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Devotionals

The Power of Personal Righteousness

Brothers and Sisters, aloha! It is so great to be with you. As my wife said, we thoroughly love BYU–Hawaii. I considered this campus my home, growing up, and as a student. Of course the greatest thing was meeting May. I've also had the opportunity to take classes from stellar, wonderful professors, many of whom still teach here. And I feel my testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ grew tremendously, so thank you very much for being here.

You're an inspiring sight to see. You radiate love, commitment and strength. That strengthens my testimony to be here with you. I'm grateful to be here in this devotional setting. You're very lucky you can attend devotional so often, where you can feel the spirit. The key, brothers and sisters, for all of us, is to allow the Spirit to change our hearts while we are here, so that when we leave this devotional and every devotional, we are changed for the better—that the gospel truths we have learned have sunk deep into our hearts, and we are more personally righteous, as a result.

Less than a year from now will mark 20 years since I entered the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, to prepare for my service in the Taiwan Taichung Mission. That 20 year date has stuck in my mind for a reason and that I'll tell you in a second. Those of you who have been through the Missionary Training Center know that when you get there, in the first few weeks, you become so excited about the gospel and can't wait to get out and share it. We're literally on fire with a love of the truth.

One day in a training session, the instructor told us something that I will never forget. There were 250 of us eager and vibrant missionaries there, and he said, "If Church statistics are accurate, half of you in this room will be less active in the Church in 20 years." I was completely stunned. He could not have shocked me more than if he had said the moon really was made of cheese. I looked to my left; I looked to my right and saw these excited missionaries. I said to myself, "There's no way that can be accurate. If it is, it's not going to apply to anybody here." Because as I looked at these missionaries, I knew that coursing through our veins like life blood was a knowledge that the Church was true, that Jesus Christ was our Savior, that the Book of Mormon was the word of God, that Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ, that the priesthood and temple ordinances had been restored to the earth—how could we not always feel that way? Well, sadly, it's been almost 20 years. And although I don't know whether it's half of us exactly, but I do know many mission buddies and acquaintances who since that time have decided to live their lives outside of the blessings of active membership in the Church. I said to myself, "How can that happen?"

Over the years I have thought long and hard about that question—how it is that despite having been illuminated by the light of the gospel, we sometimes do not follow what we know is right and even sometimes fall away. I know that the Church has devoted countless hours and resources into studying that same question, but as I have reviewed the scriptures and the words of the living prophets I have come to understand the need for me and for all of us to strive to live personally righteous. We all should get into the habit of asking ourselves, as Alma counseled us, "if [we] have experienced a change of heart, and if [we] have felt to sing the song of redeeming love,... can [we] feel so now" (Alma 5:26)?

Let me explain that by personal righteousness or personally righteous, by that I mean our personal strivings to inscribe gospel truths on our hearts, and our personal strivings to live according to those truths. One way you might determine your own personal righteousness is to ask yourself, "How do I live the gospel when no one is watching?" This is different from public righteousness, or how we live the gospel when others are watching. Public righteousness is not a bad thing. There is such thing as positive peer pressure—because I go to church on Sunday and everybody sees me at church doesn't mean that I'm trying to be publicly righteous. But brothers and sisters, I think sometimes that we might engage in public acts of righteousness precisely because others are watching.

You will recall from the New Testament the parable that the Savior gave of the Pharisee, which is a Jewish religious leader, and the publican, a despised tax collector, praying in the temple. The Pharisee loudly exclaimed his virtues and his good deeds for all to hear. The publican, on the other hand, stood "afar off" and humbly bowed his head, acknowledged his sinful status before God and begged for mercy (Luke 18:9-14). Though both men were praying where others could see them, i.e., in public, one was hypocritically calling attention to his supposed righteous actions, while the other was humbly pouring his soul out to God. I get the feeling that the publican would have given the exact same prayer if he were all alone in his room whereas the Pharisee probably wouldn't have prayed at all. It is interesting to note that the Savior spoke this parable specifically to those the scriptures said, "Trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others" (Luke 18:9). In other words, those who erroneously thought that by engaging in public displays of righteousness were sufficient to live the gospel.

Our commitment to being personally righteous can be greatly enhanced while we're here at BYU-Hawaii. However, it may also be true that it's easier to be publicly righteous here than at other universities. It may be easier to "fake it" when it comes to righteous living. For example, do we follow the dress standards merely because it's a school rule or because we recognize that clean and modest dress reflects the gospel truth that our bodies are temples that should be respected? How would we dress if we were on another campus? We should not allow our personal righteousness, our personal commitment to live the gospel regardless of who is looking, to diminish just because we are surrounded by others striving to do the same, even when we meet cute guys and girls.

The need for us to develop enduring personal righteousness stems from our own personal responsibility for our salvation. Church leaders have frequently taught that although we are exalted as families, our salvation is a uniquely personal thing. The responsibility for our ultimate destiny and whether or not we really will make it back to our Father in Heaven lies squarely on our own shoulders. From ‘The Family: A Proclamation to the World,' we read: "All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny." This tells me that although the goal of exaltation and the path to that goal through the Atonement of Jesus Christ are the same for all of us, we each must tread that path ourselves. On the way we will experience our own triumphs and trials. As the prophet historian Moroni counseled us, we must "Doubt not, but be believing,... and come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him" (Mormon 9:27).

As this world becomes increasingly wicked, the need for us to strengthen and increase our personal righteousness is vital not only for our spiritual survival but also for the progress of the Church. President Gordon B. Hinckley declared:

"The strength of the Church is not in its thousands of houses of worship across the world nor in its universities or seminaries and institutes... The strength of this Church lies in the hearts of its people, in the individual testimony and conviction of the truth of this work" ("It's True, Isn't It?" Ensign, July 1993).

Please note the emphasis on what's in our hearts. That's where we'll know the status of our personal commitment to the gospel.

One way to appreciate the need for unfailing personal righteousness is to review the consequences of neglecting our personal righteousness. The scriptures and church history provide abundant examples of those who could have achieved great things for the Lord but fell short due to their neglect to live the gospel when no one was watching.

Consider King David, a man chosen and anointed by the Lord at a young age to be a king over Israel. He was a man highly favored of the Lord who accomplished mighty deeds. But because of weakness in moment of vulnerability, he let his eyes linger on the bathing Bathsheba, then allowed carnal thoughts to play seductively in his mind, which caused his heart, which in the past had been right with the Lord, to be consumed with lust, which led to adultery, which led to cover up, which led to murder and finally to a loss of exaltation (D&C 132:39). How different would be the outcome of history, especially for him, if in that moment when no one was watching, his reservoir of personal righteousness had caused him to turn away and sing a hymn, or recite a scripture, or do whatever it took to banish the temptation from his mind.

Contrast that with Joseph, son of Jacob, who as a slave in Potiphar's house, caught the fancy of Potiphar's wife. In quiet moments when no one as watching, she sought to seduce Joseph with the lure of sexual surrender. Joseph consistently and steadfastly refused, even to the point of physically fleeing from her presence. Though the immediate consequence of his personal righteousness was prison, he ultimately became a ruler of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh (Genesis 39-41). Saved not only his nation but his family as well. What a powerful validation of the power of personal righteousness!

From church history, consider Thomas B. Marsh, who at one time was the senior apostle. When a dispute arose between his wife and another sister over an agreement to share cream from fresh milk, Elder Marsh became angry when the committee of elders investigating the dispute determined that his wife was in the wrong. Subsequent disagreements with the Church leaders over the matter resulted in Elder Marsh leaving the church. I wonder how that could have happened. Perhaps that incident was the tipping point at a time when other doubts and tests of faith had already weakened his personal commitment to the gospel. Certainly it was a time of intense persecution when the faith of all the Latter-day Saints was being tested, but I wonder if the root cause was that gradually, very carefully over time, in the quiet moments when no one was watching, he allowed feelings of pride and ego to grow in his heart and spread their deadly poison, weakening the humility and testimony that had until then held sway in his heart, until at last, when faith was challenged, he fell away (see Gordon B. Hinckley, "Only Upon Principles of Righteousness," Ensign, Sep. 1992).

Contrast that with the Prophet Joseph Smith, who was persecuted, mobbed, unjustly imprisoned, and ultimately martyred, yet faithfully performed his duty in the face of tremendous trials. And how blessed we are today because of his faithfulness! From one example of extreme personal righteousness.

Brothers and sisters, I do not mention these examples of King David and Thomas B. Marsh that we might point the finger of condemnation and shake our heads in condescending judgment. Rather, I share these examples as a poignant reminder that public status and public righteousness do not immunize us from the subtle and cunning devices of the devil. He is relentless in his efforts to find and exploit a chink in our spiritual armor. We need to consistently feed and fortify our personal commitment to live the gospel, no matter what, especially when no one is watching.

The need for personal righteousness is perhaps no where better exemplified than in the Book of Mormon. It has always been a point of wonder with me how the Nephites at various times qualified for great blessings because of their righteousness, only to lose those blessings because of iniquity when all they had to do was stay righteous. "And now, there was nothing in all the land to hinder the people from prospering continually, except they should fall into transgression" (3 Nephi 6:5). This is intriguing to me because their fall was not caused by outside calamities, but rather from the decay of their personal righteousness – something completely within their control. How did this happen? The scriptures provide the answer: "Now the cause of this iniquity of the people was this—Satan had great power, unto the stirring up of the people to do all manner of iniquity, and to the puffing them up with pride, tempting them to seek for power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the world. And thus Satan did lead away the hearts of the people to do all manner of iniquity" (3 Nephi 6:15-16). Note that he got to their hearts, the repository of all we care for and hold dear. He displaced their personal commitment to living the gospel with counterfeits, in this case pride, riches, power and other vain things of the world.

Brothers and sisters, if we look honestly enough, we will see this pattern reflected to a certain extent in our own lives. We sometimes become casual in our personal worship and personal living of the gospel. In those moments alone when no one is looking, do we replenish our spiritual reservoir through daily scripture study and prayer, or do we spend our time participating in vain pursuits of the world activities that distract us from or even destroy our chances of reaching our goal of exaltation.

Now let us consider the blessings that flow from personal righteousness. One of the oft-repeated promises contained in the Book of Mormon is: "Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence" (2 Nephi 1:20). Who among us does not want to prosper in school work, in social relationships, in everything we do? In addition to the blessing of prosperity, our continual nourishing of our personal righteousness creates a shield of testimony around our hearts that the adversary is powerless to penetrate. Recall with me the events following the Savior's visit to the Americas after his resurrection, and how the people ultimately converted to the gospel and enjoyed peace for over 200 years. Specifically, how did their conversion result in that peace? Again the scriptures contain the answer:

"And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people. And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God" (4 Nephi 1:15-16). I imagine that because the love of God was so indelibly imprinted burnt in their hearts, because their personal righteousness was paramount complete happiness, there was no room for destructive thoughts and feelings. And complete happiness was the result.

Another blessing of personal righteousness is the ability to withstand trials with enduring faith. I have always been intrigued by a certain verse in the Book of Mormon that describes two opposite reactions of the Nephite people to a particularly lengthy and bloody war: "But behold, because of the exceedingly great length of the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites many had become hardened, because of the exceedingly great length of the war; and many were softened because of their afflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God, even in the depth of humility" (Alma 62:41). Same trial, two opposite reactions. What made the difference? I believe those who continually fortified their personal righteousness were the ones who softened, while those who neglected to replenish their reservoir were hardened.

Brothers and sisters, how do we react when adversity hits? Is our personal righteousness sufficient to carry us through with faith and trust in the Lord? I would like to tell you of a young woman who has passed through incredible trials, is currently in the midst of incredible trials and will continue to suffer these trials, perhaps until she dies. And yet her personal righteousness, radiated through an infectious smile and humble spirit, touches all around her. In her humble way, she has consented for me to share her story with you. Her name is Maamakamo Viau of Tonga.

Maama suffers from Weber's Syndrome, a condition that causes her left leg to swell to grossly abnormal proportions. Symptoms of her condition appeared early in her life. She was very sickly, and suffered chills, vomiting and pain in her leg. As a teenager she was baptized to the Church but her parents forbade her to attend so she was never confirmed and her records were lost. In 2002, while visiting an aunt in New Zealand she became deathly ill from other complications and went into a coma and for three weeks she was on life support. All medical signs regarding the viability of her living at all registered zero chance. Her parents were still in Ha'apai but gave the doctors in NZ permission to do what they thought was right. Her aunt who is a member of the Church persuaded the doctor to continue the life support until she could contact her bishop who came and administered to Maama. After the blessing the doctor started to disengage life support, but Maama, still in the coma, lifted her arm and actually pushed the doctor's hand away. Maama's parents were on their way to NZ believing they would be attending a funeral. When they landed and were still at the airport, Maama woke up and began to improve rapidly. Her parents began softening toward the Church.

Maama recovered from her illness, but her leg was still deformed and grotesque. She wanted more than anything for love and marriage and children, but worried that her leg would turn away any suitors. That's when she met Eliesa Viau, who at the time was a less active member of the Church. He was not put off by her leg and continued to court her. They fell in love and decided to marry, which they did in 2003.

Their first child, Lu'isa, was born with a severe heart condition and lived only three months. While pregnant with their second child, Maama was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church. She and Eliesa were sealed in the New Zealand Temple soon after the child's birth. By that time, however, her leg had inexplicably begun to grow even larger. The family returned to Tonga.

By the time she was pregnant with their third child, in the fall of 2007, her leg had ballooned in size and caused her tremendous pain. The doctors told her that the baby would have to be delivered by C-section as soon as possible. Due to both Maama's and the baby's fragile health, no anesthesia could be used. So, the doctors just tied her arms down and cut her open. The baby was only three pounds but fortunately lived.

At about this time my parents, who are serving in the Tonga temple, took the Area President, Elder Spencer Condie, to visit Maama. He gave her a blessing in which he admonished her to "Have faith, faith unwavering like unto Alma" and told her that she "still [had] a mission and a work to perform on earth." Upon her release from the hospital Eliesa's brother ‘Ofa, who was less active in the Church, and his wife Mele, who was active in another religion, graciously took them in to their tiny home, despite having six children of their own.

After awhile Maama's leg grew to the point were she could only walk with tremendous effort and assistance. The last time she was able to leave the house was to go to the temple this past January with Eliesa. She had to be transported to and from the temple via ambulance. It was a beautiful experience for her and she felt the nearness of heaven. She is now completely immobile and confined to her bed, but says she thinks about the temple every day.

Brothers and sisters, although you may have a mental image of her condition in your mind, it probably does not come close to what the leg is really like. To help you better understand the extent of her condition, Maama has consented to show pictures of her leg. If you feel that you would rather not look, that's understandable.

Maama has been blessed with a husband who cares immensely for her. He is by her side continuously and loves her dearly. Doctors had told Maama that she would die last year, and she credits the love of Eliesa and others that she is still alive to fulfill her mission.

Maama is a fearless preacher of the gospel. Many prayers, tears and testimony gradually softened the hearts of her brother-in-law and his wife. Maama talked to them every day about the gospel and the Church. Two months ago, Mele and three of her children were baptized. ‘Ofa became active in the Church and now they all attend regularly. Maama believes her life was prolonged to provide an example of faith and courage for ‘Ofa, Mele and their family.

Maama recently shared her testimony with me. She says, "It is in my greatest pain and deepest distress that I feel the closest to Heavenly Father.... My testimony of the Gospel is firm and unwavering. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father has given me life and has prolonged my life, especially in my condition, so that I can repent and change, and learn to love others and become worthy of living in His presence. I am especially thankful that He loved us all so much that He gave His Son, Jesus Christ to live and die and take upon Him our sins. I give thanks for the Prophet Joseph Smith that through him the Gospel was restored to the earth. I bear testimony that this is the only true and living Church on the face of the earth."

Although I have never personally met Maama, she has already impacted my life for the better. She is an incredible example of one whose personal commitment to the gospel has sunk deep into her heart, which allows her to stay true amid terrible physical trials. In the midst of her personal suffering, she finds joy and gratitude in a righteous loving husband, in the kindness of friends and family, in the blessings of the temple, in the ability to bring others to the truth. It is not surprising that her name, Maamakamo, in the Tongan language means "light that beckons" or "beacon light."

Brothers and sisters, knowing the need for and the blessings that come from personal righteousness, how can we increase our own? There are many ways, and because each one of us may be on a different point of the path, what each should do now to increase our personal righteousness will differ. I encourage you take a quiet moment today and ask yourself what you can do to increase your own personal righteousness. If you will pay attention to the thoughts and feelings that come to you as you ponder, the Holy Ghost will let you know what you should do. Let me also offer a few suggestions that are universal.

The first is to be wiser in our media and technology choices. Your generation has grown up with an explosion of technology that makes it easier to communicate with people around the globe. Are we spending too much of our valuable mortal lives on Facebook, Twitter and on other social-networking media? Is our free time dominated by iPods, iTouches, MP3 players, PSPs, video games and the like? While there is much good that can come out of these media, should be used in caution there is also the great potential for the devil to distract us from what is really important, or worse, destroy us. In a recent fireside address to college students, Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave this counsel, and he did not mince any words when he said,

"Today 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" (CES Fireside for Young Adults, BYU–Idaho, May 3, 2009).

Elder Bednar continued with a specific invitation that I also extend to you:

"I offer two questions for consideration in your personal pondering and prayerful studying:

  • Does the use of various technologies and media invite or impede the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost in your life?
  • Does the time you spend using various technologies and media enlarge or restrict your capacity to live, to love, and to serve in meaningful ways" (CES Fireside for Young Adults, BYU–Idaho, May 3, 2009)?

Another thing we can do brothers and sisters is we should take the time and make the time, if necessary, for daily communication with our Father in Heaven through meaningful prayer. At this past April General Conference, President Thomas S. Monson offered this inspired counsel: "To those within the sound of my voice who are struggling with challenges and difficulties large and small, prayer is the provider of spiritual strength; it is the passport to peace. Prayer is the means by which we approach our Father in Heaven, who loves us. Speak to Him in prayer and then listen for the answer. Miracles are wrought through prayer" ("Be Your Best Self," Ensign, May 2009).

Another thing we can do is we can take time and make time, if necessary, for daily feasting upon the words of Christ through studying of the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon. President Ezra Taft Benson declared that "The scriptures are called the ‘words of life', and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon" ("The Book of Mormon—Keystone of Our Religion," Ensign, Nov. 1986). Feasting upon the words of Christ will give the Holy Ghost the opportunity to let gospel truths sink deeper and deeper into our hearts—and he will show us all things that we need to do (2 Nephi 32:5).

Brothers and sisters, I know that the principles we've discussed today are true. I know personally from the times in my life—when I have invested the time to increase my personal righteousness by doing the things I should do when no one is watching—I am happier, I am stronger, I have the ability to withstand temptation better, I'm a better husband, father, attorney. You will be a better student, friend—all because you're investing the time to increase your personal righteousness. Unfortunately I also know that when I neglect my personal righteousness, I suffer, I become weaker, I fall into temptation easier.

Brothers and sisters, let us live the gospel so that the truths of the gospel are inscribed indelibly on our hearts. That we commit ourselves to live more personally righteous. This is my prayer for all of us, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.