The sun is a mass of incandescent gas (Ben letter 8/11/2020)

 Sike it's not. Also UB40 is the best band of all time. Sike, also not true. 

I have not written a weekly in months now, because I have stayed in quarantine. There is a lot that I am learning, but it's more for my journal than the internet. 

One quick subject I would like to write about is the topic of freedom, use of agency, and choosing to be happy. I would like to start off by saying that this is something the world cannot provide for you. I used to think that the 10 amendments are freedoms. I used to think property is freedom. The freedom to work, learn, play, etc were my freedoms. However, I have come to find this is false. These are surely freedoms we have that I am grateful for, but we are simply not entitled to them. We are not entitled to anything earthly. Even our own body is given to us from God. Land is given to us, family is given to us, education is given to us, everything we have is given to us. The only true thing we inherently have that is not given to us is agency. This is what satan wants to take away from us, and this is what God really wants from us. God doesn't want little sacrifices of worldly wealth, he wants us to do His will with our agency. Neal Maxwell said something along the lines that the only truly individual sacrifice on the altar is our agency. God wants us to willingly, without force, without coercion, give Him our will. Satan will use other ways to take away our agency.

I truly believe that our earthly circumstances do not control our use of agency. Agency is truly ours, and it can only be taken if we choose. If we allow our earthly man made freedoms to dictate our agency, we will never be happy. We will be choosing captivity. We will let the world dictate what we can and cannot do, becoming people being acted upon, instead of acting. We must never wait for any person or thing to give us permission  to act in accordance with God's will. If we cannot do God's will, we cannot have true joy. We have the choice every single day to make whatever decisions we want according to our circumstances. God will not judge us on our circumstances, but what we do in that circumstance. He cares less about our ability to choose, and more about what we choose and why. I have been frustrated, mad, angry and resentive of others because of their opinions that I felt would effect my freedoms. But this is the reality: I cannot control others, but they will control me if I make the decision to not love them. People will speak badly of, bully, hate, spite, and be angry at others in the name of freedom. But the irony really is that they are the ones not free themselves, stuck in the trap of exactly what satan wants them to do. Forget about loving your neighbor, and fighting them instead. Would you rather be right and angry or happy? Would you rather gnash your teeth and murmur or be long suffering and submissive? Do you spend your time communing with God or watching propaganda on TV and social media? Are you really free? Or do you choose to give up your agency in the name of freedom? I have been blinded by this, but no more. I truly now understand that God is a just God, and He doesn't ask anything more then to do His will, and nobody else's. We all have the decision everyday to choose captivity and death or happiness. Nobody is restricting this choice to anybody in the entire world. Jesus knows how to succor all of His people, including Joseph Smith in liberty jail, including Job, and including you and me. You are responsible for your own personal destiny because God is perfectly just. Do not try to serve 2 masters, do not try to justify, victimize, shame, makes excuses, flee from responsibility, lie, rebel, be entitled, doubt God, quit, procrastinate, fear, or help others sin. Do not.

Remember: difficulty is something history never makes an excuse for. Trust in Christ, trust in God, believe that He is and that He can free you from all the bad things that there are. Not at the second coming, not after you get a cool job, get married, not after retirement, not after death, not after anything. Right now! Choose to be free and happy right now! 

This is one small thing I have been thinking about while apartment bound, hopefully you will find some use for it, because I have. God is real, Jesus Christ in the savior, we are His brothers and sisters, the book of Mormon is true, and you have a purpose! 

Have a good week,

Vîrstnicul Станислав 

Cubby homecoming 4/4/2020 pics

Jacob came home from Kiribati on April 4. Kiribati still does not have any documented cases of Corona virus, but because Fiji airlines shut down, there wasn't any access to all those missionaries on islands and the church brought them home. He served over 18 months, so is not eligible for reassignment. We hope to have a homecoming Sunday where he can report on his mission. I will let you all know when that is. For now he is spending his time working at Whitby Farms and cooking us fish and sleeping on the floor.

Holy man (Ben Letter 5/6/2020)

I hear the voices 

And what they tell

About heaven

About hell

About the life 

We know so well

That we had to throw away 

Salut. I haven't written in a long time, mainly because we do a lot of the same things everyday. So it's not that I am doing nothing, it's just that I haven't been doing anything extremely noteworthy. Our days consist of calling through the area book, which is fun because we have about 5, dating back to 2005. We call a different branch in Moldova everyday, and then we call our investigators and recent converts to make sure they are doing well, and give them a little spiritual nourishment. Nice thing is that I have been able to study for about 3 hours a day more then before. I am learning a lot, and I feel very happy. In fact I am the happiest I have been in a  long time, despite the circumstances. I have just realized that the circumstances we are in do not make us happy or sad, but it is our attitude and faith that will make us happy. It is all relative right? 

So that leads me into my spiritual thought. Sometimes we think that the way the Jesus will save us is from our current physical surroundings. I have thought or heard many things like this in my life: "once I am out of the house and free I will be happy" " once I get a raise/job and have more money, I will be happy" "when I get married, i will be happy" "once I get a new house or car, i will be happy" "untill I get over this sickness, i will be happy" "once the government figures out their crap, I will be happy". The list goes on for any given type of excuse or situation that will make you happy or not. In Luke 5:18-26  is the story of Jesus healing a man stricken with the palsy. However, the even greater part of this story is that Jesus forgave this man's sins. The reason that Jesus healed the man, was not just to help the man but "that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house." Jesus time and time again in the old testament until now has shown us physical signs of His power and authority. But these are just a signs to show His power. When Moses put a snake on a cross, that wasn't the reason the children of Israel were saved, but by the power of God. In any given case, the physical aspect is good, but it is only to show His power of deliverance, as a presentation and lesson to us. Now let me go back here. What does this have to do with me being happy with my circumstances? If we believe that we will be happy only once our physical surroundings are "good", then we have missed the point. The Jews in Jesus time believed that the messiah would free then from bondage from the Romans. But they completely misunderstood what kind of bondage the messiah would really deliver them from. The people that have seen Jesus work these miracles were never really converted, but convinced. Jesus Himself came down and worked miracles and was still crucified. If we are waiting for Him to get us rich, of give us what WE want physically, we will NEVER be happy. Never. His message to all of us is to "be of good cheer" to be happy, to love and to live life happily. We have  no need to wait until another phase of our life to be happy. We are free from bondage, If we are but willing to accept Jesus's Atonement into our lives. Don't be waiting to be freed from the Romans, but know you are free from what really matters as soon as you choose it. I am so grateful for the Master Teacher, and for His goodness, and for His mercy. Not only does He take away what we deserve, but He gives us what we don't deserve, to be His joint heirs in the kingdom of God. Our lives are gifts to us, and we must live happily every moment we can. We must not need fear or be downtrodden,  because He is with us, ready to help us, the minute we let Him. 

Hopefully you understood a little of that, and my crazy mind.

 

Vă iubesc 

Vîrstnicul Станислав 

 

They were able to have all three scheduled baptisms the week after shutdowns went into effect

The four missionaries left in Moldova (minus a senior couple). Ben's comp is behind him. The front elder is Ukrainian. The back elder is from Finland although his mother is from Korea and he was born in Hawaii. His parent's common language was English, so he speaks English, Finnish, Korean and now Russian

 

Ben post 3/23/2020

The Precious Gift of Personal Revelation

Edwin Kumferman

Ricks College Devotional

October 24, 2000

It was exactly 20 years ago today that I spent my first whole day at the MTC and I was scared to death. Now I know what you're thinking, every missionary is scared on his first day, but with me it was different. You see, I had been baptized less than three years earlier and I felt I knew very little about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I had read the Book of Mormon once, but I had never read the Bible nor the Doctrine and Covenants. I had never attended an early morning "cemetery" class, and I had never participated in a family prayer or family home evening. I had been called to serve in Belgium and France, but I couldn't speak a word of French. I felt like Nephi must have felt when he was asked to get the plates of brass. You remember the story. He knew the Lord would prepare a way for him to accomplish the task but he had no clue how. He wrote, "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things I should do." ⁽¹⁾ I felt the same way entering the MTC, although I was pretty sure I wouldn't find anyone there drunken and passed out. For the next two years, in fact, for the next 20, the Lord has directed the paths of my life in ways that I never would have expected. I have chosen to speak today on the topic of personal revelation--more precisely, how to prepare to receive and recognize personal revelation. I'd like to illustrate the importance of this by beginning with a story.
There once was a father who had four sons. One day he sent his sons to their cabin to ready it for the winter. The cabin was located some distance away from their home, and was without phone connection, but the father didn't worry, because he had given each son a cell phone and knew that he could contact them in case of an emergency. Not long after the sons' arrival to the cabin, the father learned that because of heavy rains in the nearby mountains, the cabin was in the path of a potential flash flood. He called the first son to warn him to take his brothers and evacuate the cabin. The first son had not even turned on his cell phone and didn't receive the message. He then tried to call the second son. His phone rang, but the music he was listening to was so loud, it drowned out the phone and he didn't receive the message. He then tried to call the third son. The third son actually heard his phone ring, but he was so busy working on the cabin he didn't take time to answer it and didn't receive the message. When the fourth son's phone rang, he heard it and tried to answer it, but he wasn't used to working with a cell phone and didn't know how to get an incoming call, so he did not receive the message. The father was grieved for he had done all that he could to warn his sons, but for various reasons they would not receive his message.
This brings to mind something that Brigham Young once said, "There is no doubt, if a person lives according to the revelations given to God's people, he may have the Spirit of the Lord to signify to him his will, and to guide and to direct him in the discharge of his duties, in his temporal as well as his spiritual exercises. I am satisfied, however, that in this respect, we live far beneath our privileges" ⁽²⁾.
As was mentioned in the introduction, I was recently released as a bishop of one of the campus wards. Before that I served as a counselor in another campus ward. It seemed to me that every semester, starting about midterm, some of the young men and young women of the ward would start looking more friendly with each other. They also seemed much happier. I noticed that not much later some of them would schedule an interview with me, and inevitably I would hear the question, (you know, the question, the 'ring by spring or your money back' question) "Bishop, how do I know if he/she is the right one?" This afternoon, during this hour together, I would like you to pretend with me that I am your bishop and you are the ward member who just asked that most important, most vital, most perplexing question.
Now before you married students and pre-missionaries tune me out, I want you to know that this is more a talk about personal revelation than it is about getting married, so the principles I will discuss can be applied to many important situations in your life as well.
OK...so the first thing I would do as your Bishop is compliment you on your desire to do the right thing in seeking the Lord's guidance in this matter. Then I would have you turn to the bible dictionary, page 762, and read the following under the heading "revelation:"
Divine revelation is one of the grandest concepts and principles of the gospel of Jesus
Christ, for without it, man could not know of the things of God and could not be saved with any degree of salvation in the eternities. Continuous revelation from God to his saints, through the Holy Ghost or by other means such as visions, dreams, or visitations, makes possible daily guidance along true paths and leads the faithful soul to complete and eternal salvation in the celestial kingdom. The principle of gaining knowledge by revelation is the principle of salvation.
Next, ya gotta understand that revelation is a spiritual gift from the Lord. He will give it when He's ready, and it will always be in accordance with certain divine principles or spiritual laws. Can I give you some ideas of what you can do to prepare yourselves to receive revelation? I've got seven for you:
IDEA #1: Live clean, pure lives. Let me ask you a question: How many of you would take an advanced academic class without first having a knowledge of the fundamentals of that subject? Well it's just the same with personal revelation. In order to receive specific divine inspiration, you must already live the Lord's basic commandments. Elder Richard G. Scott tells us that trying to receive personal revelation while not keeping the commandments is like pouring contaminating fluid into a glass of pure water and expecting it to remain in only half of the glass, leaving the other half pure. The Spirit will not communicate continually where there is impurity. ⁽³⁾ In the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord declared, And if ye are purified and cleansed from all sin, ye shall ask whatsoever you will in the name of Jesus and it shall be done. ⁽⁴⁾ There is another reason why obedience is so important in receiving revelation. President Harold B. Lee taught a powerful principle that we're gonna get our answers from the source of the power we choose to obey. If we're following the ways of the devil, we'll get answers from the devil. If we're keeping the commandments of God, we'll get our answers from God. ⁽⁵⁾ Living a clean and pure life keeps the arteries of divine communication open. Sincere repentance is like a spiritual bypass operation that eliminates the cholesterol of sin from those arteries, thus clearing those heavenly channels again.
IDEA #2 is to search the scriptures. I love what Elder Bruce R. McConkie had to say about this. He thought that it is one of the best-kept secrets of the kingdom that prayerful study and pondering of the holy scriptures will do as much, or more than any other single thing to bring the spirit of revelation into our lives. ⁽⁶⁾ The scriptures are your personal liahona, pointing the way you should go in the wilderness of this world. They were written by prophets, many of whom were permitted to see our day. Several of the choice revelations of the Doctrine and Covenants were revealed as the prophets pondered the scriptures. ⁽⁷⁾ Nephi counseled us to "feast upon the words of Christ, for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." ⁽⁸⁾
Combined with scripture study is my next idea, Ask in faith. There is probably no more often repeated commandment in the scriptures than "Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." ⁽⁹⁾ We may be worthy to receive revelation, we may even be feasting upon the scriptures, but if we don't ask, it is like having a driver's license and a new car, but no key. Prayer is the key to receiving revelation from the Lord.
So what does it mean if no answer comes? Maybe you're not doing the right things. Maybe you haven't been doing the right things long enough. This leads to my next suggestion, Be patient. Spiritual communication is given in the Lord's time not man's. Revelation is a process, an experience sometimes given to us "line upon line, precept upon precept." ⁽¹⁰⁾ Elder Boyd K. Packer has taught that spiritual things can't be forced. Don't be impatient to gain great spiritual knowledge. Let it grow, help it grow, but do not force it or you will open the way to be misled. ⁽¹¹⁾ Forcing revelation is like baking bread and turning the oven up to 500 degrees so it will cook faster. The results will be disastrous.
So what can you do while you are patiently waiting on the Lord? Suggestion # 5 is Do everything that is in your power. During my last year as bishop, we had almost 20 marriages in the ward, and that was consistently the biggest piece of advice that I gave to my ward members.
They reasoned that since they didn't have that sure confirmation beforehand, they were justified in not making any action at all until they did. Remember you shouldn't be asking the Lord to guide your steps if you aren't willing to move your feet. Heavenly Father has given you your agency and common sense along with certain talents, gifts and abilities. He expects you to use them in your decision making process. Then when you have chosen a course of action you can approach Him in prayer for a confirmation. Listen to how Elder McConkie chose his wife:
How do you choose a wife? I've heard a lot of young people from Brigham Young University and elsewhere say, 'I've got to get a feeling of inspiration. I've got to get some revelation. I've got to fast and pray and get the Lord to manifest to me whom I should marry.' Well, maybe it will be a little shock to you, but never in my life did I ever ask the Lord whom I ought to marry. It never occurred to me to ask him. I went out and found the girl I wanted; she suited me; I evaluated and weighed the proposition, and it just seemed a hundred percent to me as though this ought to be. Now, if I'd done things perfectly, I'd have done some counseling with the Lord, which I didn't do; but all I did was pray to the Lord and ask for some guidance and direction in connection with the decision I'd reached. A more perfect thing to have done would have been to counsel with him relative to the decision and get a spiritual confirmation that the conclusion, which I by my agency and faculties had arrived at, was the right one. ⁽¹²⁾
On one occasion, shortly after his call as a General Authority, Elder Packer received some counsel about a problem from President David O. McKay. Elder Packer said he was very willing to be obedient but saw no way possible to do as he was counseled. He then went to Elder Harold B. Lee and explained the situation. Then Elder Lee said, 'The trouble with you is you want to see the end from the beginning.' Elder Packer replied that he would like to see at least a step or two ahead. Then, Elder Packer said, came the lesson of a lifetime. Elder Lee told him, "You must learn to walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness; then the light will appear and show the way before you." ⁽¹³⁾ Walk to the edge of the light and then a few steps into the darkness. There seems to be a delicate partnership here, to work as if everything depends on you and to pray as if everything depends on the Lord.
The saying goes that hindsight is 20/20 vision, but looking back now, every major decision I have made in life (and that includes joining the Church, going to BYU, going to Ohio State, choosing a career, even coming to Ricks) was made without a 100% sure knowledge that those were the things I was supposed to do. They felt right. I considered the alternatives and they didn't feel right. I look back on them now and have no doubt that they were right. But at the time I went forward with my plans, having faith in the Lord, knowing that as long as I stayed close to Him and sought His help, He would lead me by the hand, and give me answer to my prayers. ⁽¹⁴⁾
IDEA #6 is, Be calm and at peace. The Lord told Joseph Smith, "Be still and know that I am God." ⁽¹⁵⁾ Elder Packer has addressed this theme many times in his general conference addresses, for example:
Inspiration comes more easily in peaceful settings. Such words as quiet, still, peaceable, Comforter abound in the scriptures...(The trend in the world today) to more noise, more excitement, more contention, less restraint, less dignity, less formality is not coincidental nor innocent nor harmless. The first order issued by a commander mounting a military invasion is the jamming of the channels of communication of those he intends to conquer. Irreverence suits the purposes of the adversary by obstructing the delicate channels of revelation in both mind and spirit. ⁽¹⁶⁾
A very good time for receiving personal revelation is in the early morning. When Elder Marion G. Romney, formerly a counselor in the First Presidency, was first called to be a General Authority, he went to his good friend, Elder Harold B. Lee of the Council of the Twelve, for some advice. His counsel is valuable instruction to us all. Elder Lee said, "My friend, I will give you one piece of advice: Go to bed early and get up early. If you do, your body and mind will become rested and then in the quiet of those early morning hours, you will receive more flashes of inspiration and insight than at any other time of the day." ⁽¹⁷⁾
It is also important to remember that we can only truly be at peace when we are in harmony with our lives and with those around us. President Lee said that if we're worried about something or upset in our feelings, the inspiration won't come. But if we live so that our minds are free from worry and our conscience is clear and our feelings are right toward others, the operation of the Spirit of the Lord upon our spirit is as real as when we pick up the telephone. ⁽¹⁸⁾ On one occasion while Joseph was still translating the Book of Mormon, he and Emma had a disagreement. Joseph couldn't continue the translation until he asked Emma's forgiveness and made things right with her. ⁽¹⁹⁾
My final idea is this: Write down the promptings you receive and act quickly upon them. When you know that he/she is the right one, don't be afraid to act. Remember that revelation always comes as a conclusion, not necessarily as an explanation. Elder Scott remarked that when the Lord gives gentle promptings in answer to our prayers, sometimes they require us to think, to exercise faith, to work, to struggle at times, and to act. The whole answer to an important matter or complex problem rarely comes all at once. Usually, it comes a piece at a time, without the end in sight. ⁽²⁰⁾ I firmly believe that the more you act upon the promptings you receive, the more your ability to receive future promptings is increased. Elder Scott believes that we often leave the most precious personal direction of the Spirit unheard because we don't record and respond to the first promptings that come to us when we pray. ⁽²¹⁾
So, again, those seven ways to prepare to receive revelation are: 1) Live clean, pure lives; 2) Search the scriptures; 3) Ask in faith; 4) Be patient; 5) Do everything that is in your power; 6) Be calm and at peace; and 7) Write down the promptings you receive and act quickly upon them.

Now let's talk briefly about how personal revelation will usually come to you. You need to know that the way the Lord chooses to communicate to you is extremely personal. Hopefully you have already experienced the workings of the Spirit many times in your life. Please know that the Lord will not use a different manner to manifest His will to you now. I have heard Elder Packer say that as an apostle, he listens now to the same inspiration, coming from the same source, in the same way that he listened to as a boy, only now the signal is much clearer. ⁽²²⁾ One common mistake is to look for some kind of heaven-rending major manifestation of the spirit accompanied by an angel or lightning and thunder. President Spencer W. Kimball said that most revelation comes to today's prophet in the less spectacular way--that of deep impressions, without spectacle or glamour or dramatic events. If we always expect the spectacular, we may entirely miss the constant flow of revealed communication. ⁽²³⁾ Elder Neal A. Maxwell expressed it this way, God doesn't send thunder if a still, small, voice is enough or a prophet if a priest can do the job. ⁽²⁴⁾ Don't ever think that just because someone else seems to have had a major spiritual experience and you haven't, that you are somehow less worthy or less loved by our Father in Heaven. Be assured that He whose work and glory is your "immortality and eternal life" ⁽²⁵⁾ will not leave you without help or comfort.

At the risk of great personal embarrassment, may I illustrate this important point with a story from my own life? When it was time to propose to Karen, I had everything all ready. I took her to a little, romantic French restaurant where we enjoyed a soft candlelight dinner. (That's always the best way to eat snails.) But I couldn't bring myself to propose because I was doing exactly what President Kimball said I shouldn't do. I was looking for some major manifestation. I felt I was entitled to it. After all, wasn't this the most important decision I would ever make in my life? Now here's the embarrassing part: I excused myself to go to the bathroom and while there I pleaded one last time for that visitation or lightning to come. Nothing. After quite a few minutes, (Karen insists it was longer than that) I returned to the table and we left. But as we were going to the car, I realized that I really had already received my answer. When I considered making her my wife, I felt at peace and it seemed right. When I pondered the prospect of breaking up or living my life without her, I experienced a cold, empty feeling and I knew it wasn't right. So I proposed to her in the parking lot, in the middle of backing up my car. What a romantic, eh?!
Well, enough of that! Now let's look at some examples of how the Spirit works in the scriptures. Please turn with me to the New Testament, Galatians chapter 5 verses 22 & 23, page 1479. Here Paul gives a quick checklist of the workings of the Spirit. We read, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (which, according to the footnote, means self-control): against such there is no law."
Now please turn with me to Doctrine and Covenants, section 6, verse 15. I don't think it is a coincidence that several of the early revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith contain descriptions of how the Spirit works. In fact, one could say that he was being tutored in the workings of the Spirit while he was receiving revelations on other matters. In Section 6, verse 15 we read, "Behold, thou knowest that thou hast inquired of me and I did enlighten thy mind; and now I tell thee these things that thou mayest know that thou hast been enlightened by the Spirit of truth." Now look at verse 23: "Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?" Now turn the page to Section 8, verses 2 and 3: "Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind (thoughts) and in your heart (feelings), by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart. Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation..." Now turn the page to Section 9, verse 8: "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." Now please turn to Section 11, verses 12 and 13: "And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good--yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit. Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy."
You know that in the Bible, Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants, the scriptures refer to the Spirit as the "still, small voice." ⁽²⁶⁾ Elder Packer stated that the Spirit does not get our attention by shouting or shaking us with a heavy hand. Rather it whispers. It caresses so gently that if we are preoccupied we may not feel it at all. ⁽²⁷⁾ Notice how he used the word feel to describe the workings of the Spirit. This is the same word Nephi used in chastising his older brothers saying, "Ye have seen an angel, and he spake unto you; yea, ye have heard his voice from time to time, and he hath spoken unto you in a still small voice, but ye were past feeling, that ye could not feel his words." ⁽²⁸⁾
Inspiration from the Lord can also come as flashes of ideas. The Prophet Joseph told the Quorum of the Twelve, "A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas, so that by noticing it, you may find it fulfilled the same day or soon..." ⁽²⁹⁾
Now if you're not yet familiar with the way the Spirit communicates to you, don't worry. Joseph also told the Twelve that it is possible to "grow into the principle of revelation." ⁽³⁰⁾ This is a gift that the Lord grants only after effort and repetition. All of us need to constantly develop this spiritual skill in our lives. Even the Prophet Joseph was not exempt. It is interesting to note that Joseph used the Urim and Thummim to receive half of the first 16 revelations recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants. ⁽³¹⁾ Joseph told Orson Pratt that at first the Lord gave him the Urim and Thummim when he was inexperienced in the spirit of inspiration. But later when he had advanced so far that he understood the operation of that spirit he didn't need the assistance of the Urim and Thummim anymore. ⁽³²⁾
Perhaps at this point you may have a question: How can you tell whether what you're feeling is true inspiration or indigestion or even "sinspiration" from Satan? Please turn with me to Doctrine and Covenants section 28. This revelation was given at a time when Hiram Page, who was one of the eight witnesses of the Book of Mormon, was pretending to receive revelations for the Church with the help of a seer stone. In Doctrine and Covenants section 28, starting in verse 11, the Lord gave Joseph and the Church three ways to guard against false revelation:
And again, thou shalt take they brother, Hiram Page, between him and thee alone, and tell him that those things which he hath written from that stone are not of me and that Satan deceiveth him; For behold, these things have not been appointed unto him, neither shall anything be appointed unto any of this church contrary to the church covenants. For all things must be done in order, and by common consent in the church, by the prayer of faith (11-13).
Did you catch the three tests? If all three tests are positive, then what you are feeling or thinking is revelation. The first is found in verse 11. True revelation must be "of me." We are told in the scriptures that anything that is of God will edify, or in other words, uplift the recipient. This applies to your relationship too. Are you better people when you're with each other? Does each of you inspire the other to do his or her best in studies, jobs, church callings, and other significant responsibilities? Or do you both live below your standards and ideals when you are together? President Gordon B. Hinckley asked, "How do we recognize the promptings of the Spirit? That which is of Christ does edify, and if we have that feeling of edification, then we may know that the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost, is speaking to us." ⁽³³⁾ For more details how to judge between good and evil, read Moroni chapter 7. For lack of time we won't turn there now.
The second test is found in verse 12. The Lord says that "these things have not been appointed unto him." Or, as the Prophet Joseph put it, "I will inform you that it is contrary to the economy of God for any member of the Church, or any one, to receive instruction for those in authority higher than themselves." ⁽³⁴⁾ Elder Dallin H. Oaks calls this the principle of "stewardship in revelation." About this principle Elder Oaks taught the students at BYU the following:
I have heard of cases where a young man told a young woman she should marry him because he had received a revelation that she was to be his eternal companion. If this is a true revelation, it will be confirmed directly to the woman if she seeks to know. In the meantime, she is under no obligation to heed it. She should seek her own guidance and make up her own mind. The man can receive revelation to guide his own actions but he cannot properly receive revelation to direct hers. She is outside his stewardship." ⁽³⁵⁾
This is completely consistent with another divine principle, the law of witnesses, whereby "in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established." ⁽³⁶⁾
The third test is also found in verse 12, namely, true revelation must not be "contrary to the church covenants." In other words, it will be consistent with the principles of the gospel as revealed in the scriptures and the teachings of the prophets. In 1945 the First Presidency republished a message first given by the First Presidency in 1913, part of which contains this statement, "Be not led by any spirit or influence that discredits established authority...or leads away from the direct revelations of the Church. The Holy Ghost does not contradict its own revealings. Truth is always harmonious with itself." ⁽³⁷⁾ For example, the Lord would not inspire a young woman to marry a young man before he serves a mission or tell a couple to marry outside the temple.
Now, as your bishop, after all this, I want you to remember three things: First, the Lord loves you and wants you to be happy and succeed in your life. Second, through personal revelation He has given you a precious gift that you can use to include Him in every major decision in your life. Third, remember that revelation will come in the Lord's time after you have prepared yourself to receive it. And usually it will come as still and small whisperings of the Spirit.

I testify that the principles we have discussed are true and that the Lord still continues today to direct that scared elder of 20 years ago. I am so thankful for the guidance the Lord has given me throughout my life--especially in helping me choose Karen as my wife. Personal revelation is one of the greatest gifts from a benevolent Heavenly Father and one of the greatest proofs that He lives and loves us. It is my prayer that we will always live worthy of our privileges with the Spirit, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Cubby Pictures 3/22/2002

Cubby 'flexing' that the shelves are fully stocked

Their 'toilet paper'

Figuring out return logistics

Counseling on Return logistics "it sucks"

"Eating our feelings"

Sebastian, No! (Cubby letter 3/16/2020)

Mauri

Not a super eventful week.

Went on splits with someone from my MTC district, Elder Angilau. We agreed that is was fun to see that we were both good at the language, because we both remembered a time when we were hopelessly bad. So we decided to speak in Kiribati the whole day. I've tried to do this before,  but usually when I try, my companion will respond to me in English, so I just give up. But we actually went through the whole day. Went pretty well. 

Also went on splits with Elder Holman for two days in a row. The first day was because his companion had been sick for the previous 5 days, sonI had compassion on him and took him out to work. The second day was because both of our companions were sickish and for the sake of efficiency we went together again. He's a very good Elder, I learned a bunch from him.

It would feel amiss if I didn't mention my own companion. He has had the feeling recently that he will be leaving for an outer island soon, so he packed one of his bags. He's been waiting in anticipation for transfers ever since. I did have an impromptu meeting with the assistants, and when I told them that, they told me to tell him to unpack his bags. He is still hoping to go though. 

Sunday was pretty interesting with the whole extra-contagious flu plague going on. All the missionaries in the district gathered at our house and we had a version of church. It went pretty well, we same 3 hymns in 2 different languages. Also COVID19 has not come to Kiribati, so don't worry about me for no reason just yet. 

We picked up some people with a lot of questions,  which doesn't happen oft. The first thing they said to us though is that they can't quit smoking, but I told her she could. Also the woman is the first female kava drinker I've ever met. 

We should have 4 baptisms by the end of this month, so we're doing well.

I I tangiringkami and I still haven't got any questions from anyone.

Elder Cubby

 

 

An SD Card Package (Cubby letter 3/9/2020)

I'm going to structure my email like a typical "maroro" or speech the best I can. Of course in real life it would not be in English.

Hello brothers and sisters in this beautiful evening.

First I would like to thank our God for the opportunity I have to address you all tonight, and especially for all things that He gives us. 

Next I would like to thank the MC for giving me the chance to speak. 

And finally I would like to thank you all for reading this email.

On this day, I testify that this past week has gone well. We had a large amount of success. People we lessoned with felt the  Spirit, and so  did we. We were very joyful to find a new investigator by the name of Utongau. He already believes in the church,  as he goes to school at Moroni. In his own words, he "has no doubts" in the church. 

Another thing that happened this week was a district council that went very well. We discussed our morning schedules and shared our thoughts on how to be lead by the Spirit.

Next I would like to bless all of you individually, that all of you might be kept by the hand of the Lord in all that you do from day to day. I love my family, the ones far away in America,  as well as in Europe. I will garland you all in the Garland of our land that is loved, which is Kiribati, which is of Health, Peace, and Prosperity. Thank you all.

I I tangiringkami 

Elder Cubby 

Bomber Pride Internationally wide