It was the most monumental and celebrated revelation in the Church in its time. ), Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), The 3 Simple Words My Grandma Brought Me from the Spirit World. (D&C 45:56-58.). Has there ever been an era when so many nations, large and small, have been involved in wars? You are accountable for those things which long ago were expected of you just as are those we sustain as prophets and apostles! 29-34 (Click here for a link to read the PDF version in the Conference Archives). As both the wheat and the tares grew up in the same field together, the question was asked of the landowner, "Shall we go and gather up the tares?" Jesus spoke of famines and pestilences and we remember Biafra and Bangladesh. He describes himself as a lad whom the people despised and who was slow of speech; yet he did his duty in love and compassion with stunning success. The Maginot Line in France, these forts thought to be so strong and impassable, were violated as though they were not there. By President Spencer W. Kimball Read by his wife, Sister Camilla Kimball My beloved sisters: I have been looking forward for months to the pleasure of meeting with you dear sisters once again in a worldwide conference of the women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. No greater status can be conferred upon you than being a daughter of God who experiences true sisterhood, wifehood, and motherhood, or other tasks which influence lives for good. I'm grateful He let me choose Him. That faith in Christ is a choice we can make. 1:7, And there shall be none to molest them 2 Ne. Where it is permitted, though, which is most of the world, we should listen to the counsel of the Brethren and to the Lord." (President Spencer W. Kimball) We call upon priesthood bearers to store sufficient so that you and your family can weather the vicissitudes of life. You will pay tribute and bondage and fetters shall bind you (see Lev. 59-61). The first area presidents outside of the United States and Canada were also set apart. He has on numerous occasions outlined the cure for all international as well as local ills. Thou shalt not steal Ex. Language is like music; we rejoice in beauty, range, and quality in both, and we are demeaned by the repetition of a few sour notes. May God bless you so that all the previous blessings promised to you will become a reality in this life and in the world to come. The dignity and self-esteem that honest work produces are essential to happiness. We do reap what we sow. 2:20 It has a tragic and bloody past, but a glorious and peaceful future if its inhabitants really learn to serve their God. 1:7, The prophet exclaims again with fervor: And now we . The day of the marriage feast approaches. Neither shall the sword go through your land. Your cities will be shambles, your churches in ruins. Your dead bodies will be piled upon the materialistic things you sought so hard to accumulate and save. . Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy Ex. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. At midnight, the vital cry was made, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him." In God is protection, safety, peace. 2:27). 44:27-28 Isa. (See Jacob 1:19). Once the carnal in man is no longer checked by the restraints of family life and by real religion, there comes an avalanche of appetites which gathers momentum that is truly frightening. they cried, and all together we pulled and strained. After all, who has any greater need to treasure up the truths of the gospel (on which they may call in their moments of need) than do women and mothers who do so much nurturing and teaching? The prophets have always been free from the evil of their times, free to be divine auditors who will still call fraud, fraud; embezzlement, embezzlement; and adultery, adultery. If, in the short term, we are sometimes dealt with insensitively and thoughtlessly by others, by imperfect men and women, it may still cause us pain, but such pain and disappointment are not the whole of life. But, on the scale of eternity, the missing of these blessings shall be but a small moment (see D&C 121:7). Rushing for their lamps to light their way through the blackness, half of them found them empty. The late Elder JohnA. Widtsoe wrote: The place of woman in the Church is to walk beside the man, not in front of him nor behind him. He lives. And then he gave the parable of the fish and the net: Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. Still others of you now know the uncertainty of being young as you ponder your place in the eternal scheme of things. He loves. From what other source can you learn about your own uniqueness and identity? Spencer W. Kimball : biography March 28, 1895 - November 5, 1985 As World War II neared its conclusion, Kimball and other LDS church leaders constantly responded to the needs of the friends and families of LDS war casualties. Jesus was also met with the question, Is not this the carpenters son? (Matt. With no warning, no last-minute preparation is possible. The Lord said to them: O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they [the slain ones], will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you? 3 Ne. David was the youngest son of eight. Amen.Spencer W. Kimball,Conference Report, October 1961, pp. In 1914, he graduated from the Gila Academy with highest honors. This America is no ordinary country. But behold, your days of probation are past; ye have procrastinated the day of your salvation until it is everlastingly too late, and your destruction is made sure. Read this chapter in its entirety at truthwillprevail.xyz . Todays prophet stands in the same position between God and the people as did Isaiah, Samuel, and even Moses who gave to the world the ten commandments. Other rebellious people were destroyed in the convulsions of the earth in the meridian of time, and they who were more righteous were saved. And Paul said to the Thessalonians: For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. What a bleak prediction! It was unlike any other talk Ive ever listened to. Regardless of who is getting the adversarys special attention at any given time, he seeks to make all people miserable like unto himself (2Ne. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Let us assume the counsel given applies to us, to me. I suspect that many people who five years ago had a rich larder, a full pantry, and a year's supply of basic necessities have let their stock dwindle. How good God has been to us all in blessing us with these answers and assuranceseven though these truths place upon us serious and everlasting obligations. "The statement, "As a man thinketh, so is he," could equally well be rendered "As a man thinketh, so does he." If one thinks it long enough he is likely to do it.". We bow down to the god of mammon, the god of luxuries, the god of dissipation. It is so hard to wait and be prepared always. The trouble with using obscurity as a test of validity is that God has so often chosen to bring forth his work out of obscurity. Thou shalt have no other gods before me Ex. Defense stockpiles increase. We know also that God is perfect in his love for each and all of us as his spirit children. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. ? How can one witness so many of those who ought to be good examples becoming bad examples and not cry out? He served in the Quorum of the Twelve for thirty years and became the president of the Church in 1973. Peace be with you. They were not the gentiles or the heathens or the pagans, nor were they necessarily corrupt and reprobate, but they were knowing people who were foolishly unprepared for the vital happenings that were to affect their eternal lives. Of course, rejection of the holy prophets comes because the hearts of people are hardened, as people are shaped by their society. (See Ether 13.) His was not a long-distance leadership. "It's not possible that the problems of this world be resolved by the pesimists and sceptics whose horizons are guided by the obvious realities. And learning this the bridegroom will relent. Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? (John 1:46.) 26:4-6,8, The land will be barren, (perhaps radioactive or dry from drought.). A Sabbath show or a game or a race replaces solemn worship. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. And ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies. God is all powerful. How can one share faith or testimony? The brethren are not out of touch nor asleep. There were 832 marriages in a single month, and there were 414 divorces. Regardless of your particular circumstances, as you become more and more familiar with the truths of the scriptures, you will be more and more effective in keeping the second great commandment, to love your neighbor as yourself. The Miracle of Forgiveness. It was not simply a call to repentance, but it felt like Spencer W. Kimball was raising a prophetic voice effectively saying YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED so as to wash his garments clean from the blood and sins of our generation. At only age nineteen, just before he was called to serve in the Swiss-Austrian mission, he was ordained as a general authority seventy. The pioneers thought it would be soon and watched for signs; our grandparents watched for the sprouting of the fig tree; our parents watched for the reddening of the sky; and we ourselves have heard all our lives that the Second Coming is near. So often the prophets have been rejected because they first rejected the wrong ways of their own society. We had full equality as his spirit children. Because sin is such sadness, the righteous do not stress an attitude of I told you sobecause the righteous, in their love, truly wish they had been more effective in communication and in testifying so that there could be less misery and more happiness in the world. They had cheated themselves. Deeds of kindness, payment of offerings and tithes, chaste thoughts and actions, marriage in the covenant for eternitythese, too, contribute importantly to the oil with which we can at midnight refuel our exhausted lamps. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Yet here are bribery, fraud, deceit, theft, padding of expense accounts, tax evasion, installment buying beyond ability to pay, and gambling running into the billions. They are bombs and ships and armaments. We knew that we were taming the Arizona desert. He is a prophet to all the world. So long had it been since they began expecting him that they were rationalizing that he would never appear. He later became the church's president . The Kimball family moved and Spencer grew up there. Even though the eternal roles of men and women differ, as we indicated to you a year ago, this leaves much to be done by way of parallel personal developmentfor both men and women. The practice is pleasing unto the carnal mind. It was consecrated as a land of promise to the people of the Americas, to whom God gave these great promises: It will be a land of liberty to its people 2 Ne. He gave us the parable of the farmer who sowed good seed in his ground but whose enemy planted tares in the field. He was not afraid of close friendships; he was not afraid that proximity to him would disappoint his followers. Meanwhile, one does not need to be married or a mother in order to keep the first and second great commandmentsthose of loving God and our fellowmenon which Jesus said hang all the law and all the prophets. In multiple scriptures the Lord has indicated that he will perform his work through those whom the world regards as weak and despised. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. We are greatly heartened by your presence not only tonight but in this portion of this dispensation wherein your talents and spiritual strength are so desperately needed. April 1966 General Conference, Ezra Taft Benson: Our God-given Rights October 1968 General Conference. Heaven will not hear your pleadings nor earth bring forth her harvest. Far from freeing those involved, sin is an admission of surrender to the herd. My beloved brethren and sisters, this is a momentous time. May God help us in the opportunities which are ours to live righteously as a way of witnessing to the world, to speak out humbly but forthrightly, to lead out effectively and thoughtfully, ever using the gospel of Jesus Christ as our constant guide. Please follow the counsel you have been given in the past and maintain your personal journals. (Luke 12:19-20.) I'll never forget an experience that Sister Nelson and I had about three decades ago with President Spencer W. Kimball and his beloved Camilla. The Lord has given us this parable as a special warning. As a boy I saw how all, young and old, worked and worked hard. But finally the net was in shallow water and the fish began to jump frantically, trying to escape. 20:8 italics added). As one jars loose and begins to roll down hill, still another breaks loose, whether it is an increase in homosexuality, corruption, drugs, or abortion. Late, late, so late! At midnight! Yet even when the hardening is swift, it can also be subtle. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. The apostles of the ancient days were also impatient to know when these events would transpire. For those who heed the warning and make their preparations, for those found at midnight with the oil of righteousness in their lamps, for those with patience, long-suffering, and full dedication, the promise is that they shall sit down at the banquet with their Lord. They merely procrastinated, not knowing when the bridegroom would come. The cares of the world, the honors of the world, and looking beyond the mark are all determined by a persuasive few who presume to speak for all. Bombs are detonated. But a controlling majority of the people of this world have relegated them to the past. Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. Sometimes people let their hearts get so set upon things and the honors of this world that they cannot learn the lessons they most need to learn. Your enemies will be astonished at the barrenness, sterility, desolation of the land they had been told was so choice, so beautiful, so fruitful. By one means or another, the swiftest method of rejection of the holy prophets has been to find a pretext, however false or absurd, to dismiss the man so that his message could also be dismissed. His actions were considered irrational. Prophets who were not glib, but slow of speech, were esteemed as naught. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. (Acts 1:7.) I am prepared to live or die and need not fear. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. Will we ever turn wholly to God? The foolish virgins were not averse to buying oil. Learn how your comment data is processed. . The Savior said, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself" (John 7:17). And he that sat upon the throne said. Even in the true Church numerous of its people fail to attend their meetings, to tithe their incomes, to have their regular prayers, to keep all the commandments. When Spencer was twenty-nine, his father passed away and Spencer was called to the stake presidency that his father had served in for three decades. . There will be rationing and a scarcity of food and hunger sore. They help us to see the end from the beginning. Fear would vanish, and enemies would be subdued. He also stayed involved in the growth of his community through civic and volunteer organizations. . Edward L. and Andrew Kimball's 1977 biography, Spencer W. Kimball, is a candid and intimate portrait of the life of the twelfth President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 45:1. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. There will be faintness of heart and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase you into flight and you will fall when none pursueth. Remember, it is as wrong to do things just to be seen of women as it is to do things to be seen of men. While corridors are threatened and concessions are made, we live riotously and divorce and marry in cycles like the seasons. Who, for instance, a scant twenty years ago would have foreseen the massive use of abortion in society today, like all the diseased doctrines of the devil. The outlook is bleak, but the impending tragedy can be averted. It is the humble Primary leaders who through their teaching and personal example instill in the hearts and minds of these wonderful little children, in their sensitive and formative years, love for the Savior, the Church, and for its leaders. While enemies filter into our nation to subvert us and intimidate us and soften us, we continue with our destructive thinking: It cant happen here.. The Lord and David slew Goliath 1 Sam. . and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. They were fools, these five unprepared virgins. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. He promised to the children of Israel: The land shall yield her increase and trees their fruit. It is difficult to be prepared for an event so long delayed. Later, Kimball became Mormonism's twelfth president. We understand further that as families are raised, the talents God has given you and blessed you with can often be put to effective use in additional service to mankind. With such innumerable blessings as are available to godly people of this land, how can any sane one continue in his careless patterns of life? Other biographies written by the sons of Church Presidents preceded . The Morning Breaks; the Shadows Flee, The Primary Enriches the Lives of Children, Grieve Not the Holy Spirit, Lest We Lose It, I Did Not Reach This Place By Myself, Strengthening the Familythe Basic Unit of the Church, Solving Emotional Problems in the Lords Own Way. If you liked this archived conference talk, you might also like these: 6 Easy Ways Every Latter-day Saint can be an Effective Missionary on Facebook, 7 Ways Latter-day Saints get Following the Prophet Completely Wrong. 1942, p. 161). The floods came, the disobedient were drowned. We want our homes to be blessed with sister scriptorianswhether you are single or married, young or old, widowed or living in a family. . Various excuses have been used over the centuries to dismiss these divine messengers. How special it is for Latter-day Saint women to be given the lofty assignments they have been given by our Father in Heaven, especially those of you who have been privileged to be born in this part of this last dispensation. Has the rot of age and flabbiness set in? 1:26.). When we know these truths, my sisters and associates in this divine cause, it should help us greatly as we all experience much less than perfect love and perfect justice in the world. I recall my first trip to Hawaii. The writer of Hebrews warns: Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. And your people will be scattered among the nations as slaves and bondsmen. It cannot remember its previous illnesses nor the cure which was applied. The trouble with rejection because of personal familiarity with the prophets is that the prophets are always somebodys son or somebodys neighbor. He could not do the one last thing that Jesus asked: Sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor. (Luke 18:22.) When he was eight years old, his sister Mary died shortly after her birth. The time of the reapers is near at hand. nor ever shall be. I am so grateful that prophets do not crave popularity. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. I have listened to over 4500 general conference talks. All of the virgins, wise and foolish, had accepted the invitation to the wedding supper; they had knowledge of the program and had been warned of the important day to come. It is the parable of the Ten Virgins, a powerful warning to all men. President Kimball was an instrument in the Lords hands to bring about these and other progresses, and through his devoted and loving leadership the lives of countless Saints, then and now, have been blessed. Let us assume the counsel given applies to us, to me. He has a prophet on the earth today who receives his revelations. Its symptoms are carelessness, casualness, covetousness, slothfulness, selfishness, dishonesty, disobedience, immorality, uncleanness, unfaithfulness, ungodliness. Spencer W. Kimball began work as a bank clerk, then moved on to the life insurance and real estate industries. Would he ever come? Let us begin with a few examples. Your heaven shall be as iron and your earth as brass. (See Moses 6.) I know he is Gods recognized prophet. He also toured the Middle East and dedicated the Orson Hyde Memorial Garden on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. Spencer Woolley Kimball (March 28, 1895 - November 5, 1985) was an American business, civic, and religious leader who was the twelfth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). (1 Thessalonians 5:2, 6-7.) In an ancient situation somewhat comparable to our own, there was a great destruction, and when the quiet came, those who were spared were wailing: . I believe that the Ten Virgins represent the people of the Church of Jesus Christ and not the rank and file of the world. Bear in mind, dear sisters, that the eternal blessings which are yours through membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are far, far greater than any other blessings you could possibly receive. This I know, for the Lord has so declared it through the ages, and I know he lives and is all powerful. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.8. The law of the harvest has not been repealed. Too often the holy prophets are wrongly perceived as harsh and as anxious to make a record in order to say, I told you so. Those prophets I have known are the most loving of men. Decadence which grew in the soil of tolerance and permissiveness soon seeks to drive out all of these. They were sealed the following year in the Salt Lake Temple. Why should there be spiritual blindness in the day of brightest material vision? We read the headlines. For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceivedverily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day. not have been buried 3 Ne. The spring of the year reminds us, too, of the need to garden so that we can produce some of our own food as well as flowers to beautify our yards and our neighborhoods. 26:14-43. We can daily drive by a museum or an art gallery but know nothing of what is inside. 9:13. When God speaks and we obey, we will always be right." Yet today we worship the gods of wood and stone and metal. His eldest brother was peeved at the presumptuousness of David for even being at the front where Goliath taunted the armies of Israel. . "There will be no general warning to the membership that things will be shortly falling apart. This release was followed up in 1981 by a new edition of the triple combination (Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price). . I do not remember ever feeling that these men pulled any punches or that their counsel went unheeded. This past month I have received hundreds and hundreds of birthday cards. Absolute Truth Spencer W. Kimball President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints September 6, 1977 Audio 0:00/40:53 Speed 41:49 Full Video God's existence is a reality. War clouds gather, fear heightens; tenseness increases, yet there need be no fear and worry and sleepless nights. We understand that. been destroyed from generation to generation according to their iniquities; and never hath any of them been destroyed save it were foretold them by the prophets of the Lord 2 Ne. Much of the major growth that is coming to the Church in the last days will come because many of the good women of the world (in whom there is often such an inner sense of spirituality) will be drawn to the Church in large numbers. What can I do? asks the fearful one. They suffered the fulfillment of every dire prophecy. Spencer W. Kimball > Quotes > Quotable Quote (?) Journals are a way of counting our blessings and of leaving an inventory of these blessings for our posterity. Many of the Lord's parables and sayings urged men to be prepared for his Second Coming and for the end of this period of the world's existence. These are eternal differenceswith women being given many tremendous responsibilities of motherhood and sisterhood and men being given the tremendous responsibilities of fatherhood and the priesthoodbut the man is not without the woman nor the woman without the man in the Lord (see 1Cor. The grandson of early Latter-day Saint apostle Heber C. Kimball, Kimball was born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory.He spent most of his early life in Thatcher, Arizona, where his . But we cannot allow ourselves to slumber. Precisely at the darkest hour, when least expected, the bridegroom came. Provo, Utah 84602, The Second Century of Brigham Young University. One cannot read about the prophet Ether, warning the city by day and hiding by night in a cave, without marveling at his capacity to go each day once again into that hostile city. . We wonder why those of coarse and profane conversation, even if they refuse obedience to Gods will, are so stunted mentally that they let their capacity to communicate grow more and more narrow. He is undeviating in his purposes and is clever and relentless in his pursuit of them. But time ran out. In our lives the oil of preparedness is accumulated drop by drop in righteous living. We read of Enoch who was called when but a lad. While we do not now remember the particulars, this does not alter the glorious reality of what we once agreed to. Too late, too late, ye cannot enter now. It is not only worth waiting for; it is worth living for! It was never baptized by fire, for that is still to come. Christianity did not go from Rome to Galilee; it was the other way around. Because of World War I, he served in the Central States Mission instead. Now as we conclude this general conference, let us all give heed to what was said to us. For as the . (Published as Spencer W. Kimball, "'When the World Will Be Converted,'" Ensign, October 1974, 3-14.) And at that day, when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins. Hundreds of thousands of us today are in this position. This ugly deviation is found among youth and married people. Because Kimball was the older of the two, he was given seniority over Benson in the Quorum. Can they change? The radios whine. Yet ever-increasing hours of leisure provide ever increasing opportunities for Sabbath breaking and commandment ignoring, and strikes and lobbying go on to increase damaging leisure and decrease work hours further. We have been commanded to follow the signs of the times and that is all the warning we need or will be given, but the membership is asleep. No greater recognition can come to you in this world than to be known as a woman of God. BYU Speeches No wonder the response to the prophets has not always been one of indifference. The foolish asked the others to share their oil, but spiritual preparedness cannot be shared in an instant. Experience is a dear teacher but fools will learn by no other. But we continue on in our godlessness. The edible ones were saved and the catch was brought to the fire for the feast. if they will but serve the God of this land who is Jesus Christ Ether 2:12 There is only one way. . We can transform, but will we? Seek excellence in all your righteous endeavors, and in all aspects of your lives.

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