints love and believe. I hope these sermons promote and perfect your faith as they do mine. Read previous MMM Sermons here or watch this specific sermon here.

If you have ever struggled to make a choice between good and good choices, then you will appreciate this sermon.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles delivered this memorable sermon in General Conference of October 2007. Good, Better, Best is a revealing window into Elder Oaks' approach to preaching and analyzing the gospel. An attorney and former judge, Elder Oaks knows how to make obeying the commandments of God a rational, logical decision.

Here are some golden acorns from Elder Oaks (sorry, couldn't help it):

In choosing how we spend time as a family, we should be careful not to exhaust our available time on things that are merely good and leave little time for that which is better or best. A friend took his young family on a series of summer vacation trips, including visits to memorable historic sites. At the end of the summer he asked his teenage son which of these good summer activities he enjoyed most. The father learned from the reply, and so did those he told of it. "The thing I liked best this summer," the boy replied, "was the night you and I laid on the lawn and looked at the stars and talked." Super family activities may be good for children, but they are not always better than one-on-one time with a loving parent ...

The number of those who report that their "whole family usually eats dinner together" has declined 33 percent. This is most concerning because the time a family spends together "eating meals at home [is] the strongest predictor of children's academic achievement and psychological adjustment." Family mealtimes have also been shown to be a strong bulwark against children's smoking, drinking, or using drugs. There is inspired wisdom in this advice to parents: what your children really want for dinner is you ...

In general conference last year, Elder M. Russell Ballard warned against the deterioration of family relationships that can result when we spend excess time on ineffective activities that yield little spiritual sustenance. He cautioned against complicating our Church service "with needless frills and embellishments that occupy too much time, cost too much money, and sap too much energy. … The instruction to magnify our callings is not a command to embellish and complicate them. To innovate does not necessarily mean to expand; very often it means to simplify. … What is most important in our Church responsibilities," he said, "is not the statistics that are reported or the meetings that are held but whether or not individual people—ministered to one at a time just as the Savior did—have been lifted and encouraged and ultimately changed."