All of the virgins, wise and foolish, had accepted the invitation to the wedding supper; they had knowledge of the program and had been warned of the important day to come. I suspect that many people who five years ago had a rich larder, a full pantry, and a year's supply of basic necessities have let their stock dwindle. There is one principle, a modern prophet said, (that we should) understand:that is of blessings and cursings. But, on the scale of eternity, the missing of these blessings shall be but a small moment (see D&C 121:7). All that is taught in Primary is virtuous, lovely, and of good report, and praiseworthy. . I plead with men everywhere to Come, listen to a prophets voice and hear the word of God from our living prophet who sits with us here today. They are boats, cars, and luxuries. 25:9 And modern prophets are warning frequently, constantly. But when the cry sounds, there is no time for preparation. In 1969, then-Mormon Apostle Spencer W. Kimball wrote a book addressed to his people titled The Miracle of Forgiveness. Meanwhile, one does not need to be married or a mother in order to keep the first and second great commandmentsthose of loving God and our fellowmenon which Jesus said hang all the law and all the prophets. Copyright 2023 My Life By Gogo Goff | Trellis Framework by Mediavine, Doctrine of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, Ezra Taft Benson: A Time of Crisis in America April 1968 General Conference, Eldred G. Smith: Can you endure to the end for two hours? . While we do not now remember the particulars, this does not alter the glorious reality of what we once agreed to. No wonder we who bear the plan of salvation feel a special urgency in sharing the gospel, because we love our own neighbor. 218 University Press Building Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. . And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. For instance, we read that war, pestilence, plagues, famine, etc., will be visited upon the inhabitants of the earth, but if distress through the judgments of God comes upon this people, it will be because the majority have turned away from the Lord., The worlds living prophet has warned and pleaded that the people return to God, who has said again: I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise D&C 82:10. 20:8 italics added). Too late, too late, ye cannot enter now. Protection is not in walls nor mountains nor cliffs, yet foolish men still lean on the arm of flesh., The walls of Babylon were too high to be scaled, too thick to be broken, too strong to be crumbled, but not too deep to be undermined when the human element failed Dan. The Lord has given us this parable as a special warning. Concerning Jerusalem the Lord said: I will defend this city 2 Kgs. It is the parable of the Ten Virgins, a powerful warning to all men. Old man rationalization is with us. There will be faintness of heart and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase you into flight and you will fall when none pursueth. Yet These are the statutes and judgments and laws, which the Lord made between him and the children of Israel in Mt. Divorce, ever on the increase, jumping from one divorce for thirty-six weddings in Civil War days now has reached somewhere near one to four. It was not simply a call to repentance, but it felt like Spencer W. Kimball was raising a prophetic voice effectively saying YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED so as to wash his garments clean from the blood and sins of our generation. They had the saving, exalting gospel, but it had not been made the center of their lives. You are accountable for those things which long ago were expected of you just as are those we sustain as prophets and apostles! These men are among the prophets of God, just as were the prophets of the Book of Mormon and of the Bible. They were fools, these five unprepared virgins. For those who heed the warning and make their preparations, for those found at midnight with the oil of righteousness in their lamps, for those with patience, long-suffering, and full dedication, the promise is that they shall sit down at the banquet with their Lord. Today is another day, but history repeats itself. Many of the Lord's parables and sayings urged men to be prepared for his Second Coming and for the end of this period of the world's existence. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain Ex. Regardless of who is getting the adversarys special attention at any given time, he seeks to make all people miserable like unto himself (2Ne. We have been commanded to follow the signs of the times and that is all the warning we need or will be given, but the membership is asleep. But we cannot allow ourselves to slumber. Posted by cconover2 | Jul 23, 2018 | Uncategorized | 0 |, Spencer W. Kimball "Preparedness the Ten Virgins", http://providentlivingandme.blogspot.com/2011/08/spencer-w-kimball-preparedness-ten.html, The ancients looked forward to the coming of the Lord and asked, "When shall all these things be?" When the world is full of tribulation and help is needed, but it seems the time must be past and hope is vain, then Christ will come. War clouds gather, fear heightens; tenseness increases, yet there need be no fear and worry and sleepless nights. Do we twentieth century people have reason to think that we can be immune from the same tragic consequences when we ignore the same divine laws? In the parable, oil can be purchased at the market. 1:26.). I know he is Gods recognized prophet. 20:15 italics added). He served in the Quorum of the Twelve for thirty years and became the president of the Church in 1973. But even then wickedness did not lessen, men did not learn lessons. The Samoan and Hawaiian Saints were gathered together in a grand celebration. The taverns are full, the beaches crowded, the grandstands packed, man servants, and maid servants hired to duty, the ski lifts busy, canyon picnic tables loaded. Why must men rely on fortifications and armaments when the God of heaven yearns to bless them? Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. We are greatly heartened by your presence not only tonight but in this portion of this dispensation wherein your talents and spiritual strength are so desperately needed. Nothing less will do under those conditions. It has had shorter periods of good health, but longer ones of ailing. They knew they should have oil. He describes himself as a lad whom the people despised and who was slow of speech; yet he did his duty in love and compassion with stunning success. President Kimball commissioned extensive study of the scriptures in regard to the matter, and after hearing from Elder Bruce R. McConkie that there was nothing in the scriptures to necessitate the restriction, he made it a matter of fervent and exhaustive prayer in the temple. (Luke 12:47-48.) He goes through an immense personal struggle and emerges victorious. While leaders quarrel, and editors write, and authorities analyze and prognosticate, we break the Sabbath as though no command had ever been given. If, in the short term, we are sometimes dealt with insensitively and thoughtlessly by others, by imperfect men and women, it may still cause us pain, but such pain and disappointment are not the whole of life. . The initiated who knew fish and were able to judge picked the worthless ones and cast them back into the sea. Still others of you now know the uncertainty of being young as you ponder your place in the eternal scheme of things. While bombs are detonated and tested, and fallout settles on the already sick world, we continue in idolatry and adultery. The leaven of true leadership cannot lift others unless we are with and serve those to be led." Spencer W. Kimball tags: inspirational , lds , leadership 180 likes Like Journals are a way of counting our blessings and of leaving an inventory of these blessings for our posterity. Jesus Christ our Lord is under no obligation to save this world. Be assured, too, that all faithful sisters, who, through no fault of their own, do not have the privilege during their second estate of being sealed to a worthy man, will have that blessing in eternity. Can they not see that, pushed by pleasure, they will become more and more distant from joy? And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight (see Lev. But this talk, by Spencer W. Kimball, was different. Regardless of your particular circumstances, as you become more and more familiar with the truths of the scriptures, you will be more and more effective in keeping the second great commandment, to love your neighbor as yourself. "Noah heeded God's command to build an arkthat they might be saved from the flood waters. From whom else could you learn of our Father in Heavens glorious plan of happiness? For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. This was not selfishness or unkindness. We wish you to pursue and to achieve that education, therefore, which will fit you for eternity as well as for full service in mortality. Man being what he is with tendencies such as he has, results can be prognosticated with some degree of accuracy. From that humble beginning has grown a worldwide organization that has touched the lives of millions of people. This ugly deviation is found among youth and married people. They were sealed the following year in the Salt Lake Temple. . While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. . Most of the time there have been pains and aches in some parts of its anatomy, but now that it is growing old, complications have set in, and all the ailments seem to be everywhere. It is so easy for leisure to turn into laziness. Rushing for their lamps to light their way through the blackness, half of them found them empty. The wise had to go, else the bridegroom would have gone unwelcomed. All kinds of fish were caught, big and little, fat and snakelike. We do reap what we sow. The pioneers thought it would be soon and watched for signs; our grandparents watched for the sprouting of the fig tree; our parents watched for the reddening of the sky; and we ourselves have heard all our lives that the Second Coming is near. The boats had spread the nets far out, and now we began to pull in the nets. They had been warned all their lives. If race tracks were closed on the Sabbath, if gambling ceased, drinking eliminated, work and play confined to week days; if stores were closed and all people went to their sanctuaries truly to worship even as best they know; if taverns never opened, and transgressors all repented, and broken homes were mended, and children were trained in uprightness; if families all knelt in prayer night and morning, if tithes were paid and integrity and worship reigned in the lives of men, the era of total peace would be ushered in. While armies are marshaled and march and drill and officers teach men how to kill, we continue to drink and carouse as usual. The Lord and David slew Goliath 1 Sam. In multiple scriptures the Lord has indicated that he will perform his work through those whom the world regards as weak and despised. Because sin is such sadness, the righteous do not stress an attitude of I told you sobecause the righteous, in their love, truly wish they had been more effective in communication and in testifying so that there could be less misery and more happiness in the world. Spencer W. Kimball - "Preparedness - the Ten Virgins" . Too late, too late! The newspapers carry glaring headlines, politicians wrangle, students and authorities harangue. Strength is not in concrete and re-enforcing steel. It is not only worth waiting for; it is worth living for! For example, the Presiding Bishopric was given stewardship over the temporal affairs of the Church so that the Quorum of the Twelve could focus on spiritual needs. Surely, the end is near as we read the signs of the times, but when? Neither shall the sword go through your land. We were in Hamilton, New Zealand, for a large conference with the Saints. Instead of disciplining ourselves, we yield to urges and carnal desires. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. . "My brethren, I wonder if we are . We have confidence in you. . In God is protection, safety, peace. Thou shalt not steal Ex. Terror is substituted for reason. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. We have the general warning that comes from these world conditions, but we have no precise timetable. and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. ? Apparently, the bridegroom had tarried for reasons that were sufficient and good. Spencer W. Kimball reports that David O. McKay had said "that in his view homosexuality was worse than heterosexual immorality; that it is a filthy and unnatural habit." (20) 1959- Advise and Consent published. We have equality as recipients of Gods perfected love for each of us. Some of you have lost your husbands through death, others through divorce. Honest toil in subduing sagebrush, taming deserts, channeling rivers, helps to take the wildness out of mans environment but also out of him. No traffic will jam your desolate highways. April 1966 General Conference, Ezra Taft Benson: Our God-given Rights October 1968 General Conference. How can one share faith or testimony? His mind is wandering. The precipitous walls on the high hills of Jerusalem deflected for a time the arrows and spears of enemies, the catapults and firebrands. Spencer W. Kimball From an address delivered at a Regional Representatives Seminar on Thursday, 4 April 1974. We love you sisters. Even though the eternal roles of men and women differ, as we indicated to you a year ago, this leaves much to be done by way of parallel personal developmentfor both men and women. Pray carefully over all your decisions. The places change but the turmoil continues. There were 832 marriages in a single month, and there were 414 divorces. I was thrilled at their utterances and took their warnings seriously, even as a young man. When God speaks and we obey, we will always be right." Simple truths are often rejected in favor of the much less demanding philosophies of men, and this is another cause for the rejection of the prophets. . (Revelation 21:3-5, 7. He could not do the one last thing that Jesus asked: Sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor. (Luke 18:22.) These study aids were helpful not only in clarifying meaning, but also in linking the Bible, Book of Mormon, and other scripture more closely together, fulfilling the prophecy that the sticks of Joseph and Judah would be one in hand. His eldest brother was peeved at the presumptuousness of David for even being at the front where Goliath taunted the armies of Israel. Yet even when the hardening is swift, it can also be subtle. The householder said: Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. But had I been wiser then, I would have realized that we were taming ourselves, too. The grandson of early Latter-day Saint apostle Heber C. Kimball, Kimball was born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory.He spent most of his early life in Thatcher, Arizona, where his . He later became the church's president . That night the Lord saved Jerusalem from Sennacherib and his 185,000 troops who did not live the night through to attack 2 Kgs.
Hteao Nutrition Information,
Who Is Leonard On American Restoration,
Articles S