Post #84 – Our Campfire of Faith

Dear Family and Friends

Since my last post spoke a lot about having Faith, I thought I would share another conference talk with you. This one is titled ‘Our Campfire of Faith’ by Garrett Gong, who is of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, his talk was given during our last general conference in October of 2018.

OCTOBER 2018 | Our Campfire of Faith

For those who seek, allow, and live for it, the dawn of faith, sometimes gradually, will come or can return.

Dear brothers and sisters, isn’t it marvelous to receive continuing revelation from heaven through President Russell M. Nelson and our Church leaders that invites us to live in new and holier ways,¹at home and at church, with all our heart, mind, and strength?

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/04/ministering?lang=eng

Have you ever had opportunity to do something for which you felt unprepared or inadequate but that you were blessed for trying?

Any calling I have ever had😊 some more-so than others. With each calling comes growth and learning. I have never refused a calling yet, and I hope and pray with each one that I can do it to the best of my ability. And I also hold onto the promise that “the Lord qualifies those whom He calls.” I have had experience with this fact from my very first calling!

I have. Here’s one example.

Some years ago, Elder Richard G. Scott, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, kindly invited, “Gerrit, would you like to watercolor with me?”

Elder Scott said painting helped him observe and create. He has written: “Attempt to be creative, even if the results are modest. … Creativity can engender a spirit of gratitude for life and for what the Lord has woven into your being. … If you choose wisely, it doesn’t have to absorb a lot of time.”²

President Henry B. Eyring describes his artistic meditations as motivated by “a feeling of love,” including “the love of a Creator who expects His children to become like Him—to create and to build.”³ President Eyring’s creative works provide a “unique, spiritual perspective on testimony and faith.”⁴

President Boyd K. Packer’s artwork illustrates a fundamental gospel message: “God is the Creator of the heavens and the earth and all things that are in them, that all nature bears testimony of that divinely directed creation, and that there is [a] complete harmony between nature, science, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.”⁵

Alma testifies, “All things denote there is a God.”⁶ Our Primary children sing, “Whenever I hear the song of a bird or look at the blue, blue sky, … I’m glad that I live in this beautiful world Heav’nly Father created for me.”⁷ Author Victor Hugo celebrates the “miraculous relationships between beings and things; in this inexhaustible whole, from sun to aphid. … All the birds that fly hold the thread of eternity in their claws. … A nebula is an anthill of stars.”⁸

All we need do is to look around us to see that all those things show us that there is a God – just as Alma reaches us in Alma 30:44 “But Alma said unto him: thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when you have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the dace of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.”

And that brings us back to Elder Scott’s invitation.

“Elder Scott,” I replied, “I would like to become more observant and creative. I thrill to imagine Heavenly Father paints with billowing clouds and every hue of sky and water. But”—here was a long pause—“Elder Scott,” I said, “I have no skill to watercolor. I worry it may frustrate you to try and teach me.”

Elder Scott smiled and arranged for us to meet. On the appointed day, he prepared the paper, paints, and brushes. He sketched some outlines and helped wet the paper for me.

We used as a model his beautiful watercolor titled Campfire at Sunset. As we painted, we talked about faith—how as we face the light and warmth of a campfire, we leave the darkness and uncertainty behind us—how on sometimes long, lonely nights, our campfire of faith can give hope and assurance. And the dawn does come. Our campfire of faith—our memories, experiences, and heritage of faith in God’s goodness and tender mercies in our life—has strengthened us through the night.

Another image you can have of faith is of you standing in front of a tunnel – which is full of darkness. You believe there is sunlight on the other side. Your side is dark and stormy, (just like our life will get at one time or another). You are trying to decide if you should step into the darkness of the tunnel (do you have enough faith to trust that God will bring you through the storms of life enough?) to go through that darkness to find the light promised on the other side? Your Heavenly Father most likely will not take away your struggles.

He will strengthen you and give you comfort and peace as you work through those struggles with His guidance. You decide to trust in Him and step into the darkness. You stumble along slowly, reaching out for the walls of the tunnel, (praying and trusting) as you go. Soon you see a small light (you feel a warmth all around you, a feeling of love,) you believe you will make it through this dark tunnel, (this Storm of your life). As you keep praying and trusting and moving along, the light gets bigger and brighter.

You keep heading toward the light, (you are nurturing your faith by praying and studying the scriptures, having family home evening, attending your church meetings, participating in the sacrament meetings and Sunday classes…) soon you are out of the darkness and the storms and surrounded by warm sunshine and beautiful skies! (Yes! You made it through another of life’s storms.) does this image help you understand faith a little bit better?

My testimony is—for those who seek, allow, and live for it—the dawn of faith, sometimes gradually, will come or can return. The light will come when we desire and seek it, when we are patient and obedient to God’s commandments, when we are open to God’s grace, healing, and covenants.

I love how he includes ‘or can return’ because it is important for each one of you to understand that you can return to your faith if you have for one reason or another drifted away from it. Or if you have never had faith (or don’t think you have had faith) you can begin with a desire to have faith. Pray for the faint you need. If your desire is righteous, I believe that Heavenly Father will help you know just how to develop and nurture that faith😊 but that is just my experience, you must try it fir yourself to know that it works. There is great power in prayer!

As we began painting, Elder Scott encouraged, “Gerrit, even with one lesson you will paint something you will want to keep and remember.” Elder Scott was right. I treasure the watercolor of our campfire of faith Elder Scott helped me paint. My artistic ability was and remains limited, but the remembrance of our campfire of faith can encourage us in five ways.

First, our campfire of faith can encourage us to find joy in wholesome creativity.

There is joy in imagining, learning, doing worthwhile new things. This is especially true as we deepen faith and trust in Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. We cannot love ourselves enough to save ourselves. But Heavenly Father loves us more and knows us better than we love or know ourselves. We can trust the Lord and lean not unto our own understanding.⁹

It is so important that each of us totally rely on and trust in the Lord and remember that He knows us, and He loves us, He knows our potential, He knows just what we need before we need it. Is not this enough for us to Him? He is far more intelligent than we are, so why would we choose to trust in ourselves or other men’s intelligence. Remember why it is important for us to humble ourselves before God? Just as we are taught in Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct they paths.

Have you ever been the only one not invited to someone’s birthday party? Yes, I have, and it is very discouraging (which is a tool Satan uses – even when we are very young to shape a bad image of ourselves)

Have you ever been chosen last, or not chosen, when teams were selected? Yes, and this too can cause deep discouragement, even a feeling of worthlessness – why should I even try no one will choose or invite me anyhow? You may tend to give up on even being social☹because no one wants you around anyway, right? These are possible feelings you might get in these situations.no matter what our age. This is one reason that is is so very important that we know that we – each one of us are children of Heavenly Parents, who love us no matter what!

Have you prepared for a school test, a job interview, an opportunity you really wanted—and you felt you failed? I remember working so hard in college, I knew the material. Then when I went to take the test, everything I knew was completely gone. I could not bring it back to my mind. Just as soon as I gave up or the time ran out for the testing period, I would walk out of the door and hear the door close behind me. Just at that moment everything that I had studied would come crashing through my mind. Too late because I had failed the test☹

Have you prayed for a relationship that, for whatever reason, has not worked out? And yes, again! I was married for almost 37 years and I prayed for our marriage to endure through those final struggles we went through, but in the end my husband had his own agency to use. My agency is for me along and I cannot make choices for him. He is still the love of my life and I wish him nothing but happiness, but it was due to his agency that we ended our marriage☹

Have you faced chronic illness, been abandoned by a spouse, agonized for family? And yes, again. I guess you might call cancer some what a type of chronic illness – maybe not? I mentioned being divorced, I guess in my circumstance it may be considered being abandoned? I pray constantly for my children and my grandchildren – that someday, while still in their earthly life might rediscover their Lord and Savior, even Jesus Christ. That they will embrace His gospel in their lives and become a part of our eternal family😊

Our Savior knows our circumstances. As we exercise God-given agency and engage all our faculties in humility and faith, our Savior, Jesus Christ, can help us meet life’s challenges and joys. Faith includes a desire and choice to believe. Faith also comes from obeying God’s commandments, given to bless us, as we follow His covenant path.

I believe this to be very true. Our Savior does know each one of us – me and every single one of you as well! He knows what we are going through – I think, even before we go through it! Our Savior, Jesus Christ can and will help us through each one of our trials – even those self-induced, He loves each one of us so very much and is there for us. When we follow His guidance, keep His commandments and be humble, serve others… He will help us when we need it. He can give us a peace during our trials, that can come from nowhere else!

When we have felt, or feel, uncertain, alone, frustrated, angry, let down, disappointed, or estranged from God and His restored Church, it may take an extra measure of effort and faith to enter again on His covenant path. But it is worth it! Please come, or come again, unto the Lord Jesus Christ! God’s love is stronger than the cords of death—temporal or spiritual.¹⁰ Our Savior’s Atonement is infinite and eternal. Each of us strays and falls short. We may, for a time, lose our way. God lovingly assures us, no matter where we are or what we have done, there is no point of no return. He waits ready to embrace us.¹¹

The scriptures teach us in Doctrine and Covenants 121:44 ‘That he may know thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death.’ God’s love is stronger than the cords of death – temporal or spiritual. and in Luke 15:20 ‘And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.’ 

Do you remember this story from Luke about the Prodigal son? We may lose our way for a while, buy as elder Gong says: ‘God lovingly assures us, no matter where we are or what we have done, there is no point of no return. He waits to embrace us – just as the father of the Prodigal son did to his son
😊 Just as we would if our child had strayed or was maybe missing or we had not heard from them in a very long while. when we saw them we would want to embrace them and let them know just how much we love them and have missed them.

I have to agree with Elder Gong. I believe it is well worth evert effort you may take to either join or come back to His restored Church, even the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It will change your life for the better, with the Lord’s help😊come join our church family, we are all children of our Heavenly Father. No matter what our age, or our background! 

Come back to, or join anew, and get on the covenant path. Let’s help one another get back to our heavenly home! It doesn’t matter where you are or where you’ve been. Your Father in Heaven loves you so very much. Remember, He sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ to Atone for our sins. His Atonement is eternal and infinite, and it covers us all as we repent and come unto Him!

Second, our campfire of faith can encourage us to minister in new, higher, and holier Spirit-filled ways.

Such ministering brings miracles and the blessings of covenant belonging—where we feel God’s love and seek to minister to others in that spirit.

Not long ago, Sister Gong and I became acquainted with a father and family blessed by a faithful priesthood brother who came to their bishop and asked if he (the priesthood brother) could be a home teaching companion with the father. The father was not active and not interested in home teaching. But as the father’s heart changed, he and this loving priesthood brother began visiting “their” families. After one such visit, his wife—herself not then attending church—asked her husband how things had gone. The father admitted, “I may have felt something”—then he went to the kitchen to get a beer.¹²

But one thing followed another: tender experiences, ministering service, changing hearts, temple preparation class, coming to church, being sealed as a family in the holy temple. Imagine how grateful the children and grandchildren are to their father and mother and to the ministering brother who came as a friend and companion with their father to minister to and love others.

You never know when the Lord will need you to be there as an answer to someone else’s prayer. You must be ready and willing to be in His service and be a good example to others. Sometimes all it may take is a smile or a few kind words, putting an arm around a lonely brother or sister. Your service doesn’t need to be a huge or time-consuming gesture. All the small things count to the Lord! So begin today and make a difference! Remember that you may never know if your service ever makes a difference, but it is so important that you do serve and with a willing heart.

A third campfire of faith encouragement: creative gospel joy and blessings come when we seek to love the Lord and others with all our hearts and souls.

The scriptures invite us to place all we are and are becoming on the altar of love and service. In the Old Testament, Deuteronomy enjoins us to “love the Lord thy God” with all our heart, soul, and might.¹³ Joshua exhorts, “Love the Lord your God, … walk in all his ways, … keep his commandments, … cleave unto him, and … serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”¹⁴

Those invitations are found in Deuteronomy 6:5 ‘And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.’ And in Joshua 22:5 ‘But take diligent heed to do the commandment and law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all is ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul.’

In the New Testament, our Savior states the two great commandments: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, … and thy neighbour as thyself.”¹⁵

Elder Gong has shown us that in the Old Testament how many times the Lord counsels us to love and serve Him with all our heart, might, mind, strength, and soul. And in the New Testament in Luke 10:27 ‘And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.’ What do we need to remember from all these verses? To love God with all out heart, soul, and strength and to live our neighbor as ourselves!

In the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, King Benjamin labored “with all the might of his body and the faculty of his whole soul” and established peace in the land.¹⁶ In the Doctrine and Covenants, as every missionary knows, the Lord asks us to serve Him with all our “heart, might, mind and strength.”¹⁷ When the Saints entered Jackson County, the Lord commanded them to keep the Sabbath holy by loving “the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy might, mind, and strength; and in the name of Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him.”¹⁸

In the Old and the New Testaments, we are taught to love and serve God with all our hearts, might mind, strength and souls. In the Book of Mormon we learn hoe king Benjamin was able to establish peace in the land by his devoted service in the Words of Mormon 1:18 ‘’Wherefore, with the help of these, king Benjamin, by laboring with all the might of his body and the faculty of his whole soul, and also the prophets, did once more establish peace in the land.’ 



This we are taught further in Doctrine and Covenants 4:2 ‘Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day/’ For us to stand blameless we must be in the service of God. Then in Doctrine and Covenants 59:5 it is tied all together teaching us that we must love and serve God with all our heart, might, mind, and strength. Wherefore, I give unto them a commandment, saying thus: ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy might, mind, and strength; and in the name of Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him.’

We rejoice in the invitation to devote our whole souls to seeking higher and holier ways to love God and those around us and to strengthen our faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in our hearts and in our homes and at church.

Fourth, our campfire of faith encourages us to establish regular patterns of righteous living that deepen faith and spirituality.

These holy habits, righteous routines, or prayerful patterns may include prayer; scripture study; fasting; remembering our Savior and covenants through the ordinance of the sacrament; sharing gospel blessings through missionary, temple and family history, and other service; keeping a thoughtful personal journal; and so on.

When righteous patterns and spiritual yearnings join, time and eternity come together. Spiritual light and life come when regular religious observance draws us closer to our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ. When we love the spirit and letter of the law, the things of eternity can distill upon our souls like the dews from heaven.¹⁹ With daily obedience and refreshing living water, we find answers, faith, and strength to meet everyday challenges and opportunities with gospel patience, perspective, and joy.

We read further about this in Doctrine and Covenants 121:45-46 --- 45 Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. --- 46 The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.

I love that phrase ‘when righteous patterns and spiritual yearnings join, time and eternity come together.’ (Righteous patterns of prayer, scripture study, …) And Elder Gong says regular religious observance brings us closer to our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ. I have to agree; besides it will help make your week go along more smoothly when you attend church and participate in the sacrament. I know that participating in the sacrament and attending my Sunday classes certainly make a difference for me. It seems to set the whole week in motion – in a good way😊

How about having ‘the things of eternity distill upon our souls like the dews from heaven’? Doesn’t that sound like something wonderful to look forward too? And then with our daily obedience and refreshing living water, we find answers, faith, and strength to meet everyday challenges and opportunities with gospel patience, perspective, and joy. All of those things are totally worth repeating to make sure that you understand the importance and the significance of each of them😊

Fifth, as we keep the best of familiar patterns while seeking new and holier ways to love God and help us and others prepare to meet Him, our campfire of faith can encourage us to remember perfection is in Christ, not in ourselves or in the perfectionism of the world.

God’s invitations are full of love and possibility because Jesus Christ is “the way, the truth, and the life.”²⁰ To those who feel burdened, He invites, “Come unto me,” and to those who come to Him, He promises, “I will give you rest.”²¹ “Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, … love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ.”²²

What did you learn from the above paragraph about how we can come unto the Faster? We can find the answer in John 14:6 ‘Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ what we need to do when we feel burdened? We can find the answer in Matthew 11:29 ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ 

What are we promised when we come unto Him? Let’s read in Moroni 1:32 ‘Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and live God with all your might, mind, and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfected in Christ; and if by the gave of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in no wise deny the power of God.’

In this assurance “by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ” is also the comfort, peace, and promise that we can continue forward with faith and confidence in the Lord even when things do not go as we hope, expect, or perhaps deserve, through no fault of our own, even after we have done our best.

In various times and ways, we all feel inadequate, uncertain, perhaps unworthy. Yet in our faithful efforts to love God and to minister to our neighbor, we may feel God’s love and needed inspiration for their and our lives in new and holier ways.

With compassion, our Savior encourages and promises we can “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.”²³ The doctrine of Christ, our Savior’s Atonement, and our whole-souled following of His covenant path can help us know His truths and make us free.²⁴

In 2 Nephi 31:20 we learn further about if ye shall press forward… ‘wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the words of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life. Then in John 8:32 we learn: “And ye shall know the truth, ad the truth shall set you free.”

I testify the fulness of His gospel and His plan of happiness are restored and taught in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in holy scripture, and by prophets from the Prophet Joseph Smith to President Russell M. Nelson today. I testify His covenant path leads to the greatest gift our loving Heavenly Father promises: “Ye shall have eternal life.”²⁵

May His blessings and enduring joy be ours as we warm our hearts and hopes and commitment at our campfire of faith, I pray in the sacred and holy name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Well, my dear Family and Friends, it looks like we are at the end of today’s post. I hope you learned as much from Elder Gong as I did.  I am so grateful to belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and to be a member of His church upon the earth, where we have and are taught His restored gospel and His plan of happiness. I am grateful for our loving prophet -- Russell M. Nelson, and the guidance he gives to us from our loving Heavenly Father.

Please remember that each one of you are loved by your Heavenly Father, He is there for you. Let us each do as Nephi counseled us to do to press forward with as steadfastness in Christ having a perfect brightness of hope. Let us each love of God and all men. And let’s continue feasting upon the words of Christ, so that we can endure to the end, and we can each have eternal life. Until my next post, as always, make it a wonderful week😊