It is an honor to speak with you students, faculty, and missionaries at your BYU–Hawaii Devotional. I pray that what I say today may resonate with some of you as I strive to speak as directed by the Holy Spirit, even the Holy Ghost.
The other evening, Sister Warner and I were walking in our neighborhood and heard drums sounding in the distance. We were curious as to what was going on. We think it was probably a Polynesian show at a nearby hotel in which the men were performing. The drums sounded warlike. Having grown up in the Wild West, I was often drawn to movies or live presentations where we saw Native Americans doing war dances with the pounding of war drums.
Historically, drums have been used to muster troops and energize them for war and provide a cadence for marching and charging.
We figuratively hear war drums around the world. The beat seems to be increasing in volume. We hear them in Russia and Ukraine; we hear them in Israel and the Middle East; we hear them in Libya and Syria; we hear them in North Korea and in Africa; and we even hear them in Ferguson, Missouri. War drums have been sounding somewhere in the world since 1832 when Joseph Smith received the revelation on the impending Civil War in Section 87 of the Doctrine and Covenants:
“Verily, thus saith the Lord concerning the wars that will shortly come to pass, beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina, which will eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls; ... [A] time will come that war will be poured out upon all nations, beginning at this place. For behold, the Southern States shall be divided against the Northern States, and the Southern States will call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain, as it is called, and they shall also call upon other nations, in order to defend themselves against other nations; and then war shall be poured out upon all nations” (v. 1-3).
Since the Civil War, there have been wars raging continuously somewhere on earth. Hundreds of wars have been fought, and more will be fought before the Savior comes again.
Section 87 of the Doctrine & Covenants continues with the Lord forewarning:
“And thus, with the sword and by bloodshed the inhabitants of the earth shall mourn; and with famine, and plague, and earthquake, and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce and vivid lightening also, shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel the wrath, and indignation, and chastening hand of an Almighty God, until the consumption decreed hath made a full end of all nations; that the cry of the saints, and of the blood of the saints, shall cease to come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, from the earth, to be avenged of their enemies.” (v. 6-7).
Should we fear what is coming as we hear the drums of war? Where can we turn for peace in these times? The Lord gives us hope and specific instruction for finding peace in time of war when he states in verse 8,
“Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly, saith the Lord.”
Brothers and sisters, where are the holy places?
I believe there are three holy places where we can stand and be protected:
- The House of the Lord
- Our sacred homes
- Our individual hearts
The House of the Lord
On the outside of every temple in the world are the words “The House of the Lord, Holiness to the Lord.” The temple is the first holy place I would like to discuss.
I recall the first time I went to the temple as a twelve-year old with my mutual group in 1961 to do baptisms for the dead. I had just been made a deacon. I knew little about the temple prior to this experience and was apprehensive. However, I knew my father and mother had been married there as had both sets of my grandparents. I loved them and knew that they would not want me to go if it was not in keeping with God’s wishes. As I entered the temple that winter day, I recall the feeling that came over me. It was like a warm blanket wrapping around me. I immediately felt at home in the House of the Lord.
It was with eager anticipation that I went to the temple in October of 1968 to receive my next ordinance: the endowment. I went with my parents. I had been taught nothing about the endowment prior to my going. There was no temple preparation class. My bishop and stake president had said very little to me as I interviewed for my temple recommend, explaining that we don’t talk about the temple experience outside of the temple. As I entered the temple, I recall feeling the warm blanket come over me once again—a feeling of being home and safe inside God’s Holy House. Although I didn’t remember much about that first temple endowment session and the covenants I made that day, I remember feeling acceptable to the Lord and being at peace in His temple.
One of the great joys of serving as mission president is reading letters from our recent converts recounting their conversion stories. They occasionally share their feelings about going to the temple for the first time to do baptisms for the dead and how they are able to feel the Spirit of the Lord so strongly in the temple. Brothers and sisters, we need the spirit of the temple in our lives on a regular basis.
President Hinckley taught, “Inside the temple a further sense of peace is experienced. The world is left behind with its clamor and rush. In the house of the Lord there is tranquility. Those who serve here know that they are dealing with matters of eternity. All are dressed in white. Speech is subdued. Thoughts are elevated.
“This is a sanctuary of service. Most of the work done in this sacred house is performed vicariously in behalf of those who have passed beyond the veil of death. I know of no other work to compare with it. It more nearly approaches the vicarious sacrifice of the Son of God in behalf of all mankind than any other work of which I am aware.” ("The Salt Lake Temple," Ensign, Mar. 1993.)
By keeping ourselves completely compliant with the requirements for entering the holy temples of God, we can be assured that we will be able to enter any of the 143 holy temples around the world. The Lord said, “Be not moved.” I believe the Lord is asking us to be in the temples often—even weekly if we are able. I know my life changed when I started attending the temple weekly. My personal revelation increased. Everything seemed to go better—my work, my family, my Church calling, and my relationships. I testify that yours will change for the better if you can be in the temple weekly, and you will find peace.
Home
The home is the second holy place I would like to discuss.
In the Bible Dictionary under “Temple,” it states, the temple is “a place where the Lord may come, it is the most holy of any place of worship on the earth. Only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness.”
One of our most beloved hymns teaches about the safety and peace we can find at home ("Love at Home," Hymn 294).
1. There is beauty all around when there's love at home;There is joy in ev'ry sound when there's love at home.Peace and plenty here abide, smiling sweet on ev'ry side.Time doth softly, sweetly glide when there's love at home.
Our homes can be sanctuaries from the drums of war if love prevails. I hope all of us have been in homes where there is a feeling of peace and tranquility. If you’ve received a patriarchal blessing, you likely felt peace and tranquility in the home of the patriarch.
One of our neighbors, an older couple who has since passed away, had such a home. As we entered their home, one or both of them greeted us with a cheerful smile. Their living room was simple, clean, and orderly. They always invited us to sit down and never seemed rushed. They had a few meaningful pictures on their walls—a family portrait, a favorite temple, and some lovely landscapes. Their home was full of light, and we could feel the Spirit in abundance. It reminded me of the simple elegance of the temple, and I desired my home to feel the same way.
Parents can teach children about the temple from pictures and talk about why the temple is so lovely. Families can learn the importance of picking up toys, clothing, and clutter, so the rooms in their homes will be clean, orderly, and peaceful just like those in the Lord’s house.
The Internet and television can be tremendous tools for learning, communicating, and enjoyment. However, constant media use can add to the chaos of a home. Peace can be stifled when the television or music is continuously playing in the background. Electronic media can be a hindrance to our feeling the Spirit in our homes if we are not vigilant. It becomes easier to forget the sacredness of our homes if we let the world dictate the spirit. Television should be a guest that is selectively invited into the home.
Elder David A. Bednar warned of these distractions in his CES talk on the BYU– Provo campus in May of 2009:
“I raise an apostolic voice of warning about the potentially stifling, suffocating, suppressing, and constraining impact of some kinds of cyberspace interactions and experiences upon our souls. The concerns I raise are not new; they apply equally to other types of media, such as television, movies, and music. But in a cyber world, these challenges are more pervasive and intense. I plead with you to beware of the sense-dulling and spiritually destructive influence of cyberspace technologies that are used to produce high fidelity and that promote degrading and evil purposes.” ("Things as They Really Are," Ensign, June 2010.)
One gorgeous Sunday morning several years ago, I was driving to my parents’ home to say hello. It was a fall morning, the leaves were changing colors, and the sun was rising over the Wasatch Mountains. The neighborhood through which I was driving was peaceful and serene. No cars or people were on the street. I saw lovely homes with manicured yards that bespoke peace and harmony. They looked secure and safe from evil influences. A thought occurred to me. Satan has found a way to infiltrate these lovely homes in a most subtle way. We can invite him in through the media we select.
I know of a returned missionary who thought he could take a peek at some pornography and not be hurt. One peek led to another and another. Pretty soon he was staying late at work and telling his wife he had a project to finish. His thoughts soon turned into actions. Before long, his life was destroyed. He could find no peace. He lost his job. He nearly lost his wife and children. He lost his temple blessings, his priesthood, and his membership in the Church. After nearly seven years of missed blessings, he was rebaptized and a year later had his priesthood blessings and ordinances restored. It was a rugged eight-year road he had to walk – all for a peek. None of us can afford to peek. As disciples of Christ, we must stand firm for the values and virtues of clean living that the Gospel of Jesus Christ teaches.
We are the guardians of our homes. There is no commercial filter that will screen evil like our personal spiritual filter. May we protect the peace that can be found in a holy, sanctified home and be ever grateful if such a home is yours. If it is not, make changes today to make your homes holy.
Our Hearts
The Lord has taught us that we will be blessed if we are peacemakers. In this world, when the drums of war are pounding, humanity longs for peacemakers—those who can go to the nations of the world carrying peace. In our homes, we need peacemakers. We hear of physical violence perpetrated against spouses, children, and other family members. When we lose our tempers, speak unkindly, or act out physically, love cannot abide in our hearts. A spirit of contention prevails over peace. Un-Christlike actions or words have no place in a sacred LDS home or in our hearts.
In Psalms 51:10, we read, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
Also in Matthew, the Lord teaches us that “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh” (Matthew 12:34).
Several years ago, we had a recent convert from Italy visit us on his way to the MTC. He had been a boxer before joining the Church. This brother told us that as he began taking the missionary discussions, the Spirit of the Lord softened his heart. As he studied, pondered, and prayed, his faith grew. His desire to hit another man diminished. A spirit of love came into his heart that he had never known before, and he lost his desire to fight anyone again. He left boxing after he was baptized a member of the Church so that he could always retain the spirit of Christian love. His heart was prepared to accept a call to serve as a full-time representative of Christ.
Forgiveness can bring peace to a troubled heart. About a decade ago, I recall a remarkable story that appeared in the newspaper. In November of 2004, a 19-year old threw a frozen turkey from a speeding car through the windshield of Victoria Ruvolo’s oncoming car on a New York expressway. Waking after a two-week induced coma, Ruvolo asked where she was and if anyone was hurt, realizing she was in a hospital. When she looked in the mirror, she saw that she was the one hurt, having endured six hours of surgery to reconstruct her face. Weeks later, in court with her assailant, all expected her to request the maximum sentence for her attacker. To everyone’s astonishment, Ruvolo offered a plea deal for the young man. She forgave him for what he had done, allowing him to serve six months rather than 20 years in prison. She went to where he sat weeping, embraced him, and whispered in his ear, “I only want you to have a good life.” There wasn’t a dry eye in the courtroom.
Forgiveness can have a healing effect on our hearts that liberates us from terrible burdens. Vengeance is the Lord’s, not ours. Seeking for vengeance or retribution can spiritually destroy us. Forgiveness is something the Lord taught when he said, “If ye shall come unto me, or shall desire to come unto me, and rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee—Go thy way unto thy brother, and first be reconciled to thy brother and then come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I will receive you” (3 Nephi 12:23, 24).
Forgiveness brings peace to the heart.
The principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ are the solutions to most human ills and will quiet the personal drums of war in our lives and gladden our hearts. If we take time to study with real intent the Book of Mormon each day of our lives, we will receive the personal tutoring on how we can change our lives to become peacemakers rather than war mongers. President Boyd K. Packer stated, “True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior.”
If we are only going through the motions in our study of the Gospel of Christ, we are missing out on one of the greatest blessings we can enjoy as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We are blessed to have truth when so much of the world is living in confusion and darkness. Christ taught us that we must feast upon the scriptures so that we may receive enlightenment and the wealth of knowledge and wisdom in order to know the mysteries of God. Sincere, consistent scripture study can bring us great personal peace in troubled times.
Our prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, stated, “We must be vigilant in a world which has moved so far from that which is spiritual. It is essential that we reject anything that does not conform to our standards, refusing in the process to surrender that which we desire most: eternal life in the kingdom of God. The storms will still beat at our doors from time to time, for they are an inescapable part of our existence in mortality. We, however, will be far better equipped to deal with them, to learn from them, and to overcome them if we have the gospel at our core and the love of the Savior in our hearts. The prophet Isaiah declared, ‘The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever.’” ("Stand in Holy Places," General Conference, Oct. 2011.)
We have been blessed with truth because in 1820, a young boy wanted to know which church he should join. He turned to the Lord in prayer and in response received a vision that changed the world. God and Jesus Christ appeared to the 14-year-old boy, Joseph Smith, and truth was revealed. God is literally our Father in Heaven—the Father of our spirits. Jesus Christ, our older brother and first-born of the Father, atoned for our sins, our pains and sufferings. Through His atoning sacrifice and our personal, sincere repentance, we can be forgiven and qualify to live in the presence of God again. In 2 Nephi 2:6-7, we read, “Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth. Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.”
Also, through Jesus Christ came the resurrection, giving us power to overcome physical death and receive immortal bodies.
I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer, and only through Him can we see God again. Through Joseph Smith was restored the Church of Jesus Christ, as He originally organized it when He was on the earth with apostles, prophets, Seventy, patriarchs, priests, teachers, and deacons. I testify that the priesthood and its attendant keys to perform the saving and exalting ordinances of the gospel were restored again through heavenly, resurrected messengers. We have a chain of continuous revelation that comes through living apostles and prophets through whom God can reveal His holy will. By studying and obeying their teachings, we will remain in the mainstream of the Church and find peace in a warring world.
Brothers and sisters, we have the greatest tools for peace and happiness in life known to man. We have holy temples, we have our holy homes, and we have the gospel of Jesus Christ and its attendant ordinances that qualify us for eternal life—life with God. It speaks peace to our hearts. As members of God’s true church, we need to share this gospel of peace with the world. We have been told that “the thing which will be of most worth unto [us] will be to declare repentance unto this people, that [we] may bring souls unto Christ; that [we] may rest with them in the kingdom of [our] Father” (D&C 15:6).
May we share this gospel of peace with our friends, neighbors, and relatives. There is no greater time in the history of the world to be a missionary than right now, during the hastening. We have much to do to share the message of peace with all people of the earth. Please open you mouths and invite others to come unto Christ and find peace and rest in holy places, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.