Boyd K. Packer - Counsel to Youth

Since we live in and “...you young people are being raised in enemy territory,” it would be good for all of us to memorize the poem about the “old crow.” Remember when we used to play that tickle game "here comes the old crow," as infants? I remember my Grandfather, JR Price playing the same game with me. To refresh here is the poem;

The old crow is getting slow.

The young crow is not.

Of what the young crow does not know

The old crow knows a lot.

At knowing things the old crow

Is still the young crow’s master.

What does the slow old crow not know?

—How to go faster.

The young crow flies above, below,

And rings around the slow old crow.

What does the fast young crow not know?

—Where to go. 

(The cost of a the hard back book containing this and other poems on Amazon is $92.56 so it has great monetary value as well.)

Shirlyn and I love the paragraph where Elder Packer admits that he, like most of us “...did not then have a firm testimony that the gospel was true, but I knew that my seminary teachers, Abel S. Rich and John P Lillywhite, knew it was true. I heard them testify, and I believed them.” I hope that like Elder Packer, all of my grandchildren will be able to lean on the testimonies of their seminary teachers until they gain a testimony for themselves.

We see that happening in the seminaries of the smallest branches of the Church we visit in Brasil. Some of the teachers here have only been out of seminary a few years when they are called to be seminary teachers at an early age. They are giving the youth the opportunity to lean on them.

The principle that Elder Packer teaches about gaining help from the promptings of the Holy Ghost is Family Home Evening material. The fact that the help we receive is most often a feeling rather than the actual sound of a voice. We receive those feelings whenever we are open to truth being offered and if we are not past feeling, we will feel his words. I testify to you, that that experience will be important to everyone of you.

We all make mistakes as part of our passage through life, “...but you will not make a major mistake without first being warned by the promptings of the Spirit. This promise applies to all members of the Church.” Sometimes when you have made a mistake, hindsight helps you to recognize when the prompting was given but that you used your own wisdom to make a choice which turned out wrong.

Here are some points to ponder for your next days and weeks of challenges:

• Dress Modestly
• Talk Reverently
• Listen to Uplifting Music
• Avoid All Immorality
• Avoid All Personally Degrading Practices
• Take Hold of Your Life
• Order Yourself to be Valiant

And for all you “Young Crows,” listen to this promise from a Prophet. “You can look forward to doing it right—getting married, having a family, seeing your children and grandchildren, maybe even great-grandchildren.”

1. Can you “play” the new Old Crow game by reciting the poem from memory?
2. As a young person, what does the poem indicate for your benefit?

(Click on "comments" and please add yours. We love to hear from you.)

José L. Alonso - Doing the Right Thing at the Right Time, Without Delay

Hanging above my desk is a sign Shirlyn created which says “Just Do It! - Just Do It! - Just Do It!” She knows that I procrastinate and I admit to this weakness. In his talk we see the approach we must take to live the Doctrine taught by living the Principles which we find in our opportunities from day to day.

I gathered these two questions to help each day:

1. What is the right thing to do?
2. When is the right time to do it?

Since our opportunities at any time are different and often unexpected, if we use these two questions a few times each day it can influence our actions and approach to the events and our plans. He shows how important it is regarding our privilege to help an individual who is lost or in need. He says; “Brothers and sisters, there may be many who, for some reason, are lost from our sight and who do not know that they are lost. If we delay, we could lose them forever.” But then he emphasizes that “... it is not necessary to create new programs or take actions which are complicated or costly. They only need our determination to serve—to do the right thing at the right time, without delay.”

Regarding those who have fallen away as President Monson teaches so well, we must remember that the “Rescue” has not stopped, it is ongoing and the Lord:

• Expects our Thinking
• Expects our Action
• Expects our Labor
• Expects our Testimonies
• Expects our Devotion

What a great opportunity we have each day to draw nearer to Him with this added layer of commitment in our lives. I had such an opportunity this week when an 18 year old convert was struggling with some "afflictions" in her life. He family had abandoned her as a member of the Church. A close friend and confidant had moved to another city. This young woman had made covenants to keep the commandments and to serve in the Church but it was not going well. What a sweet time it was for us to give her encouragement and promises regarding her chosen path and see the light come back into her eyes, knowing that the road would still be difficult but she had the help promised as she persisted through these hard times.

• Can you think of a personal example of the principles taught here that you could share with your family at Family Home Evening? 
• Can you add a “Just Do It!” to your next day? 
• How about someone you have not thought about recently. Is there some action you could do now to help?
• Could another family member discuss a recent personal experience at dinner time?

Thomas S. Monson - As We Meet Again

     President Monson’s talk was about the temples. The important information that we see here is the opportunity for members who live far from at temple to receive financial help for their first visit to a temple through the General Temple Patron Assistance Fund. In the outlying Districts of the Church here in Brasil the leaders organize Caravans to the closest temple, usually by bus. For example, from the District of Ipatinga, Brasil just last week they chartered a bus for the members, but the monetary contribution of each member was still a sacrifice for them. There were about 50 members who made this trip and the testimonies upon return in sacrament meeting Sunday was sweet. We observed however, one member who has and inactive husband (returned missionary) who was not able to go. She is a full participant with here two daughters in all the programs of the Branch here but she works as she can but was not able to find the funds to enable her to go. The trip to the temple in Campinas, Brasil takes over 12 hours and is usually during the night. While she would apparently not qualify for the help from this fund, but it is great to see more temples being announced.

We just had the opportunity to see the temple site that has been purchased for the new temple in Fortaleza, Brasil which will be a great blessing to the growing Stakes and Districts in or near that important area of the country. Thank You President Monson for those special announcements.

What are your feelings about the temple caravans? How long does it take for you to travel to the temple? 

L. Whitney Clayton - The Time Shall Come

This talk certainly hits home with us in Brasil. We are serving right in the middle of this great growth where small groups of new members are striving to live in accord with the covenants they make. They are for the most part learning about the Bible, the apostacy of the early church after the deaths of the early Apostles, and then the restoration foretold by prophets and the Savior. As Daniel saw in the interpretation of the dream, the Church is the Stone rolling forward and while many do not understand or want to change, many are happy with the new life they find here in the teachings they hear from missionaries and members. That event in 1925 in Argentina opened the doors here and actually affected our family greatly. Our family has participated in this great expansion here and in other places. In Brasil the growth began slowly but some wonderful leaders were taught and baptized. Their legacy these many years later is in the leadership of their children who are now often the leaders, becoming the shepherds of these new flocks of followers. The youth of the Church are now qualifying themselves to serve as missionaries here and in foreign countries including the USA. 

What a wonderful, prophetic statement was given to that small group of new leaders in 1834. After hearing them bear their own testimonies of the purpose of the Church he told them; ‘Brethren I have been very much edified and instructed in your testimonies here tonight, but I want to say to you before the Lord, that you know no more concerning the destinies of this Church and kingdom than a babe upon its mother’s lap. You don’t comprehend it. … It is only a little hand full of Priesthood you see here tonight, but this Church will fill North and South America—it will fill the world.’

We concur that the political leaders here and even the populace do not yet see this much as members are humble individuals, working out their own salvation without fanfare. Their influence is small for the most part, one individual or family at a time. We love them.

So, did this talk leave us with something to do? As covenant keeping people, what actions can we do as individuals in respect to this prophetic growth? How can our family as a unit participate? What story could you add to those in this talk?