Stand in Holy Places
THOMAS
S. MONSON
President Monson talks about how the
world has changed in the 84 years he has been alive. He says one of the things
that has changed at a rapid rate has been the moral compass of society.
Behaviors which once were considered inappropriate and immoral are now not only
tolerated but also viewed by many as acceptable.
Quote #1: “There are large parts
of [the world] where religion is a thing of the past and there is no
counter-voice to the culture of buy it, spend it, wear it, flaunt it, because
you’re worth it. The message is that morality is passé, conscience is for
wimps, and the single overriding command is ‘Thou shalt not be found out.’” The
Ten Commandments have been rewritten as the Ten Creative Suggestions.
Although the world has changed, the
laws of God remain constant. They have not changed; they will not change. The
Ten Commandments are just that—commandments. They are not suggestions.
*Satan can make the choices of the
world look so appealing sometimes it may seem like following the commandments
is hard and we are missing out on fun. How do we keep perspective when those
false messages come?
Pres. Monson’s response to members
of the church on this subject is: It may appear to you at times that those out
in the world are having much more fun than you are. Some of you may feel
restricted by the code of conduct to which we in the Church adhere. My brothers
and sisters, I declare to you, however, that there is nothing which can bring
more joy into our lives or more peace to our souls than the Spirit which can
come to us as we follow the Savior and keep the commandments. That Spirit
cannot be present at the kinds of activities in which so much of the world
participates.
Quote #2: The Apostle Paul
declared the truth: “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of
God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they
are spiritually discerned.” The term natural man can refer to any of us if we
allow ourselves to be so.
*Going back to the title of this talk
where and how do you personally stand in holy places while living in this
world?
We must be vigilant in a world which
has moved so far from that which is spiritual. It is essential that we reject
anything that does not conform to our standards, refusing in the process to
surrender that which we desire most: eternal life in the kingdom of God.
In
this world where things are constantly changing, there is one person that never
changes, there is one person on whom we can always rely…
Quote #3: Our Father in Heaven
is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The prophet Mormon tells us that God
is “unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity.” In this world where nearly
everything seems to be changing, His constancy is something on which we can
rely, an anchor to which we can hold fast and be safe, lest we be swept away
into uncharted waters.
A
line from one of my favorite hymns says “Earth’s joys grow dim, it’s glories
pass away. Change and decay in all around I see. Oh thou who changest not abide
with me.”
The storms will still beat at our
doors from time to time, for they are an inescapable part of our existence in
mortality. We, however, will be far better equipped to deal with them, to learn
from them, and to overcome them IF we have the gospel at our core and the love
of the Savior in our hearts.
*What gives you strength to keep
moving forward as you pass through trials?
As a means of being in the world but
not being of the world, it is necessary that we communicate with our Heavenly
Father through prayer. He wants us to do so; He’ll answer our prayers. The
Savior said “Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name;
“And whatsoever ye shall ask the
Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it
shall be given unto you.”
Quote #4: President Monson says:
“I have had countless prayers answered. Not a day has gone by that I have not
communicated with my Father in Heaven through prayer. It is a relationship I
cherish—one I would literally be lost without. If you do not now have such a
relationship with your Father in Heaven, I urge you to work toward that goal.
As you do so, you will be entitled to His inspiration and guidance in your
life. Such inspiration and guidance are gifts He freely gives if we but seek
them.”
*As some of you may know my husband is
deployed for the 4th time. I am currently trying to sell our house
so we can move to Alaska where he was stationed right before he deployed. I
have 4 little children and I am under a lot of stress. I keep telling myself
when it gets overwhelming…this is only a moment, it won’t last forever. It is
hard not having an adult to talk to some days especially when the one adult (my
husband) that I want to talk to about the daily struggles is not there. I find
myself praying for strength to just keep getting through. One morning Jeanie
Morris showed up at my door and said, “I had a dream about you last night. You
handed me a list of all the things you had to do that day and at the top of the
list it said ‘I am lonely.’ You grabbed the list back and said ‘you weren’t supposed
to see that, that is only for me.’” She came in, brought me some flowers and
some chocolate and chatted for a bit. When she left, she hadn’t solved any of
my problems or taken my trials away, but it witnessed to me that Heavenly
father knows me. He hears my prayers. He wanted me to know that. Because
someone else was living her life worthy of inspiration I was blessed because of
it. We can be the answer to someone else’s prayers if WE are living worthily.
Do we recognize inspiration when we
receive it? Do we act on it or pass it off as “our own thought.”
President Monson said: I am always
humbled and grateful when my Heavenly Father communicates with me through His
inspiration. I have learned to recognize it, to trust it, and to follow it.
Time and time again I have been the recipient of such inspiration. One rather
dramatic experience took place in August of 1987 during the dedication of the
Frankfurt Germany Temple. President Ezra Taft Benson had been with us for the
first day or two of the dedication but had returned home, and so it became my
opportunity to conduct the remaining sessions.
On Saturday we had a session for our
Dutch members who were in the Frankfurt Temple district. I was well acquainted
with one of our outstanding leaders from the Netherlands, Brother Peter Mourik.
Just prior to the session, I had the distinct impression that Brother Mourik
should be called upon to speak to his fellow Dutch members during the session
and that, in fact, he should be the first speaker.
President Monson hadn’t seen Peter
at the temple that day and passed a note to one of the fellow Elder’s there
asking if Brother Mourik was in attendance. He received a note back saying that
Peter Mourik was in meetings somewhere else.
Then
he stood up and trusting his instincts, announced that Brother Mourik was going
to be the first speaker after the first choir number was over.
As
I returned to my seat, I glanced toward Elder Asay; I saw on his face a look of
alarm. He later told me that when I had announced Brother Mourik as the first
speaker, he couldn’t believe his ears. He said he knew that I had received his
note and that I indeed had read it, and he couldn’t fathom why I would then
announce Brother Mourik as a speaker, knowing he wasn’t anywhere in the temple.
During the time all of this was
taking place, Peter Mourik was in a meeting at the area offices. As his meeting
was going forward, he suddenly turned to Elder Thomas A. Hawkes Jr., who was
then the regional representative, and asked, “How fast can you get me to the
temple?”
Elder
Hawkes, who was known to drive rather rapidly in his small sports car, answered,
“I can have you there in 10 minutes! But why do you need to go to the temple?”
Brother Mourik admitted he did not
know why he needed to go to the temple but that he knew he had to get there.
The two of them set out for the temple immediately.
During the magnificent choir number,
I glanced around, thinking that at any moment I would see Peter Mourik. I did
not. Remarkably, however, I felt no alarm. I had a sweet, undeniable assurance
that all would be well.
Brother
Mourik entered the front door of the temple just as the opening prayer was
concluding, still not knowing why he was there. As he hurried down the hall, he
saw my image on the monitor and heard me announce, “We will now hear from
Brother Peter Mourik.”
To the astonishment of Elder Asay,
Peter Mourik immediately walked into the room and took his place at the podium.
Following the session, Brother
Mourik and I discussed that which had taken place prior to his opportunity to
speak. I have pondered the inspiration which came that day not only to me but
also to Peter Mourik. That remarkable
experience has provided an undeniable witness to me of the importance of being
worthy to receive such inspiration and then trusting it—and following it—when
it comes.
They were both living their lives worthy
of receiving inspiration and they were BOTH listening at that same moment.
*To have the inspiration that comes
from our Heavenly Father we have to be living our lives in accordance with his
commandments. Have you ever had an experience in your life where you have
received an answer to your prayers or inspiration when you needed it most,
BECAUSE you were living worthily? Please share.
Quote #5: My beloved brothers
and sisters, communication with our Father in Heaven—including our prayers to
Him and His inspiration to us—is necessary in order for us to weather the
storms and trials of life. The Lord invites us, “Draw near unto me and I will
draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me.” As we do so, we
will feel His Spirit in our lives, providing us the desire and the courage to
stand strong and firm in righteousness—to “stand … in holy places, and be not
moved.”
As
the winds of change swirl around us and the moral fiber of society continues to
disintegrate before our very eyes, may we remember the Lord’s precious promise
to those who trust in Him: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed;
for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will
uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
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