No man knows my history

This afternoon when I went over to Mother's she was listening to the book, "Praise to the Man" by Gerald N. Lund. It is book #6 of The Work & the Glory series. She wanted to pause the CD because they were  getting ready to kill Joseph Smith & she didn't want to have to listen to that point again. I was interested to see this quote tonight.

"You don't know me; you never knew my heart. No man knows my history. I cannot tell it: I shall never undertake it. I don't blame any one for not believing my history. If I had not experienced what I have, I would not have believed it myself. I never did harm any man since I was born in the world. My voice is always for peace."

--Joseph Smith, Nauvoo, Illinois, April 7, 1844, History of the Church, 6:317

This was penned just weeks before the martyrdom. I have heard the phrase, "No man knows my history." But have never seen it in context. Still don't know that this is really in context, but at least it's more than I've seen before. (Unless, of course, I wasn't paying attention in D&C in Seminary either.)

"Our task is to become our best selves. One of God's greatest gifts to us is the joy of trying again, for no failure ever need be final."

--Thomas S. Monson, "The Will Within," Ensign, May 1987, 67

 This is comforting. And I like "joy of trying again."

Whatever God requires

Tonight I was scrolling through the entries trying to find if tonight's quotes were repeats & discovered I have a couple of comments. I was surprised. I haven't had any comments yet & I wasn't notified of them. It seems I had neglected to plan for them. But I remedied that & now have it set up to notify me so I'm not ignoring my visitors.

It seems on March 11, I made a comment in answer to this quote by President Uchtdorf

"… Our Heavenly Father asks only that we do the best we can -- that we work according to our full capacity, however great or small that may be."

(Emphasis is mine) I said, "Somehow I don't think that means sitting on our butt reading."

My friend Linda Weaver Clarke said, "I'm not sure about that. We just need to pace ourselves."

I am a voracious reader. I have a terrible time pacing myself. I am always reading 2-3 books at a time. Right now I think I have 6 going. The main book is The Book of Mormon, which I read every night before I go to bed. I can sit up until 3-4 in the morning reading, because I've lost track of time.

Thanks for the insight, Linda. I really do need to pace myself.

There was one new quote tonight,

"... Whatever God requires is right, no matter what it is, although we may not see the reason thereof till long after the events transpire. If we seek first the kingdom of God, all good things will be added"

--Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 255-56

A rolling stone

I thought this quote had been used. It sounds so familiar, but I can't find it.

"I am like a huge, rough stone rolling down from a high mountain; and the only polishing I get is when some corner gets rubbed off by coming in contact with something else, striking with accelerated force against religious bigotry, priestcraft, lawyer-craft, doctor-craft, lying editors, suborned judges and jurors, and the authority of perjured executives, backed by mobs, blasphemers, licentious and corrupt men and women - all hell knocking off a corner here and a corner there. Thus I will become a smooth and polished shaft in the quiver of the Almighty, who will give me dominion over all and every one of them, when their refuge of lies shall fail, and their hiding place shall be destroyed, while these smooth-polished stones with which I come in contact become marred."

~ Joseph Smith, Nauvoo, Illinois, May 21, 1843, History of the Church, 5:401

Holy Ghost

I am getting behind on my Book of Mormon reading. The culprit has been migraine headaches. At least what I term migraines. So, I've been requesting my reading assignments & stashing the assignment & quotes in my BOM Journal. Saturday's quotes were about the Holy Ghost:

"Receiving the Holy Ghost is the therapy which effects forgiveness and heals the sin-sick soul."

--Marion G. Romney, "The Holy Ghost", Ensign, May 1974, 90

I was behind when I received President Romney's quote the first time. The Prophet Joseph defines what the Holy Ghost is.

"No man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelations. The Holy Ghost is a revelator."

--Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 6:58

The power of correct principles

I thought of this familiar quote from Joseph Smith, "I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves."

"Well-taught doctrines and principles have a more powerful influence on behavior than rules."

--Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign, Nov. 1999, 79

And yes, onward ever onward

"The path to eternal life is not on a plateau. Rather, it is an incline, ever onward and upward. Hence, ever-increasing spiritual understanding and energy are required to reach our destination. Because the pernicious opposition by Satan continues, the continuous enlightened guidance of the Holy Ghost is absolutely essential."

--Elder Keith K. Hilbig, "Quench Not the Spirit Which Quickens the Inner Man", October 2007 General Conference

I went searching for Joseph Smith's quote & found this in Elder Richard G. Scott's talk, The Power of Correct Principles.

Joseph Smith’s inspired statement, “I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves,” still applies. (Quoted by John Taylor, in Millennial Star, 15 Nov. 1851, p. 339.) The Lord uses that pattern with us. 

- Elder Richard G. Scott, "The Power of Correct Principles", Ensign, May 1993, 32

Grand principle of Mormonism

So, why does Joseph Smith's comment on friendship bother me? Elder Jensen continues, "Perhaps one reason the scriptures make little specific mention of the principle of friendship is because it should be manifest quite naturally as we live the gospel. In fact, if the consummate Christian attribute of charity has a first cousin, it is friendship."

And perhaps it is the word "Mormonism." Mormonism doesn't have a very good connotation. People think of Mormons as a cult & we're not. Most people still think Mormons are not Christian. Mormon is not the name of the Church, it is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The 6th Article of Faith states it better than I can:

We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.

The Church of Jesus Christ was restored to the earth. AND The Book of Mormon is not our Bible. I think of the scripture in 2 Nephi 29:3, "A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible ..."

OK, I've "ranted & raved." Do I feel better? I don't know. Did I explain it to my satisfaction? I'll see.

One of tonight's quotes was a repeat. I was going to comment on it, but got sidetracked on the "grand principal of Mormonism." But here is one from President Hinckley:

"The Lord's standards have come from Him. Some of them may appear a little out-of-date in our society, but this does not detract from their validity nor diminish the virtue of their application. The subtle reasoning of men, no matter how clever, no matter how plausible it may sound, cannot abridge the declared wisdom of God."

--President Gordon B. Hinckley, "Pursue the Steady Course", Ensign, Jan. 2005, 5

Friendship

I read the quotes tonight & I'm thinking, "I know I just read this about Joseph Smith saying friendship is a fundamental principle of 'Mormonism.' I didn't like it then & it still bugs me." So, I proceeded to search for Jensen, friendship & Joseph Smith in every one of my blogs. No result for that quote. Then I wondered if maybe someone else had used the same quote & there it was. Kathleen Hughes used it in her conference talk in 2005. Here it is: different talk, different speaker, same quote.

"The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that "friendship is one of the grand fundamental principles of ‘Mormonism.' " That thought ought to inspire and motivate all of us because I feel that friendship is a fundamental need of our world. I think in all of us there is a profound longing for friendship, a deep yearning for the satisfaction and security that close and lasting relationships can give. Perhaps one reason the scriptures make little specific mention of the principle of friendship is because it should be manifest quite naturally as we live the gospel. In fact, if the consummate Christian attribute of charity has a first cousin, it is friendship."

--Marlin K. Jensen, "Friendship: A Gospel Principle", Ensign, May 1999, 64

 And another one about friendship,

"It takes courage to be a real friend ... A friend is a person who will suggest and render the best for us regardless of the immediate consequences. Sir Winston Churchill became Great Britain's greatest friend in his country's darkest hour because he was courageous enough to call for "blood, toil, tears, and sweat" when some would have accepted him more readily as a friend had he advocated peaceful surrender. President Abraham Lincoln was once criticized for his attitude toward his enemies. "Why do you try to make friends of them?" asked an associate. "You should try to destroy them." "Am I not destroying my enemies," Lincoln gently replied, "when I make them my friends?"

--Marvin J. Ashton, "What Is a Friend?", Ensign Jan. 1973, 41

I have always liked Abraham Lincoln. I hope some day to meet him & not be tongue-tied in his presence.

Past & present

This first quote is going to have several "labels."

"In 1844 Josiah Quincy (a non-member), a respected mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, traveled to Nauvoo, Illinois. He toured the city, visited with the Saints, and interviewed the Prophet Joseph Smith. Mr. Quincy later wrote a book titled Figures of the Past and included a chapter on the Prophet with this prediction: "It is by no means improbable that some future text-book for the use of generations yet unborn will contain a question something like this: 'What historical American of the nineteenth century has exerted the most powerful influence upon the destinies of his countrymen?' And it is by no means impossible that the answer to the interrogatory may be thus written: 'Joseph Smith, the Mormon prophet.'"

--John Henry Evans, Joseph Smith: An American Prophet (1946), 3-4. Quoted by Tad R. Callister, "Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration," Ensign, June 2002, 62

and next ...

"As we move toward the future, we must not neglect the lessons of the past. Our Heavenly Father gave His Son. The Son of God gave His life. We are asked by Them to give our lives, as it were, in Their divine service. Will you? Will I? Will we? There are lessons to be taught, there are kind deeds to be done, there are souls to be saved."

--Thomas S. Monson, "Becoming Our Best Selves", Ensign, Nov. 1999, 18

Christ's mission

It is very late & the internet is slow. It's a good thing the quotes are short tonight. Even so,

"The things of God are of deep import; and time, and experience, and careful and ponderous and solemn thoughts can only find them out."

--Joseph Smith, Liberty, MO, March 25, 1839, History of the Church, 3:295

 and ...

"Christ was sent not only to help us heal the wounds of transgression and iniquity, but also to bear our grief and sorrow and guilt."

--The New Era, December 1988, pages 4-7.

Love one another

In Matthew 22:39 Jesus said that we should love our neighbor as ourselves. This is kind of tricky if we don't have much respect for our self. It is interesting that both quotes tonight follow this theme.

"Joseph Smith himself was a great friend to many. He said, 'Friendship is one of the grand fundamental principles of "Mormonism"; [it is designed] to revolutionize and civilize the world, and cause wars and contentions to cease and men to become friends and brothers.'"

--Kathleen H. Hughes, "What Greater Goodness Can We Know: Christlike Friends," Ensign, May 2005, 74

My thoughts on this is it shouldn't be just "Mormonism" but all of Christianity. We need to live the Golden Rule, treat others as we want to be treated.

"Kindness, love, patience, understanding, and unity will increase as we serve, while intolerance, jealousy, envy, greed, and selfishness decrease or disappear. The more we give of ourselves, the more our capacity to serve, understand, and love will grow."

--Carlos H. Amado, "Service, a Divine Quality", Ensign, May 2008, 35–37

Attitude of gratitude

President Monson tells us gratitude is one of the noblest of virtues.

"This is a wonderful time to be living here on earth. Our opportunities are limitless. While there are some things wrong in the world today, there are many things right, such as teachers who teach, ministers who minister, marriages that make it, parents who sacrifice, and friends who help. "We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues."

--Thomas S. Monson, "An Attitude of Gratitude," Ensign, Feb. 2000, 2

 And the Prophet Joseph Smith teaches children must be taught.

"If children are to be brought up in the way they should go, to be good citizens here and happy hereafter, they must be taught. It is idle to suppose that children will grow up good, while surrounded with wickedness, without cultivation. It is folly to suppose that they can become learned without education."

--Discourses of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 273

Developing faith

Tonights thoughts from my scripture reading assignment:

"Developing faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is a step-by-step, line upon line, and precept upon precept process. We promote the process of strengthening our faith when we do what is right-increased faith always follows as a consequence."

--Elder L Whitney Clayton, "Help Thou Mine Unbelief", November 2001 ,Ensign pg 28

This next one is thought provoking:

"It is one thing to see the kingdom of God, and another thing to enter into it. We must have a change of heart to see the kingdom of God, and subscribe the articles of adoption to enter therein."

--Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 6:58