The scriptures are filled with examples of what happens when we are obedient, and conversely, disobedient.

Noah was commanded to build a boat and gather the animals, male and female, because the Lord was going to flood the earth due to the extreme wickedness. (Good thing He promised to never do that again!) Noah obeyed and because he did, every single one of us is here. Every human being on this earth today is descended from Noah.

“A just man and perfect in his generations,” one who “walked with God,” (Genesis 6:9) was the prophet Noah. Ordained to the priesthood at an early age, “he became a preacher of righteousness and declared the gospel of Jesus Christ, … teaching faith, repentance, baptism, and the reception of the Holy Ghost.” (Bible Dictionary, “Noah,” 738–39) He warned that failure to heed his message would bring floods upon those who heard his voice, and yet they hearkened not to his words.

Noah heeded God’s command to build an ark that he and his family might be spared destruction. He followed God’s instructions to gather into the ark two or more of every living creature that they also might be saved from the floodwaters.

President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) taught in general conference more than half a century ago: “As yet there was no evidence of rain and flood. … [Noah’s] warnings were considered irrational. … How foolish to build an ark on dry ground with the sun shining and life moving forward as usual! But time ran out. … The floods came. The disobedient … were drowned. The miracle of the ark followed the faith manifested in its building.”

Noah had the unwavering faith to follow God’s commandments. May we ever do likewise. May we remember that the wisdom of God ofttimes appears as foolishness to men; but the greatest lesson we can learn in mortality is that when God speaks and we obey, we will always be right. (Thomas S. Monson, “They Marked the Path to Follow,” Ensign, Oct 2007, 4–9)

Sometimes it seems as if it is impossible for us to follow God's commands, but it behooves us to remember what Nephi tells us in the Book of Mormon:

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them. (1 Nephi 3:7)

This is a good lesson for me right now too. Heavenly Father is not a capricious God. Neither is His Son, Jesus Christ. When we are asked to do something it really is for our own good.

In 1833, Joseph Smith - the prophet of the restoration, received a revelation known as the Word of Wisdom (D&C 89) which gave Mormons a clear outline of the way to good health through diet. We were asked to not drink alcohol, smoke or chew tobacco or drink coffee. We were asked to eat meat, fruits and vegetable in their seasons, etc. In 1833 that seemed insane to many people. And yet look at what we know today.

Alcoholism is a crippling and destructive disease which decimates lives and families.

Smoking or chewing tobacco causes all kinds of horrible cancers.

Coffee can keep you awake, but it turns out caffeine coats your nerve endings and interrupts the messages being sent. In the long run, it can cause you so much damage.

Obedience, being the first law of heaven, helps us to understand that Heavenly Father is simply looking out for us. He would like us to go through this mortal phase of our eternal existence without chains which bind us physically, emotionally and psychologically . . . life is hard enough without being a slave to a destructive habit.

Nephi is right. There is nothing God commands we do that He does not prepare a way. Always, always . . . if we are willing to follow He lays the path. Jesus Christ, our Exemplar, Savior and Redeemer, is that path back to our Father in Heaven and our heavenly home. All we must understand is that obedience frees us from the chains and inevitable result of destruction on many levels.

President Boyd K. Packer:

“By following the rules,” said President Packer, “you will never make a serious mistake … either while you are on your mission or thereafter without being warned. You will never take the wrong road, you will never go around the wrong bend, or make the wrong decision without your having been warned. That pattern is the pattern of the Latter-day Saint. You were confirmed a member of the Church, and you had conferred upon you the gift of the Holy Ghost to be a guide and a companion to you.” (William D. Oswald, “The First Law of Heaven,” Ensign, Jan 2008, 10–11)

Indeed this is the promise given those who choose to live worthily enough that we may receive promptings from the Holy Ghost. Not to preclude all trials and tragedies we may face, but to face only those we must rather than those which are a direct consequence of our actions. We are given peace, comfort and strength from the Holy Ghost that we might return to our heavenly home in triumph. This is I testify to you is absolutely truth . . . you have been given the path and the way, follow it home.

In a couple of days, I will raise my hand and sustain the 16th called Prophet of the Lord, President Thomas S. Monson. So will millions of other members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes known as Mormons) around the world. Speaking about sustaining other Church Presidents before him, President Monson offered these words in a previous General Conference; "I have been honored and pleased during my lifetime to raise my arm to the square in sustaining nine Church Presidents as their names have been read. This morning I joined you in sustaining once again our beloved prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley. It is a joy and a privilege to serve by his side, along with President Faust."

This weekend, it will be my privilege to raise my hand to the square to sustain President Monson in this sacred calling. I'm looking forward to hearing this humble man speak to us for the first time during General Conference as the living Prophet of God.

The 178th General Conference of the Church is this weekend, April 5th and 6th. General Conference is held twice a year, the first weekend in April and the first weekend in October. It is held in the Conference Center located in Salt Lake City and broadcast live to Church meetinghouses around the country and around the world. Depending on the television coverage in your area you may also be able to view it live right from the comfort of your home.

Live Internet video streams will be available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and American Sign Language. Audio streams will also be available in many different languages.

General Conference is a time of great spiritual learning for me. I love listening to the Prophet of the Lord and other leaders of the Church as they share their unwavering testimonies of Christ. I love being taught by such faithful men and women. Each General Conference, I experience what I referred to in a previous post as a spiritual high. I leave this wonderful gathering each year with a renewed commitment to my Heavenly Father, with gratitude in my heart for my Savior, and with a profound love for my family and those around me. Each General Conference leaves me a better person than I was just a few days earlier.

I continue to be grateful for the technology that allows us to hear the Prophet's voice from whichever corner of the world we call Home. I remember a time when we didn't have such a technology. As a young girl growing up on the small South Pacific island of Samoa, listening to the Prophet of the Lord during General Conference was a privilege available only to those who could afford to travel to Salt Lake City. Today, through the wonders of technology, anyone that wishes to can hear and see the Prophet during General Conference.

President Gordon B. Hinckley (15th President and Prophet of the Church) spoke about General Conference and the technology that has made it possible for everyone to participate in this great meeting:

My brothers and sisters, what a wonderful occasion this is! I know of nothing else like it in all the world. We are gathered this morning as a great family in reverence and worship of the Lord our God. We are of one faith and one doctrine. We speak words of testimony concerning God our Eternal Father and His Beloved Son. We declare with conviction and certainty that they have restored in this last dispensation The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The great voices of radio, television, and cable are now joined by the Internet to carry our words literally to the ends of the earth. To meetinghouses scattered far and wide the satellite will beam our signal to congregations large and small. And Saints across the earth will watch in their own homes the proceedings of this great conference by means of the Internet.

Workmen have labored long and hard in preparing for this great occasion. We thank each one of them for his devoted service.

I invite you to join with us this weekend as we gather to hear a Prophet of the Lord. If you have questions about the Church, this weekend is a great time to get the answers to some of those questions. Please Come, Listen to a Prophet's Voice!

One of my favorite stories in the New Testament comes just before Christ’s time in Gethsemane. While in the upper room, Jesus approaches His disciples and performs a humble service for them. He washes their feet. Like most messages from the Savior, this served many purposes and carried a different message for each level of spiritual understanding. I appreciate the knowledge I have gained from this one act. But, I’d like to share with you the message that means the most to me personally.

I love Peter’s surprise that Christ would even suggest to wash His servant’s feet. He loves his Lord and Master so much that he does not want to see Him in such a humble position. Peter worries that allowing the Savior to wash his feet would mean he somehow felt himself better than his Master. Of course, this was part of the message that Christ was conveying. We all need the humility to help and serve each other, placing ourselves on an equal level with our fellow man not trying to show our superiority. He says:

“For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.” John 13:15-16

But, Christ also knew something about what was about to happen. He knew what His ultimate purpose in life was. He was sent to redeem us from our sins and open the gates to the resurrection and eternal life. Both gifts were to be given to show us the way back into Heavenly Father’s presence. Eternal life is a universal gift that He gave to everyone of us. A redemption of our sins is contingent on our choices. We choose whether or not we will accept his cleansing power within our lives. We choose how important He will be to us.

Peter helps me understand this choice in a very personal way. When Christ approaches him, Peter essentially asks: Why are you doing this?

Christ answers that though Peter is unable to understand right now, he would soon know why this needed to happen. Still Peter is upset by this action. He feels that he should be the one washing Christ’s feet. He refuses to let Christ serve him in this manner. I think that had I been in the same situation I would have said and done the same thing.

Then Jesus sternly opens Peter’s eyes to the importance of the situation.

“Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.” John 13:8

Poor Peter! He has wanted nothing more than to follow, serve and love His savior since he was called to be a disciple. Now Christ tells him that unless He is allowed to wash Peter’s feet, Peter can not be truly His.

Peter’s response to Christ’s gentle reprimand is my favorite part of the whole story.

“Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.” John 13:9

If this was a requirement for Christ’s love and guidance he didn’t want to do it half way. Peter wanted to belong totally and completely to the Savior. Can we say the same thing?
Let’s look a little closer at the symbolism of Christ’s actions. Feet at that time were a lot less clean than they are today. They were exposed to the dirt, dust, sand and grime of everyday life. Having your feet washed was privilege upon entering someone’s home as a guest. But, the actual washing was performed by a servant, not the master of the house.

Christ turned this tradition on its side by adding a dimension of not only honor but of invitation toward higher things. Shortly after this experience Christ would depart for the garden of Gethsemane where he would come face to face with all the world’s sins and accept them onto Himself. His acceptance takes the stain away from our own lives. His atonement has the ability to wash away the sins, cares and pain of the world we face every day— If we will let Him into our lives and bare our feet for Him to wash.

This is the sweetest part of the gospel of Jesus Christ for me. He willingly gives me this gift. If I knock at His door and ask to sit at His table, he washes my feet and invites me in. I’d like to be more like Peter. When he found out how much this seemingly simple act meant for him, he pleaded: “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.” He wanted every part of himself to be clean and worthy of a place at the Savior’s side. Though the scripture continues with Christ telling Peter that his feet were enough, I love the image of a humble and loving Peter who asks to be the Lord’s fully and completely with nothing held back.

How can I show that same level of love and devotion in my own life? By letting the Savior wash my feet. More than that, it’s holding nothing back. It’s laying before the Savior all my sins, fears and frailties and asking Him to make them pure, to bring them in line with His will, to make me the best person I can be.

I think I tend to hold back from the Savior. Sometimes it’s a small habit that isn’t good for me, but somehow seems insignificant. Sometimes it’s a larger problem that I feel I’ve brought on myself through my own choices. I forget that He loves me even in my mistakes. Instead of reaching up for His offered hand, I struggle and claw trying to find my own way out of the pit I created. Sometimes it’s an area of my life that isn’t necessarily bad, but could definitely be better if I would commit to its improvement— But I don’t.

When something in my life doesn’t seem quite right, I look to the story of Peter and the Savior.

First, have I given Him permission to wash my feet lately?

Second, am I still holding things back from Him?

When I need to be closer, I need to let go. I need to get on my knees and plead with the Lord: Not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Show me how to become Yours.

I’d like to start off our study of Scripture Mastery verses by looking at the Book of Mormon. For those of you who haven’t heard of this book, or have heard a little and aren’t certain what it’s about, the Book of Mormon is an ancient record of the people who lived in the Americas back before, during, and about 400 years after the time of Christ. Those of us in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed the Mormon Church) believe it to be another testament of Jesus Christ.

In the first few chapters of the Book of Mormon we’re introduced to a young man by the name of Nephi. One of the first things you’ll come to see, respect, and love about Nephi is his unswerving desire to do what is right. Coupled with this is his resolute faith in God.

“And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them” (1 Nephi 3:7).

During the course of his life Nephi was asked to accomplish many seemingly impossible things. As you can see from this verse his faith was so great he knew anything the Lord asked of him could be done, because with God, nothing is impossible.

For many of us this is not such an easy concept to put into play in our lives. Satan works hard to undermine our faith in God as well as in ourselves. Echoes of “I can’t do it” resound from person to person, but this is not the Lord’s plan for us.

We are all children of God. This one bit of knowledge holds so much power. If we are God’s children doesn’t it stand to reason that what He asks us to do can be done, no matter what the rest of the world, or even your family, may think?

If Jesus Christ had personally not had a firm faith in His Heavenly Father and His own purpose here on earth, do you think He could have accomplished the impossible? If Christ had believed the constant denials of His heritage, the mocking voices, and the cruel actions of His spirit brothers and sisters here on earth, what would have happened to all of us? We would be eternally separated from our Heavenly Father.

We too are spirit sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. There is a bit of Him in us. We have been blessed with a divine nature. Like Nephi, we too can come to have such a firm faith and knowledge in who we are, who our brother Jesus Christ is, and in our Heavenly Father, that there is nothing we cannot do. Sure there may be times when Satan will work hard to put as many stumbling blocks in our way as possible. Even our Heavenly Father may give us a roadblock here and there, but it is only to help us grow into the person He knows we can be.

Today I want you to take this scripture and in place of Nephi’s name put your own. Make it personal for you. Write it down and put it in a place you’ll see every day. Watch how the constant reminder will begin to bless your lives.

The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard frequently lamented that he wrote “without authority” (The Essential Kierkegaard, 454). He meant several things by this. One shade had to do with his philosophic writings: he was merely a reader of books, and not any authority figure. But the complaint also implied that he was a layman (ibid, 344). That is, God had not called him to a divinely-inspired position, such as Paul or Isaiah. He was not clergy; he was merely a thinker, and that is as far as it went.

Unlike Søren Kierkegaard, Joseph Smith always claimed to have authority. Joseph Smith was the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as the Mormons. He claimed to have authority from God, given to him by angels. This was a crucial aspect of his mission as a prophet.

While translating The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ from the gold plates, with Oliver Cowdery acting as scribe, they read passages about baptism. They were both confused and intrigued by what they were translating.

The official history describes what happened next:

We still continued the work of translation, when, in the ensuing month (May, 1829), we on a certain day went into the woods to pray and inquire of the Lord respecting baptism for the remission of sins, that we found mentioned in the translation of the plates.

I love this pattern. Joseph Smith was translating, but he also paid attention to what he read. And his curiosity was aroused.

Baptism is clearly biblical, but what exactly do we mean by baptism? Is it by immersion? Is it by aspersion, or sprinkling? Is it by affusion, or pouring? Do we perform it once, or do we do it three times, as in the Eastern Orthodox tradition? Do we do it in the name of the Trinity, or just in the name of Jesus? Do we need authority, or can anyone perform an emergency baptism (in extremis)? And what words do we use in performing the ordinance? Or does any of this make a difference, so long as the person’s heart is in the right place?

Not only are these all legitimate questions, but absolutely crucial questions. However, the problem then becomes how to answer these knotty questions. The off-the-cuff answer is that we just follow the Bible. But as Joseph Smith discovered early on, “the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible" (JS-History 1:12).

So instead of complaining or moping over his inability to understand the correct mode of baptism, Joseph Smith took the matter to the Lord in prayer. There is a saying that even a dead fish can swim downstream. Joseph Smith was proactive with the matter, and it is not surprising that the Lord honored his diligence by sending an angel.

Joseph Smith explained more in the history:

While we were thus employed, praying and calling upon the Lord, a messenger from heaven descended in a cloud of light, and having laid his hands upon us, he ordained us, saying:

“Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.”

The messenger who visited us on this occasion and conferred this Priesthood upon us, said that his name was John, the same that is called John the Baptist in the New Testament, and that he acted under the direction of Peter, James and John, who held the keys of the Priesthood of Melchizedek, which Priesthood, he said, would in due time be conferred on us, and that I should be called the first Elder of the Church, and he (Oliver Cowdery) the second. It was on the fifteenth day of May, 1829, that we were ordained under the hand of this messenger, and baptized.

(For me, this settles the matter. After all, if John the Baptist is not a world-renown expert on baptism, then who is?)

This visit served two purposes. First, it affirmed Joseph Smith’s diligence in trying to understand The Book of Mormon. Again, he was proactive in his scripture study.

Secondly, this visit served an institutional purpose. John the Baptist came back as an angel to give Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery authority—that thing which Kierkegaard lacked—to perform baptism. Baptism is the gateway to membership in the Church, and it was imperative that Joseph Smith have this authority for the Church to properly function. Not only did they need proper authority, they also needed to perform the ordinances in the proper fashion. As the angel instructed, baptism is done once and by immersion.

Of course, behind baptism is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. As John the Baptist explained, baptism is done for the remission of sin. That is how we get clean, and how we fix the mistakes we made in the past. There is a lot of political talk about “change” this election year. What baptism offers us is eternal change—and progress, which is change for the better.

Baptism also reminds us of Christ’s Atonement. The Bible teaches:

“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?”

“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

“For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:”

“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

“For he that is dead is freed from sin.”

“Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.” (Romans 6:3-8)

Baptism is a rebirth that reminds us of our physical birth, and our second birth into the kingdom of God, and our eventual resurrection with Christ. That is why it is so crucial.

After Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were baptized, the Lord blessed them with the Holy Ghost:

Immediately on our coming up out of the water after we had been baptized, we experienced great and glorious blessings from our Heavenly Father. No sooner had I baptized Oliver Cowdery, than the Holy Ghost fell upon him, and he stood up and prophesied many things which should shortly come to pass. And again, so soon as I had been baptized by him, I also had the spirit of prophecy, when, standing up, I prophesied concerning the rise of this Church, and many other things connected with the Church, and this generation of the children of men. We were filled with the Holy Ghost, and rejoiced in the God of our salvation.

Our minds being now enlightened, we began to have the scriptures laid open to our understandings, and the true meaning and intention of their more mysterious passages revealed unto us in a manner which we never could attain to previously, nor ever before had thought of. (JS-History 1: 68-74)

I appreciate Joseph Smith’s straightforward explanation of the events. Like all of us, as he was studying the scriptures he came to a confusing passage. He thought about it, and then prayed over the matter. And the Lord answered his prayer with information and power. They were now authorized to preform baptisms. The Atonement of Jesus Christ came alive for them when they were baptized. And the same thing has happed to me because I have been baptized.