My Dearest Brothers and Sisters,
In a normal world I would be home this beautiful Sabbath day unwinding from a wonderful stake conference. I would be remembering the beautiful music, the powerful testimonies and the overwhelming outpouring of the Spirit. I would be overwhelmed by the emotions of how grateful I am for such wonderful people in the Mesquite Nevada Stake. Instead, I find myself being just a little wound up instead of unwinding.
While I was reflecting this morning and having a little bit of a pity party, I realized that I have been casual in my scripture study and my ministering activities. I found myself feeling a little distance from my Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. As I was reflecting on what I could do, a quote from President Spencer W. Kimball came to mind.
“I find that when I get casual in my relationships with divinity and when it seems that no divine ear is listening and no divine voice is speaking, that I am far, far away. If I immerse myself in the scriptures the distance narrows and the spirituality returns. I find myself loving more intensely those whom I must love with all my heart and mind and strength, and loving them more, I find it easier to abide their counsel.”
I put it to the test and it works.
Sometimes it seems we take the scriptures and the words of the living prophets too much for granted because we do not fully appreciate how rare a thing it is to possess them, and how blessed we are because we do have them.
We seem to have settled so comfortably into our experiences in this world and become so accustomed to hearing the gospel taught among us that it is hard for us to imagine it could ever have been otherwise.
Today we’re living in a time of spiritual darkness. I’ve been trying to discover for myself what I could learn from this COVID-19 time. Heber C. Kimball, while serving as a counselor to Brigham Young made the following prophecy:
“The time will come when no man nor woman will be able to endure on borrowed light. Each will have to be guided by the light within himself. … cleave to it, that when the trying time comes you may not stumble and fall.”
For me, this time of quarantine was given by a loving Heavenly Father who wanted me to strengthen my faith in Him even if I had to do it all by myself. Happily for me in my life I’ve had wonderful examples and role models that have shared their light with me. Most of those “light sharers” live in this valley. One was a coach who stopped me in the church hall to reassure me that the Book of Mormon was true. Most were the unspoken testimonies of selfless service. Another was a fearless leader who shuttled rowdy boys from one scout camp to another, and along way taught me that prayers ought not to be simply given, but should be pleadings to a loving Heavenly Father. They have helped me gather light for dark times. Now I need to use that light that was borrowed for so many years and make it my own, and maybe share a little of my own.
My dear brothers and sisters, we pray that we will be worshiping together very soon. As we wait for the go ahead - let us take this time gather all the borrowed light that we have and make it our own.
We are all familiar with Joseph Smith’s prophetic words: “The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done”
I love you. Thank you for your patience and long-suffering. I am overwhelmed by the emotions of how grateful I am for such wonderful people in the Mesquite Nevada Stake.
President David J. Anderson