Jennifer Griffith

“While serving as a General Authority Seventy, I had one of those unexpected teaching moments that life presents to us. This was when the financial crash was in full swing and our country was experiencing the most drastic drop in the economy since the Great Depression. Every day there were new announcements. The stock market crash. The collapse of the housing market. Major banks, mortgage companies, retirement funds, and investment houses were failing. There was talk of massive government bailouts. Unemployment was skyrocketing. A dark cloud had settled over the country and was spreading to other nations. In the fall of 2007, my assignment as a General Authority Seventy was in Salt Lake City, working in the Church Office Building. One day I went down to a small cafeteria in the basement of the Church Administration Building that is reserved for General Authorities. After getting my food, I saw that four of my colleagues in the Seventy were seated at a table for six, just starting to eat. They invited me to join them. We spoke briefly about our various assignments, but soon the talk turned to the current financial crisis. It didn’t take long for our conversation to become quite bleak in tone. One of the brethren had a grandchild who had recently graduated with an MBA but was having no luck in finding employment. Another reported that a grandchild was unsure about wanting to get married and bring children into the world. About that time, as this cloud of gloom settled over our lunch table, Russell M. Nelson, then Elder Nelson of the Twelve, came into the lunchroom with a tray of food. Seeing that we had a vacant spot at our table, he joined us. He ate quietly for a time as our conversation went right on in that same sense of discouragement. Finally, one of the brethren said, “They’re talking about the possibility of the whole government of the United States failing. Then what shall we do?” Elder Nelson, who hadn’t said much since sitting down, laid down his fork and looked at us directly. His expression was very sober as he spoke quietly, saying something like this: “Brethren, the Lord chose the United States of America as the place for the Restoration of the gospel in our dispensation. He did that so we would have a base of religious freedom that would sustain the work of the Restoration. Also, the financial affluence and the political stability of the United States makes it possible for our Church to take the gospel to the world. That is a task that is not yet finished. Brethren, the Lord is at the helm! He will not let this work fail.” That was more than ten years ago, but I still vividly remember two things. First, how sheepish we felt for letting ourselves become so NEGATIVE. And the second was the lesson taught: GOD IS IN CONTROL. Why then do we fear? It was a profound teaching moment, and I have reminded myself of that day often when I have found myself growing discouraged and pessimistic. GOD IS AT THE HELM! (The Second Coming of the Lord by Gerald N. Lund; Chapter 2) Babylon is in the process of falling. Zion is in the process of being built. Stay with the Brethren. Our path has not changed. Our work continues. The BEST is yet to come!

I invite young adults everywhere to join us for the Worldwide Devotional this Sunday, November 1, as we focus on Jesus Christ and the divine role of His light in our lives.

You're reading scriptures for too long (and not pondering long enough) I'm setting a goal for my scripture study, and I invite you to join me: Stop trying to read the chapter. Stop trying to make it through a certain number of verses. Don't even try to read for a certain length of time. Instead, schedule some time-- at least 30 minutes is ideal and spend half the time studying (not reading) and the other half pondering. At least that's what Apostles and Prophets recommend. Here are just a few quotes that I keep reflecting on as I plan out how to make my scripture study more effective: "In our worship there are two elements: One is spiritual communion arising from our own meditation; the other, instruction from others, particularly from those who have authority to guide and instruct us. "Of the two, the more profitable introspectively is the meditation. "We pay too little attention to the value of meditation... Meditation is the language of the soul... Meditation is a form of prayer… Meditation is one of the most secret, most sacred doors through which we pass into the presence of the Lord." -- Pres. David O. McKay "We should not be haphazard in our reading but rather develop a systematic plan for study. "There are some who read to a schedule of a number of pages or a set number of chapters each day or week. This may be perfectly justifiable and may be enjoyable if one is reading for pleasure, but it does not constitute meaningful study. "It is better to have a set amount of time to give scriptural study each day than to have a set amount of chapters to read. Sometimes we find that the study of a single verse will occupy the whole time" -- Pres. Howard W. Hunter "When I say 'study,' I mean something more than reading. You should care more about the amount of time you spend in the scriptures than about the amount you read in that time. "I [prefer to see you] reading a few verses, stopping to ponder them, carefully reading the verses again, and praying for understanding, asking questions in your mind, waiting for spiritual impressions, and writing down the impressions and insights that come so you can remember and learn more. "Studying in this way, you may not read a lot of chapters or verses in a half hour, but you will be giving place in your heart for the word of God, and He will be speaking to you." -- Pres. @ChristoffDTodd "Reading, studying, and pondering are not the same. We read words and we may get ideas. We study and we may discover patterns and connections in scripture. But when we ponder, we invite revelation by the Spirit. Pondering, to me, is the thinking and the praying I do after reading and studying in the scriptures carefully... "We treasure the word of God not only by reading the words of the scriptures but by studying them. We may be nourished more by pondering a few words, allowing the Holy Ghost to make them treasures to us, than by passing quickly and superficially over whole chapters of scripture." -- Pres. @EyringHB

Why in the world did it take over 50 years for cereal companies to do this???

The Book of Mormon is a great witness that the Lord loves all people and reaches out to all, everywhere. The Book of Mormon adds to our knowledge of how our Savior’s earthly ministry reached out to all of His scattered flock. Book of Mormon teachings contradict the erroneous assertion that the grace of God saves only a chosen few. The Book of Mormon teaches that our Savior "inviteth ... all to come unto him" (2 Nephi 26:33). His grace is for all. Similarly, the Book of Mormon tells us that the children of God in “every nation” have His promise that He “manifesteth himself unto all those who believe in him, by the power of the Holy Ghost” (2 Nephi 26:13). These promises from the Book of Mormon are true. I call upon all to act on these truths and to share them with others, that we may all draw closer to Jesus Christ, our Savior.

"Nothing is going to startle us more when we pass through the veil to the other side than to realize how well we know our Father and how familiar His face is to us." President Ezra Taft Benson We often approach God as a stranger we must introduce ourselves to through constant effort, flawless performance, and exhaustive explaining. But discipleship is not the frantic attempt to earn the attention of a distant monarch; it is the process of stripping away the amnesia of mortality. When you finally sit in the absolute quiet, the peace you feel isn't the discovery of something alien and new, it is the profound, settling recognition of home. You are simply remembering who you already are.

WOW! That is absolutely amazing. Happy Columbus Day, everyone!

The covenants you make in the temple are sacred. How you honor them is how you honor God. That includes how you wear the temple garment.