Talk on Father's Day

Since Neil shared his excellent talk on charity, I'll share mine given the same day. I didn't write mine out, so this won't be exact. I just used 3 scriptures and a couple of quotes that were in the margins of my quad. I liked the personal touch he gave.

 It is a privilege to be asked to speak on Father's Day. As we think about our earthly fathers and all they've done for us--their generosity, their patience, their love and guidance--it helps us understand better how our Heavenly Father feels about us. He has all those traits too and in even greater abundance. He loves us and wants to help us get through this life and back to Him. He loves to hear from us.

We have all asked our earthly fathers for help. And we ask our Heavenly Father for help too through earnest prayer. We have prayed sincerely perhaps for help with a choice we need to make, perhaps for help overcoming a weakness, perhaps for help in a personal relationship.

It is interesting that when we pray all three members of the Godhead are active in the process. We pray TO our Father in Heaven because we are His children and we know He loves us and wants to help us. We pray IN the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, who deserves that because he is our advocate and mediator with the Father, he is our judge, he is the creator, he is the master teacher, our exemplar. Most of all, he is our redeemer, making it possible for us to overcome death and return to our Father and overcome sin if we repent. Then the answers to our prayers come THROUGH the third member of the Godhead, the Holy Ghost. That is a wonderful thing that we can receive guidance and light to our path. We don't have to walk in darkness or in blinders. We don't have to make the wrong choice or go down the wrong path.

D&C 50:24 says "That which is  of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day." Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin said, "One of the things we must do in this Mortality is chase away the darkness. We must fill our souls with the light of the Holy Spirit."

Another wonderful passage of scripture is in D&C 46:7-8. Here the Lord says, "But ye are commanded in all things to ask of God (we are commanded to pray), who giveth liberally (He is generous); and that which the Spirit testifies unto you even so I would that ye should do in all holiness of heart (pay attention to the Spirit and follow his promptings), walking uprightly before me (being obedient), considering the end of your salvation (this life isn't all there is; we think about the next and where we want to be), doing all things with prayer and thanksgiving (we need to be grateful), that ye may not be seduced by evil spirits, or doctrines of devils, or the commandments of men; for some are of men, and others of devils." Then he gives us a warning. "Wherefore, beware lest ye are deceived; and that ye may not be deceived seek ye earnestly the best gifts..." What are the best gifts? Spiritual gifts. And more than the ones listed in this section such as faith, healing, tongues, discernment. We need patience and self control and compassion and on and on.

We need to ASK for the gifts we need. There are blessings and gifts the Lord is willing to give us but He's waiting for us to ask for them!

One of the greatest gifts is the gift of the Holy Ghost which we receive when we're confirmed (like Jerome did today). We are invited to receive that gift when we're confirmed which means we must work for it and be worthy of it.We don't want to quench it as Jacob says in the Book of Mormon. In chapter 6 verse 8 he asks, "Behold, will ye reject these words?...will ye reject the words which have been spoken concerning Christ,...and deny the good word of Christ, and the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and QUENCH the Holy Spirit, and make a mock of the great plan of redemption, which hath been laid for you?" Our answer is NO, we don't want to quench the Spirit.

Elder Russell M. Nelson said, "Living the Lord's standards requires that we cultivate the gift of the Holy Ghost." We want to cultivate it, not quench it. We quench it by allowing bad things to come into our minds. We quench it by being prideful and saying (like a two-year-old) "I can do this by myself." We quench it by befuddling our minds with harmful substances. Rather, we should do all we can to welcome the Spirit's help.

Our challenge is to ask for the gifts we need from our loving Father in Heaven. We will be blessed with greater happiness and with the ability to help others around us with those gifts.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.