Introduction:
It is an honor to have the opportunity to share this special day with none other than my 3rd cousin, Daniel Soffe! We first met back in 6th grade when his family moved here from El Paso, Texas. At the time, I would wear a pink pair of shoes to church that Dan loved because they were just so little. Well Dan, I am wearing those shoes today in honor of you. Welcome home.
I would sincerely like to welcome each and every one of you here today to this Sacrament Meeting, on this Beautiful Sabbath Day. I am so grateful for those of you that have traveled even the shortest distance to be here. Welcome.
“Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yeah, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.” (Alma 26:12)
This testimony is shared by Ammon, the ultimate example of powerful missionary work in the Book of Mormon. I first sincerely read this scripture for the first time on a dear friend’s mission plaque; she returned home earlier this year from a wonderful mission in Texas. When I read the scripture, I could feel that it had a powerful message
In this scripture, Ammon touches on some valuable truths as he refers to the nothingness of man, the need to recognize our dependence on the Lord, and gives glory to God for his strength and many mighty miracles.
Nothingness of Man:
To discuss the “nothingness” of man can be a sensitive yet powerful thing. We believe that “the worth of souls it great in the sight of God” (D&C 18:10). As sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, we are valued. The sisters are told that a virtuous woman is more precious than rubies (Proverbs 31:10). However, it isn’t difficult for the natural man to get in the way of our divine purposes as sons and daughters of God. At times, the natural man may slip into our lives and cause us to think that we know ourselves best and think that the plans we have for our own lives are best. Thinking like this can often draw us away from the light of Christ, and even lead some to prideful thoughts and actions. However, it is by recognizing how we are as the dust of the earth that we can become humbled and live in accordance to Gods plan.
As we come to understand the power of God and our dependence on him, we are able to see how his plan truly is perfect for us. We can then become truly humbled and put all of our trust in the Lord. At times, we may have righteous desires or plans for our lives, but despite how righteous we may consider some of our plans, the Lord is ready to throw us a curve ball and help us find what the best choice is for us according to his will.
In the New Era of January 1973, President Hugh B. Brown tells of an experience he had that displays how God truly knows us better than we know ourselves. He titled his experience “The Currant Bush”. This article has been shared many times, at General Conference, in Sunday School, in Sacrament Meeting, and even in Family Home Evenings. It is a touching story that really seems to put things into perspective.
(Read: Currant Bush)
When discussing the nothingness of man, this story is a good reminder that we must strive to always remember that it is Gods will that truly matters, that it is in his strength that we must boast in, and not in our own. Our salvation lies with him. We may have good plans, but they may not be in God’s plan.
Christ once said:
“And if men come unto me I will show them their weakness. I give men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.” (Ether 12:27)
It is in God’s plan to help us become the best versions of ourselves that we can, and for us to return to live with him. By giving us weakness’s and trials, we are in a position to be humbled. As we are humbled, we recognize Gods power more fully and can glory in Him.
“Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind, and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.” (Moroni 10:32)
It is an honor to have the opportunity to share this special day with none other than my 3rd cousin, Daniel Soffe! We first met back in 6th grade when his family moved here from El Paso, Texas. At the time, I would wear a pink pair of shoes to church that Dan loved because they were just so little. Well Dan, I am wearing those shoes today in honor of you. Welcome home.
I would sincerely like to welcome each and every one of you here today to this Sacrament Meeting, on this Beautiful Sabbath Day. I am so grateful for those of you that have traveled even the shortest distance to be here. Welcome.
“Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yeah, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.” (Alma 26:12)
This testimony is shared by Ammon, the ultimate example of powerful missionary work in the Book of Mormon. I first sincerely read this scripture for the first time on a dear friend’s mission plaque; she returned home earlier this year from a wonderful mission in Texas. When I read the scripture, I could feel that it had a powerful message
In this scripture, Ammon touches on some valuable truths as he refers to the nothingness of man, the need to recognize our dependence on the Lord, and gives glory to God for his strength and many mighty miracles.
Nothingness of Man:
To discuss the “nothingness” of man can be a sensitive yet powerful thing. We believe that “the worth of souls it great in the sight of God” (D&C 18:10). As sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, we are valued. The sisters are told that a virtuous woman is more precious than rubies (Proverbs 31:10). However, it isn’t difficult for the natural man to get in the way of our divine purposes as sons and daughters of God. At times, the natural man may slip into our lives and cause us to think that we know ourselves best and think that the plans we have for our own lives are best. Thinking like this can often draw us away from the light of Christ, and even lead some to prideful thoughts and actions. However, it is by recognizing how we are as the dust of the earth that we can become humbled and live in accordance to Gods plan.
As we come to understand the power of God and our dependence on him, we are able to see how his plan truly is perfect for us. We can then become truly humbled and put all of our trust in the Lord. At times, we may have righteous desires or plans for our lives, but despite how righteous we may consider some of our plans, the Lord is ready to throw us a curve ball and help us find what the best choice is for us according to his will.
In the New Era of January 1973, President Hugh B. Brown tells of an experience he had that displays how God truly knows us better than we know ourselves. He titled his experience “The Currant Bush”. This article has been shared many times, at General Conference, in Sunday School, in Sacrament Meeting, and even in Family Home Evenings. It is a touching story that really seems to put things into perspective.
(Read: Currant Bush)
When discussing the nothingness of man, this story is a good reminder that we must strive to always remember that it is Gods will that truly matters, that it is in his strength that we must boast in, and not in our own. Our salvation lies with him. We may have good plans, but they may not be in God’s plan.
Christ once said:
“And if men come unto me I will show them their weakness. I give men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.” (Ether 12:27)
It is in God’s plan to help us become the best versions of ourselves that we can, and for us to return to live with him. By giving us weakness’s and trials, we are in a position to be humbled. As we are humbled, we recognize Gods power more fully and can glory in Him.
“Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind, and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.” (Moroni 10:32)
Remembrance and Gratitude:
Once we are humbled in recognition of our nothingness and are able to recognize how mighty and glorious our God is, how can we express gratitude? During the 1989 October General Conference, President Henry B. Eyring, who at that time was First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, reminded us of some of the teachings of King Benjamin. He taught:
“And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel.
“And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true.” (Mosiah 4:11-12)
The first thing that King Benjamin counsels us to do is to remember—“remember, and always retain in remembrance the greatness of God, and your own nothingness”. There are things that we can do on a daily basis to always remember God and to express gratitude to Him. The Holy Ghost can be a constant guide in our lives, and He, the Holy Ghost, can also cause us to remember our Lord God more. Through the Holy Ghost and Personal Revelation, we can remember. As we are prompted by the Holy Ghost to remember those things, it is important that we keep a record.
President Spencer W. Kimball taught that, “Those who keep a book of remembrance are more likely to keep the Lord in remembrance in their daily lives. Journals are a way of counting our blessings and of leaving an inventory of these blessings for our posterity.” At a BYU devotional in 2001, Elder Richard G. Scott stated, “You will find that as you write down precious impressions, often more will come.” What better impressions to write about than those that glorify God? Looking through the scriptures in the Standard Works, we see the best examples of journal keeping. All of the teachings in the scriptures point towards Christ and praise God.
We study history that we may remember. By keeping a history of the miracles and blessings from God, we will remember Him more often.
We are given many other reminders of the miraculous things that God does for us; we must only tune our hearts to hold onto those things and recognize them. In Sacrament Meeting, we hear the sacrament prayer every week which prays that “we will always remember Him”. The Hymns we sing are reminders and praise God. Monthly visits from Visiting Teachers and Home Teachers bring messages to homes around the world that glorify God. We are reminded twice a year during General Conference. Next week, we will be blessed with the opportunity to listen to our prophet, Thomas S. Monson, other General Authorities and Auxiliary leaders. Documents have been given to us such as The Family: A Proclamation to the World, and the new book for sisters and their families around the world titled “Daughters in My Kingdom”. These reminders and others may be more present in our lives than we currently realize.
Even as King Benjamin counseled his people with doctrines that apply to us even today, it is apparent that no gospel doctrine can stand alone without displaying the glory and power of God.
The Glory and Power of God:
When we glorify in our Savior, we are also glorifying God the Father. As many have explained it, Heavenly Father has the blue print and Christ is the One that executes it.
We must praise God for this beautiful world that was so perfectly and miraculous created which we are so blessed to live in; for this free country that we live in, which gives us the rights to get an education, male and female, to worship as we choose, to think and dream as we wish to; for modern day revelation through his prophets that guide us today; for modern technology that saves lives, makes life easier, and helps in building His kingdom. But ultimately, we must praise and glorify God for the Atonement.
In the last general conference, President Thomas S. Monson shared a powerful testimony of our Savior and the Atonement. I want to share a part of it.
“I share with you my love for the Savior and for His great atoning sacrifice for us….I believe that none of us can conceive the full import of what Christ did for us in Gethsemane, but I am grateful every day of my life for His atoning sacrifice in our behalf….He passed beneath all things that He might save all things. In doing so, He gave us life beyond this mortal existence. He reclaimed us from the Fall of Adam. To the depths of my very soul, I am grateful to Him. He taught us how to live. He taught us how to die. He secured our salvation.”
In Closing:
God lives and He is the source of all that we may become in this life and in the eternities. He is the reason that we are all here today. He is the light and knowledge of all things. We must remember Him. We must praise and glorify Him. No other being in our existence can deserve nor demand our will and praise more than He.
“Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yeah, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land [world, time, life, existence], for which we will praise his name forever.” (Alma 26:12)
In closing, I testify that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, live. Their power and glory is more than we can comprehend in our fallen state of being. But I also testify that as we recognize how mighty our God is, and glorify in his strength rather than in our own, weak, mortal strength, we will see more fully the Plan of Salvation, what we are to do with our lives here on earth, and how blessed we truly are. How Great our God is. I say this in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Works Cited:
“Remembrance and Gratitude”. President Henry B. Eyring, October 1989 General
Conference.
“The Currant Bush”. President Hugh B. Brown, New Era January 1973.
Alma 26:12
Mosiah 4:11-12
“To Acquire Knowledge and The Strength to Use It Wisely”. Elder Richard G. Scott.
BYU Devotional, 23 January 2001.
D&C 18:10
Ether 12:27
The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball, Salt Lake City:
Brookcraft, 1982, p. 394
D&C 20:77,79
“At Parting”. President Thomas S. Monson, April General Conference 2011. May
Ensign 2011, pg. 114.
Proverbs 31:10
Moroni 10:32
It was a wonderful meeting, a lovely talk and beautiful music!
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