I Forgot About This Talk!
Below is my sacrament meeting talk that I gave in the Cape Henry Ward before I moved away from Virginia Beach in the spring. It was okay.
Candace Elaine White’s Sacrament Talk
May 26, 2013
Based on "Being a More Christian Christian" by Elder Robert D. Hales and "Converted unto the Lord" by Elder David A. Bednar from October 2012 General Conference
In Primary, we sing a song that goes "Do as I’m doing, Follow follow me." For each verse, a child is chosen to be the leader and chooses an action—such as clapping, marching in place, or twirling—for all the children to do as they sing and simply follow along. This song is a great way to work out some of the pent up wiggles that need to be shaken loose after trying so hard to be still and reverent in sacrament meeting. But this song, as all songs in Primary, also serves to teach simple gospel truths to the children (and adults too). This song teaches us to follow a leader, and our Leader is Jesus Christ.
A Christian is anyone in life who has accepted the call or invitation to follow the Son of God, and do as He did. We read in Matthew "Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him."
In a conference talk by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin in 2002, he spoke about some of the modern day nets that we have been asked to leave behind in order to follow the Lord. Our modern day nets can be very difficult to forsake, after all, nets by design are difficult to escape. We get tangled up in our own busyness. We have taken on so many obligations: practice for this, practice for that, help out with this, help out with that, responding to or initiating 187 text messages a day, or making sure NOTHING or NO ONE gets in the way of Monday & Tuesday night TV, because The Voice is on then, and there’s no way you can miss that, because it’s live. These are nets of our own choosing. However, the Lord is asking that we follow Him, and we can do this in our busy-as-can-be lives by choosing to read our scriptures daily, by kneeling and praying alone and with our families daily, by doing 100% of our home or visiting teaching, by smiling at strangers in passing, by helping a friend or making a new friend, by faithfully serving in your church calling, by paying a compliment, by holding your tongue in a maddening moment, by being a worthy temple recommend holder, and by doing whatever it is that helps you feel and hear the Holy Ghost every day.
When we find ourselves listening to the still, small voice of the Holy Ghost, or when we are on our knees in prayer to our Heavenly Father in gratitude, we are being who we are meant to be. Followers of Christ, or Christians, deny themselves of ungodly behavior, and this is the beginning of repentance, which brings a mighty change of heart until "we have no more disposition to do evil." (Mosiah 5:2) To be a Christian isn’t just to believe or know that Jesus is the Christ, Messiah, or Son of God. That’s a testimony, which is required of us to become more Christ-like, and it is good, but it’s not the destination. It’s more of a launching pad. "Being a more Christian Christian" requires changing our natures. We’re taught in Mosiah 3:19 that the "natural man is an enemy to God and should be put off." By actually doing the things that the Lord would have us do, we shake loose from, or "put off" those nets the bind us.
The Savior asked Peter three times, "lovest thou me?" Peter answered in the affirmative that he did indeed love the Savior, and the Lord then implored Peter "feed my lambs… Feed my sheep." This is service. At a tender time in my life, when the Lord was asking me if I did really love Him, a bishop of
mine brought this exchange between Peter and the Lord up with me. The best way at that time that I could show my love and devotion to the Savior was by serving him. By feeding his lambs. This interview turned into an extension of a calling, which I happily accepted, with a laugh if I remember correctly. But it’s true, serving, or feeding the lambs & sheep of the Lord is the best way to be a more Christian Christian. Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles teaches us that we must share the "gospel with young and old, lifting, blessing, comforting, encouraging, and building them, especially those who think and believe differently than we do. We feed His lambs in our homes by how we live the gospel: keeping the commandments, praying, studying the scriptures, and emulating His love… We feed His sheep by being good Christian neighbors, practicing the pure religion of visiting and serving the widows, the fatherless, the poor, and all who are in need." In other words, we honor our baptismal covenants. We are baptized into the Lord’s church because we have a testimony of who He is, but we continue to come to church, to fellowship, learn, and serve because we are trying to be more like Him. Becoming more like Him, and less like the natural state of ourselves is the conversion. It’s a mighty change.
We speak of "converts" or "when we were converted" at times. But conversion is an on-going process. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said "knowing that the gospel is true is the essence of a testimony. Consistently being true to the gospel is the essence of conversion. We should know the gospel is true and be true to the gospel." Being converted unto the Lord is crucial. It’s not enough to know; we must also be the Lord’s hands.
An object lesson I once tried to teach to a young man involved being a true disciple of Christ, or being a truly converted Christian. I likened a testimony to bricks and conversion to mortar. In building a great wall, or even a foundation, both bricks and mortar are needed. If our life is nothing but testimony, or bricks, things may appear to be just fine. We go to the requisite meetings, we show up to the good activities, we have plenty of friends in the gospel, all this because we know the church is true. We know that Jesus is the Christ. We’ve felt the Holy Ghost. We’ve had the burning in our bosoms. We’ve got a testimony. We feel the spirit when we listen to a good talk, or when someone shares their testimony publicly. Meanwhile, our bricks are stacking up, and our wall is great, but without mortar—the glue, so to say—we may be surprised at how our wall or foundation may turn out. A wall of bricks alone may look strong, but it may not be able to support or withstand worldly temptations, or countless other pressures leaning up against it. It will come toppling down. The mortar, or conversion, is doing all that the Lord asks of us, not just attending, or being present at the fun stuff. It’s the scripture study, it’s serving others when nobody’s looking, it’s being prayerful, it’s obedience, it’s being repentant, it’s being temple-worthy, it’s becoming more like Christ. Together, the bricks and the mortar, or the testimony plus the conversion, create the firm foundation that Helaman spoke to his sons about in the Book of Mormon:
"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." (Helaman 5:12)
A testimony without a true, constant conversion—or becoming more like Christ—may not be able to keep one afloat when the times get tough. We all know those who, for some reason or other, have fallen into inactivity, or altogether left the church. It may be a family member, a close friend, a sister we
visit teach, or perhaps it’s been you, or is you any minute now. We’ve wondered why—we’ve known they had a testimony. How can it happen that someone would no longer willingly be a part of the Lord’s work? But the answer is that conversion is key. Conversion requires all of our heart, all of our might, and all of our mind and strength.
{In case you’re running short, omit the following in BLUE.}
For anyone who desires to be a more Christian Christian, we must deepen our commitment to the Lord’s work. We must "press forward with a steadfastness in Christ." Elder Bednar teaches that "an important lesson about the connection between testimony and conversion is evident in the missionary labors of the sons of Mosiah [in the Book of Mormon]. "As many as were brought to the knowledge of the truth, through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, according to the spirit of revelation and of prophecy, and the power of God working miracles in them—yea, … as the Lord liveth, as many of the Lamanites as believe in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away. For they became a righteous people; they did lay down the weapons of their rebellion, that they did not fight against God any more… Now these are they who were converted unto the Lord. (Alma 23: 6-8)" Elder Bednar says "the powerful combination of both testimony and conversion unto the Lord produced firmness and steadfastness and provided spiritual protection. To set aside cherished "weapons of rebellion" such as selfishness, pride, and disobedience requires more than merely believing and knowing. Conviction, humility, repentance, and submissiveness precede the abandonment of our weapons of rebellion. Elder Bednar goes on to "note that the Lamanites were not converted to the missionaries who taught them or to the excellent programs of the Church. They were not converted to the personalities of their leaders or to preserving a cultural heritage or the tradition of their fathers. They were converted unto the Lord—to Him as the Savior and to His divinity and doctrine—and they never did fall away."
It is my prayer that we each consider our own devotion to the Lord, that we prayerfully find ways to answer the Lord’s call to follow Him, to feed His sheep, and to love one another. This is how we become more Christian Christians, and become converted unto the Lord. This is how we add more joy to this life within our own homes, circles, families, communities, and the world. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak today, especially since I only have two more weeks left in this ward. I am thankful for the opportunities I’ve had to serve in this ward, especially as a visiting teacher and as Primary president. I’ve learned a whole new way to love one another, a lesson only available to be learned by choosing to do the right thing and accept the Lord’s call to serve. I have a million miles to go in my personal journey and being converted unto the Lord is a constant for me, as anyone else, but I’m grateful to have learned so much here. I’m grateful for the spirit that attends every Sunday in Primary. I’m grateful for the sweet spirits, all the fun, bright, energetic, and super special children that I’ve had the privilege to serve, teach, and learn from. I’m grateful for the AMAZING adults I’ve served alongside of and for all that they’ve taught me. There are so many wonderful examples of service and genuine Christ-like love in this ward! I’m especially grateful to this ward for serving my family, for being a good example to my husband, for all the loving examples of the priesthood, of service, and of genuine joy no matter what. This ward has helped my marriage become an eternal one, and I am forever grateful for each of you, and the love of the Savior that each of you has within you.
I know this is the true church of our Savior Jesus Christ. I know He lives. I know He loves each one of us. I know He is the head of this Church and has blessed us with a modern prophet, Thomas S. Monson. I know we are where we are supposed to be, and that by following Christ, we’ll be where we’re supposed to be, and I leave this with you in the dear name of Jesus Christ, amen.
May 26, 2013
Based on "Being a More Christian Christian" by Elder Robert D. Hales and "Converted unto the Lord" by Elder David A. Bednar from October 2012 General Conference
In Primary, we sing a song that goes "Do as I’m doing, Follow follow me." For each verse, a child is chosen to be the leader and chooses an action—such as clapping, marching in place, or twirling—for all the children to do as they sing and simply follow along. This song is a great way to work out some of the pent up wiggles that need to be shaken loose after trying so hard to be still and reverent in sacrament meeting. But this song, as all songs in Primary, also serves to teach simple gospel truths to the children (and adults too). This song teaches us to follow a leader, and our Leader is Jesus Christ.
A Christian is anyone in life who has accepted the call or invitation to follow the Son of God, and do as He did. We read in Matthew "Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him."
In a conference talk by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin in 2002, he spoke about some of the modern day nets that we have been asked to leave behind in order to follow the Lord. Our modern day nets can be very difficult to forsake, after all, nets by design are difficult to escape. We get tangled up in our own busyness. We have taken on so many obligations: practice for this, practice for that, help out with this, help out with that, responding to or initiating 187 text messages a day, or making sure NOTHING or NO ONE gets in the way of Monday & Tuesday night TV, because The Voice is on then, and there’s no way you can miss that, because it’s live. These are nets of our own choosing. However, the Lord is asking that we follow Him, and we can do this in our busy-as-can-be lives by choosing to read our scriptures daily, by kneeling and praying alone and with our families daily, by doing 100% of our home or visiting teaching, by smiling at strangers in passing, by helping a friend or making a new friend, by faithfully serving in your church calling, by paying a compliment, by holding your tongue in a maddening moment, by being a worthy temple recommend holder, and by doing whatever it is that helps you feel and hear the Holy Ghost every day.
When we find ourselves listening to the still, small voice of the Holy Ghost, or when we are on our knees in prayer to our Heavenly Father in gratitude, we are being who we are meant to be. Followers of Christ, or Christians, deny themselves of ungodly behavior, and this is the beginning of repentance, which brings a mighty change of heart until "we have no more disposition to do evil." (Mosiah 5:2) To be a Christian isn’t just to believe or know that Jesus is the Christ, Messiah, or Son of God. That’s a testimony, which is required of us to become more Christ-like, and it is good, but it’s not the destination. It’s more of a launching pad. "Being a more Christian Christian" requires changing our natures. We’re taught in Mosiah 3:19 that the "natural man is an enemy to God and should be put off." By actually doing the things that the Lord would have us do, we shake loose from, or "put off" those nets the bind us.
The Savior asked Peter three times, "lovest thou me?" Peter answered in the affirmative that he did indeed love the Savior, and the Lord then implored Peter "feed my lambs… Feed my sheep." This is service. At a tender time in my life, when the Lord was asking me if I did really love Him, a bishop of
mine brought this exchange between Peter and the Lord up with me. The best way at that time that I could show my love and devotion to the Savior was by serving him. By feeding his lambs. This interview turned into an extension of a calling, which I happily accepted, with a laugh if I remember correctly. But it’s true, serving, or feeding the lambs & sheep of the Lord is the best way to be a more Christian Christian. Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles teaches us that we must share the "gospel with young and old, lifting, blessing, comforting, encouraging, and building them, especially those who think and believe differently than we do. We feed His lambs in our homes by how we live the gospel: keeping the commandments, praying, studying the scriptures, and emulating His love… We feed His sheep by being good Christian neighbors, practicing the pure religion of visiting and serving the widows, the fatherless, the poor, and all who are in need." In other words, we honor our baptismal covenants. We are baptized into the Lord’s church because we have a testimony of who He is, but we continue to come to church, to fellowship, learn, and serve because we are trying to be more like Him. Becoming more like Him, and less like the natural state of ourselves is the conversion. It’s a mighty change.
We speak of "converts" or "when we were converted" at times. But conversion is an on-going process. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said "knowing that the gospel is true is the essence of a testimony. Consistently being true to the gospel is the essence of conversion. We should know the gospel is true and be true to the gospel." Being converted unto the Lord is crucial. It’s not enough to know; we must also be the Lord’s hands.
An object lesson I once tried to teach to a young man involved being a true disciple of Christ, or being a truly converted Christian. I likened a testimony to bricks and conversion to mortar. In building a great wall, or even a foundation, both bricks and mortar are needed. If our life is nothing but testimony, or bricks, things may appear to be just fine. We go to the requisite meetings, we show up to the good activities, we have plenty of friends in the gospel, all this because we know the church is true. We know that Jesus is the Christ. We’ve felt the Holy Ghost. We’ve had the burning in our bosoms. We’ve got a testimony. We feel the spirit when we listen to a good talk, or when someone shares their testimony publicly. Meanwhile, our bricks are stacking up, and our wall is great, but without mortar—the glue, so to say—we may be surprised at how our wall or foundation may turn out. A wall of bricks alone may look strong, but it may not be able to support or withstand worldly temptations, or countless other pressures leaning up against it. It will come toppling down. The mortar, or conversion, is doing all that the Lord asks of us, not just attending, or being present at the fun stuff. It’s the scripture study, it’s serving others when nobody’s looking, it’s being prayerful, it’s obedience, it’s being repentant, it’s being temple-worthy, it’s becoming more like Christ. Together, the bricks and the mortar, or the testimony plus the conversion, create the firm foundation that Helaman spoke to his sons about in the Book of Mormon:
"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." (Helaman 5:12)
A testimony without a true, constant conversion—or becoming more like Christ—may not be able to keep one afloat when the times get tough. We all know those who, for some reason or other, have fallen into inactivity, or altogether left the church. It may be a family member, a close friend, a sister we
visit teach, or perhaps it’s been you, or is you any minute now. We’ve wondered why—we’ve known they had a testimony. How can it happen that someone would no longer willingly be a part of the Lord’s work? But the answer is that conversion is key. Conversion requires all of our heart, all of our might, and all of our mind and strength.
{In case you’re running short, omit the following in BLUE.}
For anyone who desires to be a more Christian Christian, we must deepen our commitment to the Lord’s work. We must "press forward with a steadfastness in Christ." Elder Bednar teaches that "an important lesson about the connection between testimony and conversion is evident in the missionary labors of the sons of Mosiah [in the Book of Mormon]. "As many as were brought to the knowledge of the truth, through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, according to the spirit of revelation and of prophecy, and the power of God working miracles in them—yea, … as the Lord liveth, as many of the Lamanites as believe in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away. For they became a righteous people; they did lay down the weapons of their rebellion, that they did not fight against God any more… Now these are they who were converted unto the Lord. (Alma 23: 6-8)" Elder Bednar says "the powerful combination of both testimony and conversion unto the Lord produced firmness and steadfastness and provided spiritual protection. To set aside cherished "weapons of rebellion" such as selfishness, pride, and disobedience requires more than merely believing and knowing. Conviction, humility, repentance, and submissiveness precede the abandonment of our weapons of rebellion. Elder Bednar goes on to "note that the Lamanites were not converted to the missionaries who taught them or to the excellent programs of the Church. They were not converted to the personalities of their leaders or to preserving a cultural heritage or the tradition of their fathers. They were converted unto the Lord—to Him as the Savior and to His divinity and doctrine—and they never did fall away."
It is my prayer that we each consider our own devotion to the Lord, that we prayerfully find ways to answer the Lord’s call to follow Him, to feed His sheep, and to love one another. This is how we become more Christian Christians, and become converted unto the Lord. This is how we add more joy to this life within our own homes, circles, families, communities, and the world. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak today, especially since I only have two more weeks left in this ward. I am thankful for the opportunities I’ve had to serve in this ward, especially as a visiting teacher and as Primary president. I’ve learned a whole new way to love one another, a lesson only available to be learned by choosing to do the right thing and accept the Lord’s call to serve. I have a million miles to go in my personal journey and being converted unto the Lord is a constant for me, as anyone else, but I’m grateful to have learned so much here. I’m grateful for the spirit that attends every Sunday in Primary. I’m grateful for the sweet spirits, all the fun, bright, energetic, and super special children that I’ve had the privilege to serve, teach, and learn from. I’m grateful for the AMAZING adults I’ve served alongside of and for all that they’ve taught me. There are so many wonderful examples of service and genuine Christ-like love in this ward! I’m especially grateful to this ward for serving my family, for being a good example to my husband, for all the loving examples of the priesthood, of service, and of genuine joy no matter what. This ward has helped my marriage become an eternal one, and I am forever grateful for each of you, and the love of the Savior that each of you has within you.
I know this is the true church of our Savior Jesus Christ. I know He lives. I know He loves each one of us. I know He is the head of this Church and has blessed us with a modern prophet, Thomas S. Monson. I know we are where we are supposed to be, and that by following Christ, we’ll be where we’re supposed to be, and I leave this with you in the dear name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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