Personal Testimony: Too Good to be True

Personal Testimony: Too Good to be True

I was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and lived in the same neighborhood my whole young life. Then as a 12-year-old boy we moved and started a life in the country. Totally foreign to us, life on the farm was a brand new experience, but it turned out to be wonderful.

Gaining a Sure Testimony of the Holy Spirit

Mormon Father and SonInterestingly, since that time I have faced similar occasions in my life when the future was uncertain and the circumstances at the time were sometimes confusing and even foreboding. But the Lord has always seen me through. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints my whole life, I have attended dozens of testimony meetings where others have borne witness of the influence of the Church and the gospel of Jesus Christ, which provide direction in their lives. When I was young, my father too testified of the truthfulness of the gospel. His testimony was passionate, and I knew he would not lie. Anyone that knows my father can attest to that. It was not his character to do so. So even as a child, I knew what he believed was true. I felt warmth and confidence and certainty surround me. Others would say manifestations of the Spirit would come in thoughts and impressions and as a still small voice. I felt it, but at the time I couldn’t put it into words.

I remember thinking then “Is this it? Is this warm feeling from the top-of-my-head to the tips-of-my-toes the Spirit?” Of course the words were those of a child, but the essence of my request is captured in those questions. My parents taught me the gospel of Jesus Christ, and I felt it was right. I believed the teachings to be true, but the feeling was a frequent occurrence for me as a child in my home, and I thought then that this feeling is too good to be true.

But now after a lifetime of experience seeing its fulfillment and feeling the assurance of the gospel, I am familiar with this warmth and comfortable feeling it again and again.

Experiencing the Gospel through the Life of Progeny

I Am A Daughter of GodFive of my children are daughters. Annually during their teenage years, they would attend girl’s camp. At church on the following Sunday, there were often talks from both the girls and the leaders regarding this week-long adventure. Naturally, I took particular interest in these reports, since my daughters and frequently my wife were involved. Well, this year was no different. My youngest attended camp with my wife, but this time I was actually able to spend the last evening with my daughter, wife, and others at girls camp. I heard all about the fun activities they had been involved in all week.

They told me about the evening when Ardeth Greene Kapp came and spoke to the young women. She’s 83-years-old now and a few of the girls thought she would be a dry speaker. But from the very moment she began presenting, the girls were captivated with stories, humor, and testimony. The Church encourages inspired leaders within its ranks, and Kapp epitomizes such a person. She was called to an ecclesiastical position as ninth president of the Young Women organization (1984–92). Exerting her gifts and skills to direct this organization, Kapp developed major elements in the Young Women program, including the revised Personal Progress book and official motto, logo, and theme. Her life experiences previous to this call primed her to lead the Young Women organization and make these contributions. Kapp herself has expressed this idea: “I didn’t recognize [how parts of my life led up to later events] until I looked back. And I thought, oh my goodness, the Lord does lead our lives.” After the meeting, my wife was speaking with Kapp’s escort. She said that while her sister had twelve children, Kapp was unable to have any children, yet she influenced the Young Women’s and Personal Progress programs more than 20-years-ago. The Young Women organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints instructs, encourages, and supports living the gospel for teenage female Church members ages 12 through 17.

The young women from our local congregations were involved in numerous other activities during the week; canoes at the water front, high adventure hikes, and the challenge course to name but a few. The adventures culminated the night I went up to camp with a faith walk, delicious meal, and testimony meeting around a roaring fire. The evening was deafening because the wind howled and the trees swayed and rustled as a result. Yet, the young women persevered and one-by-one many of the girls stood and expressed their appreciation for the gospel, love for their families, and testified of the divinity of the Savior. I thought to myself as I observed these young women how remarkable and comforting to see the caliber of these youth. Despite spending a week camping in the middle of the woods amid less than comfortable circumstances and here in the face of windy, cold conditions, these young women spent time thanking others and furthering the good all around them. This experience is a metaphor for life that will be repeated time and again in their role as mothers.

Now admittedly, I am not an attorney, and I do not practice law inside or out of the courtroom, but I believe I have seen enough hearings to know that one or two key witnesses can sway a jury and ultimately dictate the outcome of a verdict. We have seen many instances of that over a lifetime. Compare that with the dozens or hundreds, perhaps thousands of testimonies of others—including those of our young women—that witness of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Lord has promised us that if we will live His Word, we can know for ourselves that it is true. This week was once more evidence of that.

 

An Evening with Dancing Violinist Lindsey Stirling

An Evening with Dancing Violinist Lindsey Stirling

On the evening of Wednesday, 25 June 2014, viral YouTube sensation, Lindsey Stirling, an American violinist, dancer, performance artist, and composer, performed at the Washington D.C. Temple Visitors’ Center. During the event hosted by the Washington D.C. North Mission and the visitors’ center, Stirling a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spoke of her faith and demonstrated her music prowess by playing her violin.

Lindsey Stirling ViolinistStirling, who is well known for her amazing choreographed violin performances, both live and in music videos found on her YouTube channel, was a quarter-finalist in 2010 on season five of America’s Got Talent, where she became well-known as the hip-hop violinist. Since then, she has released two studio albums – a self-titled album, Lindsey Sterling, in 2012, and her newest release, Shatter Me, which reached number 2 in America and was nominated for Top Electronic/Dance album at the 2014 Billboard awards.

Lindsey Stirling YouTube Music AwardsShe has also released an EP and several singles. Her repertoire includes a variety of music styles ranging from classical to pop and hip-hop to electronic dance music with original scores, as well as covers of songs by other musicians and various soundtracks. Her music video “Crystallize” was ranked as the eighth-most watched video in 2012, and her cover version of Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive” with Pentattonix won Response of the Year in the first YouTube Music Awards in 2013. As of June 2014 her YouTube channel has more than five million subscribers and 675 million total views with 100 posted videos.

During the event at the Washington D.C. Temple Visitors’ Center, Stirling performed “Shatter Me,” the title song of her second album. According to Stirling’s twitter account, the song, which was released in April 2014, quickly rose to the top of the charts and became the No. 1 album on AmazonMP3 and iTunes. In a recent video, Adweek featured her in a video in which she relates how her videos have gone viral on YouTube.

Stirling performed with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in 2013 and this summer she will be touring the United States and Canada.

Basketball Phenom Jabari Parker – The First 18 Years

Basketball Phenom Jabari Parker – The First 18 Years

The name Jabari Parker is well-known in the sports arena. The Chicago-born, 6’8”, 235 pound, all-star athlete will long be remembered for his basketball prowess at Chicago’s Simeon Career Academy. While attending Simeon, he quickly gained the favor of several recruiters, and in fact was a top recruit in the class of 2013, when he became the second player in the history of Illinois high school basketball to start on four state championship teams. After incisive deliberation, he made the decision to play for the Duke University Blue Devils. In an interview with DukeBluePlanet in July 2013, Parker was asked why he chose Duke University to which he responded,

I chose Duke because I thought it was the perfect fit for me.  The student population is very tight.  It’s a family-oriented community.  It’s very nice and diverse and a community that will prepare me for the real-world someday.

The Key Players Who Have Influenced His Basketball Career

Jabari Parker Duke University Blue Devils

During the interview Parker was also asked who his greatest basketball influence is and said,

My greatest influence basketball-wise is probably my father because he played in the NBA and I’m trying to get to where he has been.  He played in college at Texas A&M.  Just seeing what he did in college, I think that he made a real big impact and I’m trying to live up to his expectations and what he did.

He also made several comments about his coach whom he deeply admires and respects:

Being around Coach K, I just want to pick his brain as much as possible.  He has a lot of knowledge, a lot on his resume.  I’m trying to get to where he has been and accomplish at least 25% of what he has done.  His knowledge and love of the game at his age is real rare.  Hopefully I can do half as much for him as he will do for me because that’s going to be a lot.  He’s going to do more than I expect because, you know, he’s Coach K.

What impressed me most about Coach were his experiences and relationships with his players and how he wants them to be a part of the program forever.  He wants them to come back.  That’s real big on my end because it’s a family.

A Humble Giant among Men

Jabari Parker Mormon Duke UniversityAlthough Parker is a basketball phenom, he has not allowed the stardom and recognition to discredit his true character. To understand who the real Jabari Parker is, a person would need understand the things that matter the most to him, namely his family and his faith.

He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and attests that it is his faith that has helped him to remain level headed and well grounded, thus keeping his head in the “real” game. Because of his strong faith and unfailing support from his family, he has been able to accept all of the recognition that he receives with great humility. In the May 21, 2012, issue of Sports Illustrated which had a feature article on Parker, he was quoted as saying, “Basketball is what I do, it’s not who I am.” During the interview with DukeBluePlanet he was asked to elaborate on his comment:

At the end of the day, being a good person is more important than basketball because you are only going to be remembered by what you do and how you carry yourself.  You can be the most amazing athlete in the world, but if you’re not there for people and you’re not there for your community, your family, then what is your worth?  That’s what separates the greatest from the average people.  That little bit of selflessness, that character.  I want to live my life not as Jabari Parker the basketball player, but as Jabari Parker the good guy, the helpful guy.

Staying True to the Home Team

Jabari Parker MormonAlthough Parker has achieved status as an outstanding basketball player and has been afforded many opportunities, he has not forgotten his real roots. He still considers Chicago to always be his home base, as it is there where it all began. He realizes, especially growing up on the South Side of Chicago, that the city is incessantly represented in the news media in a negative light. He has stated that he wants to be that person who helps to shed more light on the positive and help to eliminate the focus on the negativity.

Oh Chicago is the best.  That’s the reason that I am the person that I am now.  The hard-nosed style of basketball that we play around the city is from the community that I represent.  Being from the South Side, I want to make a positive impact as much as possible.  You see on CNN, they talk about the crime rate, there is a lot of negativity.  I want to be as positive an influence as possible and be that guy who helps the city be looked at in the right way.

When he is off the court, Parker describes himself as a “relaxed cool guy.” He says that he enjoys being around different types of people and getting to know more about them, as they learn more about him. He also loves music. One of his future goals is to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. However, his immediate goal and purpose in life is to have a positive impact both on and off the court. There is no doubt that Jabari Parker is a name that people will be hearing for some time to come. The video below highlights the first 18 years of his remarkable life and career.

Healing Streams of Mercy and Love

Healing Streams of Mercy and Love

Scriptures teach us, “Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). And we are further admonished, “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again” (Matthew 7:2). Therefore, when a brother or sister has been found guilty of any transgression – from the smallest to the most serious – we must do all that we can to help them return to the fold in good standing.

Whom the Lord Loves, He Chastens

As young children, whenever we misbehaved it often became necessary for our father to discipline us. At times the discipline may have seemed a bit severe or unfair, but our father always reassured us that it was because he loved us that it was necessary at times to discipline us in order to correct our behavior. In the same way, our loving Heavenly Father disciplines us whenever we commit a transgression. The scriptures teach us in Hebrews 12:6-11,

For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Church Discipline and Repentance

Meeting with a Mormon BishopIn The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whenever a member has committed a transgression, he is able to talk with his bishop, branch president, or stake president who can help him overcome the transgressions in his life through a process called repentance. Those who are serving missions may speak with their mission president who is there to help them overcome their transgressions.

For more serious transgressions such as serious violations of civil law, spouse abuse, child abuse, adultery, fornication, rape, incest, and apostasy, formal Church discipline is often required. This formal discipline is begun when a presiding priesthood leader determines through prayer and revelation that it is necessary to hold a disciplinary council. It should be noted that the “purposes of disciplinary councils are to save the souls of transgressors, protect the innocent, and safeguard the purity, integrity, and good name of the Church.”

Such formal Church discipline may include restriction of Church membership privileges or a loss of Church membership, also known as excommunication. Excommunication is rare and is considered as a final means of resolution. Before a pronouncement of excommunication, all things are carefully and prayerfully taken into consideration in order to help a member who has transgressed to remain a faithful, active member of the Church.

During the proceedings of a disciplinary council, prayerful counsel is offered to the member for whom the council is being held. It becomes the responsibility of the member who has transgressed to act upon the counsel that is given to help him work through the repentance process and to regain his good standing in the Church. Excommunication is usually sought after counsel has been given and the transgressor willingly refuses to accept and follow the counsel which had previously been given.

The Church of Jesus Christ Responds to Questions Regarding Discipline

In response to the many questions received recently from the news media regarding Church discipline, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has issued the following statement:

The Church is a family made up of millions of individuals with diverse backgrounds and opinions. There is room for questions and we welcome sincere conversations. We hope those seeking answers will find them and happiness through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Sometimes members’ actions contradict Church doctrine and lead others astray. While uncommon, some members in effect choose to take themselves out of the Church by actively teaching and publicly attempting to change doctrine to comply with their personal beliefs. This saddens leaders and fellow members. In these rare cases, local leaders have the responsibility to clarify false teachings and prevent other members from being misled. Decisions are made by local leaders and not directed or coordinated by Church headquarters.

Actions to address a person’s membership and standing in their congregation are convened after lengthy periods of counseling and encouragement to reconsider behavior. Ultimately, the door is always open for people to return to the Church.

Excommunication is not necessarily an End

There is Always a Way BackCareful note should be taken of the final line in the statement, “Ultimately, the door is always open for people to return to the Church.” The statement made by The Church of Jesus Christ should help to shed a light of hope and understanding on the often misunderstood subject of excommunication. Excommunication from the Church does not have to signify an end to all things even though Church privileges are taken away. As stated, the door is always open and people who have been previously excommunicated can return to the Church.

One person wrote the following in the comments of Jana Riess’ article Are we looking at a Mormon purge?, which helps to clarify the definition of excommunication as it applies to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

Excommunication is not irretrievably permanent, and it’s actually meant to be a beginning and not an end. Although there are serious consequences that go along with it (related to ordinances and gifts thereof, names on records of church, holding callings, etc), people who are excommunicated are not disposed of nor are they out of the community. People for whom that action is invoked can (and often do) attend church weekly and church activities, receive home and visiting teachers, associate with members, and meet intensively and regularly with their bishop. (In this way, excommunication may differ quite dramatically from the way the same word is used in other traditions.) They are by no means thrown away or spiritually dead, and we are to remain without judgment of them and welcome them in our community just as we would anyone else.

Elder M. Russell Ballard remarked:

Church disciplinary action is not intended to be the end of the process—rather, it is designed to be the beginning of an opportunity to return to full fellowship and to the full blessings of the Church. Priesthood leaders try hard to be sensitive to the disciplined person’s needs for understanding, encouragement, counsel, and assistance. They work to see that he or she has regular visits with his or her bishop; that the person has mature, caring home teachers or other specially assigned individuals; and that his or her family receive the attention, counsel, and fellowship they need during this difficult time.

The desired result is that the person will make whatever changes are necessary to return fully and completely to be able to receive the marvelous blessings of the Church. When the person has progressed to that point, his or her current bishop or stake president has the authority to convene a new disciplinary council to consider what action needs to be taken—even if the person is now living in a new ward or stake or if a new bishopric or stake presidency is now serving.

After the rebaptism of a person who has not been endowed in the temple, his or her membership record shows the original baptism date, with no reference to the excommunication. A man who previously held the priesthood but was not endowed should generally be ordained to his former priesthood office. Again, his membership record will show his original ordination date, with no reference to excommunication.

The Healing Streams of Mercy and Love

LDS Church Disciplinary CouncilAs a former Stake High Council member, and a former member of two Bishoprics as both Second and then First Counselor, I have had the opportunity to be a part of disciplinary councils. It was my experience then, and is my sincere belief now, that disciplinary councils are not held merely to discipline a person for the transgression which he or she has committed, but rather that person is viewed and treated as a special soul of worth, a son or daughter of a loving Heavenly Father.

The council is begun with prayer asking for the Lord’s guidance and direction in attending the affairs of the council, and no decision is made as to the outcome of the hearing until the presiding priesthood leader and his counsellors have sought the Lord for guidance and inspiration.

Furthermore, it has been my experience as I have been called upon to participate in such councils, that the overarching message that is conveyed to the transgressor is that they are loved by their Heavenly Father and by the members of the Church, even on the rare occasion that a person is excommunicated. In all instances, regardless of the outcome of the council, the healing streams of mercy and love continue to flow.

Mormon Tabernacle Choir Announces Atlantic Coast Tour

Mormon Tabernacle Choir Announces Atlantic Coast Tour

Leopold Anthony Stokowski, one of the leading conductors of the early and mid-20th Century who is best known for his long association with the Philadelphia Orchestra, said, “A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence.” And the famous German composer and pianist, Ludwig van Beethoven, stated, “Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life.”

Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra

These acute statements without question could be used to accurately describe the delightful music that people the world over experience whenever they hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square perform. Through their melodious sound, a listener is transformed into a virtual Picasso as he is able to paint beautiful pictures on the canvas of his mind which gives vitality to what he hears.

Those who love this music will be pleased to know that the world-renowned, 360-voice Mormon Tabernacle Choir has announced their summer 2015 concert tour. Accompanying the choir on the tour will be 68 members of the Orchestra at Temple Square. Their repertoire will include everything from Bach and Broadway to American folk hymns and spirituals. Ron Jarrett, president of the choir, has commented, “There is nothing quite like hearing the choir live in concert. We love going on the road to connect with our audiences on the Eastern seaboard who will experience the pure joy music can bring to the hearts and minds of its listeners.”

The tour begins on 24 June 2015 and concludes on 7 July 2015 with stops in Bethesda, Maryland; New York City, Saratoga Springs, Bethel Woods, New York and Boston, Massachusetts. Tickets are now on sale for the concert to be held in Bethesda. More information about specific dates, venues, and ticket prices can be found by visiting the choir’s website.

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