Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh;” declared the Lord in 1831. Recorded in Section 1 of the Doctrine and Covenants, this directive was to the saints, who were just a small group of people in an obscure part of Ohio. The eighteen decades which have come and gone since then have been marked by tremendous growth in the Church. Our scriptures are in the majority of languages on the planet, and temples dot every continent. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints worship the True and Living God across the earth. We serve full-time missions and member missions. But we cannot rest. Our work is not done.

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I just read a book called Leadership and Self-Deception, written by the Arbinger Institute. (One of the authors is James Ferrell, author of the Peacegiver, The Holy Secret, and The Hidden Christ, some of the most insightful books I have ever read. “Life-changing” is a fair statement.) One of the basic truths taught is that we must see the people around us as people, rather than objects. At first blush that may sound silly, but we do it more often than we think. For example, is someone looking for a seat on a crowded airplane a potential invasion of your personal space, or just a person who needs a seat? Is the child clamoring for your attention an opportunity to bless Heavenly Father’s child or an interruption to your reading or t.v. show?

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When most people think of “pioneers,” the images that come to mind include covered wagons, dusty trails, women in long skirts and bonnets and men in wide-brimmed hats. While this may be what Mormon pioneer ancestors wore and how they travelled, there is much more to their story. The essence of their story is not the external trappings; it is in their hearts.

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One of my favorite memories of my dad was when I was eight years old. My parents had just bought me a pony, and that day we were putting on his new saddle. My dad, feeling a moment of pride in his Iowa farm-boy roots, saddled the pony, hopped on and began to gallop across the field. He had only forgotten one thing: ponies like to suck in air when you put on the saddle. When they walk around, they exhale, and you tighten the girth, which keeps the saddle in place during your ride.

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My three-year-old daughter recently took it upon herself to help me by doing dishes. She pushed the step stool up to the sink, turned on the water, grabbed the soap, scrubber and plates, and started washing. Her pile of clean plates and bowls grew steadily. Finally, she felt she had done enough.

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While the Children of Israel were in bondage in Egypt, the Lord instituted the Passover. It was to be an ongoing remembrance among God’s people: “a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever” (Exodus 12:14). It was on the night of the Passover that the Children of Israel were delivered from Egypt. A week later they were delivered again at the Red Sea. They were taught by Moses to always remember their deliverance.

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Every March, the women of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints remember and celebrate the founding of the Relief Society, which the Prophet Joseph Smith declared to be “the Lord’s organization for women.” President Spencer W. Kimball reminded sisters of the blessings of this organization, pronounced upon the Society by Joseph:

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Joseph Fielding Smith, speaking of marriage, explained the beauty and importance of the covenant. “Marriage is a principle that, when entered into, presents more challenges and blessings than any other.… Nothing will prepare mankind for exaltation in the kingdom of God as readily as faithfulness to the marriage covenant. Through this covenant, perhaps more than any other, we accomplish the perfect degree of the divine will. If properly received, this covenant can be the means by which man gains his greatest happiness. The greatest honors in this life and in the life to come—honor, dominion, and power in perfect love—are blessings that flow from it. These blessings of eternal glory are held in reserve for those who are willing to abide in this and all other covenants of the gospel.”

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President Hinckley once gave a great allegory of life. Quoting an old newspaper article, he said: “Life is like an old-time rail journey—delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride” (“A Conversation with Single Adults,” Ensign, March 1997, 58).

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It seems that everyone who watched this October’s General Conference was deeply moved by Elder Jeffrey Holland’s testimony of the Book of Mormon. The Holy Ghost testified of its truth. His testimony strengthened my resolve yet again to continually learn from the pages of that book, and through it to come ever closer to the Lord Jesus Christ. This process of feasting on the words of the Book of Mormon also helps one to live by continual personal revelation, the only true safety in these last days.

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This month our thoughts turn to gratitude. I was pleasantly surprised to receive so many articles on gratitude; in fact, many more than I had space to print. The topics ranged from gratitude for strength in trials; to gratitude for a house full of messy children with their attendant dishes and laundry and toys; to gratitude for the journey of learning through infertility, health trials and personal hurdles. They covered simple “thank you’s” to gratitude for fasting.

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As a child in Northern Virginia, the Washington D.C. Temple was “my” temple. My parents were baptized in 1974, the summer the temple opened for public tours before its dedication. My parents volunteered as tour guides. I still have the tickets from the tours. I always loved to drive the beltway and see the temple appear magically on the horizon over the crest of a hill.

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There are two types of counsel to have: the kind we obey quietly and the kind for which we stand up and be counted. The former would be counsel like having more fervent prayers, more faith, or to repent. The latter would be calls for temple service, missionary service, service projects, or even bigger calls.

Those who seek to follow inspired priesthood counsel understand that no matter the challenges inherent in the call, the blessings of God will ultimately attend their righteous efforts. For example, the Lord asked for 500 men to join the Zion’s Camp march. The call was answered by just over 200 men. Those men, along with some women and children, walked 1,000 miles, endured harsh conditions, difficult weather, mobs and plagues of disease.

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The Lord loves a good agricultural image. During His earthly ministry, he used them often in teaching opportunities. He especially loves teaching about missionary work in this way. “For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul” (D&C 4: 4).
But one thing often overlooked in these images is the amount of time it takes to bring forth the work. Think of the mustard seed, which needs many years to grow before birds can nest in mature branches (see Luke 13). The process is slow.

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This issue of Desert Saints Magazine focuses on counsel from President Monson, given in the October 2008 General Conference. He spoke of the changes that inevitably happen in our lives. Some are slow and imperceptible, some come suddenly. Some are expected, while others turn our lives upside down.

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