Experiencing the Gospel

Stake Conference talk by President Sean Lanier – Sunday Morning Session – January 14, 2018

Brothers and Sisters…Good Morning. It is so wonderful to be with you today. We are grateful that you are here. We are excited to share this time with you. We are grateful for all that you do and your commitment to the gospel. I am thankful for your commitment and your sacrifice that is often required to attend Stake Conference, especially with little ones. It is truly a humbling experience to be in your presence.

Years ago, pre-cell phone era, while driving home from college I was taking the 60 freeway home. As I exited on Haven avenue, pulled up the offramp to the stoplight and stopped at the light waiting to make a left turn and head home after a long day. At that moment, as I was so close, and after a long day and even longer week, all went wrong. As I was sitting there waiting for the light to turn green, my car stopped. Now remember this was pre-cell phone. So I’m in an area where I don’t really know any one, its after dark, no real way to communicate. I have a choice to make. I can either sit there and wait, for who knows how long. Or I can walk, and try to find something that would help me.

So I think about the area and realize that it was a Tuesday night, and knowing that one of our church buildings was somewhere below the 60 freeway on Haven avenue. So I start walking. It was a longer walk than I had anticipated, but I made it, and thankfully before people had left the building. I was able to make a phone call to my wife and arrange a tow truck, and proceeded to walk back to my car to wait.

When I got to my car, I see the flashing blue and red lights, and a highway patrol officer waiting for me. I told him what happened and that I left to find a phone. The officer, with a puzzled look on his face looked down towards the freeway, maybe fifty yards from where my car was stalled. There, within plain sight, on the side of the freeway, the officer pointed and asked “Why didn’t you just use the callbox?”

Life is like that sometimes. We all have moments where things don’t go as planned, and we do the best that we can with what we’ve got. There are times in all of our lives where we will come to a crossroads, and we won’t necessarily see a clear way out.

I recently had a candid conversation with a dear friend. This friend has had some trials in his life, as all of us do. He has gone through tests and trials that could have provided a pathway that would bring him closer to the Lord, or drag him further away. In our discussion he lamented the fact that he felt numb. He is a good member of the church. He pays his tithing, keeps the word of wisdom, is loyal to the gospel, and a devoted father. He keeps his covenants. But in the course of our discussion it became very evident that there was not much in terms of forward progress. He was still sitting at the crossroads.

As we discussed some of the examples from the brethren, and the lessons from their lives and their trials, the comment was said that “those things only happen to the brethren. I will never be like one of them. I will never be able to have those kind of experiences.”

It is easy to tell ourselves that the miraculous experiences of the gospel often shared over a pulpit, although inspirational, are not for the “average person.” Brothers and Sisters, that is a lie. That is a tool used by the deceiver to lull us into a state of mediocrity and passive acceptance. If we start to believe that we are beyond the full blessings of the gospel, including spiritual blessings, then why keep trying. And if we stop trying to actively move forward, we become complacent.

“Failure to actively seek righteousness can cost us our exaltation as surely as choosing wickedness.” (“A Shield Against Evil – January 1996 Ensign).

One of the greatest concerns in the church currently is the tendency to be complacent. David O’McKay once called apathy the “peril of this century.” How much worse must it be now? (October 1907 General Conference)

We are all at certain times, faced with various crossroads in our lives. We all have moments that will either force us to move closer to the Lord, or will move us further away from him. That is the plan. We will be tried and pushed from one experience to another, in an effort to bring us closer to the Lord. The dilemma occurs when we try to shut down the feelings because it is too difficult for us to bear. We can sit there and wait for something to happen, or we can make a move ourselves.

There is danger in the belief that we can just go about our business in the gospel without making much effort. If all we seek is to do no wrong, we are treading a dangerous path of complacent discipleship. Complacent discipleship only takes us so far. Peter had many flaws as documented in the Bible. He was at times impulsive and impetuous. Yet, during the darkest hour of the fourth watch, when the waves were at their highest peak, Peter was the first one out of the boat when Christ walked on the water. (Matthew 14:23-29).

Peter moved. He was active. He was willing to do what he needed to be near the Lord.

A complete understanding of the gospel is more than intellectual. It is experiential. We are not to just believe the gospel. We are to live the gospel. Experience it and make it part of us. Ultimately our experience in the gospel, the depth of our understanding of the restored truths, and the depth of our commitment, depends upon what we are actually willing to do.

President Nelson has taught that the word Apathy literally means without feeling.

Paul taught the Ephesians to not “walk…in the vanity of their minds” meaning to not rely only on what we think. He described those who stray as “being past feeling.” (Ephesians 4:17-19)

In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Mormon lamented the fall of his people the Nephites and described them as being “past feeling.” (Moroni 9:20)

Consider for a moment…

Why is it that Laman, Lemuel, and Nephi, could have many of the same experiences, even miraculous and incredible, but have such different outcomes? Nephi recounted how not just himself, but Laman and Lemuel had also seen an angel, and that he had spoken to them directly. But Nephi said they were not able to hear the still small voice because they were “past feeling” (1 Nephi 17:45-46).

As Alma set about to “reclaim” those among his people that were lost, as he visited the people of Zarahemla, knowing that many had strayed and forgotten their covenants, he asked them to remember what they stood for, remember the trials that brought them to the knowledge of the truth. In verse 26 of the fifth chapter of Alma he says

“And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?” (Alma 5:26).

Notice two words that I believe are critical to understanding how we avoid complacency.

Experience and Feel.

We are to experience and feel the gospel. We are to help others experience and feel the gospel. Knowing is not enough. We must act.

Elder M. Russell Ballard

“…the most important thing every one of us can do is to examine our own commitment and devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. We must carefully guard against spiritual apathy and work to maintain the full measure of our loving loyalty to the Lord. (“How Is It With Us?” - April 2000, General Conference)

Are we giving the full measure of our loyalty to the Lord?

What are the signs of complacency in the gospel?

There are the obvious ones that eventually lead to inactivity. Sin, apostacy, etc.

But most of the time we are plagued more by the little acts of complacency that creep into our lives because we become comfortable. And when we become comfortable, we stop feeling. And when we stop feeling, we stop experiencing.

There are many areas where we can become complacent. May I suggest three areas where we become too casual in our commitment, and where apathy can then seep into our lives.

Too often we become:

Complacent in our Obedience

Complacent in our Gospel Study

Complacent in our Callings

Obedience:

Bishop Gerald Causse cautioned…

“… let us beware. Our ability to marvel is fragile. Over the long term, such things as casual commandment keeping, apathy, or even weariness may set in and make us insensitive to even the most remarkable signs and miracles of the gospel.” (“Is It Still Wonderful To You?” – April 2015 General Conference).

We do not control the timing of the challenges that we may face. But we will all face them. We will all have moments that will make us question who we are, what we stand for, and sometimes even “why me?”. If we don’t make the decision to be all in now, committed totally, we are putting our eternal progress at risk.

If we are casual about our commitment and covenants now, it is certainly more difficult to be committed when the test comes. Rarely does someone make a hard U-turn from the light and the truth they have received in the gospel. More often than not it is a slow decline, that usually starts with casual obedience. Not outward disobedience, just being casual with our covenants.

Are we Casual with Sabbath Day Observance.

Are we Casual with our Tithes and offerings.

Are we casual in our home and visiting teaching?

Remember the gospel is to be experienced so we can feel? When we are casual, we aren’t pushing ourselves to feel. If we are being too casual on our commitment, we are not setting ourselves up for all the opportunities there is to experience all the gospel has to offer.

Gospel Study:

President Spencer W. Kimball

“I find that when I get casual with my relationship with divinity and when it seems no divine ear is listening and no divine voice is speaking, that I am far, far away. If I immerse myself in the scriptures, the distance narrows and the spirituality returns. I find myself loving more intimately those I should love with all my heart, mind, and strength.” (Miracle of Forgiveness).

Scripture study needs to be daily. Gospel study needs to be regular.

Doctrine and Covenants 88:63

“Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you;”

We draw near to our Savior and Heavenly Father by learning about them.

Callings:

We never know what blessings the Lord has in store if we are not willing to rise up and take the opportunities placed before us.

As I have had the opportunity for several years now to extend callings to serve in the Kingdom, I have been humbled by the willingness and dedication displayed by those who accept callings and saddened by those who do not.

Now I wish to be clear, that there are times when there are circumstances in our personal lives that preclude us from saying yes to a call to serve. And when that is the case an honest an open conversation with the priesthood leader is warranted.

However, when we do not accept a calling that we could accept, and could faithfully execute, because it may be inconvenient, or we feel it’s not the right calling for me, or “I’ve already done that” or “I’m just not good at that calling” We are effectively denying the Lord of an opportunity to bless us. And not only that, we are denying ourselves of the opportunity to bless others.

We are denying ourselves the opportunity to experience something the Lord has in store for us.

I testify that the Lord qualifies whom he calls. There are blessings that await us by being ready to serve. And everyone can do something. The Lord will prepare you for your calling, if you will let Him.

I also testify that the Lord’s timing is always right. If we feel we have been released too early, or called too late in life, we are looking at it all wrong. The Lord knows what experiences in the gospel we need. The Lord will provide opportunities for us to serve that will lead us in the direction we need to go. But we need to take the direction.

Each of us have challenging pathways in our lives that lead to different crossroads. If we say yes to serve, yes to the gospel, and yes to the Lord’s plan, we can stay on the Lord’s path for us.

Many years ago as my wife and I moved into a new ward with our new young family. Life was busy. I was going to school full time and working full time. My wife was managing a new home and our young children. If ever there was a time where we potentially felt we had too much to do this was it. Making ends meet seemed difficult enough, and as I struggled to maintain the balance in my life that keeps us grounded, it was easy to be distracted.

We were doing all we should do. There were no serious errors in our lives and no problems with testimony. We attended church every week, did our callings, and were moving in the right direction. Our story is very common.

At that time, the Elder’s Quorum President was a man with just pure intentions and a good heart. He was also a sports enthusiast. Some may say fanatic. Now I have never been very good at sports. My wife will tell you that one of my initial selling points for her on me when dating, was that at the time of our marriage I did not seem to have any real inclination for athletics. Unfortunately for her in later years I rediscovered my love for College Football, but that is a story for another time.

This Elder’s Quorum President used what he knew. He knew sports. He kept inviting me to come play basketball. I had never played church basketball in my life. And I’m not exactly the type of physical specimen that one looks to to increase one’s chances of winning in that sport. I declined repeatedly. But the invitations did not stop. Week after week I would lovingly be encouraged to come play basketball. Week after week I would decline. Eventually I think I got annoyed, and decided to show up. Ill prepared and definitely without skill, I attended my first evening of church basketball.

I thought I did not really have time for this activity in my life. I was already gone from home more than I was there. There would be times because of my work and school schedule where I would not see my kids for days at a time. But something happened after a couple of weeks of playing basketball. I felt important. I felt needed.

We would play at the church building or in one of our back yards. All through the year, one night a week. Now here is real wisdom. This dedicated Elder’s Quorum president brought the church to the basketball game. There were several times when after the game was over, that someone, a member of the quorum, would need a blessing. Not because of an injury, although there were plenty of those too. But he would actually have members report to his house for a blessing, after game time, knowing that many of those playing were actually members of the quorum and would be there to assist.

Brothers and Sisters, I testify that I have seen many of the promises from those courtside priesthood blessings come to pass. This is the gospel in action. This is experiencing the gospel.

The Lord will use us in his work, if we will let him.

President Uchtdorf

“When our time in mortality is complete, what experiences will we be able to share about our own contribution to this significant period of our lives and to the furthering of the Lord’s work? Will we be able to say that we rolled up our sleeves and labored with all our heart, might, mind, and strength? Or will we have to admit that our role was mostly that of an observer?” (Are You Sleeping Through the Restoration – April 2014 General Conference)

Brothers and Sisters, it has been said that “we are spiritual beings having a human experience.” But we are expected to truly experience it. All of it. The Good, the Bad. Happiness. Sadness. Understanding and experiencing all of it help us become like our Heavenly Father.

Sometimes we try to shelter ourselves, or others, from some of the difficulties that we will face in life. These challenges, these crossroads of life, have the potential to lead us to a place where we are closer to the Lord. Or down a path that leads us further away. But we need to be willing to take the path.

Too often instead of facing the crossroad, we’d rather drive around it. Instead of making the choice to experience and feel, we are content with how things are now. We are complacent with our feelings. It’s just easier. Sometimes its just easier to sit there and wait. Hoping something happens.

But then we lament that we don’t feel the spirit as often as we would like. Or we aren’t getting answers to our prayers. Or my calling just isn’t meaningful to me. Or we don’t feel that we are needed. Or we tell ourselves that those type of spiritual manifestations only happen to the brethren.

Brothers and Sisters. The Lord is eager to bless us. He is eager to help us feel of his love. We are sent to earth to experience life, so we can learn to become like him.

Elder M. Russell Ballard

“…shake off feelings of apathy…and by the power of the Holy Ghost reaffirm our commitment and intensify our service to the Lord.” (“How Is It With Us?” – April 2000, General Conference – Elder M. Russell Ballard).

I testify that the church is true. This is the Lord’s work. I am excited to be a part of it. I love it. The Savior is watching over it. The more we experience, the more we become like Him. I testify that He lives. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ. Amen.