Separation Through Obedience - We Are Different

“When the Lord commands, do it!”

There’s this quote from Joseph Smith that I have a hard time with. “I made this my rule: When the Lord commands, do it!” Why do I have a hard time with it?  I have a hard time because it’s one sentence and an oversimplification of something that isn’t always easy. Makes me think sarcastically, “Wow, great rule. Why didn’t I think of that?” It sounds like something an athlete would say when asked, “How do you plan on winning” and they say “Play better offense and defense.”

Last week in Sunday School we were reading in Doctrine and Covenants section 3. It’s on the coattails of Joseph Smith losing the first 116 pages of translated text even though God had commanded him not to let them out of his possession. Imagine how hard these verses would have been for Joseph Smith to receive:

“If [a man] sets at naught the counsels of God, and follows after the dictates of his own will and carnal desires, he must fall and incur the vengeance of a just God upon him.

“Behold, you have been entrusted with these things…

“You have transgressed the commandments and the laws of God, and have gone on in the persuasions of men.”
“You should not have feared man more than God.” (D&C 3:4-7)

Then, to make matters worse, after losing the 116 pages, Joseph Smith begins to translate the 1st Book of Nephi. And what story does the book open with? The golden child of the Book of Mormon, Nephi.

How does Nephi respond to pressure from his peers who want to do something other than what the Lord commanded? He says:

“I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them” (1 Nephi 3:7)

I don’t, but I can only imagine this must have been salt in an open wound for Joseph Smith.

BUT, just as I roll my eyes when Joseph Smith says, “When the Lord commands, do it!” I think it’s very touching to think that this experience of Joseph Smith translating the first few parts of the Book of Mormon led him to this passage by the same golden child, Nephi:

“O wretched man that I am! Yeah, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities…Sins do so easily beset me.” (see 2 Nephi 4:17-18)

I think Joseph Smith really connected with Nephi through these verses. “We read to know we’re not alone.” I think this string of events involving the 116 pages is likely what led Joseph Smith to simplify his approach to the gospel, “When the Lord commands, do it!”

Separation

I’m not just talking about canonized commandments, but also those given through personal revelation. 

Why does God give us commandments? 

I think about this every time I drive home from the airport. I generally take I-80 from the airport to I-15. There’s this part of I-80 as it transitions from heading east to merge with I-15 heading south with a curve sharp enough to endanger any driver that continues to travel at 70 mph. There are multiple warnings on signs and in letters painted onto the highway basically screaming at you to slow down to 45 mph. This isn’t so the highway patrol can exercise unrighteous dominion. It’s lowered to protect you and others.

Similarly, God gives us commandments to protect ourselves. For example, from the ten commandments, not having other gods, not committing adultery, are some commandments God gives us to protect ourselves. He knows that not keeping these will complicate our lives, though I emphasize they aren’t beyond repentance, which I’ll touch on later.

God also gives us some commandments to preserve the community. Again, from the ten commandments, “Thou shalt not steal,” “covet”, “murder”, and from elsewhere in the Old Testament, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor.” Commandments like this are reaching for Zion.

So, I’ve covered two types of commandments: commandments to protect ourselves, and commandments to nourish our community. But I don’t believe that every commandment could be categorized as given exclusively for one of these reasons: for ourselves, or for the community. I do think there are some commandments that reasonably and occasionally lead us to think, “Why?” I think tithing and Word of Wisdom could fall in this category.

In my experience, this question is most often raised when trying to teach others about commandments like the Word of Wisdom. Obviously, there are aspects to the Word of Wisdom that fit the first category, taking care of ourselves. But there are things we can do without explicitly breaking the Word of Wisdom that aren’t good for us. This could be its own discussion and talk, but for every physical and temporal reason why it benefits you to keep the Word of Wisdom, there are counter arguments that I’ve heard. And people investigating the church always bring up how people drank wine in the Old and New Testament. 

So why does God give commandments like this, or maybe another personal commandment about which you’re asking “why”?

Let me refer to the Old Testament, which is easily in my top 5 canonized books of scripture. One of the themes of the Old Testament is that the Lord’s people are different from the rest of the world. He separates them physically by sending them into the wilderness and giving them a land separate from other nations. He gives them commandments and says these commandments are given to separate them culturally from the rest of the world as a reminder that they are different. 

In Leviticus, Jehovah is talking about the commandments (not just the ten commandments) and how they separate the children of Israel. He says, 

“Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy…And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them” (see Leviticus 20:7-8)

“Ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things… Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it…I am the Lord your God, which have separated you from other people” (see Leviticus 20:22-24, emphasis added). 

In fact, if you look up the word “Separation” in the Topical Guide, the first thing it says is to also see “covenants”, “sanctification.” 

Also in the Old Testament there are additional commandments given to a group of people called Nazarites. Almost a more disciplined set of commandments including a word of wisdom indicating that they, unlike the rest of Israel, must abstain from wine. 

Listen to how it’s introduced with the word “separate”:

“When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the Lord: He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink…until the days…in which he separated himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy.” (See Numbers 6:2-5, emphasis added)

This is similar to things we do in our day, including the Word of Wisdom and other commandments. Consider additional rules that missionaries must follow, or that members that wish to attend the temple must follow. Missionaries wear different clothes and travel far from home and follow different rules as a way to separate themselves from their ordinary life. Temple attendees wear different clothes in the temple and under our top layer of the temple. All this is done to separate ourselves from the rest of the world.

So, in summary, there are three types of commandments: Commandments to protect ourselves, commandments to develop community, and commandments that remind us that we are supposed to be intentionally different from the rest of the world.

Repentance

Since I’m talking about obedience, I also want to talk briefly about repentance and enduring to the end. My obedience is far from perfect. But God is eager to forgive as long as we keep trying.

Last summer at the ward campout we watched a movie, Cool Runnings. 

I’m obsessed with “bookends” in stories. How does a story begin, and how does it end? The proper beginning adds emphasis to the important ending. The bookends to this movie can apply here.

The story begins with the qualifying 100 yard sprint where the main character, Derice, (a hero of mine growing up) tragically trips and falls, not qualifying for the Olympics, not even finishing the race. Determined to finish an Olympic race, he finds an unlikely coach in Irv Blitzer, a former gold medalist who was stripped of his medals because he cheated. He was disobedient. In the second-to-last scene, the night before their final race, Derice asks Coach Blitzer “Why did you do it? Why did you cheat? 

Coach Blitzer says, “A gold medal is a wonderful thing, but if you’re not enough without it, you’ll never be enough with it.” 

Derice asks the follow up question, “How will I know if I’m enough?” 

“When you cross that finish line, you’ll know.” 

The next day the sledding team is performing their best yet, but has a horrific crash. When Sanca asks, “Derice, you dead?” 

Throughout the movie, Derice has been answering “yes” to this hyperbolic question asked after other crashes preventing Derice from finishing practice races. The story began with Derice falling and not even finishing a race, so this time he says. “No…I have to finish the race.” He had been obsessed with winning throughout the movie and now he was just obsessed with knowing for himself that he was enough. He had to cross the finish line just like his coach said. “When you cross that finish line, you’ll know.” 

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my race, I have kept the faith.” (See 2 Timothy 4:7-8)

Trust

Let me end with this thought. Some branches of Protestantism around the time of Joseph Smith believed in predestination, meaning that God has already chosen who will and won’t be saved regardless of our actions. We believe in foreordination, which means that God has sent each of us to earth to use our agency to fulfill specific responsibilities, and to endure specific trials. 

Consider the foreordination of Jesus Christ. He was chosen in the pre-existence to be our Savior. But we must also realize this means that He was not predestined to be our Savior. Jesus Christ also had agency. 

But the implication then is that Jesus Christ could have chosen to not fulfill His divine mission. And it makes sense when you consider that the adversary tempted the Savior. Why tempt someone if there wasn’t a chance that they could give in. In Doctrine and Covenants, Christ affirms this by describing the pain causing him to “tremble” and to “bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit - and would that [He] might not drink the bitter cup.” (See D&C 19:18)

But then, how could God the Eternal Father have promised His children thousands of years before Christ that they would be saved? 2 Nephi 2:6 says: 

“Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.” (2 Nephi 2:6)

How could God make that promise 600 years before the Savior was born? It is because Jesus Christ was obedient to the degree that God trusted Him. I think the only thing more valuable than being loved, is being trusted. God loves everyone, but can He trust everyone? 

When Christ visited the Nephites, His opening statement emphasized His obedience:

“I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me…I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.”

The only thing more valuable than the love of God is the trust of God. 

uSe tHe aToNeMent

 Talk on “High Priest of Good Things To Come”

12 November 2023

Union Fort 11th Ward (Singles Ward)

I’ve been asked to speak on Elder Holland’s 1999 General Conference address, “An High Priest of Good Things to Come.” In this talk Jeffrey R Holland gives a bit of a pep talk to people in the midst of trials, asking us to look forward with hope and faith in Jesus Christ and the inevitable display of Christ’s victory over such trials.

 

“Use the Atonement”

One of my gospel/church pet peeves is when people say the platitude or cliche to “use the Atonement” to solve a problem or stop pain. It’s often done in an unempathetic way, as if the Atonement was celestial duct tape. I don’t like it! I’m suffering here! And they aren’t able to expound on what they mean on how exactly to use the Atonement to solve my current problem, or heal my physical or emotional injuries!

In a recent conversation with a close friend of mine going through her own trials, she mentioned that one way she “uses the Atonement” is by imagining Jesus Christ physically walking with her holding her by the hand as she goes through things. And I think this is a valid way to “use the Atonement.” The sacrament prayer focuses on merely thinking of Jesus Christ. One of my favorite hymns says “Jesus the very thought of thee with sweetness fills my breast.” And Alma the Younger says it was just the thought of Jesus that rescued him from his mental anguish (Alma 36:17-19. See also, Gordon B. Lindsey’s 2005 BYU Speech, "Always Remember Him")

I think the Atonement also gives us perspective. Well, it gave Jesus perspective. Jesus attained glorification and with it came eternal perspective, a view we don’t have. He knows what’s in store for us because He’s seen it. And He tells us it’s waiting for those that are faithful and believe in Him. Having faith in Him and His Atonement means believing that what He knows is in store for us is true.

The Gift of Pain

This pet peeve of mine, of people overusing this platitude to “use the Atonement”, prompted a debate with myself about what this means. Why do people say this, and why don’t I like it? I asked myself as a counterargument, When people say to use the Atonement, what do I expect? Do I expect the pain to be immediately removed? The pain never feels good, but pain isn’t always bad. 

Physical pain is important for the body because it’s the way your brain tells your body that whatever you’re doing isn’t good for the body. It’s protecting the body. Consider people that are paralyzed. They don’t have connections to their nerves in their legs or sometimes their arms. They can’t tell if their body is too hot or too cold. Their brain doesn’t get those signals. 

The same applies to mental pain and emotional pain. It may be a way to tell your soul that whatever is happening isn’t good. The pain I’ve felt in the past, from recent past to long-past things, has quieted my soul and made me more thoughtful. There may be something to be said about God or Jesus holding back from immediately fixing the problem. It may quiet our soul.

Sometimes people have described this as the pain digging deep, making room for joy to be deeper. There is precedence for this in the scriptures. During the Atonement, God had to remove His presence from Jesus Christ (See Matthew 27:46). And there’s precedent for God the Father feeling pain (See Moses 7:28-29). 

Faith v Positivity

The gospel of Jesus Christ is simple. There are five principles to it: Faith, Repentance, Baptism, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. That’s simple. But the implementation of it in this mortal experience is very complex. And I think one reason I don’t like people simply saying “use the Atonement” is that it over simplifies a solution to trials.

The over simplified message of Elder Holland’s talk, “High Priest of Good Things to Come” may be misconstrued as positive thinking. But the major emphasis of my commentary on this talk, is that it isn’t simply an encouragement to be positive. Sorrow and pain are inevitable and okay.

It was pointed out in a Sunday School lesson in this ward a few weeks ago that the baptismal covenant as explained in the Book of Mosiah is to “mourn with those that mourn,” emphasis on “mourn.” It isn’t to tell people to think positively, but to show empathy. Mourn with those that mourn. 

A few years ago my close friend passed away unexpectedly due to a hiking accident. I observed a lot of different types of mourning, and the grieving process in myself and in others with whom I associated. Some people let the emotions flow through. They weren’t afraid to feel them even if it meant crying or pain. Doing so allowed the emotion to be processed and internalized.

Others were very avoidant of these emotions because they are uncomfortable. But after time I noticed that holding those emotions back made them build and build and get worse and worse because they were teaching their brain to avoid those emotions. This meant the brain was learning to be stressed or anxious about additional things that may lead to the original uncomfortable emotion. They were adding to the list of things they wanted their brain to avoid, sending it into overdrive.

One of my other gospel pet peeves was also exhibited during this time when people would say things like “People shouldn’t feel sad for someone’s death if they have a testimony of the Plan of Salvation. They should be happy!” And that drove me nuts. Not to quote a scripture but just to summarize,

“Jesus cried,”

(See John 11:35). That scripture indicates that Jesus had emotions, and it occurred when He heard his friend, Lazarus, had died! Additionally, Jesus waited for a few days before He raised Lazarus from the dead! He allowed his closest friends to feel emotions and He mourned with them rather than immediately solving their problem.

What I’m trying to say is that an oversimplification of the gospel, or even of Elder Holland’s talk to be positive, is incorrect in my opinion. One reason I like language is because there are multiple words to convey similar ideas. This is necessary because oftentimes the different words have subtle differences even though it initially feels like they refer to the same thing. In other words, I propose that faith and positivity aren’t the same things. To support my proposal, I submit a verse from the book of Mosiah. In chapter 7 Ammon is among the people of King Limhi who are held in bondage by the Lamanites. King Limhi speaks to his people: 

“O ye, my people, lift up your heads and be comforted; for behold, the time is at hand, or is not far distant, when we shall no longer be in subjection to our enemies, notwithstanding our many strugglings, which have been in vain.”

This is Limhi encouraging his people to have faith, but not to simply suppress negative emotions, or in other words, not simply to be positive. This is one of my favorite verses because of the next line. I didn’t read the whole verse above. In the next line he says,

“Yet I trust there remaineth an effectual struggle to be made.”

In other words, he’s saying, “We’re not out of the woods yet.”

Emotions Bond Us

One of the best movies of all time is Inside Out, a story about emotions and growing and change. We’re introduced to personifications of different emotions like Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, etc. They exist in the head of the main character, Riley, and control her actions. 

At the climax of the movie, Riley’s emotional console starts to die when there aren’t any emotions controlling it. This leads Riley to run away, feeling fear, disgust, anger in a stormy mix of emotions. Finally, Joy realizes that joyful memories in the past occurred because they were preceded by sad memories. Joy insists that Sadness takes control of the console. This leads to a sudden thawing of the frozen console, and Riley, sitting on a bus about to enter the highway, thaws out herself. Her sudden influx of sadness leads her to missing her parents. Riley immediately stops the bus to return to her home, and to her worried parents. Her parents acknowledge her sadness and admit they also feel some sadness too at their new living situation. They embrace her.

When she’s comforted by her parents it forms a new core memory, a beautiful blend between sadness and joy, introducing the audience to the idea that it’s possible to feel more than one emotion at a time. The sadness and the joy deepen her relationship with her parents. 

The director of this movie, Pete Doctor, said he had a hard time coming up with the storyline for this movie, unable to decide which emotion to focus on. Finally, he thought about what things in his life mean the most to him and why. He thought about his relationships. He said, 

“Emotions are the key to relationships. The people that you feel the most deeply connected with are the people that, yes, you’ve had good times with, but the people that really mean something deeply are those that I’ve cried with, that I’ve been pissed off at, that I’ve experienced fear with. It’s all the aspects of emotions that bond us together. So that gives me this idea, that maybe joy, as much as we all want it in our lives, is not the answer. The answer is actually sadness.”

Feeling sadness and other emotions with others deepens your relationship with others, creating a larger space for joy with those people. Additionally, these sad memories and the associated pain in an interesting way become almost sacred. They still make you feel sad, but satisfied because of how they brought you closer, or from how they enlarged your soul.

Going back to King Limhi, he echoes a similar sentiment. In Mosiah 8:20 he praises God saying, “O how marvelous are the works of the Lord, and how long doth he suffer with his people.” This scripture comes on the heels of the scripture where the king says he has a feeling they aren’t out of the woods yet. He’s illustrating that God is here in the metaphorical woods with us, because God really does believe that these bouts of sadness or whatever complex emotions you may be feeling, will deepen your relationship with Him. 

Elder Holland echoes this when he said in his talk

“I testify of God’s love and the Savior’s power to calm the storm. Always remember in that biblical story that He was out there on the water also, that He faced the worst of it right along with the newest and youngest and most fearful...Such counsel is not a jaunty pep talk about the power of positive thinking, though positive thinking is much needed in the world. No, Christ knows better than all others that the trials of life can be very deep and we are not shallow people if we struggle with them.”

Conclusion

In conclusion, when Jesus was in the midst of the climax of His Atonement, He testified, “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world.” And as Elder Maxwell said, “We too, brothers and sisters, came “into the world” to pass through our particularized portions of the mortal experience.” But through the Atonement, we can find purpose in suffering and pain, and look forward to “good things to come.”

(other notes if needed)

Rocky Balboa and Moral v. Physical Victory

There is an idea in literature and story telling focused on moral vs physical victory. It is only temporary or temporal for characters to achieve a physical or visible victory but more memorable and moving when they achieve a moral victory through their courage, and I especially like this and it’s especially noticeable when such a victory is contrasted with a physical loss. I’ve found in my own life that looking to such stories during my own hard times proves to be inspiring. One of the highlights of my pandemic experience was my discover of the Rocky movies. In the first one, amateur boxer Rocky Balboa is selected as an opponent by world boxing champion Apollo Creed. He admits to his girlfriend Adrian that he doesn’t think he can win. She asks him what he’s gonna do. He says,

“it really don't matter if I lose this fight. It really don't matter if this guy opens my head, either. 'Cause all I wanna do is go the distance. Nobody's ever gone the distance with Creed, and if I can go that distance, you see, and that bell rings and I'm still standin', I'm gonna know for the first time in my life, see, that I weren't just another bum from the neighborhood.”

In one of the sequels he reiterates this to his own son. He says,

“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life, but it ain’t about how hard you hit it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!”

Please Bring Honor To Us All

Talk given by Peter Barrow

Winder 2nd YSA Ward UT

Mother's Day 2016

Why We Honor Our Parents

As I’ve been studying the scriptures recently, I’ve noticed a pattern. That is the pattern of the Lord commanding His people to separate themselves from the rest of the world. God gives us commandments to separate us as a people as well as to sanctify us. Being obedient to His commandments teaches us to have a sense of the sacred, or a respect for things that are Holy. The world is becoming more and more casual toward sacred things. This is reflected in the way the world dresses, speaks, and in the attitudes it has toward sacred things. In contrast, the Ten Commandments revealed to Moses and renewed in our dispensation in the Doctrine and Covenants teach us to have a sacred respect toward God, reverence for the Sabbath day, and reverence for others. Consider the first commandment given with a promise, “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”

We should honor our parents for the love they have for us. Just as following the prophets help us to recognize Jesus Christ, the love that parents have for their children teaches us to recognize the selfless love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for us. Consider the following from Hal B. Heaton, professor at BYU:

“When our first son was born, I was overwhelmed with the love that I felt for Ryan. I also felt it again with my other children. This love was fundamentally different than love I had felt before. You see, I love my wife deeply for who she is and for all she does for me. I love my parents deeply for who they are and what they have done for me. They deserve my love. They have earned it. Ryan was a newborn. I didn’t know him. He kept us awake at night, he needed constant attention, he was sometimes crying and fussy. He didn’t deserve to be loved. He hadn’t earned it in any sense of the word. Yet I loved him (and still do) so intensely that I would do anything to help him.

God feels the same love for us—even if we feel we don’t deserve it.

I believe that developing this love for someone who doesn’t “deserve” it is part of our essential experience in this life if we are to achieve our purpose in life. I believe that is why the Lord feels families are so important and that love should be based on something other than selfish gratification.”

As Latter-day Saints, not only do we believe that the family is ordained of God, we believe that same institution is created in the image of the sociality that will exist in the celestial kingdom. Learning to love our parents and showing them the sacred respect they deserve sanctifies, perfects, and prepares us for the life above.

   

A number of years ago I realized that I was the same age my mother was when she had me. My first thought was, “Oh my gosh. How did she do it? I don’t know how to raise a kid.” Similarly, I recently realized that I am now close to the same age my father was when he had me. Although I feel a little more confident in my childrearing abilities, I have become more and more aware that my parents may have been winging it, doing the best they could with what they knew. Thinking this does make me chuckle, but it also makes me appreciate the trust my parents placed in the gospel to help them raise four boys into four men. I think a sign of maturity is the realization that your parents aren’t perfect and shouldn’t be expected to be so. That being said, parents have life-experience. Rex D. Pinegar said:

“If we are to be able to live the commandment, “Honor thy father and thy mother,” we must recognize the love our parents have for us. We must have faith in our parents. We must understand that their love and concern for us is usually basic to the hopes and desires they have for us and we have for ourselves. They usually know best. They have been down the path of life. They are not perfect. They may make mistakes in judgment, and they may lack wisdom; however, we will not go wrong by respecting them and heeding their righteous counsel.”

Honor Our Parents by Living the Gospel

A scripture often referenced by my mother is 3 John 1:4: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” The greatest desire of my parents is to know that their children are keeping the commandments, attending church, fulfilling our respective responsibilities, reading the scriptures, and going to the temple.

A few years ago for her birthday, my mother requested that each of her sons read the book Daughters in My Kingdom and come prepared to discuss it at her birthday dinner. Last year her birthday wish was for us to share some things we had learned in our scripture study. Not only were these memorable experiences for me but I believe this was an expression of her desire for us to honor her through our obedience to gospel principles.  

Quality Time and Gratitude Honor Our Parents

    When asked how they feel honored by their children, my parents mentioned that they feel honored when their children take time to send a text or make a phone call to say hi. Spending quality time with our parents also shows that we respect them. My parents taught us to spend quality time with the family every day as we grew up, particularly at dinner time. In a recent broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word, the following was shared:

“We live in a time of great division. Advances in technology have, in many ways, made our world smaller, but instead of coming together, we seem at times to be growing farther apart. Many of us wish for a way to bridge the cultural divides around us. We see people of other faiths or other nationalities, and we wonder how we might befriend those who seem so different from us.

There is a tried and true formula that has worked for centuries. It’s rather simple, yet it works. When we want to connect with others, we can invite them to eat with us. There is great power in the simple act of breaking bread together—it forms friendships and relationships that often do not happen any other way.

Perhaps it’s because eating is a basic activity for all mankind. When we share a meal together, we set aside everything but our collective need for nourishment. We enjoy a moment of rest, a time of mutual enjoyment. We slow down, we listen, we find common ground. That’s also why family meals are so vital to family unity.”

Honoring Our Parents’ Name

Names play an important role in the gospel, particularly in ordinances. When covenants are made, or sacred milestones reached, names are usually involved. When we are baptized we take upon ourselves the name of Christ. Those that are baptized are taught that as they have taken the name of Christ they are to act as an honorable representative of Christ’s name and all for which He stood. I remember when I was given the priesthood I was taught a lot about the individuals for whom the priesthoods are named. When we are born we are traditionally given a name and a blessing by a priesthood holder. These names act as an important reminder of promises we’ve made. They also serve as a reminder of righteous individuals who have preceded us.

    I remember as a youth becoming increasingly aware of the reputation my parents’ name had among other members of the stake. On one particular occasion I met a member of the high council at a scouting function. He shook my hand and asked my name. When I told him, He asked a follow-up question, “Are you the son of Joel and Elana Barrow?” I answered in the affirmative and he said, “You’ve got some great parents.” I was impressed that my parents were held in such high esteem, so much so that other members of my community shared this information with me unsolicited. Similarly, my middle name, August, is the first name of my grandfather. In interacting with some members of his stake or those who knew him on a professional level, his reputation preceded me. I feel a special bond with him because I carry a part of him with me everywhere I go. Sharing his name has led me to have an added measure of respect toward him and increased motivation to live up to his legacy. I’ve consciously considered both these namesakes as I’ve tried to live the gospel and make choices. I want to bring honor to their names.

    As we interact with others, our behavior and attitudes potentially reflect for better or for worse on those with whom we share a name. We honor our parents, ancestors, and those who are to follow as we righteously represent these names. This same principle applies when we consider that we have taken upon ourselves the name of Christ as well as the name “Latter-day Saint” or even “Mormon.”

Honoring Our Ancestors

When we are commanded to honor our mother and father, I believe this commandment has a wider application to honor our ancestors. Not only do we honor them by performing ordinances in their behalf, but on a simpler level we honor them by remembering them, talking about them, asking questions about them. As we do so, we increase our sense of the sacred and deepen our respect for holy things.   

I believe a sign of maturity is the realization of your own mortality. Along with this is the realization of the mortality of that of your parents, or the realization that they will not always be with you. Recently I considered the fact that I only have one grandparent still alive. I thought about how grateful I am for my parents’ love and support. It occurred to me that my father no longer has parents on whom he can lean, and my mother no longer has her mother to whom she can turn. To be honest, that was kind of a humbling thought.

   

One of my most memorable experiences of the past few years occurred when my extended family on my father’s side were gathered together. My aunts and uncles started reminiscing about my father’s parents. It invited this sacred feeling into the home. These stories had the effect of acquainting me with my grandparents. I felt the spirit of Elijah turning the hearts of the children toward the hearts of their parents.

One particular story stands out to me that my uncle shared. He was working out in the garden with his dad, my grandfather. My grandfather said, “Let me tell you about something, son.” He proceeded to relate to my uncle how he had once wanted to be called as a genealogist in his ward and when he never received that call he stopped going to church for 3-4 years. As he was relating this to my uncle in the garden, he leaned on his gardening hoe, and said, “Son, that was 3-4 years I totally wasted.” See, as we remember our parents and ancestors, their testimonies are passed down through the generations. Their testimonies overcome death, and by extension so do our ancestors.

Closing   

I have a testimony that as we honor our parents on earth, we also honor our Father in Heaven. Observing this commandment increases our ability to keep other commandments. Doing so separates us from the world and sanctifies us, preparing us for eternal life with our families. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Additional Quotes

“If we truly honor [our parents], we will seek to emulate their best characteristics and to fulfill their highest aspirations for us. No gift purchased from a store can begin to match in value to parents some simple, sincere words of appreciation. Nothing we could give them would be more prized than righteous living” - Spencer W. Kimball

“Financial success, educational attainments, honors of men—these marks of your success in life are sources of pride to any father and mother. But the real joy and honor comes to them through your faithfulness to the Lord’s commandments. In this way we honor not only our parents, but also our Heavenly Father.” -Rex D. Pinegar