One of our most beloved hymns, performed by the Tabernacle
Choir this morning, begins with these words: "'Come,
follow me,' the Savior said.
Then let us in his footsteps tread, for thus alone can we
be one with God's own loved, begotten Son." Those words,
inspired by the Savior's earliest invitation to His
disciples, were written by John
Nicholson, a Scottish convert.
Like many of our early leaders, he had little formal
schooling but a profound love for our Savior
and the plan of salvation.
All of the messages of this conference help us follow in
the footsteps of our Savior, whose example and teachings
define the path for every follower of Christ.
Like all other Christians, members of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints study the life of our Savior
as reported in the New Testament books of Matthew,
Mark, Luke, and John.
I will review examples and teachings contained in these
four books of the Holy Bible and invite each of us and all
other Christians to consider how this restored Church and
each of us qualify as followers of Christ.
Jesus taught that baptism was necessary to enter
the kingdom of God.
He began His ministry by being baptized, and He and His
followers baptized others.
We do likewise.
Jesus began His preaching by inviting His
listeners to repent.
That is still His servants' message to the world.
Throughout His ministry, Jesus gave commandments.
And He taught, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." He
affirmed that keeping His commandments would require His
followers to leave what He called "that which is highly
esteemed among men" and "the tradition of men."
He also warned, "If ye were of the world, the world would
love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I
have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world
hateth you." As the Apostle Peter later declared, the
followers of Jesus were to be "a peculiar people."
Latter-day Saints understand that we should not be "of the
world" or bound to "the tradition of men," but like
other followers of Christ, we sometimes find it difficult to
separate ourselves from the world and its traditions.
Some model themselves after worldly ways because, as Jesus
said of some of whom He taught, they "loved the praise
of men more than the praise of God." These failures to follow
Christ are too numerous and too sensitive to list here.
They range all the way from worldly practices, like
political correctness and extremes in dress and
grooming, to deviations from basic values like the eternal
nature and function of the family.
Jesus's teachings were not meant to be theoretical.
Always they were to be acted upon.
Jesus taught, "Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine,
and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man," and
"Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall
find so doing." In another beloved hymn we sing: "Savior,
may I learn to love thee, walk the path that
thou hast shown, ...
Savior, may I learn to love thee--Lord, I would follow
thee."
As Jesus taught, those who love Him will keep His
commandments.
They will be obedient, as President
Monson taught this morning.
Following Christ is not a casual or occasional practice
but a continuous commitment and way of life that applies
at all times and in all places.
The Savior taught this principle and how we should be
reminded and strengthened to follow it when He instituted
the ordinance of the sacrament (communion,
as others call it).
We know from modern revelation that He commanded His
followers to partake of the emblems in remembrance of Him.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
follow that commandment each week by attending a worship
service in which we partake of the bread and water and
covenant that we will always remember Him and keep His
commandments.
Jesus taught that "men ought always to pray." He also set
that example, such as when He "continued all night in prayer
to God" before He called His Twelve Apostles.
Like other Christians, we pray in all our worship services.
We also pray for guidance,
and we teach that we should have frequent personal prayers
and daily kneeling prayers as a family.
Like Jesus, we pray to our Father in Heaven, and we do so
in the sacred name of Jesus Christ.
The Savior called twelve Apostles to assist in His
Church and gave them the keys and authority to carry on
after His death.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as the
restored Church of Jesus Christ, follows this example
in its organization and in its conferral of keys and
authority on Apostles.
Some whom Jesus called to follow Him did not respond
immediately but sought a delay to attend to proper family
obligations.
Jesus replied, "No man, having put his hand to the plough,
and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Many
Latter-day Saints practice the priority Jesus taught.
This includes the wonderful example of thousands of senior
missionaries and others who have left children and
grandchildren to perform the missionary duties to which
they have been called.
Jesus taught that God created male and female and that a man
should leave his parents and cleave to his wife.
Our commitment to this teaching is well known.
In the familiar parable of the lost sheep, Jesus taught that
we should go out of our way to seek after any of the flock
who have strayed.
As we know, President Thomas S. Monson has given great
emphasis to this direction in his memorable examples and
teachings about rescuing our fellow men and women.
In our efforts to rescue and serve, we follow our Savior's
unique example and tender teachings about love.
"Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." He even commanded
us to love our enemies.
And in His great teachings at the end of His mortal
ministry, He said: "A new commandment I give unto you,
That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also
love one another.
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if
ye have love one to another."
As part of loving one another, Jesus taught that when we are
wronged by persons, we should forgive them.
While many struggle with this difficult commandment, we all
know of inspiring examples of Latter-day Saints who have
given loving forgiveness, even for the most serious wrong.
For example, Chris Williams drew upon his faith in Jesus
Christ to forgive the drunken driver who caused the death of
his wife and two of their children.
Only two days after the tragedy and still deeply
distraught, this forgiving man, then serving as one of
our bishops, said, "As a disciple of Christ, I had no
other choice."
Most Christians give to the poor and the
needy, as Jesus taught.
In following this teaching of our Savior, The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members excel.
Our members make generous contributions to charities and
give personal service and other gifts to
the poor and needy.
In addition, our members fast for two meals each month and
donate at least the cost of these meals as a fast
offering, which our bishops and branch presidents use to
help our needy members.
Our fasting to help the hungry is an act of charity and, when
done with pure intent, is a spiritual feast.
Less well known is our Church's global
humanitarian service.
Using funds donated by generous members, The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sends food, clothing,
and other essentials to relieve the suffering of
adults and children all over the world.
These humanitarian donations, totaling hundreds of millions
of dollars in the last decade, are made without any
consideration of religion, race, or nationality.
Our massive relief effort following the 2011 Japanese
earthquake and tsunami provided $13 million in cash
and relief supplies.
In addition, more than 31,000 Church-sponsored volunteers
gave more than 600,000 hours of service.
Our humanitarian assistance to the victims of Hurricane Sandy
in the eastern United States included large donations of
various resources, plus almost 300,000 hours of service in
cleanup efforts by about 28,000 Church members.
Among many other examples last year, we provided 300,000
pounds of clothing and shoes for the refugees in the
African nation of Chad.
During the last quarter century we have assisted
nearly 30 million people in 179 countries.
Truly, the people called "Mormons" know how to give to
the poor and needy.
In His last biblical teaching, our Savior directed His
followers to take His teachings to every nation and
every creature.
From the beginning of the Restoration, The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has sought to follow
that teaching.
Even when we were a poor and struggling new Church with
only a few thousand members, our early leaders sent
missionaries across the oceans, east and west.
As a people, we have continued to teach the Christian message
until today our unique missionary program has more
than 60,000 full-time missionaries, plus thousands
more who serve part-time.
We have missionaries in over 150 countries
and territories worldwide.
At the conclusion of His great Sermon on the Mount, Jesus
taught, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father
which is in heaven is perfect." The purpose of that
teaching and the purpose of following our Savior is to
come to the Father, whom our Savior referred to as "my
Father, and your Father; and ... my God, and your God."
From modern revelation, unique to the restored gospel, we
know that the commandment to seek perfection is part of God
the Father's plan for the salvation of His children.
Under that plan, we are all heirs of our heavenly parents.
"We are the children of God," the Apostle Paul taught, "and
if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with
Christ." This means, as we are told in the New Testament,
that we are heirs of eternal life and that if we come to
the Father, we are to "inherit all things"--all that He
has--a concept our mortal minds can hardly grasp.
But at least we can understand that achieving this ultimate
destiny in eternity is only possible if we follow our
Savior, Jesus Christ, who taught that "no man cometh
unto the Father, but by me." We seek to follow Him and
become more like Him, here and hereafter.
So it is that in the final verses of our hymn "Come,
Follow Me," we sing: "Is it enough alone to know that we
must follow him below while trav'ling thru
this vale of tears?
No, this extends to holier spheres.
...
For thrones, dominions, kingdoms, pow'rs, and glory
great and bliss are ours, if we, throughout eternity, obey
his words, 'Come, follow me.'"
I testify of our Savior, Jesus Christ, whose teachings and
example we seek to follow.
He invites all of us who are heavy laden to come unto Him,
to learn of Him, to follow Him, and thus to
find rest to our souls.
I testify of the truth of His message and of the divine
mission and authority of His restored Church in the name of
Jesus Christ, amen.