Notes by Brian Cragun of the Stake Presidency
January 16, 2005
This morning the Stake Presidency had additional training from Elder Terrance Smith, of the Quorum of the Seventy. He had such good counsel and good teaching.
We asked him how he studied the scriptures, for he is mighty in his ability to expound the scriptures and has such marvelous insights. He said that true scripture learning requires the spirit and personal revelation. So he approaches scripture study as translating the scriptures for himself, and he prepares as if he was to translate the scriptures. He will get an electronic copy of the scriptures (or you can do this on paper) and he will write out what the scriptures mean in plain words, for each verse. He does this for entire chapters. He said D&C 6, 7, 8, 9 are chapters that talk about translation and how you have to study and read and ponder and decide and then take it to the Lord just like any personal revelation. He said that as he writes out his understanding of the scriptures, it becomes clear to him as he writes.
He said that you have to pay the price. You have to study and seek. You have to ask questions. You have to look and ponder. For this very reason it is helpful to your understanding of the scriptures to study from both the English and other language versions of the scriptures. When you have more than one translation, the person who has made the translation has already sought diligently to understand the meaning of the words on the page. Sometimes different words trigger different thoughts in our heads and allow us to think of things in a different way.
He also said if there is a commentary available on the scripture, he never reads it until after he has read it for himself.
Elder Smith taught us about Moroni 8:25-26. This teaching, although simple, was quite profound as a template for the sanctification of a people.
Faith leads to
Repentance the first fruits of which is
Baptism (or the Sacrament for baptized members)
He pointed out here that when elders teach people and they have faith and they understand the gospel they want to repent. The more they understand, the more they want to repent and be baptized. If people don’t want baptism they don’t really understand (or believe) the gospel…
Fulfilling the commandments which brings
Remission of sins which brings
Meekness and lowliness of heart from which comes
Visitation of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter
He pointed out that when you have the visitation of the Holy Ghost, you are justified, and cited Moses 6:60. There the water corresponds to Baptism.
This leads to hope, (the hope of a glorious resurrection) which leads to
Perfect love (which is charity), leads to
Enduring by diligence and prayer, then
The end shall come and the saints will dwell with God, which is sanctification.
Again he drew on Moses 6:60 that first comes the water (baptism) and you keep the commandments (you enter into the path) and as you continue on the path you receive the Spirit in your life, which as you do, [then comes] justification, and as you remain on the path, you become sanctified.
He talked a lot about the temple and said a lot of people don’t see the symbolism in the teaching and the rooms and the order of the covenants. He talked in depth about how the teachings and covenants and rooms and even their order fit into this framework. If you think carefully through the endowment and the order of things, you see that in this life we have a choice, we can live life in a telestial existence or in a terrestrial existence. Both are part of earth before we come to God in a celestial existence. What do we do in our telestial existence to improve ourselves and prepare ourselves for a terrestrial law? What is the order of improvements and covenants we make? As we make these covenants, we move to a more Zion-like existence in the world. Now as terrestrial living beings, we see the covenants we make and in what order to prepare ourselves to come into the presence of God.
He said, “You can equate a terrestrial existence to a Zion society or a stake of Zion. One of the ways we move forward to Zion is to not have backbiting. When we promise to not speak evil of the Lord’s anointed, who is it we are not speaking evil of. Is it local church leaders? Yes. Is it the brethren? Yes. However, that is true symbolically only. Think about it. No local leader is anointed to their calling. Not even the apostles or the prophet is anointed to his calling. So, who IS anointed? Well, the people who are anointed are those people who have received their endowment. That would be every endowed member. So when you covenant to not speak evil of the Lord’s anointed, you shouldn’t speak evil of any member of the church.”
He applied this to marriages. You wouldn’t speak evil of your spouse … she is anointed. It would apply to every elder and sister in a mission: you wouldn’t speak evil of them, they are anointed. Indeed . . . you are anointed.
He taught that making a Zion society comes by understanding and heeding the teachings of the temple. That if enough people truly live the terrestrial covenants and a celestial law, then our homes become a Zion. And if enough families in a ward live this way, then the ward becomes a Zion. And if enough wards and branches live this way, then the Stake becomes a Zion.
He taught that marriage and devotion to one’s spouse is the only person, other than God, that we should love with all our heart, might, mind, and strength.
He answered the question as to why we baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. There is only one other ordinance that is done in the name of all three of the Godhead, and that is sealing in the new and everlasting covenant. Both of these are done in the name of all three because it is to show the unity of Godhead. We know that God the Father and Jesus Christ are one–one in purpose and thought and action. The Holy Ghost is one with them. Both the ordinance of celestial marriage and baptism are about being one. In celestial marriage the couple becomes one. In baptism, the individual unites with the body of Christ, becomes unified in the church. It is a deep commitment of fidelity in each case.
He pointed to DC 88:90 about signs of the last days and waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds. He said in a meeting the day before, three different apostles took occasion at the news of the tsunami to call their families and ask if they had their lives in order. We should not be afraid of the signs of the times, if indeed we are prepared.