Spencer W. Kimball - "Preparedness - the Ten Virgins" . 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 know he is Gods recognized prophet. . I have heard President JosephF. Smith and all who have followed him up to now. He passed away in 1985 in Salt Lake City. Nuclear races get swifter. Each must obtain that kind of oil for himself. They had four children who recall that their home was one of support, encouragement, and appreciation between family members. These study aids were helpful not only in clarifying meaning, but also in linking the Bible, Book of Mormon, and other scripture more closely together, fulfilling the prophecy that the sticks of Joseph and Judah would be one in hand. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. Let us assume the counsel given applies to us, to me. Christianity did not go from Rome to Galilee; it was the other way around. You can be a much needed force for love and truth and righteousness on this planet. Attendance at sacrament meetings adds oil to our lamps, drop by drop over the years. They knew the way but gave only a small measure of loyalty and devotion. Unfortunately for me, I am in the hospital here in Salt Lake City and will not be present with you in person, but I will be with you in spirit. So long had it been since they began expecting him that they were rationalizing that he would never appear. Even in the true Church numerous of its people fail to attend their meetings, to tithe their incomes, to have their regular prayers, to keep all the commandments. This talk is AMAZING. 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. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. We wonder how often hearers first rejected the prophets because they despised them, and finally despised the prophets even more because they had rejected them. The man said to himself: Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. Where else can you be given the necessary explanations and assurances about the nature of life? 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. Rushing for their lamps to light their way through the blackness, half of them found them empty. They help us to see the end from the beginning. The foolish asked the others to share their oil, but spiritual preparedness cannot be shared in an instant. 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 "My brethren, I wonder if we are . Ye shall dwell in your land safely and none shall make you afraid. Both a righteous man and a righteous woman are a blessing to all those their lives touch. We do reap what we sow. His actions were considered irrational. The floods came, the disobedient were drowned. ), David was a local boy and was ignored until he could no longer be ignored. It is only the "when" that is unknown. He served in the Quorum of the Twelve for thirty years and became the president of the Church in 1973. Fear would vanish, and enemies would be subdued. The Miracle of Forgiveness is a book written by Spencer W. Kimball while he was a member of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). 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. One major plot of the book involves a character named Brigham . 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. President Kimball was an instrument in the Lords hands to bring about these and other progresses, and through his devoted and loving leadership the lives of countless Saints, then and now, have been blessed. 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. Notes 1. 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. Numerous mothers prefer the added luxuries of two incomes to the satisfactions of seeing children grow up in the fear of God Deut. Flirtations, rationalized to be innocent ones, are the root of numerous of the divorces and other ills. The radios whine. 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. I have listened to over 4500 general conference talks. The day of the marriage feast approaches. We understand further that as families are raised, the talents God has given you and blessed you with can often be put to effective use in additional service to mankind. 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. The book spent 102 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. For they have warned that if the inhabitants of this land are ever brought down into captivity and enslaved, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land (see 2 Ne. There were 364 temple marriages, and of the temple marriages about 10 percent were dissolved by divorce. These excuses for rejection of the prophets are poor excuses. 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. (See Moses 6.) They are chosen from among the people, not transported from another planet, dramatic as that would be! He later became the church's president . We bow down to the god of mammon, the god of luxuries, the god of dissipation. Amen.Spencer W. Kimball,Conference Report, October 1961, pp. Like. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just. (1 Thessalonians 5:2, 6-7.) (1 Thessalonians 5:2-4.) And the fulness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity Ether 2:9. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. 1:9, It shall be free from all nations under heaven., There shall be no enemies come into this land., It shall be free from bondage Ether 2:12, There shall be no kings upon the land 2 Ne. Your heaven shall be as iron and your earth as brass. I should like first to pay special tribute to the divinely inspired Primary organization of the Church. Various excuses have been used over the centuries to dismiss these divine messengers. Why should there be spiritual blindness in the day of brightest material vision? . I know that God lives, that Jesus is his Only Begotten Son, the Redeemer of the world, and that this is the Church of Jesus Christ, with him as its head. 44:27-28 Isa. No greater recognition can come to you in this world than to be known as a woman of God. Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? (John 1:46.) From that humble beginning has grown a worldwide organization that has touched the lives of millions of people. It seems that we would rather tax ourselves into slavery than to pay our tithes; rather build protections and walls than drop to our knees with our families in solemn prayers night and morning. Paul wrote: For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. . At midnight, the vital cry was made, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him." They ignored the prophets. It is the parable of the Ten Virgins, a powerful warning to all men. they cried, and all together we pulled and strained. The time of the reapers is near at hand. Too late, too late! Jesus was also met with the question, Is not this the carpenters son? (Matt. Sometimes people let their hearts get so set upon things and the honors of this world that they cannot learn the lessons they most need to learn. . For example, the Presiding Bishopric was given stewardship over the temporal affairs of the Church so that the Quorum of the Twelve could focus on spiritual needs. When he was three years old, his father accepted a call to preside over a stake in Thatcher, Arizona. You will pay tribute and bondage and fetters shall bind you (see Lev. Certainly, the fig tree is shooting forth its leaves and the summer is nigh and the signs of the times presage the harvest with its separation of the righteous and unrighteous. But both husband and wife are to be parents! Later, Kimball became Mormonism's twelfth president. True, there are some temporary differences and some constraining circumstances. 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. That is sure. And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight (see Lev. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. That book, which went up through President Kimball's first year as president, set the standard at the time for Latter-day Saint biography. I'm grateful He let me choose Him. Illegitimate births are said to reach as high as one in ten, yet promiscuity far exceeds illegitimacy. 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. Be assured, too, that all faithful sisters, who, through no fault of their own, do not have the privilege during their second estate of being sealed to a worthy man, will have that blessing in eternity. (Hebrews 10:35-37.) Early in his childhood, Spencer W. Kimball suffered the pain that comes with the death of loved ones. Thou shalt not commit adultery Ex. 20:15 italics added). I am confident there is not one within the sound of my voice who has not had his or her life influenced for good by the teachings of the devoted officers and teachers of this Primary organization. Spencer W. Kimball From an address delivered at a Regional Representatives Seminar on Thursday, 4 April 1974. In 1972, he underwent open-heart surgerya practice pioneered and performed by President Russell M. Nelson. No wonder the adversary strives, even now, to prevent this from happening! Like. Thus misery achieves a ghastly monument. Old man rationalization is with us. The way to become perfect is to change your lifeto substitute the good for the evil in every case. It is just a hundred years ago that Bishop Hess, with the approval of the First Presidency, called Aurelia Spencer Rogers to organize the first Primary in Farmington, Utah. We understand that. You are accountable for those things which long ago were expected of you just as are those we sustain as prophets and apostles! ye cannot enter now. Some women, because of circumstances beyond their control, must work. (See 1Sam. These are eternal differenceswith women being given many tremendous responsibilities of motherhood and sisterhood and men being given the tremendous responsibilities of fatherhood and the priesthoodbut the man is not without the woman nor the woman without the man in the Lord (see 1Cor. It is the humble Primary leaders who through their teaching and personal example instill in the hearts and minds of these wonderful little children, in their sensitive and formative years, love for the Savior, the Church, and for its leaders. I suspect that many people have let their insurance lapse. When God speaks and we obey, we will always be right." We have the general warning that comes from these world conditions, but we have no precise timetable. Let us assume the counsel given applies to us, to me. It was the most monumental and celebrated revelation in the Church in its time. If, in the short term, we are sometimes dealt with insensitively and thoughtlessly by others, by imperfect men and women, it may still cause us pain, but such pain and disappointment are not the whole of life. Spencer Woolley Kimball was born March 28, 1895, in Salt Lake City. 26:4-6,8, The land will be barren, (perhaps radioactive or dry from drought.). As the net load came closer to the shore, it was fuller and heavier and the unruly waves covered us many times. The householder said: Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. (Acts 1:7.) . Because of World War I, he served in the Central States Mission instead. 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! But when the cry sounds, there is no time for preparation. When he was eight years old, his sister Mary died shortly after her birth. How can one witness so many of those who ought to be good examples becoming bad examples and not cry out? 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. (See Ether 13.) This talk is AMAZING. The counsel given at our meeting last year is still appropriate. Hundreds of thousands of us today are in this position. 1:7, And there shall be none to molest them 2 Ne. There is one principle, a modern prophet said, (that we should) understand:that is of blessings and cursings. Hunger scaled the walls; thirst broke down the gates; immorality, cannibalism, idolatry, godlessness stalked about till destruction came. 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. 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. And the earth shall be given unto them for an inheritance; and they shall multiply and wax strong, and their children shall grow up without sin unto salvation. (See Jacob 1:19). For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. This saintly soul realizes there is one thing left undone to make him a totally honest man. For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. ), Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), The 3 Simple Words My Grandma Brought Me from the Spirit World. We think of Russia and China, of Africa and VietNam, of the Near East and Ireland. At only age nineteen, just before he was called to serve in the Swiss-Austrian mission, he was ordained as a general authority seventy. We can transform, but will we? 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". "Heave ho!" Indeed, he seeks the misery of all mankind (2Ne. behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them. Spencer W. Kimball : biography March 28, 1895 - November 5, 1985 As World War II neared its conclusion, Kimball and other LDS church leaders constantly responded to the needs of the friends and families of LDS war casualties. As both the wheat and the tares grew up in the same field together, the question was asked of the landowner, "Shall we go and gather up the tares?" They merely procrastinated, not knowing when the bridegroom would come. We read of sections of this land where abortions outnumber live births, of how illegitimate births outnumber legitimate, and we wonder how long the judgments of God can be stayed. Jesus Christ our Lord is under no obligation to save this world. Many of them have been handmade by the Primary children of the Church. I leave this testimony with you with my love and my blessings. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. We are led by revelation. That is half as many divorces as marriages. Experience is a dear teacher but fools will learn by no other. But we continue on in our godlessness. We knew that we were taming the Arizona desert. His young faith and dedicated family were great sources of strength when Spencers mother, Olive, passed away, Spencer being only eleven years old. 11:11). 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? Wearing some old overalls, I waded with them into the sea. Other rebellious people were destroyed in the convulsions of the earth in the meridian of time, and they who were more righteous were saved. Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. LDS doctrinal teachings about the atonement, repentance, and the plan of salvation. He loves. Far from freeing those involved, sin is an admission of surrender to the herd. (See D&C 1:30.) It was consecrated as a land of promise to the people of the Americas, to whom God gave these great promises: It will be a land of liberty to its people 2 Ne. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Ponder upon these great truths, especially in those moments when (in the stillness of such anxiety as you may experience as an individual) you might otherwise wonder and be perplexed. It is very ill. Long ago it was born with brilliant prospects. Now as we conclude this general conference, let us all give heed to what was said to us. I ask you: What value is a car without an engine, a cup without water, a table without food, a lamp without oil? Other biographies written by the sons of Church Presidents preceded . While the iron curtains rise and thicken, we eat, drink, and make merry. I am so grateful that prophets do not crave popularity. We rejoice in your devotion. With no warning, no last-minute preparation is possible. Protection is not in walls nor mountains nor cliffs, yet foolish men still lean on the arm of flesh., The walls of Babylon were too high to be scaled, too thick to be broken, too strong to be crumbled, but not too deep to be undermined when the human element failed Dan. 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? (Matthew 24:29-31, 36. ) Many of the Lord's parables and sayings urged men to be prepared for his Second Coming and for the end of this period of the world's existence. 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? This university is not of the world any more than the Church is of the world, and it must not be made over in the image of the world. Journals are a way of counting our blessings and of leaving an inventory of these blessings for our posterity. 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. Then all the virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. The ways of the world will not prevail, for the ways of God will triumph. Each began as an appetite that needed to be checked but which went unchecked. 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? Great women and men are always more anxious to serve than to have dominion. They are boats, cars, and luxuries. And learning this the bridegroom will relent. Education for Eternity Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness. May I stress again the value of reading the addresses given at our general conferences in the Ensign magazine. Surely, the end is near as we read the signs of the times, but when? The Lord has given us this parable as a special warning. Bombs are detonated. "Rationalizing is the bringing of ideals down to the level of one's conduct. Others of the sisters are experiencing the anguish that often goes with aging. The cares of the world are so many and so entangling, even very good people are diverted from following the truth because they care too much for the things of the world, such as the young man who had kept all the commandments from his youth up. It was unlike any other talk Ive ever listened to. I was invited to participate. All that is taught in Primary is virtuous, lovely, and of good report, and praiseworthy. We read of Enoch who was called when but a lad. Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness 1 likes Like "We would all be well advised to avoid the motivation to the evil thought. 20:9 italics added). 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. So often the prophets have been rejected because they first rejected the wrong ways of their own society. and our mothers and our fair daughters, and our children . Even the foolish ones trimmed their lamps, but their oil was used up and they had none to refill the lamps. Concerning Jerusalem the Lord said: I will defend this city 2 Kgs. Instead of responding to Pauls message, some saw his bodily presence as weak and regarded his speech as contemptible. 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. How can one share attitudes or chastity, or the experience of a mission? It is a choice land, choice above all other lands 1 Ne. I plead with men everywhere to Come, listen to a prophets voice and hear the word of God from our living prophet who sits with us here today. 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. (Matthew 24:21-22.) In our day the routing is from Palmyra to Paris, not the reverse. Time had passed, and he had not come. But it can be only through a great repentance and transformation. Conventions, unnecessary travel, family picnics, the Sabbath is violated generally. and the four new members of the First Quorum of the Seventy who poured out their hearts in those moments they had? Of course, rejection of the holy prophets comes because the hearts of people are hardened, as people are shaped by their society. Ve, inc. 1 some special things here that are left undone by other institutions. But time ran out. The gospel answers are the only true answers to the questions which women and men, over the centuries, have raised about themselves, about life, and about the universe. . The righteous were saved in Enochs day and the wicked were drowned in the flood. Still others of you now know the uncertainty of being young as you ponder your place in the eternal scheme of things. But the day approaches and will finally come. But this talk, by Spencer W. Kimball, was different. Another prophet said, We call evil good, and good evil Isa. But, on the scale of eternity, the missing of these blessings shall be but a small moment (see D&C 121:7). The grandson of early Latter-day Saint apostle Heber C. Kimball, Kimball was born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory.He spent most of his early life in Thatcher, Arizona, where his . We were in Hamilton, New Zealand, for a large conference with the Saints. He is a prophet to all the world. Immortality is a reality. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. That faith in Christ is a choice we can make. 1942, p. 161). By one means or another, the swiftest method of rejection of the holy prophets has been to find a pretext, however false or absurd, to dismiss the man so that his message could also be dismissed. not have been buried 3 Ne. His was not a long-distance leadership. That infallible cure is simply righteousness, obedience, Godliness, honor, and integrity. The trouble with rejection because of personal familiarity with the prophets is that the prophets are always somebodys son or somebodys neighbor. Spencer W. Kimball began work as a bank clerk, then moved on to the life insurance and real estate industries. Our national and international authorities should know that men have . It was not simply a call to repentance, but it felt like Spencer W. Kimball was raising a prophetic voice effectively saying "YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED" so as to wash his garments clean from the blood and sins of our generation. If we would but believe the prophets! In multiple scriptures the Lord has indicated that he will perform his work through those whom the world regards as weak and despised. The Savior said, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself" (John 7:17). While bombs are detonated and tested, and fallout settles on the already sick world, we continue in idolatry and adultery. 2:27). It seems that while remedies have been applied, staph infection has set in, and the patients suffering intensified. 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.
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