Ensign, Nov. 2007 - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

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18 You will recall how Laban beguiled young Jacob into first marrying Leah and then Rachel. “And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren” (Genesis 29:31). And Leah bore Reuben, then Simeon, then Levi, and Judah. Meanwhile, Rachel remained childless (see Genesis 29:32–35). With ever-increasing envy and mounting desperation, one day Rachel explosively demanded of Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die” (Genesis 30:1). Leah subsequently bore two more sons and a daughter. The Lord Is Not Slack Concerning His Promise The Apostle Peter testified that “the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering” toward us (2 Peter 3:9). In this age of one-hour dry cleaning and one-minute fast-food franchises, it may at times seem to us as though a loving Heavenly Father has misplaced our precious promises or He has put them on hold or filed them under the wrong name. Such were the feelings of Rachel. But with the passage of time, we encounter four of the most beautiful words in holy writ: “And God remembered Rachel” (Genesis 30:22). And she was blessed with the birth of Joseph and later the birth of Benjamin. There are millions on earth today who are descendants of Joseph who have embraced the Abrahamic promise that through their efforts “shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal” (Abraham 2:11). When heaven’s promises sometimes seem afar off, I pray that each of us will embrace these exceeding great and precious promises and never let go. And just as God remembered Rachel, God will remember you. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. ■ Have We Not Reason to Rejoice? ELDER DIETER F. UCHTDORF Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles This is a joyful religion, one of hope, strength, and deliverance. Istill rejoice in the wonderful spirit we felt as we sang together this morning: Now let us rejoice in the day of salvation. No longer as strangers on earth need we roam. Good tidings are sounding to us and each nation. (“Now Let Us Rejoice,” Hymns, no. 3) These words by Brother William W. Phelps are quite a contrast to the world’s tendency to focus on bad news. It is true, we live in a time foretold in the scriptures as a day of “wars, rumors of wars, and earthquakes in divers places” (Mormon 8:30), when “the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men’s hearts shall fail them” (D&C 45:26). But how does this affect us as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Are we living with apprehension, fear, and worry? Or have we, amidst all of our challenges, not reason to rejoice? We all go through different life experiences. Some are filled with joy, and others with sorrow and uncertainty. I remember a time when things didn’t look good for our family when I was a child. It was in the winter of 1944, one of the coldest during World War II. The war front was approaching our town, and my mother had to take us four children, leave all our possessions behind, and join the millions of fleeing refugees in a desperate search for a place to survive. Our father was still in the military, but he and Mother had agreed that if they were ever separated during the war, they would try to reunite at the hometown of my grandparents. They felt this place offered the greatest hope for shelter and safety. With bombing raids during the night and air attacks during the day, it took us many days to reach my grandparents. My memories of those days are of darkness and coldness.
My father returned to us unharmed, but our future looked extremely bleak. We were living in the rubble of postwar Germany with a devastating feeling of hopelessness and darkness about our future. In the middle of this despair, my family learned about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the healing message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. This message made all the difference; it lifted us above our daily misery. Life was still thorny and the circumstances still horrible, but the gospel brought light, hope, and joy into our lives. The plain and simple truths of the gospel warmed our hearts and enlightened our minds. They helped us look at ourselves and the world around us with different eyes and from an elevated viewpoint. My dear brothers and sisters, aren’t the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and our membership in His Church great reasons to rejoice? Wherever you live on this earth and whatever your life’s situation may be, I testify to you that the gospel of Jesus Christ has the divine power to lift you to great heights from what appears at times to be an unbearable burden or weakness. The Lord knows your circumstances and your challenges. He said to Paul and to all of us, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” And like Paul we can answer: “My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9). As members of the Church of Jesus Christ, we may claim the blessings promised in the covenants and the ordinances we received when we accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ. What Is the Gospel of Jesus Christ? The gospel of Jesus Christ is good news, glad tidings, and much more. It is the message of salvation as repeatedly announced by Jesus Christ and His apostles and prophets. It is my firm belief that all truth and light originating with God is embraced in the gospel of Jesus Christ. God, our loving Father in Heaven, has said that it is His work and glory “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). God the Father is the author of the gospel; it is a key part of God’s plan of salvation, or plan of redemption. It is called the gospel of Jesus Christ because it is the Atonement of Jesus Christ that makes redemption and salvation possible. Through the Atonement all men, women, and children are unconditionally redeemed from physical death, and all will be redeemed from their own sins on the condition of accepting and obeying the gospel of Jesus Christ (see D&C 20:17–25; 76:40–42, 50–53; Moses 6:62). Christ’s gospel is the only true gospel, and “there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ” (Mosiah 3:17; see also Acts 4:12). The core elements of the gospel message are found in all the holy scriptures but are most clearly given to us in the Book of Mormon and in the revelations to the Prophet Joseph Smith. Here Jesus Himself plainly declares His doctrine and His gospel, with which God’s children must comply to “have eternal life” (D&C 14:7; see also 3 Nephi 11:31–39; 27:13–21; D&C 33:11–12). The gospel is clear and plain. It answers the most complex questions in life, yet even a young child can comprehend and apply it. As Nephi said: “My soul delighteth in plainness; for after this manner doth the Lord God work among the children of men. For the Lord God giveth light NOVEMBER 2007 19
Page 1 and 2: T H E C H U R C H O F J E S U S C H
Page 3 and 4: The 177th Semiannual General Confer
Page 5 and 6: INDEXES STORIES Letter written by M
Page 7 and 8: Prior to a conference session (left
Page 9 and 10: the “weak things of the world.”
Page 11 and 12: Church or out. No service could be
Page 13 and 14: experiences that grew out of their
Page 15 and 16: spoke on a topic a couple of months
Page 17 and 18: Through this power, I was able to o
Page 19: covenants will receive God’s glor
Page 23 and 24: and responsibilities. It means stre
Page 25 and 26: we enter the grand stage of life to
Page 27 and 28: SATURDAY AFTERNOON SESSION October
Page 29 and 30: the way to live in order to enjoy a
Page 31 and 32: and the end of the pathway of disci
Page 33 and 34: Love is the greatest of all the com
Page 35 and 36: Preach My Gospel—the Unifying Too
Page 37 and 38: Preach My Gospel for family home ev
Page 39 and 40: and was baptized. He served a fullt
Page 41 and 42: investing more of your time in the
Page 43 and 44: oft-noted “mystery of the trinity
Page 45 and 46: Scriptural Witnesses ELDER RUSSELL
Page 47 and 48: All 16 French-speaking missionaries
Page 49 and 50: After experimenting with the Fosbur
Page 51 and 52: interacting with people. As an incr
Page 53 and 54: ecame clear. A large yellow sign re
Page 55 and 56: us for the eventual realization of
Page 57 and 58: taught the meaning of cutting off o
Page 59 and 60: Remember the times I have set a tab
Page 61 and 62: A Royal Priesthood PRESIDENT THOMAS
Page 63 and 64: authority, resulting in a loss of p
Page 65 and 66: It is the cycle which is repeated a
Page 67 and 68: THE FIRST QUORUM OF THE SEVENTY THE
Page 69 and 70: didn’t have to do what he was doi
Page 71 and 72:
a desire to serve Him and to keep H
Page 73 and 74:
very active members and have 6 chil
Page 75 and 76:
thrilled to hear the children recit
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I saw you walk out the door, I woul
Page 79 and 80:
is homemaking. Homemaking includes
Page 81 and 82:
ook, begins to read it, and continu
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of the heart and will to God, and a
Page 85 and 86:
and spotless before God is a source
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prophetically (see Hebrews 12:1). F
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of personal revelation in our own l
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eceived. When President David O. Mc
Page 93 and 94:
In Denmark, part of the fellowshipp
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Nourished by the Good Word of God D
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Several months ago I attended a tra
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on how I was feeling. Then we talke
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Another thing that must be our perm
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young man who was not of our faith,
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others through seemingly simple act
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est. Even though a particular choic
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in our Church responsibilities,”
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GENERAL RELIEF SOCIETY MEETING Sept
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In São Paulo, Brazil, members lear
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Feed My Sheep SILVIA H. ALLRED Firs
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In Moroni 6:4 we are admonished to
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No better advice can be found than
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children to embrace and hold dear.
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small note of thanks, a brief telep
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The power of the gospel can indeed
Page 127 and 128:
President Henry B. Eyring Second Co
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of Jesus Christ was a defining even
Page 131 and 132:
The Presidency of the Seventy Seate
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Ensign, Nov. 2007 - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

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