A particular story I recall was when Parley was staying at a hotel on one of his many journeys. A man, particularly . There was silence for a moment and then he heard, “Lord, poor Parley is worn out. Good night.”

I still giggle every time I think of that story.

One of the most articulate apostles of that day, the Lord chose well in Parley P. Pratt. He read the Book of Mormon in a single night and determined that it was true and set out to find the church. Elder Pratt joined the church in October of 1830, baptized by Oliver Cowdrey. From that day forward he was a valiant and steadfast missionary for the Lord.

The words he wrote in a letter, while in Richmond Jail, are forever imprinted in my memory,

Letter from Richmond Jail

“In one of those tedious nights we had lain as if in sleep, till the hour of midnight has passed, and our ears and hearts had been pained, while we had listened for hours to the obscene jests, the horrid oaths, the dreadful blasphemies, and filthy language of our guards, Col. Price at their head, as they recounted to each other their deeds of rapine, murder, robbery, etc., which they had committed among the “Mormons,” while at Far West, and vicinity. They even boasted of defiling by force, wives, daughters, and virgins, and of shooting or dashing out the brains of men, women, and children.

 

“I had listened till I became so disgusted, shocked, horrified, and so filled with the spirit of indignant justice, that I could scarcely refrain from rising upon my feet and rebuking the guards, but had said nothing to Joseph, or any one else, although I lay next to him and knew he was awake.

 

On a sudden he arose to his feet, and spoke in a voice of thunder, or as the roaring lion, uttering, as near as I can recollect, the following words:
 

“SILENCE—Ye fiends of the infernal pit. In the name of Jesus Christ I rebuke you, and command you to be still; I will not live another minute, and hear such language. Cease such talk, or you or I die THIS MINUTE.”
 

“He ceased to speak. He stood erect in terrible majesty. Chained, and without a weapon,–calm, unruffled and dignified as an angel, he looked down upon the quailing guards, whose weapons were lowed or dropped to the ground; whose knees smote together, and who, shrinking into a corner, or crouching at his feet, begged his pardon, and remained quiet till a change of guards.

 

“I have seen the ministers of justice, clothed in magisterial robes, and criminals arraigned before them, while life was suspended upon a breath, in the courts of England; I have witnessed a Congress in solemn session to give laws to nations;

 

I have tried to conceive of kings, of royal courts, of thrones, and crowns; and of emperors assembled to decide the fate of kingdoms, but dignity and majesty have I seen but once, as it stood in chains at midnight, in a dungeon, in an obscure village of Missouri.” — [Deseret News, Nov. 12, 1853] [Journal History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Nov. 7, 1853, 1]

A more vibrant, powerful image of the prophet has yet to be painted in my mind. For these were men of God, not given to salacious or unbecoming behavior, listening to evil men cackle about their foul deeds committed upon the innocent.

Service

Young Parley P Pratt read the Book of Mormon in a single night.

Parley P. Pratt lived out his life in service of Jesus Christ and His church. He never faltered, he never failed. A strong speaker at general conferences, his words inspired the Saints to action. Elder Pratt lived during the early days of the church. He suffered the atrocities, the unjust imprisonments, driven from state to state and finally out of country, just as every other Latter-day Saint at the time.

He carved, along with the rest of the Saints, Salt Lake City out of the desert, building a haven for the Saints deep within the valleys of the Rocky Mountains and a temple unto the Lord.

He served countless missions without complaint converting many who later became leaders of the church, including President John Taylor, the third president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Mary Fielding who married Hyrum Smith and whose son President Joseph F. Smith and grandson, Joseph Fielding Smith, were called to be prophets as well.

On May 14, 1857 Elder Pratt “fell a noble martyr for the cause of truth which he had advocated with such untiring perseverance for nearly twenty seven years. His last great and magnanimous act, in trying to rescue helpless innocence from the fury of her savage persecutors, will be handed down to unborn generations, as an imperishable monument to his praise; while his wicked brutal murderers, and all that gave countenance to the diabolical deed shall gnaw their tongues for pain, and perish, and be forgotten. Millennial Star – 1857

Candace

J. Golden Kimball was not your ordinary Mormon General Authority. He has folk hero status and is known as a colorful person whose language was full of swear words and whose actions and speeches were outside the norm—although there was no question of his testimony, even when his methods were non-traditional. His comments are often a source of amusement within the Mormon community because he had a remarkable sense of humor.

The Too-Long Church Meeting

Today, Mormon church meetings last three hours and other types of meetings generally have a set amount of time allotted to them. In the past, they could go any length of time at all. One grueling day, the preaching went on and on, lasting most of the day without a break for lunch. J. Golden Kimball noted later that he was nearly dead when, at four o’clock, they finally called on him to be the last speaker. He was supposed to encourage people to subscribe to a church magazine. He stood up and said, “All you men that will take the Era if we will let you go home, raise your right hand.” Everyone thrust their hands eagerly into the air and the meeting was adjourned.

When a Speaker Was a Little Too Negative

After a speaker at a conference gave a long, scathing call on sinners and repentance, J. Golden Kimball was the next speaker. He was not impressed by the negativity of the talk and began his own by saying, “Well, brothers and sisters, I suppose the best thing for all of us to do is to go home and commit suicide.”

Serving a Mission

His mission to the South was a time of great growth for him. It was a tough place to be a Mormon in those days. Freed slaves and carpetbaggers were popular targets of gun owners there, but so were Mormon missionaries, who were sometimes even killed there. The Ku Klux Klan periodically confronted him with guns as well.

He hadn’t really wanted to go on a mission. He was thirty years old and enjoying his freedom. However, his mother asked him to meet with John Taylor, who was then the president of the Church. He did so, fully expecting to be told he wasn’t mission eligible, since he intended to show up looking as little like a missionary as possible. He arrived wearing dirty chaps and shirt, cowboy boots, a couple of guns and a Bowie knife. To his dismay, his mother’s letter had arrived first and President Taylor told him that he was sure Kimball would be as good a missionary as his father had been. Kimball gave in and went South.

After arriving in Chattanooga, he suggested to his companion that they go into the woods and learn how to sing hymns, pray aloud, and preach. Kimball could not carry a tune but after some practice, they felt the Spirit helping them and they were able to sing the songs. Elder Kimball then preached and was pleased that the Lord also helped him know how to deliver the sermon he had been practicing.

Then his companion said the closing prayer and they had closed their eyes and put their hands in the air as they did so. (This is not how Mormons pray today.) The prayer was very long, and when they opened their eyes, they discovered they were surrounded by four men with guns. Taking in the situation, Elder Kimball said, “‘That is another lesson. From this time on in the South; I shall pray with one eye open’” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1925, p. 158).

The Power of Song

This singing practice paid off in an unusual way. When he and Charles A. Welch, neither of whom sang well, were preparing to carry out some baptisms, a mob formed and warned them they would be thrown into the river if they continued. The two ignored them and began to sing a hymn, which Elder Kimball later recalled as being, “Truth Reflects Upon Our Senses.”

The mob seemed mesmerized and stood quietly. They carried out the baptisms peacefully and then decided to move away from the mob to confirm these people members of the Church. However, a message came asking them to return and sing the song again. The mob’s leader, Joseph Jarvis, joined the church, crediting the song and the presence of the Holy Ghost with his conversion.

His testimony grew as he became more familiar with the workings of the Holy Ghost. “I often wonder, When you do have the Spirit of God? I used to think I had it in the Southern States, when I became excited and sensational, and my face was red, and the cords of my neck were swollen—I thought then, in my ignorance, that it was the Holy Ghost. I have learned since that the Spirit of God gives you joy and peace and patience and long-suffering and gentleness, and you have the spirit of forgiveness and you love the souls of the children of men” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1918, p. 29).

Serving as a Mission President

His most powerful experience came when he was later serving as a mission president, again in the south. This meant he presided over the younger missionaries and oversaw the missionary work. There were no church buildings for them to meet in, so they held a missionary meeting in the woods, where several missionaries and worked to clear an area. One missionary had a leg that was hugely swollen and there were no doctors in the area.

Elder Kimball told him there was no way he could go to the meeting, but the young man said he felt his whole mission would be ruined if he missed it. He’d been looking forward to it with his whole heart. Elder Kimball was touched by his faith and asked two missionaries to carry him the one mile into the woods. They did so and then, when the meeting began, Elder Kimball asked the missionaries what they had been preaching.

They responded that they were teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. He asked if they taught that as priesthood holders, they had the power and authority to heal the sick? They agreed that they were. He then asked them why they were preaching it if they didn’t believe it. The young man with the injured leg said he believed it and moved to a stump. The other missionaries, understanding the point being made, gathered around him and they gave him a healing blessing. He was healed right there, as they watched. They then healed the other missionaries who were ill.

While J. Golden Kimball has developed a reputation as the Swearing Apostle, looking beyond the legends shows a man with a deep faith and capable leadership — even if it was sometimes unorthodox in nature.

Terrie Lynn Bittner

The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.

Once you have invited the missionaries into your home, they will want to talk to you about your faith and religious beliefs and they will share theirs as well. They will invite you to read scriptures from the Holy Bible and the Book of Mormon. They will invite you to pray with them, as a family and/or privately about your discussions with them. They will also invite you to read some passages of scripture between meetings.

How do I find missionaries?

There are a variety of ways you can invite the missionaries to come talk to your family. Here are five options available:

1. If you have a friend, family member or neighbor who is a member of the LDS Church, tell her you are interested in meeting the missionaries from her church.
2. Go to the Meetinghouse Locator and enter your address. It will give you the address, directions, and meeting time of your local LDS congregation (Ward).  You will also find contact information for the Bishop of the Ward. Reach out and they will be happy to send someone your way.
3. If you chance to meet a missionary for the Church, invite them into your home.
4. Go to Mormon.org/missionaries. Fill out the form and someone will reach out to you.
5. Contact one of the writers here at LDSBlogs. Or just make a comment on this post. We will be more than happy to help you connect with the missionaries in your area.

They are happy to visit

They will return to your home as many times as you desire to have them there. The entire purpose of full-time missionary work is to be out teaching others about the gospel of Jesus Christ as well as the doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When scheduling meetings with the missionaries, give them clear answers to your availability and they will work around your schedule. They will also come at the frequency you desire.

Simply be open about your needs when they visit your home. If I had a better understanding of full-time missionary work when the missionaries were teaching me about the church, I would have had them visit more often and at times that were more convenient for me.

Rebecca W

I asked my friend, “Who are those guys?” He explained that they were full-time missionaries for the Church. Having been intrigued by missionary service since I was about 10 years old, I then expressed interest in learning what the missionaries do.

I was especially interested in what two missionaries in the United States do. My view of missionary service was going out into the wilderness of Africa or something of that nature.

My friend mentioned that sometimes his family had the missionaries over to their home for dinner, which prompted me to say, “Hey, next time they are over at your house, let me know. I’m interested to find out what they do.” Ironically — or planned that day after church — I found myself sitting across the dining room table from those two young men.

As we spoke of what they do and why they were doing it, they explained that they share a message about Jesus Christ and asked if it would be okay if they shared it with me. Believing that they were simply practicing on me, I said, “Sure!” I was also interested to hear what they had to say.

That is what any proselyting missionary does: share a message about Jesus Christ. Full-time missionaries share this message, sun up to sun down, for 18 to 24 months. Most are between the ages of 19 and 26 years old but older single women and married couples also serve as full-time missionaries.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sends missionaries to many countries all over the world to share not only the message of Jesus Christ but also the message of the restored gospel and a living prophet and apostles. This is what Latter-day Saints call proclaiming the gospel.

Full-time missionary service begins in the Missionary Training Center (MTC). The Church has 17 training centers in various parts of the world. The most well-known is the center in Provo, Utah. New missionaries are trained in the study and application of the scriptures in their own lives, how to talk about the scriptures with others, and how to effectively teach about the basic beliefs of the Church.

If they are to go to their missions speaking in their native language, the missionaries usually spend only a few weeks in the MTC. Those who are to go forth to teach in a new language usually spend two months in the MTC, and their training includes language instruction.

Once in their assigned area, called a mission, the new missionaries are assigned to a companion who has been serving as a full-time missionary for several months and is well-trained.

Whether new or seasoned, all full-time missionaries spend their days seeking out people who might be interested in their message, teaching those who have invited the missionaries into their homes and completing community service inside their designated area within the mission boundaries.

After a period each morning of personal and companionship scripture study and planning, most missionaries are out working by 9 a.m. and work until about 9 p.m., breaking only for meals and performing service. Part of one day each week is set aside as a Preparation Day where the missionaries are encouraged to write letters to their family and friends, buy their groceries, do their laundry and rest.

Single full-time missionaries are assigned a partner or companion — usually in pairs but occasionally in threesome partnerships. Every 1-4 months, the companionships are shuffled so that a full-time missionary will have 3 or more companions by the end of their service. Married full-time missionaries serve their entire mission service together.

Rebecca W

We had new sisters to visit and get to know.

But that first month that we had our new assignment, she called me up and invited me over to her house. She had an idea for a craft we could make for the sisters we visit taught. I brought my baby over and her two girls, ages 4 and 5 played with my baby while we women “worked.”

Belinda suggested that we should start out with a prayer and so we prayed to learn to love our sisters and to be guided as we prepared our lesson so that we could know what God wanted them to know and what we could do to help them.

I really enjoyed the time away from my colicky and needy baby who was briefly happy, having these two older girls dote on her. And making the craft was so much fun! While we worked, we discussed that month’s lesson and what seemed most important to us, and decided which of us would present the lesson to each sister.

I found that while Belinda had led a very different life from me, she was a very faithful woman from whom I could learn a lot. I enjoyed her company immensely and had a wonderful time that day.

Even though it was difficult, I kept going.

On the day we went visiting teaching, she drove. She made sure that we prayed together as companions before entering each sister’s home. I won’t tell you that it went smoothly. It was difficult for me.

The sister with many emotional needs was off-putting to me and I couldn’t wait to leave. The sister with the physical disabilities made me equally uncomfortable.

But month after month went by with Belinda and I getting together to talk, discuss that month’s lesson and do a craft or bake cookies for the sisters, and of course to pray for them. And little by little, the visits with the sisters we were assigned to were much less scary and even enjoyable.

I could see them opening us to up and warming up to us. I could see them beginning to rely on us and that we were receiving inspiration on how to help them and to say the right things at the right times to buoy their spirits and give them courage in the face of adversity.

Friendships bloomed, and it was a wonderful experience.

In fact, all of the friendships were blossoming. Belinda and I were getting together much more frequently than once a month and calling each other on the phone just to chat. Our families were getting together to share Family Home Evenings.

We even had a garage sale together. We weren’t just visiting the sisters we were assigned to monthly. We each, separately, might drop by to say hello to them or call them up to talk.

Eventually, the assignments were changed again, but Belinda and I continued to stay in touch with each of “our” sisters. A year or so later, my family and I moved out of state. When we went back to visit for the holidays, I still called Belinda and we would go visit “our” sisters.

One year during one of my visits, one of “our” sisters was in the hospital and she died just a few days afterward. I was sad to lose a friend and yet so happy that I had been given the opportunity to come to know and love this woman.

I was so grateful to have been part of the Lord’s work. I know that I was an instrument in His hands to bless these women’s lives. And because of it, my life was also greatly blessed. I’m glad I had the courage to get over my initial intimidation and trust Belinda.  It has become a wonderful memory, and she is a wonderful friend.

Andrya L

Now I know that sounds a bit harsh to call those who you are speaking with the “sinful”. Being sinful is simply performing actions that are against God’s will. Paul, in writing to the Romans, simply stated the same concept that I present to you today; “[f]or all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). We are all sinners in one form or another, however, not all of humanity has had the opportunity to exercise the “way to escape” (1 Cor. 10:13) as we have today by being members of Christ’s church.

It is our duty as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to provide that escape to those who “dwindle in unbelief” (1 Ne. 12:22). We must press forward boldly into the darkness of the world and “Let [our] light so shine before men, that they may see [our] good works, and glorify [our] Father which is in heaven” (Matt 5:16).

To simply sugar-coat the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, as not to offend anyone is also a sin. “For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed” (Rom 10:11). Why sugar-coat the simple truth, that Christ has restored His church upon the earth today? That message of love and hope is not the meat before the milk as Paul describes to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 3:2). It is “the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2).

As of late I have witnessed many people in our faith succumb to this new type of general acceptance of all faiths and religion. That it’s ok to believe the precepts of men, as long as they are mingled with scripture. The mantra in this new movement goes something like “Well, at least they are doing their best” or “Well, at least they believe in Christ, most people don’t even believe in Him anymore”. These types of cop-outs have no business in the salvation of souls upon this earth.

In the first book of Nephi in the Book of Mormon, Nephi is shown by an angel two churches. He writes:

“And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the bother is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.” 1 Nephi 14:10

Did the angel state to Nephi, “Well, there are tons of churches, and most of them are pretty right about Christ, but there is only one that is the right church”? The answer is no. There was no sidestepping occurring in that passage of scripture. The angel was frank and straightforward with Nephi. One church is of the Lamb of God; the other is of the devil. We should follow the angel’s example of profess the truth in its simple and precious fashion. There is no need to be timid with our testimonies.

In the instance of the first vision, in which Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ both appeared to Joseph Smith in 1820, Christ instructed Joseph to join none of the churches. Joseph writes:

“I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.” Joseph Smith History 1:19

Where did Christ say “Well, the men are doing a pretty good job, and they remember some of the stuff I told them, so it’s all good, we’ll just have you add upon what they are doing?” Again the answer is no. Christ was direct in his answer to Joseph’s question. Joseph should join none of them, for they all teach the doctrine of men and yet they deny the power thereof. What power does Christ speak of? He speaks of the Holy Priesthood that He personally bestowed upon His apostles of His time. That power was lost due to unrighteousness, “[a]nd others will [the devil] pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell” (2 Ne. 28:21). Through Joseph Smith, the Holy Priesthood was restored to the earth with a promise to never be taken from the earth again. That priesthood and authority to act in His name resides in the worthy male members of The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-Day Saints. There is no other church/faith or religion that holds the keys, rights, and authority to act in God’s name, save it be the LDS church.

Where did we lose our way in this message? The message is simple. All churches that don’t have the proper authority to perform ordinances in the name of Jesus Christ, are not of the Church of the Lamb. They are not authorized to perform such works, and as such “deny the power thereof”. “Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost” (2 Ne. 28:31).

This message will be hard for those to hear. It will be incredibly difficult for those to look at something they have known their whole lives as the truth, only to have someone tell them that it’s not. However, Christ has instructed “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). It is not up to us to worry about how someone will take the truth. It is simply up to us as Latter-Day Saints to provide the pure message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. We need not to water down the message to conform to society’s ever changing standards. Nor do we need to dumb it down to the point where essential truths are replaced with erroneous assumptions. We need to steer clear in allowing ourselves too worked up and nervous about sharing the gospel, in fear of losing friends, loved ones, business associates and the like. If we are testifying of Jesus Christ and His plan of Salvation for us, then who can be against us? Who can overcome the Almighty God that we worship?

If our peers can’t handle your testimony of Christ, then they were never of your fold in the first place, they do not listen with their hearts and minds to the promptings of the Spirit of the Lord as you testify and they are not yours to worry about. The Lord will continue to direct them and guide them through their life to have the opportunities to hear the Spirit of Truth that the Lord has blessed humanity with. Regardless of their choice to listen, it is our duty to present the promises given to us by Heavenly Father as they were intended; simple, plain and direct.

May those that have the duty to share the gospel, do so without fear, but be filled with love and compassion for that person and help them to see the light that they don’t comprehend. (see John 1:5).

And for those who are not a member of Christ’s restored and true church, may you one day fall to your knees and pray to God to ask Him of the truthfulness of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5). Also you should follow the promise of Moroni from the Book of Mormon:

“Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

 4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” Moroni 10:3-5

I testify to you, this day that God does live. That our Heavenly Father knows each of us by name and we are His children. He has provided a straight and narrow way for us to return to Him, and we must open our minds and hearts to hear His promptings. There is a restored church upon this earth that has the ability to return us to our Heavenly Father, to avoid the pitfalls of the devil, and to enrich our lives as we have the ability to be together forever as a family. I testify that no other church on this planet can baptize for the remission of your sins, except in the LDS church where the keys and rights are held to perform such an ordinance. I testify that in order to be together forever as an eternal family where even death cannot separate is found in the sealing power of the priesthood in the holy temples of the Lord that are a part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. May you heed my message and step out of the darkness into our Father’s arms of Mercy and Safety. I promise you these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Tony Mucci

Tony Mucci is an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He is originally from Los Angeles, California and currently resides in Orem, Utah. He is an entrepreneur for Eklect Enterprises and a student at Utah Valley University majoring in Software Engineering.

Tony has been a member of the church since 1991, and his parents were converts to the church in 1984. He served a full-time mission in the Colorado Denver North Mission from 2003-2005 where he earned multiple awards, including the Gold Award in the Gospel Scholarship Program. After his mission service, he has held different auxiliary positions in the church, from Nursery to Bishopric and is currently the Elder’s Quorum teacher in his local ward. Tony has been married to his wife Liz since 2009 and has two furry babies, Sophie and Saki.

mormon.org/me/182M

1 of 3: http://ldsblogs.com/17514/pressing-the-reset-button-1

2 of 3: http://ldsblogs.com/18105/pressing-reset-button-new-year-new-life-goals-part-2-3\

In our last two installments of this series we discussed different essential elements that can help you successfully push the rest button in your life and help you to achieve your goals and aspirations. In this final segment of this series, we will be discussion goals, what they are, how to set them, and how to achieve them.

What are Goals?

A goal is simply an achievement that you strive for. It is something that you direct your resources towards both internal and external. For example, let’s say you want to wake up at 6AM every weekday to get an early start on your day. Your internal resources might be your drive, motivation, or your positive self-reinforcement (“I can do this!”). Your external resources might be an alarm clock, or planning your day so you can have ample time to sleep and be well rested for 6AM.

How to Set Goals

Setting goals is a lot simpler than most people believe. What is it that you want to achieve? Anything in the world can be achieved by setting goals. The bigger the goal, the more work you have to put in to accomplishing that particular goal. Nevertheless, goals and work are eternally intertwined as to their success or demise.

The first question you need to ask yourself in setting goals is: “How much work am I willing to put in to my goal?” Unfortunately, if you are not willing to put in the necessary effort in to your goal, your goal will never be reached. It’s the same concept as buying a car. No matter how bad you want a Ferrari, if you pay a Kia price, you will end up with a Kia, not a Ferrari.

In the Doctrine & Covenants it states, “For of him unto whom much is given much is required” (D&C 82:3). Since things pertaining to the gospel testify of Christ, we understand that all things are inherently connected. We read in the sixth chapter of Moses:

And behold, all things have their likeness, and all things are created and made to bear record of me, both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual; things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above and beneath: all things bear record of me. –Moses 6:63

With this knowledge, we can use this to look at D&C 82:3 in a different light. If we reverse the order of given and required it reads “For of man unto much is required much is given”. Both of these concepts work with goals. If you want a big reward, then you must work for the reward, also if you are GIVEN the reward first, then you are required to put forth the effort to be worthy of that gift. It is the same in goals. So if you want to conquer the world, be ready to sacrifice and work toward that goal. You will ALWAYS reap what you sow, so make sure to roll up your sleeves and get to work!

How to Achieve Goals

Another nugget of knowledge we learn from the scriptures that we should “see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order” (Mosiah 4:27). If your goal is to move a mountain, then you must create smaller goals that fit within the bigger goal of moving a mountain. One goal might be to dig with a shovel for a few hours a day. Another might be to enlist help of others to accomplish your bigger goal.

This is one of the bigger secrets in goal setting. Help others achieve their goals, and you will be able to achieve your own much faster. As we learned from Alma the Younger as he spoke to his son Corianton:

“Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again.” –Alma 41: 14

If you are willing to help those in need of achieving their goals, you will be blessed in achieving your own. So if you want to move that mountain, help someone move their molehill first.

The final step in achieving your goals is to plan backwards and work forwards. Meaning, if we want to move that mountain in one year, how do we do it? What do we need to accomplish per month? How much dirt needs to be moved?

Second, break it down even further; we need to decide what needs to be finished each week? How many hours do we need to perform digging in order to hit our month goal?

Finally, finish up your planning for each day of the week. How many hours today do I need to dig, how many do I need to rest?  Is there anything today that will require me not to dig? Do I need to reschedule digging to another day and double up work on that day?

As you ask yourself these questions, you will start to see what is necessary in achieving your goals. If we required 1200 hours of digging in order to move the mountain in one year, then we would have a goal of 100 hours per month of digging, which leads us to 25 hours a week of digging, which then directs us to a 5 hours goal of digging Mon-Fri.

Instead of focusing on 1200 hours of digging (which is a ton!), you can simply focus on a smaller piece of 5 hours a day to not overwhelm you.

The last part of the goal setting process is the most important, which is obedience to your plan. You must pray to the Lord as if it’s solely up to Him, and work as if it’s only up to you. Rely on the Lord to increase your obedience to your plan, and He will bless you as long as your plan is in accordance with His will.

To ensure that your will is in accordance, your safest bet is to pray and present your plan to Him. He will let you know if you are in accordance with Him. The Lord spoke about this in Doctrine & Covenants:

But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right. But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong; therefore, you cannot write that which is sacred save it be given you from me. -D&C 9:8-9

It is my humble prayer that as you embark with these tools of obedience, faith, action and goals, that you will be empowered from the Lord in accomplishing your sacred goals to become a better person and more Christ like.

Join me next week (Feb 1, 2014) as we discuss new areas of topics of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Tony Mucci

Tony Mucci is an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He is originally from Los Angeles, California and currently resides in Orem, Utah. He is an entrepreneur for Eklect Enterprises and a student at Utah Valley University majoring in Software Engineering.

Tony has been a member of the church since 1991, and his parents were converts to the church in 1984. He served a full-time mission in the Colorado Denver North Mission from 2003-2005 where he earned multiple awards, including the Gold Award in the Gospel Scholarship Program. After his mission service, he has held different auxiliary positions in the church, from Nursery to Bishopric and is currently the Elder’s Quorum teacher in his local ward. Tony has been married to his wife Liz since 2009 and has two furry babies, Sophie and Saki.

mormon.org/me/182M

Action

After we have sufficient faith as a result from our obedience to gospel principles, we need to act.

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone (James 2:14-17).

As we can see from the Holy Bible, you can’t have faith without action. They go hand in hand, enabling you to start the progression in the completion of your goal. Faith is based on obedience and obedience is based on works. You can’t obey something without action, considering that obey is an action word. You either do or do not; there is no try in action.

So now ask yourself, “If I can do anything to achieve my dreams, then what should I do first in order to maximize my action?” The answer is goals!

Goals

Setting and striving for goals is the last portion of this series. We will take an in-depth look at how to set the goals, and what do to if you fail at attaining the goals. Join me on Jan 25th 2014 as we finish up Pressing the Reset Button with goals!

Tony Mucci

Tony Mucci is an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He is originally from Los Angeles, California and currently resides in Orem, Utah. He is an entrepreneur for Eklect Enterprises and a student at Utah Valley University majoring in Software Engineering.

Tony has been a member of the church since 1991, and his parents were converts to the church in 1984. He served a full-time mission in the Colorado Denver North Mission from 2003-2005 where he earned multiple awards, including the Gold Award in the Gospel Scholarship Program. After his mission service, he has held different auxiliary positions in the church, from Nursery to Bishopric and is currently the Elder’s Quorum teacher in his local ward. Tony has been married to his wife Liz since 2009 and has two furry babies, Sophie and Saki.

mormon.org/me/182M

Apostles of Jesus Christ have launched a new website called “Mormons and Gays” to help open a dialogue on this subject. To be honest, I don’t anticipate having a conversation with relatives that I see once a year on such a sensitive topic. But I also don’t want to feel awkward or uncomfortable around people who are my family.

How do we show love and compassion for someone— whether a stranger or a loved one— who struggles with same-sex attraction or is living that lifestyle? How do we make sure our loved ones know that we love them even if we don’t love their choices? Last summer, I had no idea—and it showed in my behavior. I’m not speaking for my family. Maybe I’m the only one who felt that there was an elephant in the pavilion, that there was something separating me from certain family members. But the next time we get together as a family, I want to be prepared to reach out to them. So here are 4 ways we can scooch that pachyderm off the table and out of the way:

1. The Savior loves everyone unconditionally—and we must do the same.

The Savior set the example of unconditional love for us to follow. As He was dying on the cross, Jesus Christ cried out, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). When a woman taken in the act of adultery was brought before Jesus Christ, He said to her accusers, “He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone.” Then, after the crowd dispersed, He said, “Woman, where are thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?” And she answered, “No man, Lord.” Then Jesus said unto her, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” (See John 8:3-11.) Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles—with the First Presidency, the governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ—taught:

Of the many magnificent purposes served in the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, one great aspect of that mission … is the grand truth that in all that Jesus came to say and do, including and especially in His atoning suffering and sacrifice, He was showing us who and what God our Eternal Father is like, how completely devoted He is to His children in every age and nation. In word and in deed Jesus was trying to reveal and make personal to us the true nature of His Father, our Father in Heaven. …

So feeding the hungry, healing the sick, rebuking hypocrisy, pleading for faith—this was Christ showing us the way of the Father. …  In His life and especially in His death, Christ was declaring, “This is God’s compassion I am showing you, as well as that of my own.” [1]

The Prophet Joseph Smith, the first prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ in the modern days, said:

Our heavenly Father is more liberal in His views, and boundless in His mercies and blessings, than we are ready to believe or receive. … God does not look on sin with [the least degree of] allowance, but … the nearer we get to our heavenly Father, the more we are disposed to look with compassion on perishing souls; we feel that we want to take them upon our shoulders, and cast their sins behind our backs. [Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith (1976), 257, 240–41.]

Whether it is a family member, friend or stranger on the street—whether they struggle with same-sex attraction or have chosen to live a lifestyle contrary to the laws of God—the Savior’s message to us is this: We can and must love that person, even if we don’t love his or her choices. Elder Dallin H. Oaks, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, said:

…For persons who believe in absolute truth, tolerance for behavior is like a two-sided coin. Tolerance or respect is on one side of the coin, but truth is always on the other. You cannot possess or use the coin of tolerance without being conscious of both sides.

Our Savior applied this principle. When He faced the woman taken in adultery, Jesus spoke the comforting words of tolerance: “Neither do I condemn thee.” Then, as He sent her away, He spoke the commanding words of truth: “Go, and sin no more” (John 8:11). We should all be edified and strengthened by this example of speaking both tolerance and truth: kindness in the communication but firmness in the truth. [2]

Elder Holland said:

Above all, keep your lines of communication open. Open communication between parents and children is a clear expression of love, and pure love, generously expressed, can transform family ties. But love for a family member does not extend to condoning unrighteous behavior. Your children are welcome to stay in your home, of course, but you have every right to exclude from your dwelling any behavior that offends the Spirit of the Lord. [3]

2.  Family is still family—and we must reach out to them.

It is human nature to say, “This will never happen to me or anyone that I know—especially in my family.” And thus, we are often unprepared when something like this does. This can create a silent, unspoken barrier—the elephant in the room, so to speak. But Elder Quentin L. Cook, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, spoke to members of The Church of Jesus Christ on this subject—and his words ring true for all members of the human family:

No family who has anybody who has a same-gender issue should exclude them from the family circle. They need to be part of the family circle. … Let us be at the forefront in terms of expressing love, compassion, and outreach to those and let’s not have families exclude or be disrespectful of those who choose a different lifestyle as a result of their feelings about their own gender. I’m sorry, I feel very strongly about this as you can tell. I think it’s a very important principle. [4]

Even if that silent separation was just on my part, that is too much. Rather than avoiding my relatives, I should have reached out. We are, after all, family. We have been family our entire lives, and we have countless shared experiences. John, a Latter-day Saint who shared his feelings on the “Mormons and Gays” website, said:

I can speak to the fear of wanting to tell other people and not being able to because they are afraid of losing their friends, losing their relationships, being castigated. If you have a family who is very religious and they’re afraid that if they tell their family they’ll lose your family. We actually do need to do the exactly opposite and reach out in love.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, said:

Our hope is that with this site, and other endeavors we might make, that empathy will grow in families where a member of the family says “I’ve got same-sex attraction we need to deal with this.” And that empathy will grow on that part of that individual as well who can sense what this means for the other members of the family, the distress the parents may feel, for example. With time, with love, with diligent effort and listening to one another, there can be accommodations made and resolutions found that protect the integrity of the family and each member of the family.

… We’re trying to communicate that our love is inclusive, that we want to have the family remain intact, and the relationships we’ve treasured over the years to remain and to grow. [4]

If there is one place in this world that we should all feel loved, accepted and valued for who we are—it’s in our own families (including our extended families).

3.  We can build on the things we have in common, not our differences.

One way to overcome our differences is to focus on what we have in common. For family members, this should be fairly easy—we share the same ancestors, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents. But even outside of our family, we are all spirit children of a loving Father in Heaven. We are all human, and we all make mistakes. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, the second counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ, said:

God is our Father. We are His children. We are all brothers and sisters.… We must recognize that we are all imperfect—that we are beggars before God. [5]

Not only are we all beggars before God—we are all loved by God. Elder Uchtdorf said:

…It may be true that man is nothing in comparison to the greatness of the universe. At times we may even feel insignificant, invisible, alone, or forgotten. But always remember—you matter to Him! … The most powerful Being in the universe is the Father of your spirit. He knows you. He loves you with a perfect love.

God sees you not only as a mortal being on a small planet who lives for a brief season—He sees you as His child. He sees you as the being you are capable and designed to become. He wants you to know that you matter to Him. [6]

As we build on our commonalities, our differences will often fade into the background and we will find that most of us are more alike than we imagined. We all love, laugh, cry, hurt, feel, need, hunger, thirst… the list is endless. Ty, another Latter-day Saint who told his story on the website “Mormons and Gays,” said:

I think it’s helpful to see the similarities first because it draws us into this common humanity. And once we see ourselves as us and we have this sense of common humanity, then we can talk about where we are different. What does each person have to contribute… to community, to the body of Christ, to other relationships, gifts, strengths, talents? [4]

We more fully appreciate each other as we focus on our common human experiences rather than our deepest differences—whatever they may be.

4. We must seek to understand the other’s point of view.

The goal of the website “Mormons and Gays” is to help both sides reach across the divide and see things from the other perspective. Family members who struggle with same-gender attraction—or choose to live that lifestyle—need to see things from the perspective of their parents, siblings, cousins, aunts, etc. And the siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. need to see things from the perspective of the one who is struggling with same-sex attraction or living that lifestyle. We can only do this by first bonding over our commonalities and then reaching into our own experiences to find similarities. This doesn’t mean that I understand same-sex attraction, rather it means that I have felt fear, pain, loneliness, left out, misunderstood and like I didn’t belong. And I can imagine that might be how my relatives felt at our family gatherings. Scared to come, unsure of how others would react to them… Haven’t we all felt that way at one time or another?

Elder Richard G. Scott, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, said:

… Be a true friend. This kind of enduring friendship is like asphalt that fills the potholes of life and makes the journey smoother and more pleasant. It should not be a resource used to gain personal advantage but a treasure to be appreciated and shared. … Recognize the good in others, not their stains. At times a stain needs appropriate attention to be cleansed, but always build on his or her virtues. [7]

Mike, a Latter-day Saint who shared his feelings on the “Mormons and Gays” website, said:

One of the biggest fears that we have is that if we love somebody, who may not have the same beliefs as us, that that’s going to be accepting of those things, that we accept that bad behavior, we accept those things that are wrong, and that others will think that we are endorsing that by doing so. Well, it’s just the opposite of what we think. It is by loving those who struggle and have burdens that we are actually honoring our beliefs, which is that those are brothers and sisters, that God loves them no different than He loves us. [4]

And it is by loving those who are different that we learn just how alike we all are. We all need to belong, to be loved and accepted for who we are. As we follow the Savior’s commandment to love one another, we come closer to Him. And we can begin to see other people through the eyes of the One who loved us so much that He gave His Only Begotten Son—our Heavenly Father.