It was baptized by water, and its sins were washed away. You need, more and more, to feel the perfect love which our Father in Heaven has for you and to sense the value he places upon you as an individual. This ugly deviation is found among youth and married people. He has on numerous occasions outlined the cure for all international as well as local ills. Even if the tomato you eat is a $2.00 tomato, it will bring satisfaction anyway and remind us all of the law of the harvest, which is relentless in life. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. I believe that the Ten Virgins represent the people of the Church of Jesus Christ and not the rank and file of the world. 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. And learning this the bridegroom will relent. The Lord and David slew Goliath 1 Sam. It was the most monumental and celebrated revelation in the Church in its time. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 26:14-43. But a controlling majority of the people of this world have relegated them to the past. 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. That night the Lord saved Jerusalem from Sennacherib and his 185,000 troops who did not live the night through to attack 2 Kgs. 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. It is aging toward senility. The radios whine. The physicians have had summit consultations, and temporary salve has been rubbed on afflicted parts, but it has only postponed the fatal day and never cured it. Six days shalt thou labour Ex. By President Spencer W. Kimball From an address delivered to the Young Presidents organization, Sun Valley, Idaho, 15 January 1977 Spencer W. Kimball, "Jesus: The Perfect Leader," Ensign, Aug. 1979, 5 There are far more things to be said about the Lord Jesus Christ's remarkable leadership than You will be better mothers and wives, both in this life and in eternity, if you sharpen the skills you have been given and use the talents with which God has blessed you. When he was eight years old, his sister Mary died shortly after her birth. 5:1-31 When the protectors sleep and the leaders are incapacitated with banqueting and drunkenness and immorality, an invading enemy can turn a river from its course and enter through a river bed Isa. Beloved brothers and sisters, wasnt it a happy moment when we were permitted to be here today to hear that beautiful testimony of Brother LeGrand Richards? 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. Even so, why else is the record of rejection so complete? From what other source can you learn about your own uniqueness and identity? Quote by Spencer W. Kimball: "It's not possible that the problems of How can one share temple privileges? He also toured the Middle East and dedicated the Orson Hyde Memorial Garden on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. David was the youngest son of eight. In the daytime, wise and unwise seemed alike; midnight is the time of test and judgmentand of offered gladness. When he was three years old, his father accepted a call to preside over a stake in Thatcher, Arizona. From that humble beginning has grown a worldwide organization that has touched the lives of millions of people. In Tennyson's poem "Guinevere," the queen, repenting her infidelity, recognizes that the harm she has caused cannot be undone: Yet in high places and in low, in government office and in business, in everyday life, men have rationalized until consciences seem to have been seared in the matter of honesty. I ask you: What value is a car without an engine, a cup without water, a table without food, a lamp without oil? Of course, a one-sided disarmament could be madness if worldliness and materialism continued, but a serious turn of the masses could forestall all military conquests, all tragedies of conflict. And the fulness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity Ether 2:9. Can they not see that their kind of fulfillment will produce a hollowness and an emptiness from which no fleeting pleasure can finally rescue them? What Prophets Have Said About Extraterrestrial Beings The Redeemer stated further: Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. .He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. Education for Eternity It must not be passed over. But when the cry sounds, there is no time for preparation. When President Snow called a girl back from the dead: An incredible account of the spirit world, The Pillar of Light That Saved Joseph Smiths Body After He Fell From Carthage Jail, The Strange, Strange Power of A Three-Day Fast, The Great Calling of the Priesthood: Coming Clean From the Blood and Sins of this Generation. But this talk, by Spencer W. Kimball, was different. Experience is a dear teacher but fools will learn by no other. But we continue on in our godlessness. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. The coming of the Lord is nigh. As we follow the teachings of Christ, we will feel the Spirit testify the truth of the things we do. 7:1-25 The thirteen colonies gained a permanent victory over superior forces, and America was born. 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. Paul wrote: For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. Decadence is very demanding and dogmatic, and it is no friend of liberty. 8:24-25. Perhaps they judged Paul by the timbre of his voice or by his style of speech, not the truths uttered by him. In multiple scriptures the Lord has indicated that he will perform his work through those whom the world regards as weak and despised. Do we twentieth century people have reason to think that we can be immune from the same tragic consequences when we ignore the same divine laws? Whenever I reflect and ponder upon the glorious truths of the gospel, and that is often, I wonder if we even begin to appreciate the implications of these glorious truths. The writer of Hebrews warns: Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 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. I was invited to participate. 2:18). 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. Within those great assurances, however, our roles and assignments differ. ROGER K YOUNG EVENTS FOR THE COMING YEAR? But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be. They suffered the fulfillment of every dire prophecy. 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? And your people will be scattered among the nations as slaves and bondsmen. Trusting in the Lord: My Greatest Education His young faith and dedicated family were great sources of strength when Spencers mother, Olive, passed away, Spencer being only eleven years old. I am prepared to live or die and need not fear. Chapter 2: Tragedy or Destiny? - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter If persistently resisted it will "get the message" and stay away." Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness 1 likes Like "What message may I take from you to the young people in Zion?" I will fight your battles, says the Lord God Omnipotent D&C 105:14 He never fails his promises. I do not remember ever feeling that these men pulled any punches or that their counsel went unheeded. No wonder the response to the prophets has not always been one of indifference. . We need men and women who think of things that have never been thought of and who dream of things that have never been dreamed of, and who ask, "Why not?" Thus it will be that female exemplars of the Church will be a significant force in both the numerical and the spiritual growth of the Church in the last days. Because we are not vicious enough to be confined in penitentiaries, we rationalize that we are pretty good people; that we are not doing so badly. Spencer W. Kimball - "Preparedness - the Ten Virgins" . On October 7, 1943, both Benson and Spencer W. Kimball (1895-1985) became members of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, filling two vacancies created by the deaths of apostles that summer. Paul had difficulty because there were no leaders of thought among the Jews: Jesus was seen as a stumbling block, and among the Greeks, Christianity was seen as foolishness. . Certainly, there are today false Christs and deceivers in the land such as were spoken of by the Lord from the heights of the Mount of Olives. Let others selfishly pursue false values, but God has given to you the tremendous tasks of nurturing families, friends, and neighbors, just as men are to provide. With no warning, no last-minute preparation is possible. Your enemies will be astonished at the barrenness, sterility, desolation of the land they had been told was so choice, so beautiful, so fruitful. Finally, in 1978 he announced that he had received a revelation which extended the holding of the priesthood to all worthy male members of the Church, also extending temple blessings regardless of race. Sometimes to be tested and proved requires that we be temporarily deprivedbut righteous women and men will one day receive allthink of it, sistersall that our Father has! Now, too late, they were becoming conscious of the tragedy of unpreparedness. 25:9 And modern prophets are warning frequently, constantly. 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. 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. Can they change? So long had it been since they began expecting him that they were rationalizing that he would never appear. Remember, in the world before we came here, faithful women were given certain assignments while faithful men were foreordained to certain priesthood tasks. 5 likes. Interesting Quotes on Temporal Preparedness & Food Storage! How can one share faith or testimony? 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 marvel at the empathy of these men in all ages, because even prophets have no immunity from thorns in the flesh. Spencer W. Kimball reports that David O. McKay had said "that in his view homosexuality was worse than heterosexual immorality; that it is a filthy and unnatural habit." (20) 1959- Advise and Consent published. As a boy I saw how all, young and old, worked and worked hard. The testimonies of the holy prophets of God have been written in the scriptures but also have often been written in red because these individuals are the Lords prophets. The trouble with rejecting the prophets because they lack prestige is that Paul, who knew something of rejection, forewarned us when he said, speaking of the work of God, For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. (1Cor. 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. They had been warned all their lives. So often the prophets have been rejected because they first rejected the wrong ways of their own society. When they have belatedly sought to fulfill the requirements and finally reach the hall, the door is shut. . Perhaps it was a myth. There were 832 marriages in a single month, and there were 414 divorces. That is half as many divorces as marriages. . For as the . From whom else could you learn of our Father in Heavens glorious plan of happiness? But real as these challenges are, all of you need to drink in deeply the gospel truths about the eternal nature of your individual identity and the uniqueness of your personality. The ways of the world will not prevail, for the ways of God will triumph. The Kimball family moved and Spencer grew up there. Midnight is so late for those who have procrastinated. When God speaks and we obey, we will always be right." PDF Jesus The Perfect Leader - Brigham Young University-Idaho The counsel given at our meeting last year is still appropriate. Your poweryour supremacyyour pride in superioritywill be broken. I can transform my own life till it is perfected and then influence others when thus transformed. Among the real heroines in the world who will come into the Church are women who are more concerned with being righteous than with being selfish. 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.. Even the foolish ones trimmed their lamps, but their oil was used up and they had none to refill the lamps. 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. They had been taught. The brethren are not out of touch nor asleep. 17:2832. Old man rationalization is with us. The sun was shining and life moved forward as usual. Spencer W. Kimball began work as a bank clerk, then moved on to the life insurance and real estate industries. At his first address as prophet of the Church, in April Conference of 1974, President Kimball's talk became the watch cry of his presidency". Before closing I should like to just addthe four testimonies of these young, new leaders of the Church were very, very inspiring. 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. God is all powerful. Scriptures are read little, and the holy day becomes a holiday. 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. In fact, I will be watching and listening here in my room at the LDS Hospital. 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. Rushing for their lamps to light their way through the blackness, half of them found them empty. How can one witness so many of those who ought to be good examples becoming bad examples and not cry out? This talk is AMAZING. Let other women pursue heedlessly what they perceive as their selfish interests. President Spencer W. Kimball spoke frequently at Brigham Young University, encouraging students and faculty to strengthen their testimonies, increase their moral fiber, and rededicate themselves to the principles of education and service. Where else can you be given the necessary explanations and assurances about the nature of life? (See Jonah 3:3.) Spencer W. Kimball As the grandson of Heber C. Kimball and the son of a mission and stake president, Spencer W. Kimball grew up learning of and meeting prophets and apostles. (Revelation 21:3-5, 7. If race tracks were closed on the Sabbath, if gambling ceased, drinking eliminated, work and play confined to week days; if stores were closed and all people went to their sanctuaries truly to worship even as best they know; if taverns never opened, and transgressors all repented, and broken homes were mended, and children were trained in uprightness; if families all knelt in prayer night and morning, if tithes were paid and integrity and worship reigned in the lives of men, the era of total peace would be ushered in. He is a prophet to all the world. As the net load came closer to the shore, it was fuller and heavier and the unruly waves covered us many times. Noah warned people that they must repent - Church News This I know, for the Lord has so declared it through the ages, and I know he lives and is all powerful. 20:8 italics added). There has been denial because the prophet came from an obscure place. 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. 44:27-28 Isa. People are destroyed by their own acts. I'm grateful He let me choose Him. President Kimball commissioned extensive study of the scriptures in regard to the matter, and after hearing from Elder Bruce R. McConkie that there was nothing in the scriptures to necessitate the restriction, he made it a matter of fervent and exhaustive prayer in the temple. Spencer W. Kimball - "Preparedness - the Ten Virgins" We think of Russia and China, of Africa and VietNam, of the Near East and Ireland. Copyright 2023 My Life By Gogo Goff | Trellis Framework by Mediavine, Doctrine of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, Ezra Taft Benson: A Time of Crisis in America April 1968 General Conference, Eldred G. Smith: Can you endure to the end for two hours? and dark the night and chill! Jesus was also met with the question, Is not this the carpenters son? (Matt. The cause is not lost. We note the increasing coarseness of language and understand how Lot must have felt when he was, according to Peter, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked. (2Pet. Of course, rejection of the holy prophets comes because the hearts of people are hardened, as people are shaped by their society. 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. . What is wrong is wrong, and trends do not make something right which is at variance with the laws of God. Everybody expresses opinions, but few approach the real cause or the real cure. We understand that. 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). 10:11, I will fortify this land against all other nations 2 Ne. This is not true, for the decision is ourswe may accept or reject, comply or ignore[However,] we cannot avoid the penalties of disobedience to law (Spencer W. Kimball, The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, pp. . Spencer W. Kimball was President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints when this devotional address was given at Brigham Young University on 10 October 1975. They help us to see the end from the beginning. The edible ones were saved and the catch was brought to the fire for the feast. and the four new members of the First Quorum of the Seventy who poured out their hearts in those moments they had? Today is another day, but history repeats itself. 9:13. He gave us the parable of the farmer who sowed good seed in his ground but whose enemy planted tares in the field. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. These realities will not go away simply because we have different opinions about them. We read of those who have yielded to the fashion of the time and lived together without being legally married and wonder why such people do not realize that there can be no finding of their identity nor any real sense of belonging while they trample underfoot the commandments of God. It has had shorter periods of good health, but longer ones of ailing. It is a capitulation to the carnal in man and a rejection of joy and beauty in this life and in the world to come. 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. His actions were considered irrational. To them Jesus said, before he ascended, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. You are accountable for those things which long ago were expected of you just as are those we sustain as prophets and apostles! We wish you to pursue and to achieve that education, therefore, which will fit you for eternity as well as for full service in mortality. 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? Amen.Spencer W. Kimball,Conference Report, October 1961, pp. They were fools, these five unprepared virgins. The political physicians through the ages have rejected suggested remedies as unprofessional since they came from lowly prophets. They are boats, cars, and luxuries. "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. Spencer W. Kimball warnings | LDS Intelligent Living The Great Wall of China with its 1,500 miles of unbreakable walls, with its twenty-five feet high impregnableness, with its innumerable watchman towers, was breached by the treachery of men. That book, which went up through President Kimball's first year as president, set the standard at the time for Latter-day Saint biography. Prophets who were not glib, but slow of speech, were esteemed as naught. 1942, p. 161). But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 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. (See Moses 6.) The Maginot Line in France, these forts thought to be so strong and impassable, were violated as though they were not there. In the Church there is full equality between man and woman. The following year also brought an important development: the King James Version of the Bible was released with an inclusion of LDS study aids. The leaven of true leadership cannot lift others unless we are with and serve those to be led." Spencer W. Kimball tags: inspirational , lds , leadership 180 likes Like Confidence has been dulled and patience worn thin. For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 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. The Miracle of Forgiveness. Decadence which grew in the soil of tolerance and permissiveness soon seeks to drive out all of these. not have been buried 3 Ne. Spencer Woolley Kimball was born March 28, 1895, in Salt Lake City. Some of you have lost your husbands through death, others through divorce. (Matthew 24:27.) Heaven will not hear your pleadings nor earth bring forth her harvest. The masses of the people are much like those who escaped destruction in the ancient days of this continent. A month later, Spencer's parents sensed that five-year-old Fannie, who had been suffering for several weeks, would soon pass away. He oversaw reorganization of the structure of the Church to accommodate extensive growth and globalization. 20:3 italics added). For instance, we read that war, pestilence, plagues, famine, etc., will be visited upon the inhabitants of the earth, but if distress through the judgments of God comes upon this people, it will be because the majority have turned away from the Lord., The worlds living prophet has warned and pleaded that the people return to God, who has said again: I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise D&C 82:10. Eventually, sweating and straining and puffing, we pulled the catch up on the sand. This saintly soul realizes there is one thing left undone to make him a totally honest man. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. The Role of Righteous Women - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Divorce, ever on the increase, jumping from one divorce for thirty-six weddings in Civil War days now has reached somewhere near one to four. Some women, because of circumstances beyond their control, must work. Can they not see that, pushed by pleasure, they will become more and more distant from joy? . Throughout my experience in leaving Disney, I pondered and searched this quote from President Spencer W. Kimball: "Security is not born of inexhaustible wealth but of unquenchable faith."1Our true security and peace is born of faith in Jesus Christ. 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. The precipitous walls on the high hills of Jerusalem deflected for a time the arrows and spears of enemies, the catapults and firebrands. 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.