I was asked to give a talk in Sacrament Meeting today, and thought I would share the text of my talk.
Gospel Principles Talk – Jenny Hatch October 23, 2005
We know from the fourth article of faith that the first principle of the gospel is Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
There are many other gospel principles. And we have individuals in our society who put certain worldly teachings on the same plane as the gospel. How should one discern the difference between the philosophies of men and the true gospel principles that lead to life and salvation?
We live in a time when good is sometimes called evil. Recently I was castigated by a woman who told me that Paul and I were selfish for having five children. I have had this experience numerous times over the years.
We do live in a time when it is a “sin” in some people’s eyes to drive an SUV, wear a fur coat, or have more than two children. Yet committing the grossest of sins as outlined in the commandments; sins of immorality, dishonesty, covetousness, worship of false gods, or failure to Love the Lord with all our hearts are promoted as lifestyle choices considered “just as good” as the moral life.
How can we determine if a principle is true or false? Are there clues in the scriptures that can help?
I tend to look at the world in stark terms, and have been accused of seeing things as black or white. But this world view tends to serve me well as I have made life choices over the years, and I thought I would share the tool that I use to decide if something is right or wrong.
The gospel principles in the scriptures don’t get lost in moral relativity. When I did a search on good versus evil on the church’s web site, the dozens of scriptures that came up talked about good and evil in the simplest language.
Alma 5: 40 -41
40 For I say unto you that whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil.
41 Therefore, if a man bringeth forth good works he hearkeneth unto the voice of the good shepherd, and he doth follow him; but whosoever bringeth forth evil works, the same becometh a child of the devil, for he hearkeneth unto his voice, and doth follow him.
In the book of Ether, Moroni outlined the steps that the people of Ether followed to their complete destruction, and claimed it was these same practices that destroyed Nephite civilization. He also said he was commanded to write these things that evil may be done away and that Satan would no more have power over the hearts of the people.
Let’s read the passage from Ether chapter 8: verses 18-26
Ether Chapter 8: 18-26
18 And it came to pass that they formed a secret combination, even as they of old; which combination is most abominable and wicked above all, in the sight of God;
19 For the Lord worketh not in secret combinations, neither doth he will that man should shed blood, but in all things hath forbidden it, from the beginning of man.
20 And now I, Moroni, do not write the manner of their oaths and combinations, for it hath been made known unto me that they are had among all people, and they are had among the Lamanites.
21 And they have caused the destruction of this people of whom I am now speaking, and also the destruction of the people of Nephi.
22 And whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed; for the Lord will not suffer that the blood of his saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto him from the ground for vengeance upon them and yet he avenge them not.
23 Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain—and the work, yea, even the work of destruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be.
24 Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up.
25 For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies; even that same liar who beguiled our first parents, yea, even that same liar who hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning; who hath hardened the hearts of men that they have murdered the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning.
26 Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved.”
From the scriptures we learn that Satan has used the same tools over and over to destroy the souls of men and women. It is important for us to be reminded of the first war in which these false principles were promoted.
Satan was so effective in making his case that he convinced one third of the hosts of heaven to follow him. That would be billions and billions of spirits who were seduced by his plan.
Perhaps by focusing in for a minute on the plan which Satan promoted during the War in Heaven, it will be easier for us to identify similar false ideologies in our world today. And by juxtaposing those false principles with the true principles of the gospel, we can be more empowered to live the true gospel principles taught by the savior Jesus Christ.
If you will turn to the topic: War in Heaven in your Bible Dictionary, we will quickly review the opposing sides in that first war.
BIBLE DICTIONARY
WAR IN HEAVEN
This term arises out of Rev. 12: 7 and refers to the conflict that took place in the Premortal Existence among the spirit children of God. The war was primarily over how and in what manner the plan of salvation would be administered to the forthcoming human family upon the earth.
The issues involved such things as agency, how to gain salvation, and who should be the Redeemer. The war broke out because one-third of the spirits refused to accept the appointment of Jesus Christ as the Savior.
Such a refusal was a rebellion against the Father’s plan of redemption. It was evident that if given agency, some persons would fall short of complete salvation; Lucifer and his followers wanted salvation to come automatically to all who passed through mortality, without regard to individual preference, agency, or voluntary dedication
Moses 4: 1-4
1 AND I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.
2 But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.
3 Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down;
4 And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice.”
The spirits who thus rebelled and persisted were thrust out of heaven and cast down to the earth without mortal bodies, “and thus came the devil and his angels”
Abr. 3: 24-28
24 And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;
25 And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;
26 And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever.
27 And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first.
28 And the second was angry, and kept not his first estate; and, at that day, many followed after him.”
The warfare is continued in mortality in the conflict between right and wrong; between the gospel and false principles, etc. The same contestants and the same issues are doing battle, and the same salvation is at stake.
Although one-third of the spirits became devils, the remaining two-thirds were not all equally valiant, there being every degree of devotion to Christ and the Father among them. The most diligent were chosen to be rulers in the kingdom.
The nature of the conflict, however, is such that there could be no neutrals, then or now.
1 Ne. 14: 10
10 And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.
Alma 5: 38-40
38 Behold, I say unto you, that the good shepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ; and if ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd, to the name by which ye are called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd.
39 And now if ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd, of what fold are ye? Behold, I say unto you, that the devil is your shepherd, and ye are of his fold; and now, who can deny this? Behold, I say unto you, whosoever denieth this is a liar and a child of the devil.
40 For I say unto you that whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil.
From these scriptures we can see that Satan’s Plan was one of compulsion and force, while Jesus Christ wanted to give men and women freedom to choose. He knew they would make mistakes, but was confident that with the atonement, the willing could repent of their sins and transgressions and come into the fold and work for salvation and exaltation, living eternally with Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother.
So in what forms does this compulsion and force take form in our modern society and our individual lives?
As in times of old, we have those in our society who teach that any obedience to God’s Laws for Happiness is a form of bondage.
We can get a clue from the story of Korihor in the Book Of Alma in the Book of Mormon: Korihor claimed that those who were the humble followers of Christ were slaves even to the idea of Christ. He said:
Alma 30
13 O ye that are bound down under a foolish and a vain hope, why do ye yoke yourselves with such foolish things? Why do ye look for a Christ? For no man can know of anything which is to come.
…therefore ye cannot know that there shall be a Christ.
16 Ye look forward and say that ye see a remission of your sins. But behold, it is the effect of a frenzied mind; and this derangement of your minds comes because of the traditions of your fathers,…
17 And many more such things did he say unto them, telling them that there could be no atonement made for the sins of men, but every man fared in this life according to the management of the creature; therefore every man prospered according to his genius, and that every man conquered according to his strength; and whatsoever a man did was no crime….
18 And thus he did preach unto them, leading away the hearts of many, causing them to lift up their heads in their wickedness, yea, leading away many women, and also men, to commit whoredoms—telling them that when a man was dead, that was the end thereof….
Korihor was brought before Alma where he was questioned for his teachings…
(And here we have one of the great Prophetic testimonies defending the reality of God – this would be a powerful witness for anyone to use, especially when talking with someone who does not believe in God)
40 And now what evidence have ye that there is no God, or that Christ cometh not? I say unto you that ye have none, save it be your word only.
41 But, behold, I have all things as a testimony that these things are true; and ye also have all things as a testimony unto you that they are true; and will ye deny them? Believest thou that these things are true?
42 Behold, I know that thou believest, but thou art possessed with a lying spirit, and ye have put off the Spirit of God that it may have no place in you; but the devil has power over you, and he doth carry you about, working devices that he may destroy the children of God.
43 And now Korihor said unto Alma: If thou wilt show me a sign, that I may be convinced that there is a God, yea, show unto me that he hath power, and then will I be convinced of the truth of thy words.
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 ye 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 face 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.
Korihor went on to ask for a sign of God and Alma gave him what he asked for, the sign was that he was struck dumb and was unable to speak for the rest of his days…
52 And Korihor put forth his hand and wrote, saying: I know that I am dumb, for I cannot speak; and I know that nothing save it were the power of God could bring this upon me; yea, and I always knew that there was a God.
53 But behold, the devil hath deceived me; for he appeared unto me in the form of an angel, and said unto me: Go and reclaim this people, for they have all gone astray after an unknown God. And he said unto me: There is no God; yea, and he taught me that which I should say. And I have taught his words; and I taught them because they were pleasing unto the carnal mind; and I taught them, even until I had much success, insomuch that I verily believed that they were true; and for this cause I withstood the truth, even until I have brought this great curse upon me….
60 And thus we see the end of him who perverteth the ways of the Lord; and thus we see that the devil will not support his children at the last day, but doth speedily drag them down to hell.
In speaking of this story Elder Henry B. Eyring said:
Korihor was arguing as men and women have falsely argued from the beginning of time, that to take counsel from the servants of God is to surrender God-Given rights of independence.
But the argument is false because it misrepresents reality. When we reject the counsel which comes from God, we do not choose to be independent of outside influence. We choose another influence. We reject the protection of a perfectly loving, all-powerful, all-knowing Father in Heaven, whose whole purpose, as that of His Beloved Son, is to give us eternal life, to give us all that He has, and to bring us home again in families to the arms of His love (April 1997 conference)
The more obvious forms of bondage in our society are Slavery and indentured servitude, which are both alive and well on planet earth today. Other situations involve addictions – addictions to drugs and alcohol, addictions to immoral behaviors, and/or the worship of false idols and materialism which befuddles our society in real and lasting ways.
In the most recent General Conference Apostle Jeffrey R. Holland addressed this materialism and worship of false idols. He said:
“In the gospel of Jesus Christ, modesty in appearance is always in fashion. Our standards are not socially negotiable….
The For the Strength of Youth pamphlet is very clear in its call for young women to avoid clothing that is too tight, too short, or improperly revealing in any manner, including bare midriffs. …
I make a special appeal regarding how young women might dress for Church services and Sabbath worship. We used to speak of “best dress” or “Sunday dress,” and maybe we should do so again. In any case, from ancient times to modern we have always been invited to present our best selves inside and out when entering the house of the Lord—and a dedicated LDS chapel is a “house of the Lord.” Our clothing or footwear need never be expensive, indeed should not be expensive, but neither should it appear that we are on our way to the beach.
When we come to worship the God and Father of us all and to partake of the sacrament symbolizing the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we should be as comely and respectful, as dignified and appropriate as we can be. We should be recognizable in appearance as well as in behavior that we truly are disciples of Christ, that in a spirit of worship we are meek and lowly of heart, that we truly desire the Savior’s Spirit to be with us always….
In this same vein may I address an even more sensitive subject. I plead with you young women to please be more accepting of yourselves, including your body shape and style, with a little less longing to look like someone else. We are all different. Some are tall, and some are short. Some are round, and some are thin. And almost everyone at some time or other wants to be something they are not!
I mention adult women because, sisters, you are our greatest examples and resource for these young women. And if you are obsessing over being a size 2, you won’t be very surprised when your daughter or the Mia Maid in your class does the same and makes herself physically ill trying to accomplish it. We should all be as fit as we can be—that’s good Word of Wisdom doctrine. That means eating right and exercising and helping our bodies function at their optimum strength. We could probably all do better in that regard. But I speak here of optimum health; there is no universal optimum size.
Frankly, the world has been brutal with you in this regard. You are bombarded in movies, television, fashion magazines, and advertisements with the message that looks are everything! …
In terms of preoccupation with self and a fixation on the physical, this is more than social insanity; it is spiritually destructive, and it accounts for much of the unhappiness women, including young women, face in the modern world. And if adults are preoccupied with appearance—tucking and nipping and implanting and remodeling everything that can be remodeled—those pressures and anxieties will certainly seep through to children. At some point the problem becomes what the Book of Mormon called “vain imaginations.” …
A woman not of our faith once wrote something to the effect that in her years of working with beautiful women she had seen several things they all had in common, and not one of them had anything to do with sizes and shapes. She said the loveliest women she had known had a glow of health, a warm personality, a love of learning, stability of character, and integrity. If we may add the sweet and gentle Spirit of the Lord carried by such a woman, then this describes the loveliness of women in any age or time, every element of which is emphasized in and attainable through the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
I would highly recommend this talk to any person in our ward who would like a little pep talk on the principles of female modesty and beauty. The bondage of the current generation of young women in terms of eating disorders, fixation with appearance, and materialism is indeed a form of slavery.
Other forms of slavery are outlined in the scriptures. Few would think of the Pilgrims who came to America seeking religious freedom as being in captivity. Yet we are taught in the Book of Mormon 1st Nephi chapter 13:12 – 23 that:
“And I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; (This was Christopher Columbus) and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land.
13 And it came to pass that I beheld the Spirit of God, that it wrought upon other Gentiles; and they went forth out of captivity, upon the many waters.
14 And it came to pass that I beheld many multitudes of the Gentiles upon the land of promise; and I beheld the wrath of God, that it was upon the seed of my brethren; and they were scattered before the Gentiles and were smitten.
15 And I beheld the Spirit of the Lord, that it was upon the Gentiles, and they did prosper and obtain the land for their inheritance; and I beheld that they were white, and exceedingly fair and beautiful, like unto my people before they were slain.
16 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them.
17 And I beheld that their mother Gentiles were gathered together upon the waters, and upon the land also, to battle against them.
18 And I beheld that the power of God was with them, and also that the wrath of God was upon all those that were gathered together against them to battle.
19 And I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles that had gone out of captivity were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations. (This was the revolutionary war)
20 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that they did prosper in the land; and I beheld a book, and it was carried forth among them.
21 And the angel said unto me: Knowest thou the meaning of the book?
22 And I said unto him: I know not.
23 And he said: Behold it proceedeth out of the mouth of a Jew. And I, Nephi, beheld it; and he said unto me: The book that thou beholdest is a record of the Jews, which contains the covenants of the Lord, which he hath made unto the house of Israel; and it also containeth many of the prophecies of the holy prophets; (this is the Bible) and it is a record like unto the engravings which are upon the plates of brass, save there are not so many; nevertheless, they contain the covenants of the Lord, which he hath made unto the house of Israel; wherefore, they are of great worth unto the Gentiles.”
(All italicized words in paragraphs were added to this passage of scripture by Jenny Hatch)
As we can plainly see from these examples in the scriptures, we can have individual slavery to immoral addictions, captivity by religious or governmental powers, bondage to unrealistic forms of outer bodily appearance, and addiction and slavery to substances like drugs and alcohol or addictions to immoral behaviors. All of these forms of bondage and slavery have a Satanic spirit about them.
And as we have been taught from the scriptures, Satan has not changed his tactics or methods. He uses the same tools, temptations, and false principles to make us captive to his will. The same plan of slavery and compulsion was his plan before the world was even created, and it is still the plan that he uses today to seduce and force men and women to become slaves, thus carefully leading them away down to hell.
But Jesus was assigned from the foundation of the world to set the captive free. His gospel has the power and means to free individuals, nations, and families from the conspiring situations and ideologies which would enslave us and keep us from reaching our highest potential as Disciples of Christ. If we would be Saints, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I would suggest that we MUST understand the difference between Satan’s plan and Jesus Plan of Salvation and that the War in Heaven is STILL being fought today in our modern society.
It is only when we understand and embrace these truths that we will be enabled to quickly and easily identify the false principles which can befuddle our attempts to walk by Faith and live the moral life. Just remember that anything tied to Freedom, Independence, and Free Will has the mark of the Savior on it. And any principle that is tied to compulsion, force, or slavery has Satanic Elements.
This is the tool I have used for many years to help me identify truth, and I share it with you in the hopes that it will help you to clearly see through the gray areas of life – and quickly identify those Gospel Principles which may seem hidden within the philosophies of men. We have the mandate from our prophets to search for truth, wherever it can be found, claim it for ourselves, and bring it home to our people. This is what I plan to do for the rest of my life, and I feel confident that using the model of the War in Heaven the way will be made easier.
Finally President Joseph Fielding Smith said “the Standard works of the church (Bible, Book of Mormon, D & C and Pearl of Great Price) are the measuring rods the Lord has given us by which we are to measure every doctrine, every theory and teaching, and if there is anything that does not conform to that which is given to us in the revelations, we do not have to accept it.
Whether I say it or anyone else says it, whether it comes through the philosophy of men, or whenever a statement is made, that is in conflict with what the Lord has revealed, you should know what course to take. So far as I am concerned, I will just put it aside. And I don’t care how many men may believe it. I don’t care how much backing it has in the world of so-called science or philosophy. If it does not harmonize with what the Lord has revealed, to me it is not worth anything.”
And President Ezra Taft Benson taught three tests to avoid being deceived.
He said:
“May I suggest three short tests to avoid being deceived, both pertaining to this freedom struggle and to all other matters.
First, what do the standard works have to say about it? “To the law and to the testimony: If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” said Isaiah. (Isaian 8:20) (2 Nephi 18:20) And Hosea said, “My people are destroyed for a lack of Knowledge…” (Hosea 4:6)
We must diligently study the scriptures. Of special importance to us are the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants…
The second guide is, What do the latter-Day presidents of the Church have to say on the subject – Particularly the living president?…There is only one man on the earth today who speaks for the church. (D&C 132:7, 21:4) That man is President David O. McKay. Because he gives the word of the Lord for us today his words have an even more immediate importance than those of the dead prophets. When speaking under the influence of the Holy Ghost his words are scripture. (D&C 68:4)…
The president can speak on any subject he feels is needful for the saints. As Brigham Young has stated: “I defy any man on earth to point out the path a Prophet of God should walk in, or point out his duty, and just how far he must go, in dictating temporal or spiritual things. Temporal and spiritual things are inseperably connected, and ever will be. (JD-10-364)
Other officers in the Kingdom have fallen but never the Presidents. Keep your eye on the Captain is still good counsel. The words of a living prophet must and ever will take precedence.
President McKay has said a lot about our tragic trends towards socialism and communism and the responsibilities liberty loving people have in defending and preserving our constitution. (See CR-4/63:112-113) Have we read these words from God’s mouthpiece and pondered on them?
The third and final test is the Holy Ghost – the test of the spirit. By the spirit we may know the truth of all things. (Moroni 10:5) This test can only be effective if ones channels of communication with God are clean and virtuous and uncluttered with sin.
Said Brigham Young:
“You may know wether you are led right or wrong, as well as you know the way home; for every principle God has revealed carries its own convictions of its truth to the human mind…
What a pity it would be if we were led by one man to utter destruction. Are you afraid of this? I am more afraid that this people have so much confidence in their leaders that they will not inquire for themselves of God whether they are led by Him.
I am fearful that they settle down in a state of blind self-security, trusting their eternal destiny in the hands of their leaders with a reckless confidence that in itself would thwart the purposes of God, in their salvation, and weaken the influence they could also give to their leaders, did they know for themselves, by the revelations of Jesus, that they are led in the right way.
Let every man and woman know, by the whispering of the spirit of God to themselves, wether their leaders are walking in the path the Lord dictates or not. This has been my exhortation continually.” (JD-9:149-150)
Elder Heber C. Kimball stated: “The time will come when no man or woman will be able to endure on borrowed light.” (CR-10/30:60)
How then can we know if a man is speaking by the spirit?
The Bible, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants give us the key. (D&C 50:17-23, 100:5-8, 2 Nephi 33:1, i Corinthians 2:10-11) President Clark summarized them well when he said:
“We can tell when the speakers are moved upon by the Holy Ghost only when we ourselves are moved upon by the Holy Ghost. In a way, this completely shifts the responsibility from them to us to determine when they so speak…the church will know by the testimony of the Holy Ghost in the body of the members, wether the brethren in voicing their views are moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and in due time that knowledge will be made manifest.” (CN-7/31/54)
Will this spirit be needed to check actions in other situations? Yes, and it could be used as a guide and a protector for the faithful in a situation described by Elder Lee at the last general Priesthood session of the Church when he said:
“In the history of the church there have been times or instances where couselors in the first presidency and others in high station have sought to overturn the decision or to persuade the President Contrary to his inspired judgement, and always, if you will read carefully the history of the Church, such opposition brought not only disastrous results to those who resisted the decision of the President, but almost always such temporary persuasions were called back for reconsideration, or a reversal of hasty action not in accordance with the feelings, the inspired feelings, of the President of the Church. And that, I submit, is one of the fundamental things that we must never lose sight of in the building of the Kingdom of God. (CR-4/63:81)
These then are the three tests: The standard works, the inspired words of the Presidents of the Church, particularly the living Presidnet; and the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
Now, Brothers and Sisters, in this great struggle for free agency just think what a power for good we could be in the world if we were united…
Let us not be deceived in the sifting days ahead. Let us rally together on principle behind the prophet as guided by the promptings of the spirit.
We should continue to speak out for Freedom and against socialism and communism as President McKay has consistently admonished us. We should continue to come to the aid of patriots, programs and organizations which are trying to save our Constitution through every legal and moral means possible.
God had not left us in darkness regarding these matters. We have the scriptures-ancient and modern. We have a living prophet and we may obtain the spirit.”
Ezra Taft Benson (CR-10/63:16-19)
Apostle Benson said in 1964 that the time was fast approaching when it would require great courage for Latter-Day Saints to stand up for their peculiar standards and doctrine – all of their doctrine including the more weighty principles such as the principle of Freedom. Opposition to this weighty principle caused many of our brothers and sisters in the pre-existence to lose their first estate in the War in Heaven.
It is my testimony that we can know, live and understand gospel principles. This is something I try to do every day, and I share my witness that Jesus is the Christ, prepared from the foundation of the world to provide salvation to all who desire it.
In the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
I gave this talk this morning in our Sacrament Meeting in the Louisville Ward in the Boulder stake of Zion.
This was the talk I prepared. However, it was not the talk I gave. Last evening I timed the talk and it was over 25 minutes. When the program was announced I realized that an additional youth speaker was going to talk, and the Youth Choir was going to sing. So right before I spoke I cut out two more long passages from the talk.
Since I had been given only fifteen minutes to speak, I cut out several scriptural passages last night and during the talk simply encouraged the members to do some research on gospel principles as related to the war in heaven on their own or in Family Home Evening.
This is quite common and it is why in preparing talks it is always good to have more material than you need and to be flexible in terms of leaving portions of it out. It is a thoughtful thing to make sure that the final speaker has a chance to share the talk they have put together, and since the final speaker was my husband Paul, I made sure to leave him his twenty minutes.
I love giving talks, and it was an enjoyable experience. My daughter Michelle also gave a talkon Faith, and Paul spoke eloquently about Ordinances. Our church has a lay ministry and the speakers are chosen from the congregation to speak in church. We generally have several weeks to prepare, and I spent hours preparing this talk.
I share it in the spirit it was given – to promote Freedom as the great lasting eternal principle of Jesus Christ. He is the author of it, the defender of it, and it will be he, when he returns, who shall have every knee bow, and every tongue confess that he is the Christ.
Jenny Hatch

Jenny editing her talk on saturday night. Right after we came home from the choir concert I sat down to do one final edit on the talk.